New Mike Mangini Interview

[Bertielee]

I think people are reading WAAAAAAY to much into this interview than what is actually there.

Nothing new here. DTF has been doing this since its inception.

B.Lee

[TAC]

I think people are reading WAAAAAAY to much into this interview than what is actually there.

Maybe so. I mean, the whole "MM is going to leave DT" may be a bit of a stretch.

But Noxon, you have to admit, that MM's demeanor was at least curious. He comes off as tired, frustrated, and edgy. VERY out of character as to how he usually is. Maybe he was ill. Maybe he just had an argument with someone close to him. Whatever it was, he was quite different to his normal effusive self.

[rumborak]

And not that I'm saying this can necessarily serve as a template by which to judge whether a member is about to leave or not, but MP's public displays of discontent were rather subtle too before he left. Usually these seasoned musicians are pretty savvy when it comes to not letting on that anything negative is happening; taking into account that MM is someone who wears his emotions more on the sleeve than most people do, I think it's still telling he didn't just become more guarded in his responses, but instead open up more. I get the impression this is something he *wanted* to air.

[King Postwhore]

In see this happen in life all the time. When it is personal, most people tend to not post a lot and are quiet. When something is bothering them most tend to blurt out, hint or express frustration.  I think that's why we are talking about this.  Until now,  MM has been very positive.

Does this mean he's leaving?  No.  Does this mean there is an issue?  Yes.  Now it's up to the band to have in in the writing process more or not.

[Jester]

I recommend that the next interviewer of MM forgo these types of questions?

Audition
Graduate to full member
MP
Drum dexterity

and instead ask questions like
What do you consider your songwriting strengths?
What do you consider your weaknesses?
Do you prefer collaboration or more control of the song's destiny?
How do your musical inclinations differ from DT?  What differences can expand the DT style and which might inhibit it?
How do you think the back and forth with your students have shaped and detoured your own songwriting?
Would you rather put yourself out there and possibly fail miserably instead of being held back by your own inhibition or even the caution of others?

In other words, stop asking him questions like he's a performing monkey and start asking him questions on his creativity.  He obviously is in that frame of mind right now.  I'm sure that was partly why he was so emotional in getting the gig.  He clearly felt this was his chance to be more than just support of somebody else's vision, but his chance to share his own.

[Zook]

That explains why the drums on TA are so plain, but even ADTOE had more involved drums.

[erwinrafael]

The drums on TA are plain?

I would also like to add that an unfortunate circumstance might have changed the way TA was recorded. If you follow Mangini's posts, sometime in January last year, he was so excited to go in the studio for two weeks for the new DT album. Then he got snowed in and he never got to do the DT work before he went on tour with UK. Most likely, the four days only in the studio came about because that is the only gap remaining was in between his UK stint and the DT 30th anniversary tour.

[BlobVanDam]

I'd say every instrument on TA is equally restrained, just by design of what that album is. TA is actually my favourite drum album from MM, perhaps for that reason. Less room for technicality, and a bit more about feel.

[Jester]

TBH, I haven't really paid much attention to the drums on The Astonishing.  I'd imagine they are just *there* for the most part.

[DarkLord_Lalinc]

I'd say every instrument on TA is equally restrained, just by design of what that album is. TA is actually my favourite drum album from MM, perhaps for that reason. Less room for technicality, and a bit more about feel.

This x 1000. It's actually refreshing, for a change.

If one wants to listen to overpowering virtuosic drums throughout, there are other 12 DT albums to check out. 

[rumborak]

I would also like to add that an unfortunate circumstance might have changed the way TA was recorded. If you follow Mangini's posts, sometime in January last year, he was so excited to go in the studio for two weeks for the new DT album. Then he got snowed in and he never got to do the DT work before he went on tour with UK. Most likely, the four days only in the studio came about because that is the only gap remaining was in between his UK stint and the DT 30th anniversary tour.

As the resident Bostonian here, have to disagree. Yes, there was a snow emergency during the time he was in Boston. But, after three days the highways were cleared, and he could have jumped on a plane and be in NY with no problems whatsoever. It took weeks until he mentioned he was finally going down. The snow definitely was not the reason.
Barring different evidence, I think we should just assume MM used the wording he used with good reason: "I was not included". That clearly indicates somebody made that decision, not the snow.

