Prog Metal and Dream Theater

UMUR wrote: Just my opinion... and completely different than yours I guess

Interesting that you almost sound offended by this... but the fact is that Dream Theater is the single most influential progressive metal act. They were one of the first progressive metal acts to have a keyboard player in the lineup that had an equal role to the guitarist. I´d say that´s one of the things where they really sounded different from other contemporary acts in the late eighties/early nineties. Their virtuosity level was also incredible. Usually in those days metal acts had one, maybe two outstanding musicians in the lineup and the rest were solid, but here was an act where every member was incredibly skilled and got to show it.

You mention Fates Warning and Queensrÿche, which are definitely also two of the most influential progressive metal acts on the scene (along with maybe Watchtower and Dream Theater, that´s about it in my book) and I think you´ll find quite a few reviews where the artist in question is compared to those two.

The other acts you mention are to my ears not very original sounding or Unique. They are great acts, but that´s a completely different story. Many of the ideas they use are influenced by the four acts I mention above.

Just my opinion... and completely different than yours I guess

Because John Petrucci is a bear and can kill you, Jordan Rudess is a magical wizard who can kill you, John Myung is a ninja and can kill you, James LaBrie is a pirate and can kill you, and Mike Mangini is a genie.... and can kill you.

Also, Mike Portnoy and other past members can kill you.

I think it's because they are so massively influential.  They really solidified progressive metal as a genre and inspired many bands to play progressive metal.