Kevin James LaBrie, born on the 5th day of May in the year 1963, is a singe… Read Full Bio ↴Kevin James LaBrie, born on the 5th day of May in the year 1963, is a singer hailing from the land of Canada. He is most renowned for his role as the foremost vocalist in the American progressive metal ensemble known as Dream Theater, a position he has held steadfastly since the year 1991. His place of birth is Penetanguishene, Ontario, situated in the dominion of Canada. As a mere lad of tender years, he commenced his journey in the realm of music by wielding the drums at the tender age of five. As his teenage years emerged, he found himself amongst the ranks of various musical gatherings, assuming the role of a front man who sought to lend his voice and percussive prowess. The cessation of his drumming pursuits occurred at the age of seventeen, and thus, in the year 1981, when he had reached the age of eighteen, he departed for the city of Toronto, seeking new horizons.

Coney Hatch
LaBrie did join Coney Hatch in the year 1986 when they endeavored to assemble a fresh assemblage. The troupe did record sundry tapes for display within their chamber of practice and did partake in live performances at clubs in Ontario for several months. When their recording establishment, Anthem, did voice their dissatisfaction with the assemblage, the band did opt to replace LaBrie with Phil Naro, making one final desperate effort to forge ahead in the absence of Carl Dixon. Alas, that assemblage did prove to be short-lived as well.

Winter Rose
Shortly after parting ways with Coney Hatch, LaBrie took up the mantle of vocalist for the glam metal troupe Winter Rose. The assemblage comprised Richard Chycki on guitar and bass, Randy Cooke on drums, and Sebastian Bach on vocal duties. Chycki had aforetime collaborated with Bach under the appellations Sebastian and Hope. The band embarked upon the recording of a sequence of demos throughout the years of 1988 and 1989, enlisting the aid of guest musicians Bruce Dies and Rob Laidlaw. Alas, the majority of these compositions did not witness a commercial release until the year 1997, when they were unveiled as a self-titled opus under the auspices of Inside Out Music, a full seven years after their dissolution in 1990. One among their repertoire, the melodic opus "I'll Never Fall In Love Again," did receive the honor of a promotional video release in the year 1989 and was later included on their eponymous creation. The entire compilation featured compositions co-authored by Richard Chycki and James LaBrie, with the exception of two pieces solely penned by Richard Chycki.

Dream Theater
In the year 1990, LaBrie received word that the American progressive metal band Dream Theater sought a new minstrel, and thus he proffered a tape and swiftly journeyed to New York for a comprehensive audition. The trial proved fruitful, and he surpassed 200 other aspiring candidates to assume the role of full-time vocalist in said troupe.

Henceforth, LaBrie hath exerted a substantial influence upon the vocal melodies woven within each Dream Theater opus. However, until recently, he hath had limited involvement in the instrumentation of their music. The album "A Dramatic Turn of Events" from the year 2011 doth bear LaBrie's name in the music credits for three songs. To this day, he hath penned or co-penned lyrics for no less than one composition upon ten of the fifteen albums released by Dream Theater during his tenure. Albums such as "Images and Words," "Black Clouds & Silver Linings," "Dream Theater," and "The Astonishing" doth lack his lyrical contributions.

When queried by Prog-Sphere.com regarding his favored song to perform live, James declared, "The song that most delights me is 'Scarred'; I thoroughly enjoy its execution before an audience. And... well, 'Octavarium,' that comprehensive piece, doth captivate me entirely."

Apart from his collaborative endeavors, LaBrie hath released five solo albums under various appellations, including "Mullmuzzler," "James LaBrie's Mullmuzzler," and simply "James LaBrie."

In an interview with Beyond The Dark Horizon on June 12, 2010, James LaBrie revealed that his forthcoming solo endeavor, titled "Static Impulse," lieth in the stage of mixing and shall comprise twelve compositions. James professed, "It is of a weighty nature, and I am exceedingly excited."

