Dream Theater

Progressive metal pioneers

Dream Theater, along with counterparts Queensrÿche and Fates Warning, are credited with reviving progressive music into critical and commercial success in the late '80s and early 1990s after the genre had spent almost a decade in decline. Heavyweights of prog such as Yes and Genesis had moved toward a straightforward pop-rock sound in the early '80s, and neo-prog acts like Marillion and IQ were popular, but were seen to be less progressive than their '70s counterparts. It was not until Dream Theater and others climbed radio charts in the early '90s that truly progressive music was once again seen as a genuinely popular genre of music.

Related Topics:
Queensrÿche - Fates Warning - 1990s - Yes - Genesis - Neo-prog - Marillion - IQ

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The progressive rock bands of the '70s and '80s had a profound influence on the compositional structure of Dream Theater's music, but modern acts like Metallica and Iron Maiden had a more pronounced sonic effect, lending Dream Theater their heaviness and wailing vocal style. The unique mix of '70s progressive rock and '80s heavy metal, previously unheard of prior to the formation of Queensrÿche and Fates Warning, was given the name progressive metal. Dream Theater are seen as a major pioneer of that genre despite forming slightly later than both Queensrÿche and Fates Warning, and they are responsible for triggering a sharp incline in the number of progressive metal bands being formed through the '90s and 2000s.

Related Topics:
Metallica - Iron Maiden - 2000s

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Today, they stand as the one of the most important and commercially successful progressive metal groups in the genre's existence. While Queensrÿche moved towards straightforward rock after the success of their album Empire (and its hit song "Silent Lucidity"), and Fates Warning struggled to forge a significant commercial following, Dream Theater influenced many modern progressive metal bands while at the same time consistently climbing the rock charts.

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Bands like Spock's Beard, Pain of Salvation and even Tool owe part of their success to the groundbreaking work of Dream Theater throughout the '80s and '90s.-->

Related Topics:
Spock's Beard - Pain of Salvation - Tool

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