An Exclusive Look into The Band’s Search for a New Drummer

[Zydar]

id love for the final decision to fall upon john myung. therefore everyone's mind would be blown. because 'john myung talked!' comments are pretty popular around the net

Actually, together with the drummer he forms the rhythm section, so it really comes down a lot to who JM feels the most comfortable with.

[randymarsh]

id love for the final decision to fall upon john myung. therefore everyone's mind would be blown. because 'john myung talked!' comments are pretty popular around the net

Actually, together with the drummer he forms the rhythm section, so it really comes down a lot to who JM feels the most comfortable with.

this

[Ħ]

The MM vs. MM debate is intense.  I have sort of dropped the my preconceived belief that Mangini is the one, just so it adds suspense.  It seems interesting how the band is kind of split on these two.  LaBrie seems to be really impressed with Minnemann, Petrucci seems to still be keen on Mangini, and it is too hard to tell with Rudess/Myung.

This audition process has given me a lot more respect for DT and for MP.  I mean...wow, only two drummers out of five didn't blow it at at least one point.  I am not saying they are bad drummers, but I think it speaks volumes of DT's musicality.

Also, one thing was interesting that I picked up on.  For most of the auditions, the process is Songs --> Jam --> Riffs, but it seems mixed up for a lot of them.  For example, Donati said that they did the riffs after the songs.

And did you guys notice how Roddy was the only guy they didn't show a sit-down chat with?  I wonder if they even gave it to him, or if they knew right off the bat that he wasn't the one.

[The Presence of Frenemies]

id love for the final decision to fall upon john myung. therefore everyone's mind would be blown. because 'john myung talked!' comments are pretty popular around the net

Actually, together with the drummer he forms the rhythm section, so it really comes down a lot to who JM feels the most comfortable with.

DT has a strange setup there, though, where JM often follows JP rather than the drummer. I'd say JM's opinion is second to JP's, because JP has the most musical influence on the band, and therefore is the best judge of who will fit best with his vision.

[kartmaze2]

I really like that "audition riff" JR came up with.

I liked the way they played it with Lang. But the other times it really just felt like the typical riff that JP/JR have been soloing over for a few albums now. Compare it to the main solo riff in ANTR, very similar feel.

I don't think it's the same. They had several riffs, and the one showed with Lang isn't showed with any of the other drummers.

IIRC they said they had three. There was the one that Jordan prepared, the one that sounded like the solo riff in ANTR (), and another one, I guess.

I went back and checked.

One riff is the one played by Mangini and Donati (the heavy), another one is played by Roddy and Minnemann (which Roddy had huge problems with, but Minnemann nailed), and the third the epic riff showed with Lang with the epic strings from JR.  

[ariich]

I really like that "audition riff" JR came up with.

I liked the way they played it with Lang. But the other times it really just felt like the typical riff that JP/JR have been soloing over for a few albums now. Compare it to the main solo riff in ANTR, very similar feel.

I don't think it's the same. They had several riffs, and the one showed with Lang isn't showed with any of the other drummers.

IIRC they said they had three. There was the one that Jordan prepared, the one that sounded like the solo riff in ANTR (), and another one, I guess.

I went back and checked.

One riff is the one played by Mangini and Donati (the heavy), another one is played by Roddy and Minnemann (which Roddy had huge problems with, but Minnemann nailed), and the third the epic riff showed with Lang with the epic strings from JR. 

Pretty sure all the drummers will have played all the riffs.

[kartmaze2]

I really like that "audition riff" JR came up with.

I liked the way they played it with Lang. But the other times it really just felt like the typical riff that JP/JR have been soloing over for a few albums now. Compare it to the main solo riff in ANTR, very similar feel.

I don't think it's the same. They had several riffs, and the one showed with Lang isn't showed with any of the other drummers.

IIRC they said they had three. There was the one that Jordan prepared, the one that sounded like the solo riff in ANTR (), and another one, I guess.

I went back and checked.

One riff is the one played by Mangini and Donati (the heavy), another one is played by Roddy and Minnemann (which Roddy had huge problems with, but Minnemann nailed), and the third the epic riff showed with Lang with the epic strings from JR. 

Pretty sure all the drummers will have played all the riffs.

Yes, of course! So am I. But I was just mentioning which riffs that were shown with which drummers (just to get an overview)...

