Chris Collins is a designer and the name used by more than one musician. One Chris Collins is a vocalist and guitarist associated with the metal band Winterspell. Another is an early vocalist for the progressive metal group that later becomes Dream Theater, when the band is still called Majesty.

Winterspell

As a guitarist and vocalist for Winterspell, Collins starts the project in 1994 with the aim of forming an original metal band. The name comes from a poem he writes in the early 1990s and sets to acoustic music. Much of an early album called Supercalafragilistic Extreoverdosus is lost in a house fire, although a raw version of “Winterspell” survives. He also recreates two songs that become part of the Mourning Star project.

Collins briefly considers working as a cover-band artist, but instead turns back to original material. He brings guitarist Tommy Conforte into the project from a local Long Island Sabbath tribute band and works from some of his existing songs to begin the first Winterspell album, Metal to the Grave. Collins completes these songs in early 2004, and Tony Mattassa and Joey Lycon join the line-up. Songs associated with this period include “Well of Souls,” “The Eucharist,” “Seriokill,” and “Dust Becomes My Home.”

The band later breaks up because of personal differences, but Collins and drummer Tony Mattassa continue through several line-up changes. In spring 2005, guitarist Pete Maglia of Savior and bassist Chris Kelly join, helping revive the group. Dennis Sadlo later joins and the band becomes fully dynamic and progressive in its own terms. By spring 2008 the same line-up from 2005 is still together, and Winterspell works with a stronger sense of purpose. This period leads to the album Touch of Death, released in 2010, which is described in the lyrics and direction as combining power metal roots with a touch of death metal.

Collins also works on solo material through the Mourning Star project. That EP is released in 1993 and includes two tracks written by Collins with the late Joey Derise, with Rich Kern on guitars. He later works on another solo release for The Fruitz of Evil Recordings, on the label New Style, with song titles including “Blinded by Master Illusion,” “And the Dead Shall Inherit the Earth,” and “The Wicked Are Blinded by Satanic Force.”

Dream Theater / Majesty

Another Chris Collins is the first vocalist for the progressive metal band Dream Theater, when the group is called Majesty. He is known for his high vocal range. He joins the band in its early period and later studies classical and opera with Florence Hectel at Stony Brook University. The group records the Majesty Demos, and Collins leaves in November 1986 after only a few months with the band, with Charlie Dominici later taking his place.