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Tell us why you came to Berklee and the reason for it.

Mike Portnoy When I was 16-17, I immersed myself in Rush's music.

From there I went backwards and discovered another prog.

I would become an accomplished drummer and learn as much as possible -

- About music theory and harmony. Berklee was the music above all.

John Petrucci Berklee's about all musicians. Everyone has gigbag on the shoulder.

But there is a jazz school, so there is a distinction -

- Between rockers and jazz folks. And rockers are in the minority.

I divorced myself out. We formed Dream Theater with John Myung and John Petrucci.

We rehearsed at Berklee. While others played standard jazz tunes -

- Jammed we voted metals and prog tunes.

If Rush was Zeppelin meetings Yes, was Dream Theater Metallica meetings Yes.

"Metallica meetings Yes". Yes with terms of instrumentation and låttyper, -

- But with Metallica's metal feel.

Quick how rhythms, hard drumming, heavy guitar riffs. All the good stuff.

This was during grunge period. Eg. was virtuosity completely umotens.

- Why did you record deal with them? - They were incredible.

Derek Shulman I had not heard anything like in a long time. Great events, well played.

Although everything was about grunge and checkered flanellsskjorter, -

- I knew when a movement going in one direction -

- The scope for a music style which is still popular.

Dream Theater led fans of metal and progressive music together -

- and they saw that artistic trends not excluded each other.

It opened up a whole new generation of progressive-metal-oriented band.

Good or bad, I do not know.

After Dream Theater's success came a number of bands in the 90s -

- that led to progressive-metal was a renowned music style.

One 90s bands accounted for a major change in the prog-metal genre development.

In the early '90s was grunge the most popular hard rock style.

Grung Band created a sound that was far from prog-metal.

Then came a band that was embraced of both progressive rock and alternative audiences.

I did not made an interview with Tool.

To get perspective on Tools space in prog metal history -

- I found their producer David Bottrill.

Although Tool has played at Lollapalooza, they are outsiders enough -

- To be totally different than any other bands that exist.

In every generation there is a band who do things by their own rules -

- And do not promote themselves such other bands do.

And they can do it. Tool is band for alternative generation.

But for me they were no alternative bands.

What is unique Tools Music within prog genre?

Man listening to Tool, and one drawn towards music -

- Of the dark and mysterious. It is something much prog music have in common.

Dream Theater and Queensrÿche stands for something grand and dramatic.

Tool do things in a dark, intense way.

And it is in many ways so much cooler than the first.

What Tool do, is less about looking at the musicians and you skills.

It's about looking at music we have created. And as we've played.

They are virtuosos, but it's not how many notes they have time to play.

Much of the tone and character in the notes.

They are extremely important for progressive music. For those opened up indie side. ------

The direction, ie indies or left-postrock-side -

- Would not come under prog tab without Tools success.

- Opened the new part of your brain? - They opened a new door.

While Tool led prog metal in a darker direction, -

- began metal band in the 90s to combining brutality with prog feeling.

It was Swedish Meshuggah made prog-metal to a rhythmic, metal-effect.

One of their commonalities with Tool is that the rhythm is a main element.

Can you suggest why it is important creating interesting rhythms?

Tomas Haake When you find a really cool rhythm, is there any tribe like.

One hears a cool beat, it is noted it even if you do not like the song.

Regardless of what happens, the one beat and you can dance to it.

They have brought the idea of ​​rhythmic experiences longer than anyone else.

There are things going on that are so rhythmically complex that ... they have to be math whizzes.

All instruments are percussion instruments. The vocals also.

The vocals are not used as a melodic instrument, it is pure screaming.

Meshuggah guitars, with jazz-like, dissonant figures, -

- is a special feature. Can you tell about it?

Meshuggah have strong grounds to jazz -

Jon Weider Horn - But not in Charlie Parker or Miles Davis' jazz.

It is an Ornette Coleman-slap in the face.

It's more jazz-crazy. Who knows where it comes from?

But there is an interest to present music in a new way -

- And approach the metal in a new way. The musicians can do it.

We were on to something that captivated us.

The music has changed, but we are still a niche band.

We're not going to sell millions of plates. We will not make marketable music.

And it took the only 20 years before people began to dig our music.

Meshuggah were not the only ones together - joined prog music with extreme metal.

Dillinger Escape Plan music was so complex that it was called "math metal".

The first time I saw them in 2000 ... I did not think it sounded like metal.

It sounded barely like music. What inspired them to create the insane sound?

Dillinger was about we gave up living as musicians.

Ben Weinman We did not care what people thought. We tried not to reach a certain audience.