[nikatapi]

I would also like to add that an unfortunate circumstance might have changed the way TA was recorded. If you follow Mangini's posts, sometime in January last year, he was so excited to go in the studio for two weeks for the new DT album. Then he got snowed in and he never got to do the DT work before he went on tour with UK. Most likely, the four days only in the studio came about because that is the only gap remaining was in between his UK stint and the DT 30th anniversary tour.

As the resident Bostonian here, have to disagree. Yes, there was a snow emergency during the time he was in Boston. But, after three days the highways were cleared, and he could have jumped on a plane and be in NY with no problems whatsoever. It took weeks until he mentioned he was finally going down. The snow definitely was not the reason.
Barring different evidence, I think we should just assume MM used the wording he used with good reason: "I was not included". That clearly indicates somebody made that decision, not the snow.

Indeed, it was clear from interview both from JP and JR that they wanted to write the album by themselves, just to fit the story. So obviously he wasn't included, and maybe from the experience from DT12 he expected even more involvement which didn't happen of course.

Still, we'll see what's going to happen next, i don't know how happy MM is with The Astonishing as an album, i haven't heard him give any opinions about it, and he was very excited for both ADTOE and DT12. Maybe the less technical approach on this one disappointed him a little bit, i don't know.

[Bertielee]

I would also like to add that an unfortunate circumstance might have changed the way TA was recorded. If you follow Mangini's posts, sometime in January last year, he was so excited to go in the studio for two weeks for the new DT album. Then he got snowed in and he never got to do the DT work before he went on tour with UK. Most likely, the four days only in the studio came about because that is the only gap remaining was in between his UK stint and the DT 30th anniversary tour.

As the resident Bostonian here, have to disagree. Yes, there was a snow emergency during the time he was in Boston. But, after three days the highways were cleared, and he could have jumped on a plane and be in NY with no problems whatsoever. It took weeks until he mentioned he was finally going down. The snow definitely was not the reason.
Barring different evidence, I think we should just assume MM used the wording he used with good reason: "I was not included". That clearly indicates somebody made that decision, not the snow.

I clearly get where the guys are coming from. MP had so much control over what DT was that they probably want to avoid the same thing with MM (which, seeing the guy's personality, I'm sure would never happen). Yet, I may read too far into what MM said, but , IMO, he seems to be really frustrated that things lean that way. I hope that this won't make him go to try and find a situation that is better suited for him.

B.Lee

[Kotowboy]

Still, we'll see what's going to happen next, i don't know how happy MM is with The Astonishing as an album, i haven't heard him give any opinions about it, and he was very excited for both ADTOE and DT12. Maybe the less technical approach on this one disappointed him a little bit, i don't know.

I'd be disappointed in Mangini if he didn't enjoy this album musically because he didn't get to show off his technical prowess. You don't join a band to show off.

[Peter Mc]

My take on the Mangini situation is that he is contributing to his own drum parts as Mike Portnoy did, the general view is that Mike was not one of the main composers of the music, that this has always been JP/JR since JR was in the band. 

The difference being of course that, after the departure of Kevin Moore, Portnoy became the second main lyricist in the band behind Petrucci.  The impression I've got from interviews is that the lyric writer is also generally the guy who comes up with the vocal melodies so Portnoy contributed in that way as well as drum parts.  I also get the impression that Portnoy was also heavily involved in the arrangement, he may not have written riffs and melodies but would be there in the middle directing when riffs were used, repeated, reprised in songs, when to add vocal harmonies etc.  He also really decided what direction he wanted the band to go in terms of heaviness, proggyness, long songs, short songs etc.

Mangini is not the band leader and does not write lyrics (by choice or not I don't know) and has admitted he's not coming up with better riffs and melodies than JP and JR so at the moment his contribution is drums alone.  The first album was written before he was on board and the last one is really a one-off project that JP went off to do with a little help from Rudess.  It was not written as a band like all of their other albums so JLB, JM and MM all made no contribution beyond their own parts to this album.  These were not JP's drum parts as, if you've seen this thing live, the drums are incredible, they are not simple at all, so complex and inventive.  I implore any one to air drum along to The Astonishing and see just how much is in there.