On the twenty-seventh day of July in the year 2010, Dream Theater's website did proclaim that "Static Impulse" would be unveiled on September 27, 2010, courtesy of Inside Out Music. The assemblage boasts the talents of longtime collaborator Matt Guillory upon the keyboards, Marco Sfogli (who hath also graced LaBrie's previous work, "Elements of Persuasion") upon the guitars, Peter Wildoer of the Swedish melodic death metal band Darkane, who doth provide percussion and bellowing vocals, and Ray Riendeau upon the bass.

James LaBrie did express, "The unveiling of 'Static Impulse' is an event that engenders fervor within the entire band. This is modern metal, as robust and pertinent as any other ensemble embarking upon a similar musical path. There are riffs that shall rend the mind asunder, and melodies—both instrumental and vocal—that are mesmerizing. Take the reins and let the ears bleed. Enjoy, and we shall encounter you on the road to accompany and bolster this release."

In an interview with Prog-Sphere.com in 2011, LaBrie mentioned that the planned tour in the United States had been canceled, remarking, "Forsooth, for it was disarrayed ere this occasion. Where we find ourselves now, by the time thou dost procure the necessary visas, we shall have scarce a rehearsal ere we embark. I declare, 'I shall not partake in such a venture.'"

Come the month of July in the year 2013, LaBrie's album "Impermanent Resonance" was unveiled by Inside Out Music. "Beautiful Shade of Grey" followed suit in the year 2022.

Albums
MullMuzzler
Keep It to Yourself (1999)
MullMuzzler 2 (2001)

Solo
Elements of Persuasion (2005)
Static Impulse (2010)
Impermanent Resonance (2013)
I Will Not Break (2014) (Compilation EP)
Beautiful Shade of Grey (2022)

Mislead
James LaBrie Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I can't be
Here not a...
One moment longer

My skin feels
It's crawling
Actions appalling

Ratified
Justified
To keep us quiet

Dominion
Opinion
The streets will riot

Whose interests are we supporting?
Convinced us in their reporting

Mislead
NO MORE LAME EXCUSES
Mislead
THEY SHOULD LOOK THE PART
We'll paint their lips a crimson red
Bang it over their heads
Then none of us will feel Mislead

It's your move
Can feel it
Tension is rising

No facial
Expression
But know they're lying

Forefathers
Words spoken
The constitution

Infected
Corrupted
Our institutions

Whose interests are we supporting?
Convinced us in their reporting

Mislead
NO MORE LAME EXCUSES
Mislead
THEY SHOULD LOOK THE PART
We'll paint their lips a crimson red
Bang it over their heads
Then none of us will feel Mislead

They've fallen short
Again to hell with their credentials
If we are to survive
Realize our full potential

Mislead...

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Mislead" by James Labrie are about the importance of being aware of the poor decisions made by leaders and politicians and how they can mislead or manipulate their followers. The opening lines, "I can't be here not a one moment longer, my skin feels it's crawling, actions appalling," indicate a sense of disgust and discomfort with being in a situation or around people that are not trustworthy. The lyrics then delve into themes of corruption, lies, and deceit, and how institutions and governments can be corrupted and influenced by interests that do not always align with the people they are supposed to serve.

Labrie's lyrics also point to the power of the people to hold their leaders accountable, as he sings "The streets will riot" if necessary to ensure that their voices are heard. He also mentions the importance of upholding the constitution and the words of the forefathers who founded the nation, indicating a desire to return to the values and ideals that the country was founded upon. The repeated refrain of "Mislead, no more lame excuses, Mislead, they should look the part," emphasizes the need for leaders to be held to a higher standard and for their actions to match their words.

Overall, "Mislead" is a call to arms for people to be aware of their surroundings, to hold their leaders accountable, and to strive for a more just and honest society.

Line by Line Meaning

I can't be
I cannot stay here

Here not a...
This place is suffocating me

One moment longer
I can't endure it any longer

My skin feels
I feel uneasy

It's crawling
I'm uncomfortable

Actions appalling
The actions of others are disgraceful

Ratified
Legitimized

Justified
Approved

To keep us quiet
To silence us

Dominion
Control

Opinion
Perspective