News Archive

January 20, 2008 ~ A month goes by...

   It's been almost a month since DT-X came back and we finally have our first submission. It's the second one from shapeLess and I hope you like it.

   However, why isn't anyone making anything new and sending it in? After the many requests to bring the site back online you'd think more artists, new and old, would be sending in new creations but that hasn't happened. I don't get it...


December 12, 2007 ~ DT-X is back... but for how long?

   Here we are again, back from the brink of destruction, so we'll see how long it lasts. I don't know how many times I've had to rescue this site but this will be the last time I'm sure. We'll see how it goes.

   Thanks to those who sent me emails regarding the site, I appreciate the effort and concern.


August 23, 2007 ~ I'm engaged!

   I finally proposed to my girlfriend on our 9 year anniversary. The plan is to get married same time next year on our 10 year anniversary so it all worked out. We waited so long cuz we didn't want to just get married for the sake of being married. She just finished school last year and for us to have a place and be struggling would have been a bad move. The shot of us on the right is from 2000 at the House of Blues in Hollywood when we drove 25 hours from Vancouver, BC to see Dream Theater play two nights. Anyway, that's the big news!




August 19, 2007 ~ Another huge update!

   More new stuff for you guys including a truckload of NEW artists:    I'll also have some big news in the next couple of days...


July 11, 2007 ~ Pretty large update!

   I've got 26 new ones for y'all... Marco has spilled onto page 9... Roberth has 3 pages now... and Ytsewolf has sent in a collection after a long hiatus... along with a few odd submissions as well.

   I'll only be offering 1600x1200 and widescreens now since computers automatically resize and stretch backgrounds... there's no point to offering the other ones.

   Transformers was awesome. Live Free or Die Hard was awesome. I love movies!


June 17, 2007 ~ Is it too weird?

   Well, as you can see, I've launched the Systematic Chaos version of Dream Theater Xtreme. There were so many images in the booklets that I didn't know what to do with them all so I came up with this. Are the colours too intense? I hope you guys like it.

   Down to business...

   We have a few new ones from the old veterans of the site. Marco, Dot Burgess, and Ytsewolf. We also have two new artists who have lost their cherry. Please welcome about Sean Feely and Bobby Simons to the family.

   So what about the new album? As usual, it was worth the wait. Also, as usual, I didn't pick up on it on the first listen. It always takes me multiple listens over many weeks to finally get it. Having said that... I love it (as usual). I'll never understand why so many people feel like there always has to be a "best album" or a "best song". Everything they've done is my favourite but for different reasons but so many people are narrow-minded and need to have a best/worst validation to sleep at night. It's sad.

   I really like Forsaken and The Ministry of Lost Souls. I noticed that James doesn't really have any high-range passages which is odd to me since he did so well with the uber-highness of the Score material. Overall, it's my favourite album along with all the others. ;)


May 11, 2007 ~ Systematic Chaos Video Clips

The Dark Eternal Night (Studio)

   Special thanks to Szabi from Trial of Tears for sending me the high-quality .wmv that I couldn't get myself. I didn't want to post the crappy YouTube version. Also, with the hopes of not pissing off RR by hosting this, PLEASE visit the official page and view the video there FIRST before you download it from here. Thanks!

Electronic Press Kit

   Another thanks to RoadRunner Records for doing a sweet-ass job of promoting Dream Theater. We've never seen this before and I hope it results in great success for both Dream Theater and RoadRunner Records.

   A final thanks again to Ed Middlebrooks of EON Digital Solutions for hosting DT-X... I'm gonna get hammered for these videos so I hope he doesn't get mad.


April 22, 2007 ~ Systematic Chaos is COMING!

   It's great to see what RoadRunner Records are doing for Dream Theater these days... I'm really looking forward to the special edition of Systematic Chaos and hearing a true 5.1 mix of Dream Theater stuff. I don't think there's been this much excitement for an upcoming release. Hopefully they'll be able to tour near me this time around, I haven't seen them since 2003.

   I've posted Mike Portnoy's 2007 Birthday Video (CHANGE THE FILE EXTENSION TO .mp4, this is NOT a .zip file!) as well, he's allowing us to share it this time, so check it out for some brief audio snippets of the new album!


January 11, 2007 ~ Happy New Year! Happy Birthday Brian! (my cousin)

   Nothing much going on around here these days, the submissions have really tailed off. I think it's cuz colorblind is mad cuz I haven't sent him his prize from the last contest yet cuz I keep procrastinating and he's non-violently protesting by not making any more. Dude, I'm really sorry I haven't done it yet, I still have no excuse and I feel like total sh*t about it. Every day I have off I tell myself to finish it but then end up doing something else. I'm so sorry.

   I have the Mike Portnoy interview that he did on Eddie Trunk on the 8th, get it here. I also have the slowed-down snippets that allow you to clearly hear that there's something fishy going on, I won't say any more, I'm sure you know already. ;) Great interview, though, what a great job Mike has for himself there and congrats on all his and the bands' success... they're only getting bigger and they surely have the dedicated Dream Theater fan community to thank.


October 18, 2006 ~ Huge update and still looking for widescreen & multis.

   So far there have only been two widescreens sent in, both from Dark Python and one multi-display from crocodx. I won't be setting up the section for these until I get enough in to fill it up so at this rate it could take quite a while. :(

   Here are the new arrivals.


September 17, 2006 ~ REQUEST: WIDESCREEN & MULTI-DISPLAY CREATIONS!

   I'm looking to update the site with a section for widescreen and multi-display wallpaper creations. I don't have any yet so I'm calling on you guys to get the ball rolling. Please view the submission guidelines and send in your stuff so we can open this bad boy up. I'm looking to create something new for this section myself but we'll see if I can put my money where my mouth is. Thanks and have fun!

   We also have a bunch of new submissions in addition to the ones from last week:


September 11, 2006 ~ A Moment Of Silence...

   ... as we remember the tragedy of 9/11 on this 5th anniversary of that horrible day.

   As I often say after a long time... I'm not dead! My crazy summer of weddings is over and now I'll have some more free time to do updates and other things (like get colorblind his frickin' DVD already, I'm so sorry it's not done yet bro).    Recent additions by:


July 31, 2006 ~ HAPPY BIRTHDAY DT-X!