If Mike Mangini did leave (voluntarily or otherwise) I don't buy into the 1% chance of Portnoy returning, I think he'd be back in a hearbeat.  None of his other projects have been particularly successful, certainly not on DT's level and I'm sure he'd love to come back.  I also think that the band would probably happily give him the reins back to run the band again.  Jordan Rudess may feel a little bit sidelined again and I hope JM continues to contribute lyrics but I think they would accept that he knows what he's doing in terms of steering them in the right direction and promoting the band.

[goo-goo]

This is the first time I see Mangini respond like this. I think if the issue was bigger for him, he would have made some jabs here and there in every interview. I understand his frustration, but I don't see Mangini leaving DT anytime soon.

[noxon]

The whole "JR and JP Always wrote the songs anyhow" argument - even if it's been said in recent interviews - is not at all correct. Just look at the making of videos of the albums where that was available. I realize it's a story dt do want to relay as "truth" - to underplay the importance of mp (who wouldn't after 6 years of "bring mp back - dt has lost it soul" complaints on social media ).

I have heard voicemails from mp to hinself where he hums riffs. Easily recognizable riffs. So he deffo had a lot to say regarding song creation.

[mikeyd23]

The whole "JR and JP Always wrote the songs anyhow" argument - even if it's been said in recent interviews - is not at all correct. Just look at the making of videos of the albums where that was available. I realize it's a story dt do want to relay as "truth" - to underplay the importance of mp (who wouldn't after 6 years of "bring mp back - dt has lost it soul" complaints on social media ).

I have heard voicemails from mp to hinself where he hums riffs. Easily recognizable riffs. So he deffo had a lot to say regarding song creation.

I know I personally have never made that specific argument, but I have made the argument that JP and JR are (and have been since JR joined) the main creative force in the band in terms of actually writing songs. I don't try to downplay MP's contributions, I think most of the die hard fans know what they are for the most part, he always made sure we knew exactly what he was doing "for us". That being said, I think his contributions to certain aspects of DT are sometimes exaggerated for a couple different reasons, mainly because (1) he was and still is the most public and outspoken, and (2) he isn't in the band anymore and his departure created a lot of different narratives.

[emtee]

We talked about it for 10 pages now.

Bottom line...If Mangini is cool only contributing drum parts then all is well. End of story.

If not, and it's weighing on him, he will be having a convo with JP and JR as I assume he is a guy that will stand up for himself.
Like I said earlier, he may ask to be more involved but told politely...'no.'
Or maybe the guys will say hell yeah, be here every day in the studio and bring everything you have.

Only time will tell.

[Evai]

I find this pretty unexpected actually. A bit controversial. Things are gonna get personal

[devieira73]

To the ones who think that drum parts on TA are simple, I suggest to watch these videos, where the drummer Mathias Biehl covers almost the entire album:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rA4_eWBYqB4&index=70&list=PLbtpEvmGSat8cp7D8RfMV5y_q_KeaMtGD
I guess the only song that he plays differently from what MM did is "The New Beginning", at the end of the song, where he improvises a lot.

[erwinrafael]

This is the first time I see Mangini respond like this. I think if the issue was bigger for him, he would have made some jabs here and there in every interview. I understand his frustration, but I don't see Mangini leaving DT anytime soon.

Exactly. Many here are latching on one negative interview and at most two social media posts at the tail-end of the just-finished The Astonishing tour, as if these are of more weight than all of his other public pronouncements on the subject. What about his numerous posts on always going out to play golf with Myung and his drum-tech? What about all his very enthusiastic posts on The Astonishing?

January 20: Also in just getting home, I have returned to The Astonishing Songs preparation. It is such a massive, versatile and vibe-varying body of work, that revisiting parts and trying to copy the improvised details is virtually not possible. It is really brutally hard work. I hope you all heard (JP & JR) and Moment of Betrayal on the Eddie Trunk radio show. It sounded really, really great to me in that environment; really alive and powerful. The radio brings out fantastic details. I still have to slow all the tunes down to really get them, no matter how slow or fast some are. 10 more days till you can sit with it on a kick ass sound system, or amazing set of headphones geared to your preferences for a couple of hours and read along. I can't wait to get my own copy very soon.

