Dream Theater kicked off their European tour celebrating the band's 40th anniversary last Tuesday night, the 3rd, at Logomo in Turku, Finland.
The highlight of the performance was the song "The Enemy Inside," a track released on the album Dream Theater (2013). Not only had the song never been played live with drummer Mike Portnoy , but it was also the first time the band had played it together since 2014.
Days before the start of the tour, Mike Portnoy posted a message on his social media [transcription via Blabbermouth ]:
“Our European summer tour will feature a great selection of festival dates and some special headlining shows at 'Evening With' in incredibly beautiful and unique settings! Personally, I'm very excited to play at the legendary venue in Pompeii where Pink Floyd filmed their movie over 50 years ago… As well as the two nights with different setlists at the beautiful amphitheater in Plovdiv.”
Places where we haven't played yet (Greece, Turkey, Romania, Bulgaria, etc.) will have a variation of the DT40 show… places we're returning to since the last EU leg (Italy, Germany, Finland, Poland, etc.) will have a new setlist… And each festival will have its own variations based on the times set… and just to reiterate, the formal 'Parasomnia Tour' will begin in the US in September and continue around the world in 2026…”.
Mike Portnoy returns to Dream Theater.
Drummer Mike Portnoy returned to Dream Theater in 2023 after a decade away from the band. Part of the band's founding trio alongside guitarist John Petrucci and bassist John Myung , Portnoy was Dream Theater's drummer since its inception in 1985, but decided to leave the band in 2010 due to disagreements with vocalist James LaBrie . Since then, the musician has dedicated himself to a series of different musical projects.
Parasomnia , the new album from Dream Theater, marks their first release with Portnoy since Black Clouds & Silver Linings (2009). Produced by guitarist John Petrucci , the album features sound engineering by James “Jimmy T” Meslin and mixing by Andy Sneap. Hugh Syme once again handled the cover art.
READ ALSO: Mike Portnoy: “Some people ignore the metal side of Dream Theater”
