Nearly everything progressive sounds like DT to you? Well you have an odd perception my friend. You act as if DT were the first prog band, and that prog is as narrow as sounding exactly like DT.
Look all I'm saying is that Dream Theater wouldn't be the first band to pop into most people's heads when they hear Mastodon. Certainly not due to some broad comparisons that you've listed.
Didnt Mastodon just release their first prog recording ?
I was talking about the typical prog composition formula of the
musical wizardry bands or highly technical bands. I dont "act" as if anything, I used the words
nearlyand finished with sounds like Dream Theater already done it. Meaning as if it could have came from them, not note for note, I&W and WDADU covered alot of ground and they have covered more since. Im talking about bands like SX, CM, Adagio and the many never quite made it clones of that composition and arrangement structure.
I've been into progressive music since the early 70's and know the many bands that DT reminded me of when I got into them, but will argue that they raised the bar and started a trend that followed with a uprising of progressive metal bands
heavily influenced by their early work.
Also as a fan of Fates Warning especially their more Floyd like later work I dont totally buy into comments that Fates was already there producing that kind of prog in their early days, though hints of it certainly exist mostly on No Exit and some of Awaken the Guardian.
In 92 DT reminded me of all I liked about Kansas, Crack the Sky, Rush, ELP, and fusion instrumental improv all edged up with a metal twist and
most everything since reminds me of DT. There is plenty of more recent stuff I have not heard or much of.
I'm not really sure DT's influence on highly technical prog is worth argueing against.