MP is gone...

[El JoNNo]

Obviously, he is. But is anyone still not used it. I saw a picture of DT with MM instead of MP and I stared at it for a few seconds. For the life of me I could not figure out what was wrong (different) with it. I even went so far as counting the members, than it hit me. MP was not in it, I am simply not used to seeing no MP.

Fucking blew my mind!

[SystematicThought]

To be perfectly honest, I moved on from it about a week after he left. I was so excited for new phase in DT. It's a little bit weird not seeing MP with DT, but I am used to MM now, for some reason

[tri.ad]

To be perfectly honest, I moved on from it about a week after he left. I was so excited for new phase in DT. It's a little bit weird not seeing MP with DT, but I am used to MM now, for some reason

Exactly this. I got used to MP being out of the picture really quickly, I'm fine with MM being in the picture and excited about what they have to offer us.

[Adami]

I adapt to just about anything extremely quickly, I was fine about 10 seconds after it happened.

[Nic35]

yes MP is gone and MM is the new dummer woohoo

[SDFprowler]

I never see any love for MP around here, which is surprising. I think people just wanted a change in Dream Theater, so they're more likely to embrace the fact that he's gone.  The band won't be the same without him, and hopefully it'll be a good thing instead of a bad thing.  We'll find out when we hear the new album.

[ZBomber]

It was a huge shock to me the first day. After that, I was more excited than anything.

Now, I honestly am kind of indifferent towards the whole thing... I'll wait until the new album comes out.

[Adami]

I never see any love for MP around here, which is surprising.

Look at the last few pages of the Mike Portnoy on Wanting to Come Back thread, or the thread about peoples favorite beats of his and so forth.

[SystematicThought]

I never see any love for MP around here, which is surprising. I think people just wanted a change in Dream Theater, so they're more likely to embrace the fact that he's gone.  The band won't be the same without him, and hopefully it'll be a good thing instead of a bad thing.  We'll find out when we hear the new album.

It's not that I hate the guy it's just more of the fact that he seemed to have too tight of a grip on the direction of the band and he was calling the shots too much, in my opinion at least

[Jirpo]

At the time it took me a little while, but after that I was really excited!

[El JoNNo]

I think it is more-less because I hadn't really seen any DT photos with MM in it. I glossed over them before but this one caught my eye for some reason.

[olliemedsy]

I am used to it, but i do forget sometimes. i always enjoy listening to the M2000, LIT and 5YINL commentarys and every time about half way through each one, i suddenly remember mike isn't even in the band

[Kosmo]

At the time it was a bit of a shock since he was a core member but i got used to the idea rather quickly. And Mangini seems to fit in perfectly so it's all cool.

[ricky]

i wouldn't say im still not used to it, but i still feel like they are in the transitional process. after the album comes out and they complete their first world tour together, that's when everything will become solidified for me.

[wolfking]

I was fine about 10 seconds after it happened.

[champbassist]

When I look at a DT picture, I see 5 John Myungs. Is something wrong with me?

[King Postwhore]

I never see any love for MP around here, which is surprising. I think people just wanted a change in Dream Theater, so they're more likely to embrace the fact that he's gone.  The band won't be the same without him, and hopefully it'll be a good thing instead of a bad thing.  We'll find out when we hear the new album.

I think a lot of people here are still fans and we are appreciative of what Mike has done musically and how he worked so hard at giving us access to the bands like no other.  I think how he handled the break up is what has soured some fans and that's a bit why you've read what you've talked about here.

Secondly,  most fans are just a excited about hearing MM and how his style will play out on the new album.  So it's like talking up your new girlfriend to your buds.

[BanksD]

I didn't get into DT until after MP left, so i guess i was used to it from the start.

[abydos]

It was a bit slower when they announced that MP is leaving the band but as soon as I knew who the drummer is it I had no problems whatsoever.

[Zook]

It was a big shock to me, and I'm gonna miss his style, but I'm excited for the future. I still have his signed pic on my wall.

[jsem]

I was fine about 10 seconds after it happened.

[Jamesman42]

i wouldn't say im still not used to it, but i still feel like they are in the transitional process. after the album comes out and they complete their first world tour together, that's when everything will become solidified for me.