   I guess DT-X officially turns 5 years old today. What started out as just a little sub-section of my personal site to showcase the artwork that I had done has turned into quite a large media hub and community. In the past 5 years some amazing artwork and talent has surfaced and I'm glad to have been a part of it and helped show the world a lot of creativeness that might not have been seen. There have been roughly 300,000 unique visitors and, with any kind of luck, we can get to 1,000,000 before the site (and Dream Theater) call it quits. Who knows what the future holds? Thanks everyone!


July 20, 2006 ~ RIP Booty 1990-2006

   We put her down at 15:30 yesterday. Overall she had been healthy her entire life with no major problems. But recently she had developed kidney tumours/failure and hadn't eaten or drank for a few days. She went missing Monday night and after looking all night Dad found her Tuesday afternoon under some rubble in our neighbours' yard, it seems she was trying to find a place to die. She was 16, ancient in cat years to say the least, but still very active and playful up until about two weeks ago.

   Beverly and I got her from the SPCA in 1990. It's funny cuz the kitten we originally wanted was ganked from us by the time we came back with the money to adopt it, so we "settled" for Boot, but it was fate that brought her to us. She spent the first few years of her life with me but then latched on to Dad. He took great care of her and she was always happy, even if she didn't show it all the time, and don't even think about rubbing her tummy. Dad was also in a better and happier place when she was around. They really were kindred spirits. Considering she was an outdoor cat in the extreme, and we have coyotes and racoons all over the place, it's amazing she made it this far. She had a couple of close calls but always made it through. Thanks for the memories, Boo-Boo, we'll miss you.




July 14, 2006 ~ All done?

   Well, it looks like everything is back online now and WORKING! Thanks to Ed Middlebrooks of Eon Digital Solutions for working hard to get the media link problem figured out. It had been months since you could d/l any of the media files but now they're back. Please report any dead links in case I missed anything.


July 11, 2006 ~ Site purge & re-initialization.

   Everything is being re-uploaded so for the next few days a lot of the content won't be available. Hopefully when this is all done the media files will work. Just hang tight.


July 7, 2006 ~ I'm not dead.

   Sorry for the lack of updates lately. Not to make excuses but a) I've been very busy with my wedding production company, Summer is the season and b) I've been very sick with an unusually high frequency of migraine headaches over the last two months which basically knock me out of action for an entire day for each one that I get. :(

   I have a whole bunch of wallpapers ready to go but since I'm having server issues (none of the audio/video links work if you haven't noticed) I won't be uploading them until my host purges the site and re-initializes it. That should be happening very soon and then I'll have to re-upload the entire site again along with a whack of new content and a new request with a possible new contest as well.

   Stay tuned!


May 17, 2006 ~ Some new stuff.

   For this update we have a brilliant new series from colorblind and one from Blitzkrieg_FC, a new artist from Mexico City. Also, over the last month, we had two new series come in from Roberth (Da Vinci and Octavarium) and a new one from Marco. All for now.


March 26, 2006 ~ And the winner is...

   ... colorblind! You can view and download all the entries now.

   With 64% of the votes our winner will receive the prize once I complete it, hopefully soon, cuz I've just been too busy with other projects. Thanks once again to all those who entered and don't feel discouraged if you didn't win, or didn't even get any votes, as it doesn't matter. As long as you try and at least send something in then we all appreciate it since it's always nice to have new desktop wallpapers to look at. I just hope my next contest generates more interest as I'm still sad that there were so few entries for this one... will I ever get over it?


March 13, 2006 ~ Voting is under way! (closes 03/20/06)

C A S T   Y O U R   V O T E

   Voting for the challenge has begun over at mikeportnoy.com so go rock the vote!

   A fresh entry from Marco, who else?

   I've re-activated all the old video clips I had, let's see if the new hosting can handle it, and as a special bonus I've added a new clip: Pull Me Under (Warped). Enjoy!


March 2, 2006 ~ Whatever.

   I really want to cancel the contest but I just can't do it. I made the contest and no matter how disappointed I am with how it turned out, I can't back out, it just wouldn't be right. The final tally is 10 entries from 6 different people. Really sad considering there were 30,000 site visits in the 3 months I had the challenge posted. Maybe if I had completed the artwork and finalized the details it might have made a difference, but I doubt that, who knows. Usually when there's a giveaway people go nuts but not this time. :(

   I'll announce the winner within two weeks and good luck to those who entered.

   Roberth has submitted a collection of classic WinAMP skins, one for each Dream Theater album, so check them out and enjoy!


February 11, 2006 ~ Challenge Status: Flatline

   Nobody is entering the contest, oh well, I've done all I can but it looks like this one is going to go the way of the dodo. Unless I get a large number of entries in the next couple of weeks I'll just have to scrap the whole thing. Thanks to the few people who have sent in stuff but it just isn't enough. Makes me sad.

   We have a new resident artist, Roberth Medina, so check out his stuff. We also have another new one from TR!P.


January 19, 2006 ~ Challenge deadline extended.

   Due to a lack of time to finish the DVD project I've extended the submission deadline to the end of February. I am sad, however, that so few entries have been submitted. I may change it to only 1 available if it doesn't pick up.

   Since the re-launch under the new server on December 1, after only around 7 weeks, there have been almost 20,000 unique visitors to this site and almost 300 gigabytes of traffic. We really owe Ed a huge order of gratitude for the hosting, so go visit his company and help him out with some business if you're looking for hosting yourselves.

   In the meantime, though, there have been several regular submissions lately and that's great to see. Thanks to all the new artists sending in first-time creations and to the old artists updating their collections.

   Recent additions by:


December 26, 2005 ~ Migraines suck ass.

   Still only three entries into the contest so far, I hope it picks up. In the meantime we have the following new items:


December 1, 2005 ~ The wait is over!

   Time to come out of my summer/fall hibernation. Everyone go to your window or door, open it, and as loud as you can shout "THANK YOU ED" and then do a little dance of joy. You see, Ed Middlebrooks of Eon Digital Solutions is now hosting this site for FREE with virtually unlimited traffic and storage. Ed, like most of you/us, was really sad that this site was down so often and found a way around that by providing kick-ass hosting himself. He's a dedicated Dream Theater fan like myself who is contributing resources to the cause and we should all appreciate the effort, it's been a long time coming.

   Here's what's new:

July 23, 2005 ~ Small update.

