Would you like to see Portnoy back in Dream theater?

[KevShmev]

Yep.  That is why I said, "In theory." 

[serrano]

From that metalsludge interview: Do we want Kevin Morgan back in DT? 

[Jaq]

I voted No. Even if the new album disappoints, ADTOE and the tour that followed didn't for me, and honestly, with the somewhat shocking succcess, chartwise, of Winery Dogs, it may have turned out for the best that they went their separate ways. MP's time in DT is done, let it go.

[Madman Shepherd]

From that metalsludge interview: Do we want Kevin Morgan back in DT? 

I think the interview was done via email so when he his asked later about "Kevin Morgan" again he says, "Who is Kevin Morgan and why does he keep haunting me in this interview?!"

[TheGreatPretender]

From that metalsludge interview: Do we want Kevin Morgan back in DT? 

I think the interview was done via email so when he his asked later about "Kevin Morgan" again he says, "Who is Kevin Morgan and why does he keep haunting me in this interview?!"

Yeah, that was pretty funny. Also an excellent way to not bother discussing the first thing that comes to mind when asked about Kevin Moore. I'm sure that wouldn't have been too pleasant.

[wolven74]

What I can't figure with MP is why he starts bands and so easily leaves them. He'd said that AMOB was his #1 priority, and then a few months later, forms TWD and leaves AMOB because of a scheduling issue. The guy can't make up his mind. He leaves DT after 25 years because he's bored, then forms two bands within a year of each other, says he's focused on one, then leaves that one because he wants to focus on the other. That's just weird.

Wolven, Mike Portnoy is certainly not above criticism.  But what you have posted is just inaccurate.  Saying he left DT because he was "bored" is an unfair mischaracterization.  He left because he felt "burned out on DT" and felt that he needed a break and could not go on with a new album on the schedule the band had set.  You are free to disagree with the validity of that, but that is not the same thing as leaving because he is "bored."  And saying he left AMOB purely because of a "scheling issue" is just as inaccurate.  Again, you may not agree with his reasoning, but if you are going to do that, please be more accurate when describing his reasoning.

Sorry, Bosky. I didn't mean to come across as critical of MP. I know he left because of being burnt out (tired?) and if that's the case then it was the right time for him to leave. And, if I recall correctly, he did leave AMOB because he'd started TWD and the two bands' schedules wouldn't work out, or something to that affect. That may not be completely accurate, but it's not meant to be inflammatory either.

I'm just hoping that he can find a band where he feels comfortable enough to settle down and have a family again. He doesn't seem like he's completely happy. That kinda makes me sad.

[RoeDent]

Not one bit. ADTOE was DT's freshest album in a long long time. Ironically, considering why MP left, it was the exact thing the band needed to give them some new lifeblood. They sound more "together" than ever before, and (at least on ADTOE) they got rid of some of the "extreme" metal elements (mainly of Portnoy's devising, it would seem) that slowly but surely crept into the band's work through Systematic Chaos and BC&SL.

Tbh, I don't even want to see a one-show reunion. It will be like going back to old ways, when the band (and most of the fanbase) have moved on.

[RodrigoAltaf]

Portnoy was my favourite member of the band until around September 2010.

After that he just made it worse and worse for himself.

If *you* want a break from the band - don't bitch about the rest of them in the press because *they* don't want to.

What I absolutely DO NOT miss : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5RLln_Hk7w

I tend to agree with that. And thanks for sharing the video, I´de never seen that before!

I think Mike realized after the BCSL Tour that the band needed a fresh start and needed to improve/fix their relationship to move on. Sadly though, the solution he proposed was not accepted, and it took him leaving for the band to reconnect again and work as a tight unit. While I do not know what goes on in the "inner circles" of the band, I imagine that the end result was exactly what Mike wanted, but unfortunately it came through at his expense.

What really ruined the whole thing for me was Mike´s attitude in some of the interviews and posts on the internet after he left. As much as he wanted to share details of band life with the fans, some of the things he said should have been avoided. I don´t have the exact quotes, but in summary, he complained about the guys moving on while he himself wanted to leave. I guess his biggest mistake was to play the card of "I´ll quit and they´ll come running after me, and in the end I´ll get what I wanted from them in the first place". That completely backfired for him, and in my opinion, by doing that he thought he was more important than DT. To put this in a marketing perspective, he didn´t realize then that fans go after the BRAND DT, not after individual members. No matter how much you represent for the band, that´s always the case. For the record,  I think Bruce Dickinson and Rob Halford thought the same thing when they left Maiden and Priest, only to realize a few years later that going solo is a tough thing to do. Think about the Queensryche rift that´s still going on - who´s getting more credit for carrying on, Geoff Tate or Queensryche? An the situation with him right now goes lik this:he starts a new project, seems quit happy about it, fans start to get excited, and then a few months later another comment from him about rejoining DT comes up in interviews. Why does he do that? In my opinion, he should avoid mentioning DT as much as possible now, just like DT is doing about his deput parture. My advice to him would be "enjoy your side projects Mike. I do like TWD, Flying Colors, and AMob. Focus on those bands now, and leave DT aside for some time. You may or may not return to the band, but we will always be grateful for your contribution to it. But please leave them aside for now".

