Legionserial--even though your list is the only one with anything in common with mine (the Dream Theater titles--Systemic Chaos belonged on my list too), the rest of your list frightens me. I think I might need a hug from my mom if I listened to that stuff...
Seriously--legionserial, take something extreme/heavy (if you can find anything among all that easy listening) from your list and recommend it to me so I can broaden my horizons. I'm obviously a guitar freak and I like real vocals (cookie monster does nothing for me). Thanks.
Sorry, not looked at this thread in a while.
Try Opeth if you haven't already. There a bit of Cookie Monster in there, but a lot of singing too. It's very progressive so may suit your Dream Theater-esque tastes a little. There's some very melodic stuff there. Children of Bodom don't really use the Cookie Monster stuff. They're vey melodic thrashy type stuff. They have something slightly 80's about them, and aren't for everyone, but the guitar work is cool.
I see you've already listened to Black Dahlia Murder. They are probably one of my favourite bands, just for the music. I kinda like the cookie monster stuff, but I have developed a knack of completely ignoring vocals, completely shutting them out, because as a guitar nut, I really am only interested in the guitar work at lot of the time.
And Portishead, who I listed too, aren't guitar music at all, rather are roughly classified as trip-hop. The (female) singer has a beautiful voice. It's very chilled. Sort of thing I like to spend a bit of time listening to after work to wind down, or late at night. Worth checking out if you like that sort of thing.
Oh and check out Tool if you haven't already. I'm sure you know them though. Again, quite progressive. No sign of a cookie monster anywhere.
Darkest Hour's "Undoing Ruin" is worth listening to for the guitar work. The vocals aren't quite cookie monster, but they aren't sung either. Probably more tolerable.
And if you like Dream Theater, check out Petrucci, Rudess and Portnoy's other 'side-project', Liquid Tension Experiment.
I take it you've heard Megadeth's "Rust in Peace" and "Countdown to Extinction"?
I might add more as I think of it.