   I've removed the skins feature for the time-being to further try and reduce the amount of data, I'm running out of ideas here though. Four new ones from Marco. That's pretty much it. I've been super busy lately as I've started a wedding videography/photography company called Dream Star Media and it's beginning to take off. If any of you know anyone getting married around the Vancouver, BC area please drop our name!


July 1, 2005 ~ Happy Canada Day!

   Here's the latest site layout to go with the new Dream Theater release, Octavarium. As always, the higher the screen resolution you use the cooler this site looks, so I recommend 1600x1200 if you can handle it. I've also, sort of, done a new series... it's called The DT-X Collection and simply features the various backgrounds I've created for this site so they can be used as a regular wallpaper. Can you feel the love?

   In my latest battle to keep this site online and functional, I'm trying a few things:
  • I've switched back to my previous hosting plan that had a traffic cap but at least it was reliable for the first 1-2 weeks of every month. The current, unmetered plan, just wasn't working since there was sooooooo much traffic that almost NOBODY could get into it.
  • I've also removed the 3 random concert shots on the left side of every page, trying to cut down bandwidth wherever I can.
  • Finally, I've removed the audio/video for the time-being since a) I don't have as much server space any more and b) it'll help cut down the traffic.
   I have a few more things I can do but I'll try this first and see how it goes. If I get REALLY desperate then I can try using a 3rd party image hosting service but that would take forever for me to switch over and just generally suck.

   Well, that's it for now, I hope you like the new layout, I think it's the best so far.


June 20, 2005 ~ A nice email.

   "A thought on your site... I'm humbled by the astounding works of all the artists on your site. Yourself and the site included. It's not quite the same but, it's like listening to a really good peice of music for the first time and getting excited and being amazed at how in the world this got put together. Truly astounding. I hope you and all the artists know how incredible the whole thing is."

~ YtseWolf

   Thanks, Joe! I only wish it ran better but it's the fans like you that keep contributing artwork and coming back for more that keep the site alive.


June 7, 2005 ~ Octavarium!

   The big day is finally here! Obviously, one day isn't enough to get into an entire album so I won't post anything about it until I've had a chance to soak it all in. Recently there has been a lot of new artwork submitted so here's the rundown:
  • new cover art package by PetFish
  • 4 new ones from Marco
  • 2 new ones from YtseWolf
  • 9 from a new resident artist, PatSlash
  • another new resident artist, Andres Iga, who promised to send in more soon
  • photo credits have been given to Choon-Kang Walther, at his request

May 19, 2005 ~ Star Wars Episode III - Revenge of the Sith

   I am absolutely in shock and awe over this film. I can't express how brilliant it was and how it makes the entire saga amazingly poetic. There just isn't enought time or space here. I couldn't be more happy but also couldn't be more sad that it's all over. What else do we have to look forward to? There's no more Matrix movies and no more Star Wars movies. These past few years have been an extremely special time for all movie lovers with these two franchises making such amazing movies. I don't foresee anything like this happening again, at least not for a long long time, and I'm just so thankful that I was fortunate enough to experience this wonderful journey.

   I have another large-ish update here with 3 new ones from Kevin, two new ones from Marco (who has spilled over into his 6th page of artwork), and another new artist in Andres Iga. He's only sent in one but assures me he has more to come so he's on his own page already.

   I see a lot of great artwork showing up on fan forums, mainly mikeportnoy.com, but I don't want to just take stuff and throw it here. So, if you see some artwork that you like maybe suggest they come here and submit it and help out the cause!


April 27, 2005 ~ HUGE update.

   We have a new resident artist being launched today with SEVEN wallpapers for you! He is Richard Williams aka 80's Guy and he's got some kickass stuff so check it out! Also, YtseWolf is re-submitting his stuff with minor changes and says he has some new stuff in the works. Three weeks to Star Wars!

April 16, 2005 ~ Small update.

   I finally put up a new one of my own along with Owwie's latest work. I have also re-activated the audio page. Last but not least, I've finally launched my personal website so check it out at www.erikmuna.com. All for now!


April 3, 2005 ~ And the winners are... *drum roll*

   Big Weenie, colorblind, Marco, and Sander. I had a few extra copies of the DVD made with full artwork to help show my appreciation for all the hard work that people did to make this contest the best ever. I feel bad that I wasn't able to give everyone a copy since everything absolutely rocked. Some things to expect from the next contest are 1) no more than 5 entries per person and 2) a better voting system. Anyway, sorry for the delay in getting this finalized, but now it's done. Thanks again everyone!

   Bring on Octavarium!


March 2, 2005 ~ Voting period extended.

   Well, as you've noticed, the site has a whole new problem and that is traffic. I switched to unmonitored traffic in my hosting and even though I don't get suspended the sheer volume of traffic is clogging it up. So, I'm extending the voting on the challenge until March 31, 2005 since I'm sure many of you haven't been able to even get on the site in ages to view the entries. Sorry but there's NO WAY I can afford $100/month for a dedicated server to handle all the traffic.


February 7, 2005 ~ V O T E   N O W !

   It's time to cast your vote people! I'm going to try using a vote this time and see what happens. I'll keep the polls open until the end of February so take your time and review carefully since I can't accept emails saying you've changed your mind. Please don't abuse this system or it may mean the end of future DT-X Challenges. Thanks!


February 1, 2005 ~ DT-X Challenge is OVER!

   Well, what can I say? The response was overwhelming to say the least with a final total of 104 entries! Granted, a few are the same but inverted so the real total might only be around 80-90 but that's ok, I like the way 100+ sounds and looks. It's going to take me a while to sort them out and then find a voting system so hopefully in a week I can show them all and open the polls. I'll let you know.

   Also, with the new Dream Theater album just around the corner I figured I'd post the bonus videos from Train of Thought since it's all anyone ever seems to request these days. All for now!


January 22, 2005 ~ Happy Birthday to me!

   I have a few new regular wallpapers to post but I'm too tired so I'll post them either Sunday night or Monday. I had a great birthday today, the big 31, much better than last year when I was having sinus surgery... worst experience of my life! Also, we're up to 92 entries for the challenge... WOW! What a great time to be a John Petrucci fan!


January 19, 2005 ~ Can we hit 100?

   We're up to 75 entries for the contest... WOW! The response to this challenge has been overwhelming and amazing and the stuff that's being sent in really shows how talented Dream Theater fans around the world are. I'm totally speechless. So, only 12 days left... can we make it to 100 entries? I think so!


