Jazz Fusion in DT's songs?

Jon:

Hi Mike,
This could be a question to John and John also, but I'm curious as to what your thoughts are on the band's ideas about jazz and fusion? I'm a huge fusion head and the recent thread on the Intro To Scarred got me thinking about the types of genres that you guys delve into. Did you get into it at Berklee much?

I know you are primarily a progressive hard rock and metal band; but you guys touch on so many aspects of music, that it's one of the things that impresses me most about you all as musicians. Take Away My Pain, for example, just showed a side of the band - especially the intro - that totally surprised me.

Sooooo.. to make a short story long I guess the big question for me is: Have you guys thought about doing something like a heavy progressive fusion-based song? I'm thinking something along the lines of the intro to Scarred musically and with the progressiveness of, say, Erotomania. You know, strap the G-suit on, it's gonna be a rough ride kinda playing?


Regards,
Jon

Hi Jon,
We are definitely into alot of fuson stuff...alot of time at Berklee was spent getting into that stuff...
We aren't so much into old school swing Jazz, etc...but more of the electric jazz fusion stuff. (Return To Forever, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Allan Holdsworth, Al DiMeola, Chick Corea, etc..)

Those influences have surely crept into our music throughout the years...(especially some of the LTE stuff being instrumental music)

MP