[The Presence of Frenemies]

The MM vs. MM debate is intense.  I have sort of dropped the my preconceived belief that Mangini is the one, just so it adds suspense.  It seems interesting how the band is kind of split on these two.  LaBrie seems to be really impressed with Minnemann, Petrucci seems to still be keen on Mangini, and it is too hard to tell with Rudess/Myung.

I see it as JP being all over Mangini, possibly backed by JM, with Rudess and LaBrie liking Marco.

This audition process has given me a lot more respect for DT and for MP.  I mean...wow, only two drummers out of five didn't blow it at at least one point.  I am not saying they are bad drummers, but I think it speaks volumes of DT's musicality.

True, although even DT themselves screw up something now and then. I mean, what set of auditions, no matter the talent pool, has seen absolutely everyone nail everything? Obviously DT is great, and Portnoy was a great drummer, but I wouldn't underestimate the abilities of these auditionees, to be sure.

Also, one thing was interesting that I picked up on.  For most of the auditions, the process is Songs --> Jam --> Riffs, but it seems mixed up for a lot of them.  For example, Donati said that they did the riffs after the songs.

It looks like the band shifted the jamming to first starting on Day 2. JP mentioned the great jam with Lang that happened immediately, and they probably liked that and stuck with it. Makes sense--jamming is a nice de-stresser and warmup for the candidates before attacking the songs and the riffs.

And did you guys notice how Roddy was the only guy they didn't show a sit-down chat with?  I wonder if they even gave it to him, or if they knew right off the bat that he wasn't the one.

Not only that, they shake hands with him behind the kit. And they never say "You've passed the riff test." It looks like they were pretty sure he was out fairly quickly. The doc really makes Roddy look bad though, thanks to the camera mic audio. You can't even hear the band, and it's just a ton of crash cymbals all the way through. It sucks for him that they had that glitch, although honestly, it's better for that to happen to the last-place candidate than the first. Imagine if Mangini's audio was screwed up--the guys who didn't like him before wouldn't have been swayed at all.

[Blackfield]

I'd give anything (well not really) for Marco Minnemann to be the drummer of choise. He would bring so much musical joy in to this. I think also Thomas Lang made a really good impression on me. I'd like it to be one of them. Have not seen Wildoer or Priester yet though.

[jsem]

Two of those prepared riffs were brilliant, I'd love to hear some of that epicness on the new album 

[inoku]

Two of those prepared riffs were brilliant, I'd love to hear some of that epicness on the new album 

this.. especially the riff marco, derek, and thomas played 

[kartmaze2]

Two of those prepared riffs were brilliant, I'd love to hear some of that epicness on the new album 

Do you think of the Lang and the Mangini/Donati riffs? If so, I really do agree! And I hope they'll show the Lang-riff with the two remaining drummers (and maybe also Minnemann, Mangini or Donati at a later stage).

[tedy]

All candidates are great and I am really enjoying this documentary 
but, after this two episodes my thoughts about the new drummer didn´t change a bit.
When I first heard that Mangini auditioned I thought who ever were other candidates, they would hardly win him. That man is a monster behind the kit at all levels (charisma, technicallity, precision and power). Just look at he´s eyes when playing ANTR (first episode 13:30). 
Now I realize more and more what monster Mike Portnoy really was.
With all respect to other candidates I think that only Mangini showed that kind of energy when playing with them.
There is one more episode and two amazing drummers! Can´t wait!!! 

[Progmetty]

I'm having so much flashbacks of Metallica's JITS site days and the bass player auditions, basically cause it was the last time I went through this with one of my favorite bands. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmY8-6qOIu8

[RaiseTheKnife]

Not surprised that DT is gravitating toward a drummer to play the MP parts spotless.  JP and JR are note-by-note perfectionists, and they are just simply used to hearing a song played a certain way (about perfect every time).  If the drum parts are not spot on, it may feel uncomfortable and affect their own performances.

[DreamerTV]

The more i see the videos the more i think LaBrie has the best understanding for drummers abilities.
 

[ariich]

Not surprised that DT is gravitating toward a drummer to play the MP parts spotless.  JP and JR are note-by-note perfectionists, and they are just simply used to hearing a song played a certain way (about perfect every time).  If the drum parts are not spot on, it may feel uncomfortable and affect their own performances.