January 8, 2005 ~ Small update.

   The submissions for the contest are coming in fast and furious... we're up to 59 with 3 weeks to go! I've been getting lots of questions and suggestions regarding how the winner is picked so I think I'm going to change the format to a voting system. If I can find a nice voting module that doesn't allow spamming then I'm going for it, otherwise, I'll just stick to the usual way.

   On a cute note, even though Halloween was a long time ago, I have a Dream Theater pumpkin that Kaeley Watkins made for her Dad who is a huge Dream Theater fan. She sent it in hoping I could show it to everyone so here it is. Thanks, Kaeley, I'm sure your Dad is proud of you for taking the time to make this!


January 1, 2005 ~ Happy New Year!

   Unfortunately, I'm all alone tonight, so here I am doing a quick update for y'all. I've decided to remove the misc media stuff like icons since I never receive any in and nobody asks for more so I figure that they aren't very popular or widely used so it doesn't make much sense to keep them. A few new ones for you and the Suspended Animation contest is still on until the end of the month. All for now!


December 21, 2004 ~ VIDEOS ARE BACK!

   I've upgraded my hosting to unlimited bandwidth so NO MORE DOWN TIME and VIDEOS ARE BACK! It's only going to cost me and extra $2/month... Doteasy RULES! I'm just going to start with the fan-made videos for a few months to make sure that Doteasy is ok with the load and if all goes well I can put everything I have up! We have a few new ones from colorblind and also the first series from KevMoFan.


December 1, 2004 ~ Time for a new challenge!

   As you can see, the next DT-X Challenge is upon us. It's time to get the creative juices flowing and design some artwork and maybe win a cool prize... Liquid Tension Experiment - Live DVD that I made from a VHS video and some audio bootlegs. You have two whole months to come up with stuff and send it in so let's go! As always, you may submit more than one and each counts as an entry to win a prize so the more you make the better your chances!

   We have SEVEN new ones from colorblind along with THREE from the great and crazy Marco... watch out, man, colorblind is going crazy himself and may give you a run for your money! I sure wish I could break out of this funk I'm in and make some wallpapers myself... it's been over a year. :(

   On a personal note, I had laser vision correction surgery two weeks ago and I couldn't be happier. There's nothing like not having to worry about contacts/glasses and junk like that any longer and I recommend it to anyone! I feel so liberated!


November 11, 2004 ~ Let us remember.

   I'd like to give a shout out to all the men and women who fought and died in various wars past and present. Let them be remembered for their sacrifices and let their deaths be not in vain. Thank you all.

   We have a new resident artist. His name is David Gheorghita from Romania and just to start off he sent in 9 creations so check them out. Two new ones from Marco as well and let's all congratulate him on the birth of his daughter! Yay!


October 1, 2004 ~ No more audio/video.

   Yeah, so I'm tired of getting 10,000 emails a day about how nobody can d/l the videos from the server and with no other options available to me for the time-being other than to pay $$$ to get more server space/bandwidth I've decided to just take everything down. Hopefully, somewhere down the road, I can bring them back cuz there's just too much talent around for nobody to be able to enjoy it but, sadly, such is life.

   Lots of new artwork coming in these days... great work!
  • Two from Paul Sommer, more to come I hope!
  • Three more from Marco, spilling over into a new page, #5!
   As a special favour to our friend YtseWolf, I'm hosting an off-topic bit of artwork for him and it's really nice so check it out... very nice work with the flag/bird blending!



September 17, 2004 ~ The silence has been broken!

   Lots of new submissions for y'all courtesy of some new artists and some veteran artists.

September 1, 2004 ~ It's quiet... too quiet.

   Wow, is it ever dead around here. I don't think I've ever seen it this slow cuz even Marco ain't making anything so I don't know what to say. All I have is a new CD cover I did called Whaddayathink? for Grateful Dreams. It's simple but I think it works... not much I could come up with with such a simple title but it's still fun to do.

   I sure hope it picks up but I need the fans to get back on the horse and make some more cool wallpapers. *hint* *hint*


July 1, 2004 ~ Happy Canada Day!

   Welcome to DT-X v3.0! Hope you like it, I worked really hard to get it this far and I'm still not done! The wallpapers are on the new server so they'll be fast but the audio/video files are still on the old one cuz I just don't have the server space so you'll still have to wait a long time for those... sorry, but I'm not made of money. Aside from the re-design only a couple of updates:
  • One new one from Marco... crazy v3.0!
  • Some new cover art by PetFish
   I still have more stuff to add but I wanted to get this released sooner rather than later so I hope you enjoy the new design.


May 7, 2004 ~ And the winner is...

   There were SO many great entries that I've decided to give 3 prizes, the DVD, which were determined by draw and so the lucky contestants are:

   Sorry if you didn't win anything but please don't let that discourage you. Everyone did a really awesome job with their artwork and it's really exciting to see the talent and enthusiasm you all showed and that helps keep this site worthwhile for me to keep up.

   I also have a regular update as well with a new one from Marco and a bunch of new ones from Kevin who hasn't submitted anything for a while but he came through with 8 for everyone to enjoy so check those out.

   Last be definitely not least I have a new music video for you all. It was made by Jeff Nixon and it's an anime-styled video for the radio edit of Home. It's really awesome and I highly recommend you check it out and enjoy it as much as I do.


May 1, 2004 ~ DT-X Challenge is Over!

   Thanks to everyone for entering, this has been the best contest ever! Yes, I know there's only been a few of them but still, it's been an amazing turnout and really great artwork from all of you. I'll announce the winner next week and until then I have a little regular update for you to check out:

   You may also have noticed that I've removed the side pictures and the quotes... this is an attempt to stop this site from being shutdown every month due to traffic overruns so we'll see how it goes. I miss them but I have to do something about this.


March 12, 2004 ~ Tour of Thought hits North America!

   The North American tour is under way! I just saw them in Seattle courtesy of Jordan Rudess (I helped him with his Online Conservatory website so now I get on the guest list whenever I want to be at a show, hehe, thanks Jordan!) and they rocked! I was 7th row and took SO MANY pictures but cuz I didn't know how to use my awesome camera properly only a few of them turned out ok and none are great.

