Dream Theater - Prog or not?

Message Topic Search Topic Options Post Reply Create New Topic Printable Version Translate Topic

Dream Theater creates Prog music, it does not exclusively create Prog music to my knowledge.  I consider it part of the greater Prog scene.  I consider metal to be a subset of rock, which makes its music both Progressive Metal and less narrowly Progressive Rock.  I do not think of bands as Prog per se as I do music as Prog (though if one is shortening this from being part of the Prog movement, creating Prog-styled music, or part of the greater Prog scene then I might let this lie -- I know it's implied).  Also, it rather bugs me somewhat since many bands deemed Prog also make non-Prog music so the dichotomy does not work for me much of the time  

Further down the  list, I don't believe that bands under the Prog-scene umbrella need be progressive (as an adjective), nor are many bands/artists that make progressive music Prog (many have been outside of the rock/metal universe).  I'm not sure how progressive (as in moving music forward, innovation, and expanding the lexicon of what rock/metal music can be, or music generally) Dream Theater is (of course being progressive infers innovation rather than pure invention) but I find it quite conventional in approach (so not very progressive -- more Prog by style than Prog by approach to use the ratingfreak terminology).  

Ultimately, no vote.  The music does not strike me as terribly progressive (but that's not to say that it hasn't progressed metal).  I do think the band makes music fits the greater Prog scene, but as I said, I don't really consider bands Prog; I consider music itself Prog or not, or Prog by degree commonly.

Edited by Logan - February 18 2010 at 19:40

Poll Question: Do you regard Dream Theater as a prog band?
Poll Choice	Votes	Poll Statistics
Yes, they are true prog metal and true prog rock	95	[66.90%]
Yes, they are true pog metal but not prog rock	15	[10.56%]
No, they are merely technically virtous musicians	8	[5.63%]
I'm unsure about their progressive credentials	1	[0.70%]
No, they are merely a metal act with progressive tendencies	23	[16.20%]
This topic is closed, no new votes accepted