Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in Long Island, New York in 1985 by Berklee students John Petrucci, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy. Images and Words (1992) and Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory (1999) practically define the genre — start with either. Shop Dream Theater vinyl, CDs, and reissues at Wax Trax Records.
Dream Theater formed in Long Island, New York in 1985 (originally as Majesty, becoming Dream Theater in 1986) when founding members John Petrucci, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy were students at the Berklee College of Music. Vocalist James LaBrie joined in 1991, and keyboardist Jordan Rudess in 1999 (replacing Derek Sherinian, who had replaced original keyboardist Kevin Moore). Mike Portnoy departed in 2010 (later forming Sons of Apollo and other projects) and was replaced by Mike Mangini; Portnoy returned to the band in October 2023. The band is widely cited as one of the defining acts in progressive metal as a genre.
Dream Theater's sound combines progressive metal, progressive rock, technical metal, and power metal with extremely sophisticated technical playing, long compositional structures, and conceptual album-length narratives. Their work has been a defining influence on contemporary progressive metal as a recognized genre.
Multiple anniversary editions and box sets of the Dream Theater catalog have been issued, particularly the Images and Words 30th anniversary editions and Metropolis Pt. 2 box sets.
Listeners new to Dream Theater typically start with Images and Words (1992) or Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory (1999).
