Long Island, New York's Dream Theater are the globally celebrated standard bearers for progressive metal in the 21st century. Their ability to deliver tight, melodic, musically sophisticated songs and thematic concept recordings encompassing elements of hook-based hard rock, riff-fueled metal, syncopated prog, and refined lyrics have made them the act others are measured by. Their second album, 1992's Images and Words, established their sonic signature, while 1994's Awake and 1999's Metropolis, Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory cemented their place in metal's pantheon.

Unfortunately, this fine live recording will always be remembered for the cover art. Released on September 11, 2001, the original cover displayed a flaming apple wrapped in barbed wire with the skyline of New York engulfed in flames. The band's trademark logo had always been a flaming heart wrapped in barbed wired, but for this recording the apple and skyline were added to reflect that the live concert was held in New York (Roseland Ballroom). The dreadful coincidence was a shock to both the band and record company, prompting an immediate recall. Tragically, this made the original pressings an instant collector's item to those who engage in such feckless activities. The issue received national media attention and the band, mostly comprised of native New Yorkers, issued a sympathetic statement that the recording would be re-released with a new cover. The recording itself is a live version of their prog rock masterpiece, Metropolis Part II: Scenes From a Memory, plus additional live material performed the same evening. The production and sound quality are good and the band's energy is fittingly captured. This same live concert can be seen on the DVD Metropolis 2000: Scenes From New York.

Coming a year after Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence, it's great to hear that Dream Theater hadn't lost their überheavy edge. John Petrucci, Mike Portnoy, Jordan Rudess, and bassist John Myung effectively peeled back the pretentious excesses of Six Degrees, turned them in on themselves, and came up with a leaner, meaner but no less ambitious outing. The centerpiece track, despite the fact that it is second on the disc, is "This Dying Soul: IV. Reflections of Reality (Revisited)." A tome about alcoholism and recovery, it's strident riff opens out onto vast sonic panoramas where pianos and rhythm section offer Petrucci the space he needs to take his guitar playing into overdrive. Also, lyrically this is an evolutionary track on the set; it opens doors for the rest of the narratives here…

A Change of Seasons is a strange disc. There are only five tracks but with a total time that approaches an hour anyway. The first track, the 23-minute, seven-part epic "A Change of Seasons," is one of the most impressive pieces of music ever written in the progressive metal vein. With the same heavy sound that marked Awake, but with many other styles mixed in, the track features incredible playing, dramatic, complex instrumental arrangements, and soaring vocals. New keyboardist Derek Sherinian (formerly of Kiss and Alice Cooper) adds his own stamp to the Dream Theater sound as if he'd always been with them. The remainder of the tracks are live cover tunes, recorded from the band's "Uncovered" gig at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club; the material varies widely and includes Elton John's "Love Lies Bleeding" and Deep Purple's "Perfect Strangers." The final track, "The Big Medley," has to be heard to be believed…

Dream Theater's first official release gave an indication that this was a talented band that combined the styles of Yes, Rush, and Queensrÿche. The latter seemed to be too big of an influence at this stage of their career. Vocalist Charlie Dominici's voice is not powerful enough to carry out the band's otherwise convincing intensity, and his attempt to sound like Queensrÿche's Geoff Tate was unsuccessful. The music here is not as heavy as it would become in the '90s but could still be classified as progressive metal. Guitarist John Petrucci and drummer Mike Portnoy established themselves as competent musicians, but their individual styles were not yet refined. The band's originality does shine through on "Light Fuse and Get Away," "The Ones Who Help to Set the Sun," and "Only a Matter of Time"…

Originally released in 2003 on Ytsejam Records, 'The Making of Scenes From a Memory - The Sessions' provides a fascinating glimpse at the making of what would go on to become a landmark album for Dream Theater in 1999.

Easily the best album of their official bootleg cover series. The band seamlessly and almost effortlessly transition from track to track as if they had written the album themselves, and in a live setting no less. The second disc contains bonus Floyd songs performed throughout their career including the song, 'Echoes' in its entirety, 'Hey You,' and an awesome simultaneous performance of 'Comfortably Numb' with Queensryche.

The Long Island-based quintet Dream Theater are, in the 21st century, the standard bearers of progressive metal. While the subgenre's origins can be traced to Rush's song "Bastille Day" in 1975, and Queensrÿche's 1988 concept offering Operation: Mindcrime was its first full-length album, Dream Theater have largely defined and expanded the music's horizons since 1986.

Black Clouds & Silver Linings is the tenth studio album by American progressive metal band Dream Theater, released on June 23, 2009 through Roadrunner Records. It is the band's last album to feature drummer and founding member Mike Portnoy before his departure on September 8, 2010. The album was recorded between October 2008 and March 2009 at Avatar Studios in New York City, where they previously recorded Falling into Infinity (1997) and Systematic Chaos (2007). Black Clouds & Silver Linings was produced by John Petrucci and Portnoy, and was engineered and mixed by Paul Northfield. Black Clouds & Silver Linings was a major success for Dream Theater, becoming their highest-charting album on the Billboard 200, where it peaked at number six.

This installment of Dream Theater's "Lost Not Forgotten Archives" series documents the demos for "When Dream And Ay Unite" from 1987-1989. Instrumental and pre-production demos of what would later become the band's debut album. It also features 6 tracks the band recorded as a holiday gift to friends.

The godfathers of progressive metal have been amazing and delighting their dedicated fans since the late '80s. Throughout their impressive and unlikely career they have continued to push themselves and the genre into new and challenging directions. While arguably hitting their peak with 1994's Awake, the band continued to grow with each new release (save for perhaps Falling into Infinity). Their previous studio effort, Metropolis Part 2: Scenes From a Memory, was a milestone in their career, finding all of the band's best attributes amalgamated into a fully realized whole. Although "Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence" may not be another magnum opus, it is still another fine addition to their impressive discography.

Dream Theater was almost aggressively out of fashion in 1999. Few bands subscribed to their dense blend of progressive rock and post-Halen metal, and those that did usually didn't have major-label contracts, the way Dream Theater did. There was a point where they tried to straighten out their sound somewhat as they flirted with straight-ahead, laid-back metal on 1997's Falling Into Infinity, but with its 1999 studio sequel, Scenes from a Memory, Dream Theater delves straight into old-fashioned prog rock. Scenes from a Memory is an unabashed concept album told in two acts, about the 1928 murder of a young woman and how a modern man is haunted by the crime.

Two CDs. Originally released back in 2004 on Ytsejam Records, 'When Dream And Day Unite Demos (1987-1989)' collects together instrumental and pre-production demos of what would go on to become the bands debut album. It also features 6 tracks the band recorded as a holiday gift to friends.

A brand-new, previously unreleased entry finds its way into the Lost Not Forgotten Archives. "Distance Over Time Demos (2018)" documents the writing sessions for Dream Theater’s fourteenth studio album at Yonderbarn in New York, the secluded studio where the band convened for the creation of this much-acclaimed album. Presented here in the original order in which the tracks were written and recorded, this release gives a fascinating glimpse into how that record was constructed.

A brand-new, unreleased entry in the Lost Not Forgotten Archives, "Live at Madison Square Garden (2010)" sees Dream Theater supporting the legends, Iron Maiden, performing to a hometown New York audience in one of the world’s most iconic venues.