February 10: Just sharing some good vibes: The space in these new songs sounds and feels huge with a real, full band - shakes the room and is not easy to keep the feel from rushing for the sake of weakness for the moment. I thought it would be dynamic, but for it to be as powerful as I experienced is just tremendous. This show is going to take discipline, especially with a LOT of subtle notes between the lines and I know it is going to shake bones and walls. Nothing like a band in a room crushing a PA system. Even the quiet moments are haunting in person, but it is those quite moments that makes the bombastic, melodic outbursts hit even hards. Again, just sharing some excitement.

February 10: Technical Tidbit about the drum subtleties you'll see live- the double snares military part in The Astonishing is played as follows: My right-hand plays the 10" snare part of triplet twos and thress while the left plays the two rolls on the main snare. Those are a 13:2 and a 7 tuplet. Since both are odd, it is the upstroke of the one-handed roll in both cases that lands on "1" against the right-hand mini snare part. Really hard to do for me, but normal, even rolls do not work as well as odd ones even though most of the world won't even know what's going on. That's OK. We know As Tuplets go, the Gong drum rolls through out the album are all timed as huge tuplets. They aren't just rolls. Join me for the fun!

February 18: Our Dress rehearsal tonight is over. I don't want to post any kit pics etc or anything about this spectacle until after the first show. I also am interested in the reactions, more the feelings, of those there at the show and those there over time to really get a database of opinions to average out. I don't value YouTube reflections and thus comments because that medium has no bone-rattling feel while analog reality is just another animal. My phone clips don't come close to how it is in person. Odd thing how unrelated a cell phone view is to the real thing. Not even comparable.This show is another animal too because of the space in the music; the raw instrument sounds off of the stage; the impact of the really quiet parts vs. the huge entrances through a PA system that will shake the wooden chairs. I didn't realize while recording it how the opposing volumes, melodies and energy that make it what it is. DT does Space! I've already posted how hard it is to make the space not rush; to not succumb to the excuse of "feel" and have the intended timing and real intended feel suffer. I'll say that playing at home with a CD has nothing to do with what I felt today, but It is about the attendees starting tomorrow, not me. Have fun if you're joining us.

June 25: Drum Fun report: This White Masterworks kit of mine is sounding so great, clean and full in my ears each night. Hearing the dynamics and feeling the boom is very fun. The thicker crash cymbals are rich and full too; very satisfying to bash LOL ... All the effects and hats are really enjoyable to use when I can really hear the difference in metals/alloys in each. I hope you're all (audience) catching some of what I'm talking about and some enhancements of all kinds druing the show. I'm pumping up the ghost notes, changing some fills and beats and animating the cymbal hits since I have a lot more space between the notes on these songs. I'm not a stick spinner (due to hitting all the stuff 2 feet from my face,) but I've enjoyed throwing the gong drum mallet really high and trying to catch it. And finally, playing very slowly with swing (in the between notes) while not rushing the pulses is really, really keeping my interest becaue the smallest rushing of a note would ruin the feel and it is very delicate work. All is good in what Eric calls "Drumlandia."

September 28: Recording as I have been lately in my studio, while checking the hits placement and dynamics helps me prepare for touring. This pic is a first take on an idea. My noticing the exact placements of my kicks when I switch from lefty (top blue) to righty (top green) in the same bar helps me refine that skill. My hands are switching hihats with the melody. This is like with The Astonishing Music as it was composed with a lot of space and melody. Therefore, I appropriately played less notes. Less notes makes groove inconsistencies way, way more noticeable than more notes and time changes. Accordingly, the quieter between/ghost notes I play are so important to me as I actually execute the non "on the grid" main beats about 53% to 60% swing. Without that swing and the dynamics quieter dynamics on the hihats and ghost snare hits, the groove would be stiff. Point being, this kind of playing is tough just like a mad speed thing. If you come see us live, you'll be able to really notice me focussing on this and that I'm working back there on this kind of thing rather than the expected chops/speed/coordination thing. I'm enjoying talking about this instead of the normal drum craziness !

