Rich Wilson’s revised and updated biography of longstanding prog-metal figureheads Dream Theater is, like the music of the band members themselves, a piece of work. Patient, methodical and even-handed, Wilson balances his evident devotion to the band with a clear-headed acknowledgement of questionable career decisions, occasional episodes of dubious behaviour and lapses of taste.
Formerly called Majesty, which made them sound like a cross between a Queen tribute band and a range of 70s soft furnishings, Dream Theater have been thrilling a fiercely partisan fan base for 20 years and counting with their logic-defying virtuosity and dogged adherence to a supposedly anachronistic song form. As Wilson points out, a recurring feature of their career has been their inability or, latterly, abject refusal to cross over into a wider sphere of acceptance; and so, alas, it will prove with this book.
With mercifully little in the way of gossip, tragedy or scandal to ensnare the casual reader bar drummer Mike Portnoy’s one-time alcohol and consequent anger management problem, this one is strictly for fans, but a flawless and meticulously thorough read on that basis. What emerges most strongly is the band’s Calvinist work ethic and an unshakeable self-belief bordering on arrogance.
