Dream Theater

By:

Want value for you money? Then you’re in luck if you’re a fan of prog-metal titans Dream Theater who are set to dazzle their Australian audiences for the first time ever this January with three-hour-long sets of both new and classic classics. Sure, it’s gonna be a marathon – but it’s a marathon every self-respecting metalhead will want to run.And vocalist James LaBrie is in pole position, bursting with enthusiasm at the prospect of swapping the punishing icy temperatures of Canada with the sun-kissed beaches of down under.

“Oh my god. Here in the northern part of Canada it’s around minus six or ten degrees. Yeah, it gets extremely cold so it will be a nice change when we get to Australia. Actually, the weather aside, it’ll be amazing just going to Australia, period, because it’s our first time ever. For so long we’ve talked about it and things have always got in the way, now it’s finally a reality,” LaBrie enthuses.

In fact, many things have gone from mere dream to reality for the band since 2007, July’s release of Dream Theater’s ‘Constant Motion’ music video for the first time in over a decade being a case in point. LaBrie describes the experience as “bizarre.”

“This video is the first one we’ve done in something like ten years. From the mid-1990s up until now the only vehicle we had for any kind of visuals was DVDs of concerts. On the other hand, in many ways a concert DVD was also the best way to really describe the band visually. I guess making this song video was bizarre because it’s been so long.”

And LaBrie is the first to agree that this is a major sign of his band finally getting the attention it so well deserves. Partly, the exposure is thanks to the band’s brand new home at Roadrunner Records…

“Oh, they’re on top of, pushing the video as one of the vehicles to promote us in a bigger way. It’s great, we’re all for it, it’s making a difference. The change is really obvious because we’re getting much more press around the world too and now we’re also going to Australia.”

But the fact that Dream Theater persevered and kept cookin’, despite the neglect and general apathy of their former label Atlantic, means the band have as much themselves to thank as anybody.

“It’s about relationships because Roadrunner is so different to what we’re used to. There were constant shifts with people leaving all the time at our old label and new people coming on so you’d never have that chance for the band to build a strong relationship with them. Basically, we kept getting resigned because of record sales but there was no relationship beyond that and we just kept getting shuffled around. Roadrunner are like a close family that really seem to care and believe in our music,” LaBrie explains.

Never ones for golden handshakes and never out to play the game, Dream Theater simply kept keeping on with shining results best witnessed in new release Systematic Chaos.

“My favourite track would be ‘The Ministry of Lost Souls’ if I had to choose. I just love the way it unfolds, it’s extremely atmospheric. Actually, when it comes to the entire album as a whole, there is not a thing that I would change about it. It’s a very powerful album, it’s very dynamic how it unfolds throughout and all I can say is that it is the record we needed to make. Since Metropolis Part 2: Scenes from a Memory [1999], John [Petrucci, guitar] and Mike [Portnoy, drums] have taken on producing duties and it’s worked really well for us. I do respect there are some great producers out there who are very much capable of producing a band like Dream Theater but to some extent it would be redundant to bring in an extra person to do the album because this way has worked for us,” LaBrie insists.

Made with love – the final mix being signed off on Valentine’s Day, 2007 – care, and hardly any thought for the mainstream, Systematic Chaos bursts with more originality than most bands could expect to achieve in their entire careers.

“It’s so easy to label a band, especially when it comes to a band like us who constantly gets put in this ‘progressive’ category. There is much more to us than that. Granted, yes, there are lots of prog elements about our music but there are also just as many heavy metal and even classic elements. I would say this album is heavy but it’s eclectic. Most of all, as a band, we’ve always stuck out like a sore thumb, we’ve always been on the outside of the fence. However, once we do get that fan on board, they are with us forever.”

Ditto, Dream Theater quite easily claim one of the biggest and most dedicated fan-bases in the world, with die-hard followers often skipping from one country to the next just to catch an extra glimpse of the metal giants in action.

“We see a lot of the older generations at the shows but we also see teenagers. The demographic covers pretty much everyone from 15- to 60-year-olds. I guess one of the other things that probably draws a lot of people to follow our shows from country to country is that we always try to play a different set list every night,” offers LaBrie.

Australian audiences in particular should prepare to be blown away thanks to a three-hour epic show that will see Dream Theater at their thunderous best as they rip through the finest moments of their 19-year-long catalogue.

“We’re all feeling like we’re at the top of our game right now. Everyone is in really good shape which is what you need if you want longevity. You’ve got to look after yourself because if you don’t you’re not going to be able to handle going on stage and performing for three hours. I guess what I’m saying is that doing this for another 20 years is not impossible if we continue on this path mentally, physically and musically.”

www.dreamtheater.net