October 8: Hard work last night. The show is so dialed in and the drums are sounding so good from my perspective. The snare is so crispy and full of snap, just like I prefer it, while it also captures the ghost notes that are prevalent but subtle throughout this record. Kicks too, but more boom and less click. Just great and they shake my stool; couldn't be more perfect for me. There should be seats around the drum riser !! That'd be a hoot ! In Hershey, PA now.

November 11: Seems like the crowd reaaaally likes hearing our adjusted set/new encore of oldies the last couple of shows. They will stay in!

Why would Mangini be suddenly interpreted as feeling left out of DT and wanting to leave the band just because of one interview where the interviewer asks what his contribution to the band is as if he is an amateur interviewer who did not do his homework? I mean, really, why would you ask that question if you know the background to how The Astonishing album was created? What exactly is the answer that you would expect?

[rumborak]

I find this pretty unexpected actually. A bit controversial. Things are gonna get personal

I read this in a very deep voice.

[rumborak]

Why would Mangini be suddenly interpreted as feeling left out of DT and wanting to leave the band just because of one interview where the interviewer asks what his contribution to the band is as if he is an amateur interviewer who did not do his homework? I mean, really, why would you ask that question if you know the background to how The Astonishing album was created? What exactly is the answer that you would expect?

This is *very* quickly turning into "shoot the messenger".

Sorry, MM has been with DT for 6 years, and he has been giving interviews for his whole professional career. The interviewer did nothing but ask benign questions. No matter how MM actually feels on the inside, he could have ridden the "I'm placing myself where it makes sense" line like he has so many times before. The interview would have been over, and it quickly would have been forgotten as just "one of those road interviews".
so, it was entirely in MM's control, and choice, to direct the topic of the interview to where it went. MM chose to lay out his frustration, not the interviewer.

[TAC]

It's ironic that this most mundane interviewer now has the most talked about DT interview in years.

[Jester]

It's ironic that this most mundane interviewer now has the most talked about DT interview in years.

Well, to be fair, the interviewer was doing the Kevin Nealon Mr. Subliminal in there that is hard to notice in the video (it is subliminal), but shows up on the transcript.  Here's an excerpt of his questions:

Do you miss teaching at Berklee? (Crippling regret)

So that was obviously affected your family life? Being on the road so much? (not worth it)

What differences you feel are there between your role in different bands like Extreme, Steve Vai, compared to what you’re doing in Dream Theater now? (Same old hired gun role)

I would definitely not call you a “replacement” drummer. (Portnoy's better)

Now that the transcript proves the interviewer was in fact at fault, we can place the blame where it belongs.  Mommy and daddy are not fighting.  I'm sure they will be along shortly to let us know everything is good in DT land and there is no need to talk about it any longer (I said no talking).

[erwinrafael]

This is *very* quickly turning into "shoot the messenger".

Sorry, MM has been with DT for 6 years, and he has been giving interviews for his whole professional career. The interviewer did nothing but ask benign questions. No matter how MM actually feels on the inside, he could have ridden the "I'm placing myself where it makes sense" line like he has so many times before. The interview would have been over, and it quickly would have been forgotten as just "one of those road interviews".
so, it was entirely in MM's control, and choice, to direct the topic of the interview to where it went. MM chose to lay out his frustration, not the interviewer.

I teach research methods and no, interviewees are not fully in control of how interviews would go. Which is why we teach doing one's homework before asking questions. I mean, if you know that ADTOE was written without Mangini, that TA was a JP-JR songwriting team project as reflected clearly in the credits, what exactly is the response that you would expect from Mangini if you ask him how much he thinks he has contributed to the band? Do you think that he would say "I contributed so much" given that 2 out of 3 albums did not have MM as part of the songwriting team? Is Mangini really frustrated with the lack of contribution or rather with the consistent questioning of how much he contributes to the band?

I have seen MM give responses before that are similar not in content but in tone, and this is when he gets flustered with questions and comments that seems to be taking a soundbite out of him. Like when somebody tried to make it appear that a simple stick flipping comment that he made is a swipe against Portnoy.

This is very quickly turning into shoot the messenger is not as quick as how this is turning to be Mangini is leaving Dream Theater with all kinds of scenarios being imagined.