   At the aftershow I was only able to get Jordan's autograph (picture to come) but I did get to talk to James and get his autograph on my A Simple Man wallpaper and a picture with him... he told me that the song is about a vampire. I'm like, wtf, it's such an awesome, gentle, uplifting melody and it's about a vampire??? Whatever, it's still my favourite song of his... I just wish they'd do some of his solo stuff live.

   The DT-X Challenge for Spring 2004 is shaping up to be the best yet! There's still 6 weeks to go so there's plenty of time to enter (as many times as you wish). I've got some pretty wicked stuff so far but the more you enter the more chances you get to win. Thanks to everyone who's entered so far and to anyone else planning on creating something for it as well.

   Ok, enough of that, here are the updates:    I think I've been idle long enough... I'll have some new artwork of my own soon, I hope, and possible a huge surprise for y'all shortly after that so keep a look out!


January 27, 2004 ~ DT-X Challenge is back!

   It's been a long time coming and after being hounded by Carpe Diem for the past few months to do the next challenge I've finally put it together. Now that some ToT shows have been played and some pictures released, with lots more to come I'm sure, I figured it was time to get going on the next challenge. So, go check out all the details and let's make this the best challenge yet!

   Only three new ones this update, all from Marco... surprised? I'm not, he's crazy.

   Finally, DT-X has reached 100,000 hits! I'm amazed that it's gone this far and it's all thanks to all you fans out there. Thanks so much for supporting the site and continuing to bring out the great artwork for everyone to enjoy and we'll see you again at 500,000!


January 2, 2004 ~ Happy New Year!

   It's that time again, folks, when we make promises and resolutions and hope to keep them but we all know what happens. I have lots of new artwork for you all and it's no surprise who the big contributor is yet again. Do I even have to say his name? I didn't think so. There's also a couple of first-time artists as well so let's welcome them aboard and hope they make more stuff for us!
  • FIVE new ones from Marco... crazy.
  • YtseWolf has sent another one in, it's been a while.
  • Bassman, a first-time artist, with a simple yet elegant design.
  • Another first-time artist, eChaos, with a clean ToT cover wallpaper.
   I've been so lazy lately but my new years' resolution is to get some new art out for you guys. I hope the usual doesn't happen and I don't fail on this one. Thanks everyone!


November 26, 2003 ~ Train Of Thought

   Well, it's finally here! As usual the new album is NOT what I expected to hear which is great! Initially I didn't like it because it was so different but now, after a few weeks of listening... I love it! They boys have done it once again and hopefully I'll see them on tour soon. Now, the long list of updates:

September 23, 2003 ~ Train of Thought

   The new album is just around the corner and the anticipation is huge yet again for the next masterpiece of our favourite band! I'm staying out of all of the threads dealing with it because, as usual, I love being surprised by the new material but I am in the minority. Oh well, bring it on!

September 2, 2003 ~ The Dog Days of summer?

   Wow, I can't believe how dead it's been here over the summer. Hardly any new submissions at all and I haven't done squat. Hopefully when the new album comes out in October we'll get moving again. Until then, here are the updates:
  • FIVE new ones from Carpe Diem... almost as crazy as Marco
  • Yet another new one from Marco... he's crazy

June 3, 2003 ~ The KevMo / OSI contest winner is...

   ... Szabi! The guy went absolutely crazy sending stuff for the contest so he had the most entries and the best chance of having his name drawn as the winner. It looks like all his obsessive compulsive hardwork has paid off. Thanks to everyone who sent stuff in and for being such awesome fans. Be sure to check out all of the cool wallpapers that people made for the challenge. Although I wish more people would have entered I hope this generates some interest for the next challenge sometime this summer but I don't know if I can offer a prize... but that's not really the point of the challenge at all, right? So, Szabi, congratulations on a job well done! Check out Szabi's own wallpaper site cuz there's some great stuff there, too.

   Now, as if what I just told you isn't enough, I have a HUGE update for you all as well. A total of 10 new wallpapers since the last update... five of them from the man who never sleeps... Marco, and four as well from longtime artist Spiderman_00. A new artist has also emerged, Lukke, with his first submission and a promise of more to come. I've also re-touched my Matrix Dream series so be sure to download the new versions although you probably won't even notice a difference but there is, trust me, and I'll be adding some more to that series in the coming weeks.

   Finally, I've put a poll in it's own page that I'll be updating regularly. The current question asks if I should put 1280 x 1024 resolutions up here since around 6% of visitors use that particular size so please go cast your vote.

   Thanks to everyone for a great spring at DT-X! Let's keep it up!


May 20, 2003 ~ Matrix: Reloaded still f*cking rules!

   I haven't seen The Matrix: Reloaded again, yet, but I plan on seeing it at least 4 more times before it's out of theatres. I'm crazy but I love this movie/series that much! I've also put a quick poll up here to see if you guys think hosting backing tracks here would be useful or not so please vote!

   I'm so Matrix-crazy, in fact, that I've put together a Matrix themed Dream Theater wallpaper series for you so check it out! I hope it goes over better than my James LaBrie wallpaper did... Marco has sent in two more creations, he's a little dynamo, and Austin4 has also submitted a couple and I hope he sends in more. Thanks guys!


May 15, 2003 ~ Matrix: Reloaded f*cking ruled!

   I won't get into details as there are way too many but all I can say is that this movie was 10 times better than I had hoped it would be... both from an action standpoint as well as an intellectual one. You think you know what The Matrix is?... you don't. Just go see it, man, it'll blow your mind as well as free it.

   It's almost time for the DT-X KevMo / OSI Challenge to be over so hurry up and finish your entries and send them in before it's too late! For updates it looks like we have a new resident artist... Marco Morgan. He's sent in a bunch of wallpapers over the last couple of weeks so I've given him his own page to fill as he chooses. Good work, Marco, and keep it up!

   Remember that Ebay Germany mousepad with my artwork that guy was selling? Well, I found a few more on regular Ebay and I've archived them on this site... you can check them out in the new pictures section (look under 'media' in the menu) that will be filled with stuff that isn't wallpaper such as Dream Theater fans, memorabilia, etc so if you have something you want preserved or seen by many Dream Theater fans then please send them to me and I'll post them.


May 6, 2003 ~ Matrix: Reloaded is next week!

   I am a hardcore Matrix fan so I'm pumped for next week! I've downloaded all of the trailers and TV spots and all of the released Animatrix episodes... I know, I need help, but onto the updates!