I don't think they expect it spotless at all, but as others have said, the drums are key to how a song feels. If it feels wrong then it will be uncomfortable to play. Nothing wrong with changing things up, but the songs that already exist still need to feel right.

[robwebster]

I think the other thing is, if something changes, you'll either like it...

a. More than the original.
b. Less than the original.

If you like it more, it's a neat twist. If you like it less, it's changing it up too much.

Very poss that it's not the amount of change Rudess didn't like, just the nature of it.

[Mladen]

Conspiracy theory I want to start.  What if after the auditions  JLB, JR, and JM wanted Minneman, but JP made the executive decision to go with Magini?

Does anyone remember the guy a while ago telling us Dream Theater wanted to choose Marco, but they had to go with Mangini instead because Marco didn't want to give up on some plans he had with other bands in January and February? Watching the documentary, that seems very likely to me.

[kartmaze2]

Conspiracy theory I want to start.  What if after the auditions  JLB, JR, and JM wanted Minneman, but JP made the executive decision to go with Magini?

Does anyone remember the guy a while ago telling us Dream Theater wanted to choose Marco, but they had to go with Mangini instead because Marco didn't want to give up on some plans he had with other bands in January and February? Watching the documentary, that seems very likely to me.

I haven't read that original post, but if this is true, I question his potential dedication with DT. I mean, if I was a drummer that got the job, I would probably prioritize it before anything else.

[The Presence of Frenemies]

The more i see the videos the more i think LaBrie has the best understanding for drummers abilities.
 

Well, he seems really stunned by almost all of the candidates, so I don't know if he really gets it or if he's just being nice and/or is just blown away with all of it (which wouldn't be a surprise, given how good the drummers are). But LaBrie is a drummer himself, so I wouldn't be too surprised if that were the case anyway.

[hefdaddy42]

I'm really not sure why anyone would be upset that DT wasn't too thrilled about a couple of the drummers "interpreting" the songs.  It's one thing for a new member to change a few things, but it's something else entirely for someone who isn't yet a member to come in to the audition and say, "hey, this is better than the way you've always done it."

They were given those songs to learn for a reason - yes, to play them note for note with feeling.  If they didn't do that, then it is completely understandable that the band members would be nonplussed.

[Ultimetalhead]

It was just like JP (or was it JR...I can't recall) said, it'll be easier for everyone in the long run if it feels like how they played them with MP, at least for now.

[ariich]

It was just like JP (or was it JR...I can't recall) said, it'll be easier for everyone in the long run if it feels like how they played them with MP, at least for now.

That part is very important. Obviously if they change things up a bit later on, that could be really cool, but seeing as they need to start playing gigs and festivals very soon, they need to feel comfortable right from the off.

[wolfking]

Just finished watching the second episode.  Really great stuff, very entertaining, I love it.  Although it's quite clear to see that Mike is the man IMO.Marco was incredible.  And Donati was impressive, just his style I don't think fits with DT's sound. 

And I also don't understand why a lot of you guys would get pissed at JR and JP for getting annoyed at the drummers putting their own spin on things.  I have played in cover bands and years ago we lost a drummer who played the songs exactly how they sounded, our covers sounded great because of him.  Solos and sometimes vocal melodies don't matter as much as long as the foundation of the song is solid.

After auditioning many drummers and even though we saw guys that were good, if they didn't play the song how it goes and puts their own spin on it, it just doesn't feel right and really changes the sound and mood of the song.  I totally understand where DT are coming from.

[webpoet73]

Here are some of my thoughts:

1.) Mangini totally got it.  I am sure his enthusiasm (this the other didn't seem to match) to be in the band fueled his audition.
2.) Roddy didn't get it.  Maybe the audio problems distorted my perception but the band clearly weren't on board.
3.) Donati/Lang.  Something seemed off, but I loved Lang's riff test.  My favorite so far.
4.) Wildoer.  Why would a guy come here and post and engage in banter and conversation with fans of a band that he might not be a member of?  It's pretty awesome that he has come here to engage with us and everybody including myself are very appreciative of him taking time out of his day to come here.  
5.) Obviously can't wait for the final segment and the reveal.  It has been an interesting and speculative ride so far, but it's time for that ride to end.