All that said, I do miss Mike´s stage presence and in-you-face drumming, and I think that´s the one side DT will never recover from after he left. People blame him for the heavy direction they took in BCSL and SysChaos, but forget that he also created the whole (great) concept of Octavarium, arguably the most prog (proggest?) album they released. He also took the band to where they got in SFAM by fighting for creative freedom when things were tough during the FII era.


Whether or not he will come back, I don´t know. Stranger things have happened: Roth rejoined Van Halen after fighting with the band for yars on end on the press; Sting reunited with The Police even though nobody even thought about it anymore, almost 25 years after they split. Right now, I think both sides should move on, and think about a reunion (permanent or not) a few more years down the track.  I would like to see MP back ONLY if it was for the benefit of the band as a unit. Otherwise, only a one-off show would suffice.

[RodrigoAltaf]

Not one bit. ADTOE was DT's freshest album in a long long time. Ironically, considering why MP left, it was the exact thing the band needed to give them some new lifeblood. They sound more "together" than ever before, and (at least on ADTOE) they got rid of some of the "extreme" metal elements (mainly of Portnoy's devising, it would seem) that slowly but surely crept into the band's work through Systematic Chaos and BC&SL.

Tbh, I don't even want to see a one-show reunion. It will be like going back to old ways, when the band (and most of the fanbase) have moved on.

I agree that the extreme metal side was brought to DT by MP, but so was the prog concept of Octavarium...but I do agree that they needed a change by the time BCSL came up. Unfortunately, that change came at MP´s expense.

[aurorablind]

No.

I wouldnt mind having pre-2005-MP in DT, however, i got really sick of the attitude from the guy after that period. He reminds me of the kind of person i could never get along with during my time at college (i studied music, so there were a lot of egocentric "holier-than-thou" people in class).

His connection with the fans was good, to some extent. Personally, i don't miss it too much. He was just too "good" at letting us know how a great leader of DT he was, and how much we SHOULD appreciate him.

DT nowadays just seem like a band at peace with themselves and the situation they're in. Mike Mangini has the complete opposite personality of MPs. Humble, friendly and a monster musician who allways pushes himself to become a better drummer. MM is the drummer DT needs at this point, and whatever happens in the future, John Petrucci must continue the role as the leader of the band. It just seems much more healthy for the band this way.

(IMO)

[eviljust]

....

Tbh, I don't even want to see a one-show reunion. It will be like going back to old ways, when the band (and most of the fanbase) have moved on.

Would be a great way for them to clear things without any pressure on it and hopefully to pull them together.
Plus, musically talking, I would love to see both Mikes playing together...but yes, I can't see this happening shortly.

[aprilethereal]

No.

I wouldnt mind having pre-2005-MP in DT, however, i got really sick of the attitude from the guy after that period. He reminds me of the kind of person i could never get along with during my time at college (i studied music, so there were a lot of egocentric "holier-than-thou" people in class).

His connection with the fans was good, to some extent. Personally, i don't miss it too much. He was just too "good" at letting us know how a great leader of DT he was, and how much we SHOULD appreciate him.

DT nowadays just seem like a band at peace with themselves and the situation they're in. Mike Mangini has the complete opposite personality of MPs. Humble, friendly and a monster musician who allways pushes himself to become a better drummer. MM is the drummer DT needs at this point, and whatever happens in the future, John Petrucci must continue the role as the leader of the band. It just seems much more healthy for the band this way.

(IMO)

[TheOutlawXanadu]

I would not. Portnoy was obviously so important to the band, but after a while the difference between his personality and theirs was starting to creep into the music. The greatest example of this, in my opinion, is the roar in ANTR. My understanding is that Portnoy's reasoning behind it was: "We need to keep up with our peers." Sometimes I felt like Portnoy was almost embarrassed by Dream Theater's lack of coolness.

Mangini fits in so much better with the band. His approach, his personality... Hell, he even looks the part more. I'm very confident this is the last Dream Theater line-up we'll ever see.

[Tis BOOLsheet]

By the way, I have a question about MP and DT sorta:

If you met him in person, do you think it would be okay to ask him to sign a DT item? I met him at the Flying Colors tour, and I was considering asking him to sign my Images & Words booklet, but I wasn't sure if that would upset him.

[Bertielee]

Definitely, no. The last 3 albums before ADToE have been the worst DT albums for me, and MP was on them. Don't say he was responsible for the poor quality, but he was part of that era. Now they have moved on and so have I. So I wish for things to stay the same as they are now.

B.Lee

[aprilethereal]

By the way, I have a question about MP and DT sorta:

If you met him in person, do you think it would be okay to ask him to sign a DT item? I met him at the Flying Colors tour, and I was considering asking him to sign my Images & Words booklet, but I wasn't sure if that would upset him.

I'd say ask him. Why not? He's on these albums, and it's been an important part of his carreer.

[MoraWintersoul]

By the way, I have a question about MP and DT sorta:

If you met him in person, do you think it would be okay to ask him to sign a DT item? I met him at the Flying Colors tour, and I was considering asking him to sign my Images & Words booklet, but I wasn't sure if that would upset him.