   First and foremost I'd like to draw your attention to Mike Bahr who has created yet another amazing piece of work for his studies. Who gets to study Dream Theater in school, anyway? Whatever, we're not complaining! In addition to his essay he has created a music video for Disappear set to the recent film release of Hamlet. Hopefully, you know the story already, in which case the lyrics take on a whole new level of meaing. If you don't know they story of Hamlet, have no fear, it still makes sense when set to the music. Check it out and drop Mike a line showing your appreciation for the hard work! Thanks, Mike, you rock!
  • Marco Morgan (a fan from Montreal with his first submission)
  • Unknown (3 new/old ones that I found on my PC at the bottom)
   Finally, Jan Schipmann sent me an email saying one of my wallpapers was being sold on eBay Germany and he gave me the link. So, it turns out that it was a mousepad with one of the early versions of my Liquid Shadows band wallpaper on it! So funny. Since the page will expire soon I thought I'd capture it and save it here for some good laughs. If anyone can translate what he said about it for me and let me know that'd be great. I don't even know if it got sold! It's a LIMITED EDITION for crying out loud! I guess you know you've made it when they're selling your stuff on eBay! LMAO


April 30, 2003 ~ Small update & contest stuff.

   The Kevin Moore / OSI contest is going well these days as we come into the home strech. So far the craziest artist has been Szabi with a handful of submissions. I can't show you now, obviously, but the more you enter the better your chance to win! It's that kind of enthusiasm that makes DT fans the best in the world!

   I've added a few things from friends but nothing new from me right now. Here they are:

April 3, 2003 ~ Kevin Moore / OSI contest is back on!

   What can I say? I've received many emails supporting the site over the last few days and my faith in humanity has been restored! Thanks to everyone who emailed me and special thanks to Karmakazi for really picking me up from the depths of isolation. :)

   So, head on over to the challenge page and check out the new details. I've stated that you can do either a Kevin Moore-based wallpaper or an OSI-based one... or BOTH! The winner will be decided with a draw and NOT who makes the "best" wallpaper... it's not about who can make the best artwork but just making a tribute to your favourite things and that's what counts. The more you enter the more chances you have to win! Let's go!


April 1, 2003 ~ Kevin Moore contest cancelled.

   This isn't a joke but a sad reality. There was so little interest in the contest that I've just called it off. Only two people even bothered to enter and I thank them for that but it's not enough. I was really hoping to generate some enthusiasm, especially with the new OSI album, but it didn't work at all and I'm saddened by this. The only way to save it is if you guys email me right now saying you're still interested and I'll set a new deadline but it's not a contest/challenge if nobody participates. The prize is really great, too, which increases the shock I'm in by a factor of about eight.

   Sometimes I wonder if I should even bother with this site. Sure, it gets a lot of visits but I haven't heard anything from anybody in ages... no thank-you's or anything, nothing at all. I worked my ass off to get two new series released once I got the new hosting for everything worked out which also took ages and once everything was up and running, sorry to sound selfish here, but I was really hoping for some kudos... even a "glad everything is back" email or whatever would have been great. When I told all of the forums about the massive update I hardly heard anything. So often I see somebody post one wallpaper in a forum and people go nuts over it. I post so much of my work and others and it barely even gets a remark and that's what hurts. Either the site has been around so long that it's being taken for granted where people just expect stuff to be here or people just don't give a shit about the site anymore. Embryonic Clay is the set I'm most proud of to date, I really sweated over it, and I was so proud to make it available to everyone, and then *poof*... nothing. I'm wondering if it's even worth it anymore. I don't want money, fame, or material crap like that... it's just nice to feel appreciated sometimes.

   Since I'm still having bandwidth problems I've gone drastic and removed all of the random images down the left side in an effort to keep the site online 24/7 instead of two-thirds of every month. I'll see if that works and if not I don't know what I'll do to stop the leak.


February 7, 2003 ~ Finally, DT-X HAS_COME_BACK... to the Internet!

   Well, guys, what can I say? I'm sorry the site was down for so long but there's nothing I could do because I couldn't afford to pay for the amount of traffic that goes through here. So, how come it's back now? I'll tell you a story... a generous DT fan heard of the problem and was kind enough to look into providing server space for us. Time went by, but not too much, and all of the space this site needed was arranged. Who is this kind sould you ask? Well, I'll tell you... it's Steve Calnon and I urge you all to send him an email saying thanks for doing this for us because, without him, this site would still be in the gutter for who knows how long. Thank you so much, Steve, more proof that DT fans are the best in the world! I'd also like to mention that some other fans offered to help with webspace... wow, thanks for the support, you guys, I couldn't do it without the love!

   So, down to business, if you've been waiting to submit something but didn't cuz the site was down please do so now! I've removed all of the dead wallpaper links and I'm sad to say there were many of them. I lost a lot of the wallpapers when I reformatted a while ago. So, if any of you have sent any in but don't see them here please send them to me again. Also, if you used to have some here but don't see them please send them to me as well.

   I've resized all of the user submissions to fit multiple resolutions so you don't have to do it yourself. Last but definitely not least, I've added TWO new series of mine that I'm extremely proud of... Pure Adrenalin and Embryonic Clay which is my new personal favourite set replacing Disturbed From Time To Time atop the pile. :)

   Finally, I've extended the due date for the DT-X Challenge since the site went down for so long. I really hope you guys can get up for this and join in cuz it'll be lots of fun. :)


November 1, 2002 ~ The moment you've all been waiting for!

   Holy shamoly, it's been 7 months since I last updated this mofo! I've been so damn busy with life that I haven't had time to breathe let alone update the site but I am alive and here's an update! First off you'll notice a way new nav system for your xtreme navigating pleasure.

   First off on the media front is a special new addition to DT-X... a challenge format! Whenever I feel like surrendering something from my DT collection I'll hold an art challenge for anyone and everyone interested to participate. Judging will be done by real DT fans and visitors to the site which may change from challenge to challenge depending on who's around but it'll always be fair and subjective. So, go check out the first challenge... a wallpaper with Kevin Moore as the theme! Let's go!

