Explorers Club was a progressive metal

Progressive metal

Progressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal originating in the United Kingdom and North America in the late 1980s...

/rock

Progressive rock

Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...

 supergroup

Supergroup (music)

In the late 1960s, the term supergroup was coined to describe "a rock music group whose performers are already famous from having performed individually or in other groups"....

 headed by the Gardner brothers of Magellan

Magellan (band)

Magellan is a progressive metal/rock band from California, United States, formed by the two brothers Trent Gardner and Wayne Gardner in 1985. The band has had a number of well known guest musicians, such as Ian Anderson , Joey Franco , and Tony Levin...

 featuring, among others, James LaBrie

James LaBrie

Kevin James LaBrie is a Canadian vocalist who is best known as the lead singer of the American progressive metal band Dream Theater.-Early life:...

, John Petrucci

John Petrucci

John Peter Petrucci is an American guitarist and songwriter best known as a founding member of the progressive metal band Dream Theater. Along with his former bandmate Mike Portnoy, he has produced all Dream Theater albums since their 1999 release, Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory...

 of Dream Theater

Dream Theater

Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of their studies to further concentrate on the band that would...

, and Derek Sherinian

Derek Sherinian

Derek Sherinian is a rock keyboardist who has toured and recorded for Alice Cooper, Billy Idol, Yngwie Malmsteen, Kiss, and Alice In Chains. He was also a member of Dream Theater and is the founder of the instrumental metal-fusion band Planet X...

 (then Dream Theater), Billy Sheehan

Billy Sheehan

William "Billy" Sheehan is an American bassist known for his work with Talas, Steve Vai, David Lee Roth, Mr. Big, and Niacin. Sheehan has won the "Best Rock Bass Player" readers' poll from Guitar Player Magazine five times for his "lead bass" playing style...

 (bassist of UFO

UFO (band)

UFO are an English heavy metal and hard rock band, who were formed in 1969. UFO became a transitional group between early hard rock and heavy metal and the New Wave of British Heavy Metal...

 and Steve Vai

Steve Vai

Steven Siro "Steve" Vai is a three time Grammy Award-winning American guitarist, songwriter and producer who has sold over 15 million albums. Steve Vai is widely known as a flamboyant guitar virtuoso....

 fame), James Murphy (from the metal scene) and Steve Howe

Steve Howe (guitarist)

Stephen James "Steve" Howe is an English guitarist, known for his work with the progressive rock group Yes...

 of Yes

Yes (band)

Yes are an English rock band who achieved worldwide success with their progressive, art, and symphonic style of rock music. Regarded as one of the pioneers of the progressive genre, Yes are known for their lengthy songs, mystical lyrics, elaborate album art, and live stage sets...

.
Their first album, Age of Impact

Age of Impact

-Personnel:*James LaBrie – lead vocals*Bret Douglas – lead vocals*Matt Bradley – lead vocals*D.C. Cooper – lead vocals*Trent Gardner – keyboards, trombone, lead vocals*Wayne Gardner – electric and acoustic guitars, some bass...

was released in 1998, and Raising the Mammoth

Raising the Mammoth

-Personnel:*Steve Walsh – lead vocals*James LaBrie – lead vocals*Kerry Livgren – guitar*Marty Friedman – guitar*Gary Wehrkamp – guitar*Jeff Curtis – additional guitar*Trent Gardner - keyboards*Mark Robertson - keyboards*John Myung - bass...

was released in 2002, to a slightly less favourable critical reception, notably due to the album's somewhat odd musical structure.