In a brand new interview with Meltdown of Detroit’s WRIF radio station, DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Portnoy spoke about what it has been like for him to be touring with the band as soon as once more after a 13-year absence. The progressive steel legends performed their first live performance with Portnoy in 14 years on October 20, 2024 on the O2 Enviornment in London, United Kingdom. The drummer, who co-founded DREAM THEATER, performed on 10 of the band’s albums over a 20-year interval, from 1989’s “When Dream And Day Unite” by means of 2009’s “Black Clouds & Silver Linings”, earlier than exiting the group in 2010. Portnoy returned to DREAM THEATER in October 2023 after being changed by Mike Mangini, who performed with DREAM THEATER throughout 5 studio albums and accompanying world excursions. Portnoy advised WRIF (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “It has been unbelievable. Regardless that that is our first time coming by means of Detroit since I have been again within the band, it has been developing on two years now for us [as a reunited band]. So, the reunion’s type of — it has been labored in. We spent the primary yr making our new album, ‘Parasomnia’, after which we spent the second yr, beginning this previous October, we have been on the highway since then and there is not any letting up anytime quickly. So we have already performed nearly 100 exhibits at this level all around the globe. And in all places we play for the primary time, there’s simply such an power and pleasure and emotion within the viewers, folks attending to see this lineup collectively once more. So each place we go, it is simply been overwhelming. The numbers have been nice. It has been the largest tour that DREAM THEATER‘s ever finished. So, I actually cannot say sufficient of how thrilling it has been. And there is nonetheless a whole lot of gasoline left within the tank. We now have this complete U.S. tour, which is hitting a whole lot of markets we did not get to hit the primary time round. So we get to share that first expertise with so many individuals. After which we do Australia and Asia after the New Yr, subsequent January, February and March. After which we now have one other European tour subsequent spring. So, yeah, when all is claimed and finished, it is gonna be a couple of year-and-a-half tour cycle, simply getting round to everyone, and it is simply been larger and higher than ever.”
Portnoy, who was very “fingers on” with DREAM THEATER‘s inventive and enterprise selections earlier than his exit from the group, was requested if his function within the band is prefer it was earlier than. He responded: “I would not say it is like earlier than. After I left the band in 2010, I used to be a management freak and oversaw each side — each textual content, each electronic mail, each single side of the band, whether or not it’s the merchandise, the fan golf equipment, the setlist, blah, blah, blah. I used to be a management freak, very a lot so. And it is not like that now. The years that I used to be gone, the band type of redesigned their inner construction and the way they work. [DREAM THEATER guitarist] John Petrucci ended up taking up a whole lot of duties. He solely produces the albums now, whereas we used to do ’em collectively again then. And there was a whole lot of issues, a whole lot of restructuring they needed to do whereas I used to be gone. So now coming again to that after 13 years away, I’ve to be very respectful over what that they had constructed all of the years with out me, and I am not gonna are available right here and simply assume that it is gonna be precisely the way it was once I left, ‘trigger it is not gonna be. And John and I had a dialog even earlier than we solidified me coming again, we simply laid out the dialog, like… He was, like, ‘Hey, are you gonna be okay not doing this? Are you gonna be okay sharing this?’ And we needed to type of lay out all of these dynamics on how we might perform internally. And it is okay. I am truly happier now this manner. I believe it is a greater band dynamic. It is a extra true steadiness now than it was. So, it is type of one of the best of each worlds. And there are a whole lot of areas that got again to me, like writing the setlists, and with that comes programming the home music on the present and the intermission and all of the type of stuff that goes into the best way the present is run, the live performance presentation. So, fortunately, that has at all times been my greatest ardour. In order that’s one space that was type of thrown again to me. After which sequencing the album order; that was at all times one other massive one for me. So, yeah, we talked in regards to the ones that had been essential to share and those that had been essential to delegate and discover a comfortable steadiness.”
After Meltdown famous that he realized over time that it is best to only do issues himself when he needs one thing finished proper, Mike mentioned: “That was my previous mentality, ‘trigger the primary 15 years of the band, we went by means of every thing as a quote-unquote democracy. However all that meant was we might simply combat and bicker till I might beat everyone down. [Laughs] So there was some extent about 15 years in, about 1999, 2000, after we made the ‘[Metropolis Pt. 2:] Scenes From A Reminiscence’ album, we determined we’re gonna go get rid of this faux democracy. And myself and John, we’re gonna run the ship. We had been gonna co-produce the albums, we had been gonna make the enterprise selections collectively. And so as soon as we type of received into that means of working the present, it went rather a lot smoother. And there was a whole lot of issues that I had freedom to only make selections on, by myself. I did not have to return to the band to debate and bicker and argue, and it did run a lot better that means. However then I additionally see how that might trigger a bit of resentments too, when one man is making a whole lot of selections with out the dialogue or inclusion of different bandmembers. So I believe the best way we do it now could be, like I mentioned, it is one of the best of each worlds, and it is a very easy means of working. And we’re a lot older, we’re all in our late fifties and sixties the place we’re much more mature. We do not wanna combat and bicker over what’s gonna be the third music on the B-side of the album. Lots of people understand you decide and select your fights and also you decide and select your battles and never every thing is price preventing over. And it is a way more calmer headspace, extra serene means of doing issues at this level in our profession.”
