Dream Theater

• Genre: Progressive Metal
• Hometown: Boston
• Dream Theater Website

About

While actual scientific data has yet to be collected on the subject, it's possible that Dream Theater's audience holds the highest musician to non-musician ratio of any rock band in operation today. The Berklee-bred quintet have fashioned a style that feeds off remnants of Rush, Speed Metal, and arena-ready prog rock (think Styx), all mixed in with a not-so-small dose of 1980s hair-band perfumery. Most commonly referred to as "Progressive Metal," Dream Theater's music isn't the sort that inspires headbanging. Marveling at the band's clinically precise execution, basking in the stadium-wide grandeur, and extracting pearls of wisdom from the fantasy-fueled lyrics are what really define the Dream Theater experience. It's an experience that countless bands seek to emulate; whether it makes you want to jump for joy or reach for a barf bag, there's no denying its singular power.

- Will York