[Skeever]

It's ironic that this most mundane interviewer now has the most talked about DT interview in years.

Well, to be fair, the interviewer was doing the Kevin Nealon Mr. Subliminal in there that is hard to notice in the video (it is subliminal), but shows up on the transcript.  Here's an excerpt of his questions:

Do you miss teaching at Berklee? (Crippling regret)

So that was obviously affected your family life? Being on the road so much? (not worth it)

What differences you feel are there between your role in different bands like Extreme, Steve Vai, compared to what you’re doing in Dream Theater now? (Same old hired gun role)

I would definitely not call you a “replacement” drummer. (Portnoy's better)

Now that the transcript proves the interviewer was in fact at fault, we can place the blame where it belongs.  Mommy and daddy are not fighting.  I'm sure they will be along shortly to let us know everything is good in DT land and there is no need to talk about it any longer (I said no talking).

I think you are reading way to much into those questions.

[Dream Team]

Also, don't know if anyone has though about the relationship between Mangini and Portnoy. We all know they were friends many years ago, but after MP left and MM joined, their relationship has, very understandably, shaken a bit. However, every time Mangini has been asked about Portnoy, he's always had something good to say about him. Never a negative thing. Never.
Instead, It really upset me that, on one of the few interviews that MP did about the new Neal Morse album, he was asked about his current role as a drummer and if he misses something from DT, etc. Well, he calls Mangini "their current drummer". Well, maybe I'm reading too much into it, but they actually know each other and were good friends, now, to MP, Mangini is just "their current drummer", you could at least mention his name, couldn't you?

Yeah, this hasn't been spoken much about but I noticed it, too.  I also noticed that in the beginning, Mangini always emphasized that Portnoy was a friend.  I saw him at a clinic and he said it then and he said it in many interviews.  Lately, MM hasn't said such a thing.  He has been nothing but respectful but it is odd that he no longer points out MP is a friend when he used to every chance he got. 

Portnoy's last interview bothered me as well.  Even though it is clear that MM is not contributing at the same level that MP was, we know MM did contribute more to DT12 than the other two and like Blob said, the other two were odd circumstances so I'm willing to give DT a pass on that. 

It just sucks that MP said that being referred to as "just the drummer" is an insult and then goes and refers to their "current drummer" as "just playing drums for the band." That type of language really must hurt Mangini who has always been nothing but gracious and respectful to Portnoy.

In the past Portnoy has freely admitted that Mangini was better than him and a friend, so I don't think he was intentionally dissing MM but he is just way bitter toward DT in general.

[Jester]

I think you are reading way to much into those questions.

You might be right (missed reference)

[Adami]

Yes, people are going way too far into what they're reading in this interview. The solution to that is NOT to simply blame the interviewer for everything.

Mangini is a big boy and a pro for decades now. Whatever he says is on him and no one else.

[erwinrafael]

But seriously, if you know how the material was written in the past 3 albums, what exactly is the answer that you would expect from this question:

"Aside from playing drums, what do you think is your biggest contribution to the band?"

The interviewer specifically said "aside from playing drums" so what is Mangini supposed to say?

Instead of frustration, what I read more here in this interview that is consistent with some past interviews is that he feels that he is not at the songwriting level of the other members of this well-oiled machine that has an established songwriting routine. From a previous interview:

"Within our group, it’s mostly drumming stuff. The way that I communicate with notes is via one of Jordan’s apps on the iPad, or on the keyboard. Now, that’s his instrument, I don’t want to be in the room playing someone else’s instrument, right? I mean it’s his, but It’s the only way I can communicate, so when I was able to do that, it was few and far between because there were so many ideas that they just keeping coming up with, there wasn’t really a room sometimes for me to be the one sitting and saying “hold it, can all you guys just give me 20 minutes while I come up with a melodic or chordal riff, can you give me 20 minutes please?”, that never happens. It’s the other way around, I have to be quiet and give them 2 hours or 20 minutes of quiet, and I’m happy to do that, but the point is it’s not the other way around."

which if you juxtapose with this response in the interview we are discussing in this thread:

"Are we talking Mike Mangini solo album?