Pretty much this. Things are still floating in the air, so to speak, so until I hear something new that I can connect to MM, my knowledge feels paper thin.

[CrimsonSunrise]

It's not that I hate the guy it's just more of the fact that he seemed to have too tight of a grip on the direction of the band and he was calling the shots too much, in my opinion at least

Pretty much this....  MP Is one of the best Drummers in the world, but in my opinion, his control issues were sucking the creative life out of the band.  Maybe just because he was burned out...who knows, and I could very well be wrong.  We'll see in September.  I'll still be watching MP in his other projects...too see if HE is revitalized 

[Blazinarps]

When I read MP's initial tweet. I actually thought DT was breaking up. I didn't understand that he was leaving.  Once I got what he meant, obviously, I was shocked. I didn't know what to think, and I didn't know who could ever replace him. Virgil Donati was actually the first person who came to mind, because of Steve Vai's DVD. I had heard of Mike Mangini, and he seemed like a tool. I had seen the Time Warp thing, and he came off really badly to me.  Once it came out who was auditioning, I thought, Marco better get this (I had watched Jordan's improv concert), and Mangini had better not get it. Then I saw the opening vid of TSCO, and I thought, Mangini BETTER get this.  He came across TOTALLY different to me.  Amazingly different, and I was absolutely 100% pulling for him.  So glad that he got the job. 

Now as far as MP goes, I love him IN DREAM THEATER.  I don't care what he does from now on, unless it's LTE.  This is not a bash against him, I would have been perfectly happy if this whole thing never happened. I have all of his dvd's, and think he is an amazing drummer/musician.  It took a really long time for me to accept the idea that anyone could replace him. But he has been replaced, and now I don't think they ever need to look back.  There's not going to be any way of comparing the MP era to the MM era, because of the fact that the amount of material in the MM era won't be as substantial.  DT will not be around for 25 more years, obv, and they have shifted directions musically, not always for the better, but also not always for the worse.  I wish MP good luckk in everything that he does ( his projects are usually successful for what they are), but I will not be following anything other than possibly Adrenaline Mob.  I heard the little 1 minute snipppet, and it sounds pretty amazing.

[DarkLord_Lalinc]

Things are never perfect, and as much as I love both DT and MP I do have a big feeling some of the things that have been strongly criticized about the band lately were in part because of him. I love the idea everyone making MP's job. It's always more effective as a team to make this type of decisions instead of just one. As JP said in an interview, "Mike did all of that stuff because he wanted to".

The OCD thing has always appeared to me as silly. I mean, it's an anxiety disorder, something which MP obviously doesn't have. "lol Im OCD and I have to work 25/8" is because that's the way he is and wants to be, and something that did help the band, but hurt it as well. I of course, place myself between the spoiled DT fans who had a DVD release of almost every tour, official booltlegs almost every year, etc; hundreds of DT-related releases that kept us busy. Sure, I've given that thing a thought and I prefer fewer releases that are superior in quality. I mean, Chaos in Motion wasn't good, and that was just released so fans would have a bigger repertoire of songs in their DT live DVD setlists.

I, for one, expect now a totally new stage production, a new image for the band and new concepts. The last time I was so excited for a Dream Theater album was back before they released Systematic Chaos (Me becoming a fan in the Octavarium era, and being a part of the Score hype and new beginning thing). I want to see how things change between one mind controlling it all, and four minds being a creative team.

I still love MP and will listen and support everything he does, but I really sense a brighter era is coming down on DT's way.

[rumborak]

My current stance is that I'm not expecting too much from his further output. If he did something like LTE3 I could be interested, but then again Transatlantic 3 wasn't that great either. I have the impression that he is very interested in doing plain metal stuff, and that is not something I connect with much.

rumborak

[Perpetual Change]

My current stance is that I'm not expecting too much from his further output. If he did something like LTE3 I could be interested, but then again Transatlantic 3 wasn't that great either. I have the impression that he is very interested in doing plain metal stuff, and that is not something I connect with much.

rumborak

I agree with lonly ike 80 percent of this statement, because Transatlantic 3 is excellent.

I never see any love for MP around here, which is surprising. I think people just wanted a change in Dream Theater, so they're more likely to embrace the fact that he's gone.  The band won't be the same without him, and hopefully it'll be a good thing instead of a bad thing.  We'll find out when we hear the new album.

