DREAM THEATER ANNOUNCE THE RETURN OF DRUMMER MIKE PORTNOY

[Ben_Jamin]

I so hope they play At Wits End with Portnoy....At least....

[zappafrank2112]

Distance Over Time and View From the Top of the World are abysmal, let's call a spade a spade.

You can double down, but for the most part you're on your own here buddy (although I will say that I didn't get the love for D/T, but I don't consider it abysmal.

[Ben_Jamin]

Now we'll get to see....

The Astonishing in full again...

[genome]

Not abysmal at all. There's some good stuff on those albums, they just lack a bit of the "magic".

[gzarruk]

Obviously this helps for their live shows but I'm far more concerned about song writing. The last two albums have been atrocious so hopefully MP can stop Petrucci and maybe even convince them to hire an outside producer.

Beyond amazed and happy for this but definitely hoping the issues are fixed and the band doesn't stay the same or revert back to where they were when MP left.

Now sure what two atrocious albums you were listening to, but those weren't DT, I'm sure

Seriously, and answering to the bolded, MP himself doesn't like working with outside producers. What we're going to get is the same team from SFAM-BC&SL, just with their own studio and Jimmy T as full time engineer.

I'm as shocked and excited as everybody by the news, but let's try not get our hopes super high from the start before knowing what's really coming. The last we saw from this lineup were SC and Black Clouds, two albums that aren't too popular among people here... and LTE 3 was great, but nothing too far from what we've seen from the guys already. Are some people really expecting them to reinvent the wheel at this stage?

Distance Over Time and View From the Top of the World are abysmal, let's call a spade a spade.

And no one ever dreamed MP would rejoin, and he hasn't been in the band in 13 years. So for you to assume the album will be made a certain way seems bizarre.

I'm just hoping that this decision was made BECAUSE they realized things weren't working. MP helps for sure but isn't a guarantee.

I'm not assuming anything about this album, I'm just saying people shouldn't get huge hopes up. There was a lot of excitement leading up to LTE 3 and it was just that, another LTE album. You have the same main writers here (Petrucci and Rudess) plus Portnoy doing his arrangement thing and that's it. Could they make their next masterpiece? Sure, why not? DT is my favorite band and that won't change, I'm just not expecting them to reinvent the wheel, specially in the studio. I'd love to be proved wrong, just won't get blinded by the shiny new lineup we have now.

[zappafrank2112]

I sure hope you're right. We, the long term fans, deserve to hear them again with a great singer before they hang it up for good.

Just... yikes. I wouldn't even know where to start parsing this.

[?]

I had to do a double take when the news came up on my feed, because for a second I thought it was a fan-made satire post

not gonna lie i also had a double take over the news, because the photoshop on the official press release was so bad i couldn't believe it was real at first

That was the main reason it looked so fake to me as well

[TAC]

Not abysmal at all. There's some good stuff on those albums, they just lack a bit of the "magic".

I don't think the albums lack any magic honestly. Opinions I guess.

[MarkFitDT]

Obviously this helps for their live shows but I'm far more concerned about song writing. The last two albums have been atrocious so hopefully MP can stop Petrucci and maybe even convince them to hire an outside producer.

Beyond amazed and happy for this but definitely hoping the issues are fixed and the band doesn't stay the same or revert back to where they were when MP left.

Now sure what two atrocious albums you were listening to, but those weren't DT, I'm sure

Seriously, and answering to the bolded, MP himself doesn't like working with outside producers. What we're going to get is the same team from SFAM-BC&SL, just with their own studio and Jimmy T as full time engineer.

I'm as shocked and excited as everybody by the news, but let's try not get our hopes super high from the start before knowing what's really coming. The last we saw from this lineup were SC and Black Clouds, two albums that aren't too popular among people here... and LTE 3 was great, but nothing too far from what we've seen from the guys already. Are some people really expecting them to reinvent the wheel at this stage?

Distance Over Time and View From the Top of the World are abysmal, let's call a spade a spade.

And no one ever dreamed MP would rejoin, and he hasn't been in the band in 13 years. So for you to assume the album will be made a certain way seems bizarre.

I'm just hoping that this decision was made BECAUSE they realized things weren't working. MP helps for sure but isn't a guarantee.

absolutely ridiculous, no DT album is anywhere near absymal and certainly not those two. Im sure im not the only person that preferred those to Systematic Chaos and Black Clouds which were certainly stale to my ears and bottom of the pile as far as im concerned (yes, i prefer WDADU to those 2)

[nick_z]

A little shocked.

A little happy.

A little sad.

Not much to add to what has been said so far, and I kinda feel the same way. I wouldn't even really say "sad", but there's a wee-bit of that bittersweet feeling for Mangini, of course. Although (seemingly) things seem to be ok on all sides. After all, everyone involved is very much a grown-up, so it's very likely this all happened smoothly behind the scenes...

Can't deny I feel some excitement at the prospect of the rekindling of the "old gang", hoping that results in something special.

[hefdaddy42]

Distance Over Time and View From the Top of the World are abysmal, let's call a spade a spade.

I don't mean to cast aspersions or anything, but it has come to my attention that you may be a crazy person.

[genome]

Not abysmal at all. There's some good stuff on those albums, they just lack a bit of the "magic".

I don't think the albums lack any magic honestly. Opinions I guess.

No disrespect at all to Mangini, but for me I think that magic of Dream Theater is the chemistry Portnoy brings to the band, particularly alongside JP. The attitude, the swagger... it's good music but the Mangini stuff lacks that.

YMMV, of course.