We said, "We're never going to fit into or living as musicians. "

It's about someone who just do what they love.

And it works because they love it.

Aggression level in music appeal to metal fans.

They draw what Meshuggah do, even longer.

They create an art form of full aggressively frenzy.

The first time I saw them, we went to Redding in Pennsylvania.

Matt Jacobson Dillinger Escape Plan played in a basement or garage.

They were like crazy. They travel around and swung their guitars in the air.

The singer screaming audience face.

It was extremely, it was very energetic.

When we went there, asked a staff member:"What do you think?" I saw:

"We must write a contract with the band."

I remember the first time I saw Dillinger alive. It looked like -

- If they went on to harm the public. They waved among people with gitarhalsene.

They somehow support them against the public. I've never seen anything like it.

Dillinger is enough one of the world's most dangerous band.

We make things difficult for ourselves, both physically and technically.

We make things difficult and uncomfortable for people who are experiencing us.

We will get the audience and ourselves away from our comfort zones.

No great art emanates from something pleasant.

In the early 2000s prog-metal so extreme and complex -

- The connection to pioneers Genesis and Rush seems lost.

That changed with Mastodon, that reunited metal with early progressive rock.

How was the climate for metal and heavy rock when you started?

Metal was well still something bad. Grunge was popular -

- but it was watered down and suffered the same as the 80's "hair-metal".

But there was grindcore and many crazy death metal band.

We have our roots in the 80s and 90s more technical metal.

we wanted to do something more progressive.

With Mastodon I wanted playing music that was challenging -

- In the right way, and that I had complete control over.

We should be a collective. Each tone and every riff should sound good together.

We should have a surprising twist here and there as a tribute to prog rock.

In what way Mastodon up from all the foregoing?

Mastodon is modern progressive music's Black Sabbath.

With some King Crimson mixture. It's all about the riffs.

Riff after riff after riff that is so leaden.

Meanwhile, the incredible musicians. Fire is meta bilge Bill Bruford.

What he does with his hands, is so amazing.

One can draw parallels to Dream Theater that pulled into thrash metal.

Mastodon has always been considered "Sludge metal", as they had with it.

And again:"Fuck the rules. We do not care if people do not think King Crimson is hip. "

"We draw on elements from there music and blowing the consequences. "

They break with many contemporary metal bands.

In 2004 stock Mastodon the new millennium first concept album "Leviathan".

It was inspired by the classic story of Moby Dick.

I met the boys in London after a long flight.

Tour our would begin. "We must make a record about Moby Dick."

I talked on about the great whales and all that.

And all were eager: "It sounds cool. We play it."

The story in "Moby Dick" very similar to what we felt at the time.

We had a white van, and we left our families:

"We travel into the unknown." As the men on the boat.

We recognized us. Before the album came, so Well many of us as yet another heavy band.

"They are a bit intellectual. They read books. "People took a fresh look at us.

"Leviathan" made a big impression. a concept album with a whale on the cover -

- was to bring things to a new level. People were absolutely crazy.

We got rave reviews and came on the cover of Spin and Rolling Stone.

We were not surprised that it went well.

But it was exceptional. Of course it was fantastic.

Mastodon is one of the 2000s most successful metal band.

But they are not alone to continue the progressive-metal.

Some of the genre's founders 're still in full swing.

After more than 40 years, Rush gone away from keyboard and return to your roots.

Why remain progressive-metal one of heavy metals most vital during genres?

Why do we see young people Rush concerts today -

- playing air instruments?

I try to keep in touch with young people boy in me, and it affects the game.

I play things I myself think is exciting.

We make songs that we ourselves enjoy. It is the progressive urge.

Prog Musicians are musicians. And there will always be young -

- who will play the guitar or drums. The will see a drummer with umpteen drums -

- And a guitarist who can play at 1000 km / h.

Interesting music has no expiration date. One can play Rush songs about 50 years.

They are still viable. One needs it, and one must challenge themselves.

There are always parts of the fan base who allow themselves to imprison -

- Of conceptual music because it is more complicated. And harder.

There are many "empty calories" on the radio.

So people will always feel a need listening to something interesting.

When young fans not find it on the radio, they find it in Genesis.

They find it in the Tool, and they find it in Rush.

I would look at what progressive music is and what it says about heavy metal future.

The urge to create exciting and challenging music defines progressive-metal.

I also learned that characteristic not only applies progressive-metal.

Both for new bands and for the genre's legends -

- is the desire to push the boundaries and become a Cut a driving force.

Heavy metal will still be relevant and in development for decades to come.