Hmm...

[the_eggwhite]

So far, every band I've heard that contains members (or ex members) of Dream Theater, but that isn't actually Dream Theater has been really, really good indeed. OSI - fantastic. Transatlantic - fantastic. Chroma Key - What I've heard is mighty. Liquid Tension Experiment - Sounds like Dream Theater, but with emotions & passion. Even James LaBrie's (*) guest vocals for Ayreon are good! I've even heard some Dominici (current band of Charlie Dominici - singer on DT's first album) and it's not bad. I've not heard any Playpus (John Myung side project), so can't comment there.

Put them together and Dream Theater and what do you get? A technically impressive but ultimately bland mush.

(* - It amuses me that his name, when it boils down to it, is "James The Cheese". It's so appropriate.)

Comments

[sea-cucumber.livejournal.com]

Only slightly related as it is to do with random music, I seem to have become addicted to prog rock randomly. It had grown on me muchly of late. I have been listening to Rush and Marillion and stuff like that! I blame you for corrupting me to the goodness (even if it did take a while to see the mightyness of it all)! Hoorah!

[eggwhite.livejournal.com]

It is rather good, isn't it?

I'd suggest also checking out:
Porcupine Tree (moody prog)
OSI (moody political prog)
Transatlantic (when prog really gets self indulgent)
Arena (more the later stuff than earlier)

I'd also suggest listening to some of the stuff that led to prog... Psychedelia and whatnot. Jefferson Airplane, later Beatles stuff, etc...

[sea-cucumber.livejournal.com]

I think what happened is I went Opeth -> Porcupine Tree (have 3 of their albums and completely approve) -> random prog stuff I found on the media school music server at work (they have almost everything ever by Marillion for example) :):)

I shall have to check out the other bands you mention.. :)

[eggwhite.livejournal.com]

The bunch I mentioned are a pretty incestuous lot really... OSI link closely with Dream Theater (2 members), Porcupine Tree link (tenuously) with OSI, Transatlantic have a member of Marillion and a member of Dream Theater and Arena have an ex-Marillion member.

With a bit more time, I can steer you towards some other stuff, but I'd also suggest popping over here: The Dividing Line. It's a prog internet radio station - you can either listen to shows when they're on (foolish american timezones, alas) or you can download or stream the latest show from a particular stream.

I've not listened recently, but when I did, I listened to a lot of The Rogues Gallery and a lot of Progopolis. I listened to other shows if they caught my attention.

[sea-cucumber.livejournal.com]

Mighty! I shall have to put that on at work as they have the bandwidth for it :D (and nobody cares what I listen to there) :)