So here's to another full day of speculation before the final part is revealed... of course, I will be at work and can't see it.  Just like the last 2.  Having Flash on my phone is great but the 3G apparently isn't fast enough and it stalls quickly.

[Jirpo]

On another music forum I go to, a member (hes a member here too but he doesn't post much) who is a drummer posted this, I was quite amazed by this.

Mangini holds world speed records (or at least did a few years ago). He can play faster with one hand than most people can with two. On that video, there's a spot in the beginning of The Dance Of Eternity - a fast triplet riff that Portnoy needed two hands to play. Mangini did it one handed without even looking.

[LTE3]

Mangini played with some accentuated accents and JR just loved it because it felt right and that it felt like Mangini was clearly listening to the other individual musicians. Mike Mangini is a genius. I think he clearly studied the songs to the best of his ability, thought hard about what would be best for Dream Theater, understood the audition and killed it. He's the man! And when JP said they could have went on stage with him that night with no prep at all and play a full show, that says something.
[/quote]

i agree Mike showed us heart, and that he really wants the job, that he does not even want to call it a gig. Althought I thought Marco was umbelievably skilled and had a great audition he didn't really show any interest in the being a full time band member at least not like Mike did. Like it has been said he will be great for side projects.
I got the best feeling when watching Mike play the intro to Dance of Eternity his chemisry was awesome. That part put a smile on my face and you could tell he was so into it.

[DP_Gumby]

I couldn't resist it, I just had to buy the Cookie Monster shirt Minnemann wore on the audition.  

And yeah what Mangini did in TDOE was just f***ing impressive. 

[wolfking]

On another music forum I go to, a member (hes a member here too but he doesn't post much) who is a drummer posted this, I was quite amazed by this.

Mangini holds world speed records (or at least did a few years ago). He can play faster with one hand than most people can with two. On that video, there's a spot in the beginning of The Dance Of Eternity - a fast triplet riff that Portnoy needed two hands to play. Mangini did it one handed without even looking.

Yeah, that's true https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7TzWrKso4I

[wolfking]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmCEPBlZmN4&feature=related

[ZirconBlue]

I'm really not sure why anyone would be upset that DT wasn't too thrilled about a couple of the drummers "interpreting" the songs.  It's one thing for a new member to change a few things, but it's something else entirely for someone who isn't yet a member to come in to the audition and say, "hey, this is better than the way you've always done it."

They were given those songs to learn for a reason - yes, to play them note for note with feeling.  If they didn't do that, then it is completely understandable that the band members would be nonplussed.

This was the point I was trying to make earlier.  Maybe you'll be more successful with it than I was.

[Blackfield]

Mangini holds world speed records (or at least did a few years ago). He can play faster with one hand than most people can with two. On that video, there's a spot in the beginning of The Dance Of Eternity - a fast triplet riff that Portnoy needed two hands to play. Mangini did it one handed without even looking.

Derek Roddy did actually do that too.

[ReaPsTA]

I'm really not sure why anyone would be upset that DT wasn't too thrilled about a couple of the drummers "interpreting" the songs.

Two reasons.  One more valid than the other:

 - While we can't say what's best for DT, it's very hard to argue that it's healthy musically to be down on a drummer for not playing the songs exactly the same.  However, Rudess loved Minnemann who played with the material a bit and specifically commented on how he liked Mangini's flair, so it's not a dislike toward all improvisation/interpretation.

 - A lot of people don't like how MP started his drum parts later in his DT career, and want the new drummer to be an active catalyst for change in DT's sound.  They project what they want from the band (subjective opinion) into what they think the band should do (also subjective, but confused for objective fact).  So when they see Thomas Lang or Virgil Donati or whoever do something they like, that somehow gets turned into what DT should have to do in order to be a good band in some sort of cosmic sense.

[emtee]

Here's my take on all the interpretation talk.

First and foremost your job is to come in and PROVE that you can play the parts as written. Later on down the road,
if you get hired and you feel comfortable approaching the band and saying..."hey man what would you think if I did
this"...but the audition is not the time or place to improvise, delete or add fills, or change fills, especially trademark
fills that open a song. IMO, as a drummer of 40+ years, it was a big mistake to "interpret" something differently
because you didn't spend the time learning it properly, or because you wanted to add your personal touch.