[Qrusher14242]

Amazing! like Christmas morning. I've followed DT since MP left and have enjoyed some of the albums (DOT was pretty good and most had a few good songs on them) but never really connected with a lot of the material with MM.  I know MM is a fantastic technical drummer but MP was just such a better fit. I really got into the band with SDOIT and nothing MM was apart of came close to it really. Plus the fact that live shows just grew so stale and they never changed the setlist since MP left. I never thought i would see the day. Although since so many of MP's projects had either stalled or ended i wondered what he would do (with SOA ending in a strange way, i guess now we know who didn't want to continue). Can't wait for the new album 

[zappafrank2112]

Amazing! like Christmas morning.

Any particular time of morning?

[OpenYourEyes311]

Distance Over Time and View From the Top of the World are abysmal, let's call a spade a spade.

I don't mean to cast aspersions or anything, but it has come to my attention that you may be a crazy person.

You may be onto something haha...

My opinion on this is that View is my least favorite. But it's objectively not abysmal. And I see all the love it gets from others, so me not liking it as much as the other 14 albums is a me problem.

D/T, on the other hand, is a fantastic record, as were the two that preceded it. Different strokes, mannnn.

[jammindude]

Ya...JPX calling the last 2 albums abysmal gets a huge WTF from me as well. A View is my 2nd favorite Mangini album, and a pretty freakin strong album. If anything, it felt like they are just getting some mojo back and we're just missing one piece of the puzzle.

[devieira73]

Just in case if we are making a survey, D/T and AVFTTOTW are clearly my 2 faves from Mangini era. And I like a lot the other 3. I don't think that DT has lost the "magic" in that era, but I DO think the chemistry between Mike/Jonh/Jordan is truly rare to see around. Something really special.

[OpenYourEyes311]

Just in case if we are making a survey, D/T and AVFTTOTW are clearly my 2 faves from Mangini era. And I like a lot the other 3. I don't think that DT has lost the "magic" in that era, but I DO think the chemistry between Mike/Jonh/Jordan is truly rare to see around. Something really special.

I think this is the main thing here. More than money, or ticket sales, or other members. They felt this chemistry again, just like they did in 1997-98 when they did LTE 1&2, and they just knew. They belong together.

[MinistroRaven]

[zappafrank2112]

And their Facebook, too, since that's where I saw it first!

[jimgolf]

I would definitely disagree with the one posters assessment. I thought Distance Over Time and A View were pretty amazing records. It really felt like the band/Mangini gelled and produced some great music. Mangini is a great drummer/great guy and I wish him the best 


That being said, I'm psyched to see Dream Theater live with Portnoy again and to see what they come up with on the new record. I never thought this was going to happen, and seeing this group of guys together again is exciting. I kind of wonder how long this was in the works because it did feel on the recent tour like Mangini was kind of detached and not as involved as usual. His playing seemed subdued, his drum kit was smaller, and he didn't really seemed to involve himself with the crowd much.

I wonder if it potentially became a reality after James and Portnoy mended things. Im sure Petrucci and Rudess wanted to play with Portnoy again after doing LTE3 and Portnoy playing with Petrucci on his solo album so it seemed the only one left was James.

Anyways, Onwards and Upwards for the band and best wishes to Mangini 

[Lonk]

And their Facebook, too, since that's where I saw it first!

And JP's page lol

[COZ]

My DT-sense was tingling yesterday while reminiscing about how the whole MP departure/MM transition went down.  Something was telling me that news was about to break out of DTville.   

Like others have said, I still don't know how I feel about this. When I first saw the release I had to check if today's date was April 1.  Weren't we told that the previous lineup would be the last for DT?  I feel bad for Mangini, unless it was he who wanted out.

[TAC]

Mike Mangini is out of DT. This isn't false.

[TheOutlawXanadu]

A View from the Top of the World freaking rules. To say that Mangini ended his Dream Theater career on a high note would be an understatement.

[TAC]

A View from the Top of the World freaking rules. To say that Mangini ended his Dream Theater career on a high note would be an understatement.

Yeah, this. Totally.

[cramx3]

And Mike Portnoy's Instagram... it's true.  I don't know what Billy's talking about, assuming thats even him.  I kind of doubt he's personally messaging people, but who knows.

[TAC]

And Mike Portnoy's Instagram... it's true.  I don't know what Billy's talking about, assuming thats even him.  I kind of doubt he's personally messaging people, but who knows.

Right. Couldn't see the context from Ministro's screenshot.

[gzarruk]

A View from the Top of the World freaking rules. To say that Mangini ended his Dream Theater career on a high note would be an understatement.

"Self belief will build a life of legacy".

[JPX]

Hardly,  DoT is better than a number of MP albums like WDADU, Awake, BCSL.

[MinistroRaven]

And Mike Portnoy's Instagram... it's true.  I don't know what Billy's talking about, assuming thats even him.  I kind of doubt he's personally messaging people, but who knows.

He has messaged me a couple of times after I have made posts on his FB page.

I take his message as he didn't know MP was rejoining and thought Chad was just talking BS.
Which leads me to believe MP kept it as a secret even for his band mates (TWD)

[TAC]

I take his message as he didn't know MP was rejoining and thought Chad was just talking BS.
Which leads me to believe MP kept it as a secret even for his band mates (TWD)

I find it amazing that Billy didn't know. And even if he didn't know it was happening, you'd think MP might've dropped him a note that it was about to break.

[Skeever]

Billy doesn't seem to be a guy too good at identifying "fake news".

[genome]

I take his message as he didn't know MP was rejoining and thought Chad was just talking BS.
Which leads me to believe MP kept it as a secret even for his band mates (TWD)

I find it amazing that Billy didn't know. And even if he didn't know it was happening, you'd think MP might've dropped him a note that it was about to break.

They're on tour literally right now. That might be a bit awkward if he didn't know.

[MinistroRaven]

Maybe DT asked Portnoy to keep it a secret. I don't know.