It's official: drummer Mike Portnoy is back with Dream Theater after a decade away from the band. The announcement was made this Wednesday, the 25th, through the group's social media and official website.
Part of the band's founding trio alongside guitarist John Petrucci and bassist John Myung , Portnoy was Dream Theater's drummer from 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.
“I’m overflowing with joy to be returning home and reuniting with my brothers! There’s so much shared history between all of us… So many memories, so much music… And to think we’re approaching 40 years since this journey began,” Mike Portnoy commented in a statement. “The idea of creating new music together is so exciting and I can’t wait to hit the road and play live for a whole new generation of fans who have never had the chance to see this lineup before… Nothing better than being home.”
With Mike Portnoy's return to Dream Theater, Mike Mangini is leaving the band, but he expressed understanding for his colleagues' decision in a statement sent to the press jointly with the other band members, who thanked Mangini for his contribution as a substitute for the original drummer since 2010. “I understand Dream Theater’s decision to bring Mike Portnoy back at this time. As has been said from day one, my role wasn’t to fill all the roles Mike had in the band. My main role was to play drums to help the band continue. My primary function of keeping our live show running cohesively every night was an intense and rewarding experience,” he stated.
The band has already confirmed that they will enter the studio to work on their 16th album, the first with Mike Portnoy in the lineup since Black Clouds & Silver Linings , released in 2009. Dream Theater's most recent album is A View From The Top Of The World (2021), winner of the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance with the song "The Alien" .
Mike Portnoy's reconciliation with Dream Theater
Over the past three years, Mike Portnoy and his Dream Theater colleagues have reunited to work together on occasional side projects. In 2019, Portnoy and Jordan Rudess reunited on a music cruise, where they performed "Instrumedley" together for the first time in nine years.
The following year, in 2020, it was the drummer's turn to reunite with John Petrucci for the recording of the guitarist's solo album, called Terminal Velocity , which marked the first collaboration between the two in a decade.
The rapprochement continued in the following years. In 2022, Mike Portnoy attended a Dream Theater concert as an audience member for the first time in his life. “After 36 years, I finally saw my first Dream Theater show! (laughs). It was a wonderful night and it was a pleasure to spend time with my old friends,” he said at the time. The occasion was responsible for the reconciliation between Portnoy and vocalist James LaBrie, remember here .
With their return, the Dream Theater lineup as of October 2023 consists of John Petrucci (guitar), John Myung (bass), James LaBrie (vocals), Jordan Rudess (keyboards), and Mike Portnoy (drums).
READ ALSO: The 11 best Dream Theater songs with Mike Portnoy
