A watan Janairun 1991, ƙungiyar ta sami kaset na demo daga Kevin James LaBrie, na glam metal band Winter Rose. Kungiyar ta karbi tef ɗin kafin su yi alkawarin yin wani mawaƙa. Kungiyar ta burge shi da demo ɗin da aka tashi daga Kanada zuwa New York don yin gwaji. LaBrie ya yi waƙa a waƙoƙi uku tare da ƙungiyar, kuma nan da nan aka ɗauke shi aiki don cika matsayin mawaƙa. Da zarar an ɗauke shi, LaBrie ya yanke shawarar sauke sunansa na farko don kauce wa rikicewa tare da sauran Kevin a cikin ƙungiyar. A cikin 'yan watanni masu zuwa, ƙungiyar ta koma yin wasan kwaikwayo (har yanzu mafi yawa a kusa da NYC), yayin da yake aiki a kan sassan murya don kiɗa da aka rubuta kafin sayen LaBrie. Shulman da Atco Records (yanzu East West), wani ɓangare na Elektra, sun sanya hannu a yarjejeniyar Dream Theater Records zuwa kwangilar album guda bakwai bisa ga kundin demo na uku (daga baya an samar da su ta hanyar "The Dream Theater Demos" kamar yadda Derek ya nuna a lokacin wannan lokacin.
a kusa da NYC