Who WROTE the drum parts of the new album?

[Aniland]

I never thought about this until a moment ago. Portnoy wrote his own parts before... Petrucci writing them this time around? The new drummer?

[Finally Tree]

Pike Mortnoy.

[ricky]

I never thought about this until a moment ago. Portnoy wrote his own parts before... Petrucci writing them this time around? The new drummer?

i like you, ani.

but the biggest NO i have ever given.

edit the petrucci writing them part, i mean.

[bosk1]

It's possible JP gave a lot of input on the drum parts, but I doubt he outright wrote them.  Hard to say since we know NOTHING about the writing process this time around.

[ricky]

bosky <3.

[Adami]

Most likely the time signatures were determined by JP and JR and JM. The feel of the beats was also probably decided by them.


The rest is probably made up by the drummer. The band probably said "This riff is in 9/8 and has a staccato feel" and the drummer did what he wanted until the rest of the band approved. It's most likely not the case that he was told exactly what to hit at what time, with drums it just usually doesn't work that way unless you're drumming for Devin Townsend or something, and even then his drummers get a good amount of say. Any smart musician will do it similarly.

[Perpetual Change]

JP's been programing drums for his solo album, so he could have done the same for DT. I'm sure the real drummer will make plenty of modifications and be encouraged to put his own twist on them though, if that's what happened.

[ReaPsTA]

Most likely the time signatures were determined by JP and JR and JM. The feel of the beats was also probably decided by them.

The rest is probably made up by the drummer. The band probably said "This riff is in 9/8 and has a staccato feel" and the drummer did what he wanted until the rest of the band approved. It's most likely not the case that he was told exactly what to hit at what time, with drums it just usually doesn't work that way unless you're drumming for Devin Townsend or something, and even then his drummers get a good amount of say. Any smart musician will do it similarly.

I agree with all of this.

Here's the crucial thing to add.  When you get to the point where the drummer was supposed to bring his personality to the parts, how much room was allowed musically for that to happen?  Like, if you listen to something like the second verse of the heavy part of TCOT, the guitar chugs demand a certain kick and bass feel, but then MP had room to do the cool cymbal thing where it alternates between the on and off beats.  Was there a lot of room in the music for the drummer to do things like that, or was the feel very specifically detailed by the other parts of the song?

Also, how many parts on the new album are there like, say, the second verse of Metropolis, where the drums almost dictate the feel more than any other instrument?

[fadetoblackdude7]

I just automatically assumed the new guy wrote his own parts, because that's how DT works.

[Adami]

Most likely the time signatures were determined by JP and JR and JM. The feel of the beats was also probably decided by them.

The rest is probably made up by the drummer. The band probably said "This riff is in 9/8 and has a staccato feel" and the drummer did what he wanted until the rest of the band approved. It's most likely not the case that he was told exactly what to hit at what time, with drums it just usually doesn't work that way unless you're drumming for Devin Townsend or something, and even then his drummers get a good amount of say. Any smart musician will do it similarly.

I agree with all of this.

Here's the crucial thing to add.  When you get to the point where the drummer was supposed to bring his personality to the parts, how much room was allowed musically for that to happen?  Like, if you listen to something like the second verse of the heavy part of TCOT, the guitar chugs demand a certain kick and bass feel, but then MP had room to do the cool cymbal thing where it alternates between the on and off beats.  Was there a lot of room in the music for the drummer to do things like that, or was the feel very specifically detailed by the other parts of the song?

Also, how many parts on the new album are there like, say, the second verse of Metropolis, where the drums almost dictate the feel more than any other instrument?

I assume he was able to do whatever he wanted. The band probably would not have chosen whoever it is unless they liked what he naturally did. If they have to stop him from being himself, then they chose the wrong guy.

[SnakeEyes]

First of all, none of us know, so this is obviously all assumption and guessing.  My guess is that it was a combination of both, as others have alluded to.  The drummer could have played some stuff and the other guys said, "I like that part, but I didn't like that, so do it again but keep that first part and change the second part that I didn't like" until they liked the whole part and it eventually became the final drum part for that song or section. 

