Dream Theater
Dream Theatre arrived on the US techno-rock scene in 1988. Initially comprising Berklee College Of Music students John Petrucci (guitar), John Myung (bass) and Mike Portnoy (drums), they subsequently drafted in old schoolfriend Kevin Moore (keyboards) and began to record demos. Along with a contract to MCA, they also picked up the services of vocalist Charlie Dominici, adopting their new name in favour of original choice, Majesty. A debut album showcased strong material, incorporating elements of Rush, Queensr˙che, and Yngwie Malmsteen, in addition to the English progressive tradition embodied by King Crimson and Genesis. Dynamic, multi-faceted hard rock songs, characterized by countless slick time changes and impeccable musicianship, were the band's trademark. The album received a favourable response from the music media, but was strangely ignored by the record-buying public. Dismayed at the poor album sales, MCA terminated their contract and Dominici quit shortly afterwards. It took the group a year to extricate themselves from the deal, and a rigorous auditioning process began to find a new singer. The winning candidate would be Canadian James LaBrie, formerly of Winter Rose, and also Carl Dixon's replacement in Coney Hatch. After their earlier label and personnel tribulations, the release of two albums in the '90s saw them regain their initial momentum, with both mainstream and metal critics acknowledging their fluency in meshing a variety of styles around a hard rock core.