   Over the past few months I've received many submissions for the site and now I can finally show you all what's been done. Here is a list of the new artists for you to check out:
  • YtseWolf
  • Valeria
  • Jordan H
  • Riley
  • Changfest
  • A new one from Bruce
  • A new one (more to come) from Guanano
  • Arion (I think that's the name but not sure)
  • An old one from Dave H that he posted at mp.com
  • If you've sent something in I may have misplaced it since it's been so long so if you don't see it here now please re-send and accept my apologies!
   Here is the other new stuff from me:    I've also added one more new section... posters! I recently got into poster making at work where they had a nation-wide contest to design an anti-theft poster which I entered and won! I actually entered 5 because, as you know, I like to go overboard a little when being creative. Maybe I'll post small versions of them to see later. Anyway, they turned out so great that I thought it'd be way cool to make posters available for download and printing. I talked to a printer and if you take them the .tif file they can print it up for about the same price as if you just bought one! Everyone is invited to create posters as well but they are a huge undertaking in terms of time but moreso in terms of resources. It takes a VERY long time to render effects even with a kickass system but it's worth the wait. I hope to have the first 2 posters available for y'all soon.

   That's it for now, thanks for sticking around and I'll be updating much more often from now on!


April 2, 2002 ~ Finally, some new art by me!

   Well, I'm finally back on the scene with some new art! Personally, I can't just pump stuff out. I've had lots of ideas and started many wallpapers but if they don't work out then I wouldn't even think of posting them. Only when I feel I've done something special do I present it to you all. My latest work stems from a bootleg CD cover I did and I loved the theme so much I had to do something with it. So, check it out, ok? You can also see the actual cover I did because, as you may know, I make those into a wallpaper as well. :)

   Also, Leonardo has sent another one in so check it out here.

   Finally, this site ALWAYS goes over it's traffic limit two-thirds of the way through the month. This is great but it's hard because I'm going to have to pay more per month to prevent this. Here's what bugs me, though, the actual BIG files (wallpapers) aren't even on my server, they are elsewhere. Why does this count towards my traffic if I point you to a new browser window on another site? If anyone can answer this for me and tell me how to fix it please do!

   PS - Mandy and Karmakazi, sorry I haven't done your CD yet but I'm working on it now and I can finally devote more time now that my schedule has freed up a bit. I hope you don't hate me!


March 25, 2002 ~ So many updates... so little time. Doh!

   Lots of new art yet again and I humbly apologize for taking so long to post them. I've been so busy lately that everyone is getting screwed and I feel like crap about it. :(

   First, I'd like to proudly present the latest edition to the media page... it's a WinAMP skin with the Falling Into Infinity theme. Cedo Krsmanovic managed to make it work with all the controls, even though I'm sure the equalizer is rarely used and should be on the bottom IMHO so that the playlist is directly below the face. Oh well. It's really well done and I urge you to pick it up.

   Here is the other new stuff:

   Also, the artist of the JPM Picasso wallpaper has stepped forward! His name is Luc Tiemessen and that's a kickass wallpaper! I like it because you don't get your icons lost in it but you still know it's there. That's what I try and accomplish whenever I do my stuff. Thanks, man, and please make more if you can!

   I still have to post my review of Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence because now I feel I really have a grasp of the album and can give it my honest opinion on it. Those of you who know me, though, won't find any surprises here because, as usual, I love every second of it! :)

   I have a couple of new wallpaper ideas but I need to buckle-down and put them aside because I have to do an album cover for Supernatural and also for a new Dream Theater bootleg called Disturbed From Time To Time for Rush-Signals along with all the other web and graphics projects I'm doing because I want a real job someday. I'm drowning!


February 21, 2002 ~ The f*cking server is up! :)

   Ok, it's all good now, I hope.

   There have been many new additions to DT-X from the following people (in no particular order):    I've also got some on the way from Marcelo Takahashi. They're in my inbox right now and I'll try and have them up today. He actually sent them to me a month ago before I had my mojo problems. I've only just now gotten everything back 100% after taking 2 weeks to figure out I had a bad RAM chip. :\ Now I'm hot-footing it with an AthlonXP 1700+ with 512 megs of DDR RAM and a Liteon 32x burner! I'll now own Photoshop and not have it take 5 minutes to open a large file that I'd be working on. hehe

   Also, I'm doing the new site for BootlegMania.net and it's all ready to go but we're waiting for Emre to get the domain so keep an eye open for that! Thanks to Emre for making so many bootleg videos available for the fans to download!

   Lastly, Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence was FINALLY released here in Canada. I've been listening to it a lot, of course, and I'll post a review on it soon. I'll definitely say it's very cool. :)


February 11, 2002 ~ The f*cking server is down. :(

   Well, as most of you have noticed, you can't download any of the wallpapers right now. I don't know what's going on. My friend, who lets me use that server space, said that he renewed the domain and we're waiting for it to be activated. Something is wrong cuz it shouldn't take this long. He's in Hawaii now and if it's not up when he gets back he's gonna flip.

   So, sorry about what's happening here, really. There have been many submissions over the last month (from Dedidude, Manni, and Kevin) and they're ready to go and now the server goes down. I'm pretty ticked about it.

Also, I had to reformat and lost some submissions so if you sent me anything BEFORE January 5, 2002 (and you don't see them here) then PLEASE re-send the stuff. I know there were at least 2 new artists but I don't remember their names. Doh!

   Until the thing gets fixed, please check out the new poll and check back here for everything to be back to normal (soon, I hope).


January 1, 2002 ~ Happy Y2K2 everyone!

   Yes, I'm still alive! If you've been visiting this site over the month of December you'll probably have noticed that it went down a couple of times due to so much data being d/l! I upgraded the server once and then it went down yet again! But, it was late in the month so I didn't upgrade it to the next level but I will if it happens again. Thanks to everyone for making this site such a huge success!

   If you've been wondering why I haven't done much lately it's because I work in retail and December is the most craziest time of year and I was too burnt to really put my energy into anything. Now, though, it's all over and I've spent the last week or so putting together a new series for you! Take a look and see if it jives with you, ok? Oops, here's the link.

   There have been a bunch of submissions to me over the last month and I'll get those posted by the end of this week. Sorry to all of you who sent stuff in but haven't seen it up yet. In other news, Szabi has found the time to make his own media site for all of his work so I won't be hosting them here anymore. He's done a great job so go here and check it out and visit often because he's really improving!


October 3, 2001 ~ New mp3 and a new series.