[tri.ad]

I honestly don't see why I should care.

[El Barto]

Were I in the band, I'd want the new guy to write his own stuff exclusively.  People will be judging him ruthlessly.  He deserves the chance to blow us away or crash and burn on his own merits. 

[CrimsonSunrise]

Were I in the band, I'd want the new guy to write his own stuff exclusively.  People will be judging him ruthlessly.  He deserves the chance to blow us away or crash and burn on his own merits. 

This...

Also, I would hope The guys are bringing the new drummer in as a creative equal, if not, I don't think it bodes well for the band/chemistry

[Ben_Jamin]

Drums are done guaranteed. Its cool how much respect is given about their drummer, not leaking who it is.

[italianoman]

Yeah, there's no way someone who isn't a professional drummer can write all the subtleties Dream Theater's drum parts need. I'm an exceptional guitar player and I can play most of the same technical passages on a bass but there's no way in hell I can sit down and write a bass part anywhere near as good as a great bassist. I'm sure Petrucci's adept at it having been in the industry and around such talented people but I'm sure the most he'd do is lay down the very foundation of what they're looking for song to song.

[JPX]

Yeah, there's no way someone who isn't a professional drummer can write all the subtleties Dream Theater's drum parts need. I'm an exceptional guitar player and I can play most of the same technical passages on a bass but there's no way in hell I can sit down and write a bass part anywhere near as good as a great bassist. I'm sure Petrucci's adept at it having been in the industry and around such talented people but I'm sure the most he'd do is lay down the very foundation of what they're looking for song to song.

Modest much?

[Aniland]

Honestly? He was being pretty modest.

[JPX]

Honestly? He was being pretty modest.

"I'm an exceptional guitar player"

Who writes that?! 

[axeman90210]

Honestly? He was being pretty modest.

"I'm an exceptional guitar player"

Who writes that?! 

Someone who's aware that he's an exceptional guitar player

[MetropolisxPt1]

im sure some of the songs will come from jamming

[Ħ]

im sure some of the songs will come from jamming

Actually, yeah, isn't this how they've mostly done it in the past?

[Adami]

im sure some of the songs will come from jamming

Actually, yeah, isn't this how they've mostly done it in the past?

Yes. For some reason people seem to think that the new drummer will be downgraded to drum machine status. Not positive why.

[hefdaddy42]

Honestly? He was being pretty modest.

"I'm an exceptional guitar player"

Who writes that?! 

Someone who's aware that he's an exceptional guitar player

There you go.

[redfish71]

but what makes an exceptional guitar player and who else would be considered an exceptional guitar player?

[Aniland]

 

[dongringo]

Mike Mangini

[tedy]

Who wrote the drum parts of the new album?

Mike Mangini

[JPX]

Danny Bonaduce

[atmyne]

JP said he was playing around with drum programming for his solo project. I think its possible that he is doing this for the new album, as like a template to give the new drummer the gist of what they are going for for particular riffs/progressions etc. And then the drummer can elaborate, change and add fills as he sees fit.

[rumborak]

JR will be even more proficient in it. All you need to do is to load a drum patch and put it into MIDI and bam, you got something that is good enough for songwriting.

rumborak

[Bone_Daddy]

The drummer wrote the drum parts and I'm sure the others had their minimal creative input on it. Whoever the drummer is, he's a professional. He really doesn't need any creative input. I think the rest of the DT band members know how intrusive and limiting creative input can be based on their past experience with MP. Again, this is all speculation but my guess is that everyone brought everything to the table and let it breathe.

I am also perplexed as to why some of the members here at the forum would think the new drummer is just a drum machine robot.

It's getting kind of old hearing that maybe JP did this and maybe JR did that. Who really knows?

Again, I'm looking forward to a great album.

[Aniland]

I like how the question was treated with incredulity, when the thread discussion showed that nobody had actually thought or even come to a firm conclusion on who it was.