Dream Theater
Dream Theater is an awesome band that creates music of a different sort. They are the musician's band yet they offer the non-musician pleasant hooks, soaring vocals, and some pretty darn good rock.

Dream Theater Page
Images & Words
Pull Me Under

Rush
Rush got me through those high school years in the late seventies/early eighties. They are going strong and are, in fact, a very successful touring band. They rock and make you think! No brainless pinhead heroin-induced comas here, folks!

A Rush Page
Permanent Waves (or maybe A Farewell To Kings)
The Trees

Queensryche
Queensryche is another thinking-man's band but they are in a darker vein. Though personnel changes have occurred, they will no doubt remain a strong influence on bands to come. They are a Seattle band FAR different from the 90's Seattle bands force fed to us by MTV and corporate radio.

The Queensryche Page
Operation Mindcrime (of course)
I Don't Believe In Love

Nailed
Hailing from Knoxville, Tennessee, these guys rock about as hard as any band from anywhere. I have performed with them and even played keyboards on a studio gig with them. They have two albums out now and are an up and coming inspirational hard rock band with a new video out to support the album. Nailed rocks.

The Nailed Homepage
Entity
Hell To Pay