MM: Oh, absolutely! I’m learning, I’m doing this right now as a learning experience. How am I supposed to offer stuff to a band like Dream Theater, which I have, but it just… it’s not on their level, so you know, I’ll do my stuff that’s not the same as theirs and well, whatever. Whatever, whatever, whatever. Mainly I’m learning right now."

which you could then juxtapose with this Facebook post when he was still starting with the solo album idea:

"I'll probably use my hotel time for the rest of the year to record anything from single riffs, to partial songs to full ones after I get a consistent song writing protocol. I want to get it right from the start so I can play drums to it no matter what I end up using it for. That may take the rest of this tour as I usually get sleep #1 and am busy with DT related things before shows."

which you then juxtapose with this response in the interview:

"But I’m still like… I’m like 10%, you know? So it’s getting there over time."

Mangini's response is different from this light.

[Adami]

It's possible the interviewer hasn't studied everything related to Mangini to the extent that you have.

The "what else do you contribute" is a fluffy question. His answer of "humor" was fine. Reading too much into that was our fault, not the interviewers.

[noxon]

Fanclub interviews are usually done by fans. Just sayin'.

[gzarruk]

Also, don't know if anyone has though about the relationship between Mangini and Portnoy. We all know they were friends many years ago, but after MP left and MM joined, their relationship has, very understandably, shaken a bit. However, every time Mangini has been asked about Portnoy, he's always had something good to say about him. Never a negative thing. Never.
Instead, It really upset me that, on one of the few interviews that MP did about the new Neal Morse album, he was asked about his current role as a drummer and if he misses something from DT, etc. Well, he calls Mangini "their current drummer". Well, maybe I'm reading too much into it, but they actually know each other and were good friends, now, to MP, Mangini is just "their current drummer", you could at least mention his name, couldn't you?

Yeah, this hasn't been spoken much about but I noticed it, too.  I also noticed that in the beginning, Mangini always emphasized that Portnoy was a friend.  I saw him at a clinic and he said it then and he said it in many interviews.  Lately, MM hasn't said such a thing.  He has been nothing but respectful but it is odd that he no longer points out MP is a friend when he used to every chance he got. 

Portnoy's last interview bothered me as well.  Even though it is clear that MM is not contributing at the same level that MP was, we know MM did contribute more to DT12 than the other two and like Blob said, the other two were odd circumstances so I'm willing to give DT a pass on that. 

It just sucks that MP said that being referred to as "just the drummer" is an insult and then goes and refers to their "current drummer" as "just playing drums for the band." That type of language really must hurt Mangini who has always been nothing but gracious and respectful to Portnoy.

In the past Portnoy has freely admitted that Mangini was better than him and a friend, so I don't think he was intentionally dissing MM but he is just way bitter toward DT in general.

But that was waaaay before MM got his job 
Like you said, it's pretty obvious that Portnoy is bitter towards DT, but he deals with it in the worst possible way. His words sound like he's trying to diminish MM's role in the band by stating how much a bigger role he had in the band. It's not like he's out with a direct attack to MM, of course, but the way he expresses his "facts" is always implicitly trying to show how important he was, or thinks he was, for the band, and makes it sound like he was irreplaceable.
This is one of many reasons why I wish MP never returns to the band.

The whole "JR and JP Always wrote the songs anyhow" argument - even if it's been said in recent interviews - is not at all correct. Just look at the making of videos of the albums where that was available. I realize it's a story dt do want to relay as "truth" - to underplay the importance of mp (who wouldn't after 6 years of "bring mp back - dt has lost it soul" complaints on social media ).

I have heard voicemails from mp to hinself where he hums riffs. Easily recognizable riffs. So he deffo had a lot to say regarding song creation.

About the voivemails, I think that's great and didn't know that.
About the making of videos, what do you expect from a video that was all recorded by MP and edited by himself? Of course he's going to be featured as someone key to the band's writing/recording process if he is the one filtering everything that appears on those videos.

If you take some time to watch the SC making of, you'll notice the only times James makes an appareance are when he was recording something and got it wrong or when he was being told what to do, what to change, etc. That whole documentary makes James look like an incompetent singer/band member. Which we could say is not true at all. Why, then, the video makes him look that way? The guy who edited it isn't exactly known for his great relationship with James.