Requested if he thinks there are different bands on the market who ought to observe DREAM THEATER‘s instance and reunite their traditional lineups whereas they nonetheless can, Portnoy mentioned: “Yeah. I like to recommend this to anyone that is on the fence about reuniting with their band, as a result of it is one of the best factor we ever did. And lots of people ask me if I’ve any regrets about leaving DREAM THEATER. I might say my solely remorse is that it took so lengthy to come back again collectively. I want it had come again collectively sooner. So that you see [PINK FLOYD‘s] Roger Waters bickering with David Gilmour or SKID ROW bickering with Sebastian Bach. And all I may say is, guys, you are older and wiser. Do it for the followers, if the rest. I am so glad that I got here again to DREAM THEATER and we trip off into the sundown collectively. That is the best way it was purported to have been. I could not have written it any higher. And it could’ve been one of many greatest regrets of my life if we hadn’t reunited. And I have a look at bands like Sebastian and SKID ROW, or no matter — there’s most likely an enormous listing that we will title — and you understand what? Time does heal all wounds. And I might advocate this to anyone. It is higher to be using off into the sundown collectively and rekindling a friendship and a love that definitely needed to have been there at one level for any of those bands — Roger Waters and PINK FLOYD. It is there someplace deep down. And it is higher to trip off into the sundown collectively than to be aside and having these deep-seated resentments. Life is simply too brief for that type of stuff.”
DREAM THEATER kicked off the spring/summer time 2025 leg of its “Fortieth Anniversary European Tour” on June 3 at Logomo in Turku, Finland.
DREAM THEATER‘s summer time/fall 2025 “An Night With Dream Theater” U.S. tour is scheduled for 30 cities throughout the US, kicking off September 5 in Studying, Pennsylvania and working by means of October 25, when it wraps in Lengthy Island, New York. The tour will make stops in Orlando, Floria; Detroit, Michigan; Kansas Metropolis, Missouri and Windfall, Rhode Island, amongst others. DREAM THEATER might be performing its newest album in its entirety in addition to classics and fan favorites from the band’s catalog in what guarantees to be an unforgettable night of music.
“Parasomnia” got here out on February 7, 2025 by way of InsideOut Music. The LP marked DREAM THEATER‘s first launch with Portnoy since 2009’s “Black Clouds & Silver Linings”.
“Parasomnia” was produced by guitarist John Petrucci, engineered by James “Jimmy T” Meslin, and combined by Andy Sneap. Hugh Syme returned as soon as once more to lend his inventive imaginative and prescient to the quilt artwork.
“Parasomnia” is an eight-song, 71-minute set which was recorded at DREAM THEATER‘s DTHQ studio on Lengthy Island, New York. It’s the follow-up to 2021’s “A View From The High Of The World”, which debuted at within the prime 10 of Billboard‘s High Arduous Rock Albums, High Rock Albums and Unbiased Albums charts. Six songs on “Parasomnia” are over seven minutes and the closing epic “The Shadow Man Incident” clocks in at almost 20 minutes.
The North American leg of DREAM THEATER‘s Fortieth-anniversary tour kicked off on February 7 at The Met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The trek was “An Night With Dream Theater” and was the primary tour of North America since Portnoy‘s return to the lineup, becoming a member of Petrucci, singer James LaBrie, bassist John Myung and keyboardist Jordan Rudess. The tour concluded on March 22 in New York Metropolis.
Portnoy, Petrucci and Myung began DREAM THEATER as MAJESTY in 1985, after assembly on the Berklee School Of Music in Boston. LaBrie got here on board in 1991, whereas Rudess joined in 1999.
Previous to Portnoy‘s return to DREAM THEATER, the drummer and Petrucci labored collectively on the latter’s 2020 solo album, “Terminal Velocity”, and toured collectively. Portnoy and Petrucci additionally joined Rudess and bassist Tony Levin for a 3rd studio album as LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT in 2021.