I'd say ask him. Why not? He's on these albums, and it's been an important part of his carreer.

I've heard loads of people saying they took him their fave DT albums to sign post-split and he was really okay with it, was in fact pleased people like those albums so much. If I met him, I'd definitely ask him to sign one of my fave DT albums since he's a great part of those.

[RodrigoAltaf]

I met Mike after he left, and he signed the Budokan CD for me.

[Kotowboy]

Just don't ask him to sign any Extreme or Annihilator CDs.

[Ruba]

Yes, I miss him.

No, I don't want him back.

[wolven74]

If MP were still in the band today, how much more do you think we'd know about the new album? Everyone seems to miss his interaction with the fans, but really what more would we have gotten if MP were in the band interacting with the fans?

[Ħ]

We'll see. Portnoy DT gave us Scenes, Six Degrees, and Images.  Mangini DT only gave us ADTOE, which is average. But it's only one data point. As of now I miss Portnoy's creative input, but we'll see how they do in DT12.

[TheGreatPretender]

We'll see. Portnoy DT gave us Scenes, Six Degrees, and Images.

Well, technically, Petrucci, Myung, Moore and Portnoy have us scenes, and Petrucci, Myung, Rudess and Portnoy gave us the other two. It's not like Portnoy was the only one composing those albums, and from a creative point of view, Mangini didn't really give us anything, because the drum patterns were written by Petrucci.

[Bertielee]

We'll see. Portnoy DT gave us Scenes, Six Degrees, and Images.  Mangini DT only gave us ADTOE, which is average. But it's only one data point. As of now I miss Portnoy's creative input, but we'll see how they do in DT12.

Yeah, only one input for MM. And can you remind me how long ago Six Degrees was , please?

B.Lee

[Kotowboy]

12 years ago.

[Bertielee]

12 years ago.

That's what I was hinting at.

B.Lee

[Sketchy]

I'm perfectly happy with DT as it is now. I think they needed a shake up, and Mangini seems like a really good fit, so yeah. Mangini rocks. I think I'd rather keep it as it is now than have the lineup change back.

[TheGreatPretender]

12 years ago.

I feel so old. 

[Bertielee]

12 years ago.

I feel so old. 

So do I, mate, so do I. Btw, it's been 20 years since I first listened to DT. Cheers!

B.Lee

[Kotowboy]

12 years ago.

That's what I was hinting at.

B.Lee

I know

Also :

I think the saddest part is that in the beginning when they are playing the Lie video, Psychosane sounds almost exactly like Lie that I forget Lie isn't playing.

*accuses DT of ripping of Feed The Machine...Steals Lie wholesale*

[TheGreatPretender]

So do I, mate, so do I. Btw, it's been 20 years since I first listened to DT. Cheers!

B.Lee

12 for me. Still seems like yesterday, but damn, ages ago. To think the first time I heard them must have been like 3 months before SDOIT came out.

[PixelDream]

Ofcourse I miss Portnoy. He was the heart of DT together with Petrucci. I like Mangini, but how would you not like the guys that made those wonderful records to reunite? The fact that MP wants to rejoin makes me happy in a way. Yes, he's got a childish attitude at times but that doesn't outweigh anything.

I respect DT for sticking with Mangini, but I just listened to SDOIT and... Come on the guy has magic in his playing and musical ideas.

I hope they'll rejoin one day with the only demand: Portnoy knowing his place in the band.

[aprilethereal]

Ofcourse I miss Portnoy. He was the heart of DT together with Petrucci. I like Mangini, but how would you not like the guys that made those wonderful records to reunite?

I know how. They seem like a much happier and "refreshed" band right now, and the MP era is over and done. I respect MP for his work with DT, but there's no need for them to reunite with him nowadays. MM joining was a new beginning, and I'm confident that the current lineup is at least as comforting for the band (and for me as a listener who does not miss MP's influence on SC and BC&SL) than the previous one, if not more.

[TL]

We'll see. Portnoy DT gave us Scenes, Six Degrees, and Images.

Well, technically, Petrucci, Myung, Moore and Portnoy have us scenes, and Petrucci, Myung, Rudess and Portnoy gave us the other two. It's not like Portnoy was the only one composing those albums, and from a creative point of view, Mangini didn't really give us anything, because the drum patterns were written by Petrucci.

I don't think Moore had a whole lot to do with Scenes. 
(Yes, I realize that was probably a typo)

[TheGreatPretender]

We'll see. Portnoy DT gave us Scenes, Six Degrees, and Images.

Well, technically, Petrucci, Myung, Moore and Portnoy have us scenes, and Petrucci, Myung, Rudess and Portnoy gave us the other two. It's not like Portnoy was the only one composing those albums, and from a creative point of view, Mangini didn't really give us anything, because the drum patterns were written by Petrucci.

I don't think Moore had a whole lot to do with Scenes. 
(Yes, I realize that was probably a typo)

I mean, Images.  Scenes, Images, Moving Pictures, whatever you want to call them.