I think a lot of people here are still fans and we are appreciative of what Mike has done musically and how he worked so hard at giving us access to the bands like no other.  I think how he handled the break up is what has soured some fans and that's a bit why you've read what you've talked about here.

Yeah. Despite the rules here and elsewhere online that have been put into place to keep the outrage from surfacing, it still comes across pretty clearly that a lot of people didn't take to well to Mike's attitude around his departure. It's hard to feel sorry for someone that keeps asking you to please feel sorry for them.

Plus, you have to keep in mind that Mike's took on the role as the band producer, manager and frontman. Regardless of whether he deserved it or not, it should be no surprise that people naturally would blame him for anything and everything disappointing about Dream Theater over the years. He sort of put himself in that position.

Until I hear DT 11, I won't really know whether Mike was deserving of the blame or not.

[ricky]

Things are never perfect, and as much as I love both DT and MP I do have a big feeling some of the things that have been strongly criticized about the band lately were in part because of him. I love the idea everyone making MP's job. It's always more effective as a team to make this type of decisions instead of just one. As JP said in an interview, "Mike did all of that stuff because he wanted to".

The OCD thing has always appeared to me as silly. I mean, it's an anxiety disorder, something which MP obviously doesn't have. "lol Im OCD and I have to work 25/8" is because that's the way he is and wants to be, and something that did help the band, but hurt it as well. I of course, place myself between the spoiled DT fans who had a DVD release of almost every tour, official booltlegs almost every year, etc; hundreds of DT-related releases that kept us busy. Sure, I've given that thing a thought and I prefer fewer releases that are superior in quality. I mean, Chaos in Motion wasn't good, and that was just released so fans would have a bigger repertoire of songs in their DT live DVD setlists.

I, for one, expect now a totally new stage production, a new image for the band and new concepts. The last time I was so excited for a Dream Theater album was back before they released Systematic Chaos (Me becoming a fan in the Octavarium era, and being a part of the Score hype and new beginning thing). I want to see how things change between one mind controlling it all, and four minds being a creative team.

I still love MP and will listen and support everything he does, but I really sense a brighter era is coming down on DT's way.

wow amazing post.

[ThatGuitarGuy]

I freaked out when I heard about him leaving because I thought DT was done for as well.  Once I found out that they were going to continue on and get another drummer, I started to get over it.  It was a bit of a "I don't think anyone can replace him..." kind of thing, but after watching the Spirit Carries On, I started to feel really good about it.  The interviews helped a lot as well.

I've never been more excited about a DT release until now.  I'm sure that's exactly what the DT camp wants too.

[IronEarthTheater]

I was pretty shocked and disappointed when it first happened, but when I started focusing less on who left, and more on who was still there, I was fine.  Let's be honest, DT w/o Portnoy is still DT - different perhaps, but it is still DT.  Had it been James leaving, I think it might have felt different because the sound would be so different.  Anyway, what will be different I think are the live performances to an extent, just because Mike had so much energy.  But Mangini seems capable of filling that role.  And honestly, as long as they keep some of the Portnoy innovations (like a rotating setlist, etc.), then I think the transition will be smooth...

[DarkLord_Lalinc]

Mangini's energy and vibe so far have been mesmerizing. I'm sure he will put one hell of an energetic and vivid performance.

[2Timer]

I think it's a little strange to not see him in the pics, and while I'm more excited about this release than I've been with one in a while, I don't think the reality of it is going to hit me until I go to the next tour and don't see him behind the drum kit. It's strange that while he was probably my 4th favorite member of DT, I always looked forward to seeing him on the stage more than almost any other member.

[Hal Incandenza]

Let's be honest, DT w/o Portnoy is still DT - different perhaps, but it is still DT.  Had it been James leaving, I think it might have felt different because the sound would be so different.

Honestly, I think the one indispensable element of the DT sound is John Petrucci's guitar.  They could change singers without trouble a lot more easily than they could replace him.

[Jamesman42]

I'd say JP and JLB are both indispensable as far as keeping the DT sound there.

[ricky]

especially jp.


definitely the most irreplaceable member of dt, at least in my opinion.