   It's finally here... Star Wars: The Phantom Menace has finally arrived and man is it sweet! It really is the best DVD I have (out of the 100 or so that I own) and it's actually interesting to watch the extras they provide which is something only a few DVD's can accomplish. Wow, man, I can't wait for Episode II!

   I've been doing some bootleg CD covers for www.rush-signals.com and I figured that not a lot of people will actually see the artwork so I've put the ones I've done into simple wallpapers. So far, only some Rush ones are there but I'm currently working on G3 ones as well. I'm very proud of these and I would be sad if nobody really saw them so I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. :)

   Lastly, our friend Synthz has put together his own website so I won't be hosting any more of his work since it's all available there. It was fun and I'm glad DT-X has helped open the door for Synthz and his creative abilities to be seen by all. I'm sad that his work won't be here but happy that he's doing so well.


October 3, 2001 ~ New mp3 and a new series.

   The updates are coming fast and furious these days. First off, Synthz has made a kickass cover of John Petrucci's I.B.S. that he wrote for the 2001 G3 tour. Since we all know how nuts Synthz is about G3 it's only natural that he would do this. Anyway, go to the media page and d/l the mp3 cuz it's so sweet!


September 30, 2001 ~ Wow!

   In just a few short days I've been going nuts here trying to get all the new submissions to you guys! The following people sent in wallpapers to honour the memory of our fallen friends at the WTC:    The call is still open so if you're in the process of making one or are planning on it please do!

   We also have two new artists who are going to be sharing their work here and they are Bruce and Kevin! Go check out their work cuz it's sweet!

   Finally, I made some structural changes to the site and their may be a few bugs still to work out but nothing serious. Also, the server that all the wallpapers are on is running fairly quick these days so that's a huge relief and I hope this doesn't jinx it. :)


September 26, 2001 ~ A call to all artists and new wallpaper.

   Ok, you guys, it's been extremely difficult for all of us to come to grips with what happened on September 11, 2001. I'd like to put a request to everyone who wants to participate in making a tribute desktop wallpaper (or more than just 1 if you'd like) to the human spirit. I'll post them as soon as they become available (I have 2 already but I'm too tired and I'll post them after work).

   You don't have to be American (I'm Canadian) and you don't have to have religion, either, but one thing is certain and that is how wonderful all the citizens of America (and the world) have pulled together in this time tragedy and crisis.

   Please fire up Photoshop or whatever you use and pour your feelings onto the virtual canvas and show everyone that you believe in everything that is good in our world and help pay tribute to the fallen heroes and victims, and to help raise everyones' spirits and to help them remember...


August 18, 2001 ~ Lots of new submissions!

   Well, it took a long time yet again for me to do an update but it's finally here! You'll notice some major changes to the sections. I've removed the guest book (nobody used it anyway and it's also cheesy but thanks to those who did sign it) and I've removed the YTSE Jammers section (also because it really wasn't being used).

   What I've done is simplified the navigation for the wallpaper and about pages by removing the floaty things (this will help Netscape users also). In order to make this truly a Dream Theater media site I've also added WinAMP skins, v2.0 of Cloak's Dream Theater logo font, and the program I use to rotate my desktop wallpaper collection! Go to the new Media section and take a look! See why it's taken so long? :)

   Please also check out the new dt-x poll as the question deals with the tragedy in the US. I cannot describe in words what I'm feeling about what happened so I'll do so in art. Look for a special tribute wallpaper here and I encourage any/all of you to make one of your own and submit it to honour the victims and inspire the fight for freedom. Thank you.


August 18, 2001 ~ Lots of new submissions!

   Sorry it's taken so long for an update, guys, but I've been lazy *cough*, I mean, busy. I'd like to welcome aboard Karmakazi who's given us two new additions to the archive so go check out his stuff and get it!

   Our resident G3 freak has given us a series with a separate wallpaper dedicated to each G and I really like these ones and you know where to get them so go!

   Last, but not least, Szabi has given us 3 more wallpapers for his archive AND his first series! Included is one he made dedicated to dt-x.com so I thank him for that!

   Also, I'm looking into getting the wallpapers hosted elsewhere because the dang server is just too friggin' slow.


August 18, 2001 ~ dt-x.com needs your help!

   First off, we FINALLY have a new entry into the YTSE Jammers page so check it out! Thanks, Chris, now hopefully others will be inspired and we can build the list.

   Now, I've been deluged with wallpaper submissions from Szabi. He's sent in 18 for the archive so go shop around for yourself and see if anything grabs your attention. I've also posted one from BoogieQ. He made this one a long time ago and I had it for a long time but never thought to contact him about it. He's given me permission to host it here and he says, about this site, "Thanks.. and glad there are other people out there making DT art :)". I'm so glad everyone is having a good time here and I'm having a blast doing Dream Theater Xtreme for you all... even though it's burning me out!


July 31, 2001 ~ dt-x.com needs your help!

   Yay! There's been lots of interest in this site since I launched it and it's been great so far! So, to help keep the momentum going, Weymolith, our kick-ass forum administrator at mikeportnoy.com has submitted four pieces of his artwork! He says he has lots more and if these are any indication of what's in store let me just say WOO HOO! Thanks, Wey, and keep them coming!

PS - that goes for the rest of you artists out there too!

   I need your help, everyone, to fill this site with fan content. If you could take some time and email me a short writeup on Dream Theater or any/all of it's members past and present please do! I don't want this site to just be what I think about Dream Theater cuz that's just boring. So, please help out if you can!


July 31, 2001 ~ dt-x.com needs your help!

   I need your help though, guys, so if you can please submit your impressions of Dream Theater and/or any of it's members so we can fill up this site with as much fan content as possible! For an example of what I mean, just check out the About page and John Petrucci's page, ok?


July 31, 2001 ~ dt-x.com needs your help!

   Welcome to Dream Theater Xtreme!

   Well, after a frenzied four weeks of Photoshop and HTML I've finally brought together a home for my Dream Theater fan site! Actually, the main reason I did this was because I wanted a proper home for my Dream Theater wallpapers (and others like Synthz) because the response from all you fans has been amazing! I had so many hits to the old page that I felt it was necessary to get a real site going. The beta-viewers of dt-x.com gave it some good marks but I'm nervous as to how the rest of cyberland will react. I hope I didn't let you all down!

   So, without further adieu, take a look around and enjoy your stay! 		   


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