“It worries the hell out of me. We’ve been outcasts for our whole career. If what we do becomes some sort of trend, will we die with it?”: How Dream Theater became the kings of progressive metal – and stayed there

Dream Theater posing for a photograph in front of a stormy sky in 2009.

Dream Theater did more than any band to turn prog metal into a viable commercial force. When Metal Hammer met up with them in 2009 to talk about their new album, Black Clouds & Silver Linings, they had stepped up to arena-headlining level and were ready to push things even further – even if that record would be the last one drummer Mike Portnoy recorded with the band for 16 years.