Dream Theater: John Petrucci (vocals, guitar); Mike Portnoy (vocals, drums); James LaBrie (vocals); Jordan Rudes (lap steel guitar); John Myung (bass instrument).

Sidestepping the glam and thrash obsessions of their peers, Dream Theater updates Rush's blueprint with a modern texture. The progressive metal touchstones are all here: changing time signatures, dizzyingly complicated tablature, tonsil-snapping lead vocals, lyrical bombast, and a healthy sense of self-importance. John Petrucci and Co. deftly combine all of these elements on SCORE: 20th ANNIVERSARY WORLD TOUR LIVE WITH THE OCTAVARIUM ORCHESTRA, their fourth (!) live record since 2001. While SCORE might not be the best start for neophytes, the three-disc opus will sate the appetites of serious devotees.

Dream Theater has an amazing way of satisfying their many fans with live recordings. Score: XOX is a prime example: there are three discs here. The first one is the band at their live, crackling best, playing tunes from throughout their now-lengthy career -- for a metal band -- and including a pair of smoking unreleased cuts in the mix. First there is "Root of All Evil," and "I Walk Beside You," and rounding that are "Innocence Faded," and "Afterlife." The two new cuts, are both hard, riff heavy, labyrinthine journeys that reveal the best in progressive metal. "Another Won," feels more like a suite in its nearly six-minute length, with more parts than one can count easily; next is the drifting, strange and beautiful "Raise the Knife," that is as closely driven to every edge. The set ends with the gorgeous, nearly spiritual anthem "The Spirit Carries On." Discs two and three are the real treats, though, as they feature the band playing its long compositions -- "Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence," "Sacrificed Sons," "Octavarium" (of course), and the roiling, sci-fi metal of "Metropolis," with the Octavarium orchestra, which is 29-pieces strong, conducted by Jill Dell'Abate. The ability the band has to make the orchestra sound like part of its everyday concert experience is nothing less than thrilling.; the sound is top-notch, and there are no excessive parts -- Dream Theater always take care of that on their own. If you're a fan, then you'll need it. And if you've ever wondered, this is a great place to start. ~ Thom Jurek