The Mike Mangini Thread (Thanks & Farewell)

[Lashie]

I always believed that though Mangini is a better drummer, technically, Portnoy has a more enjoyable feel to listen to

[Ben_Jamin]

Mike M had a stint with Vai and that already showed some of his technical prowess before joining DT.

It's funny that DT gets a pass with someone like Jordan, who's literally as technical as a player (and sometimes an overplaying champion) as you'll find in the genere, yet Mangini joined and suddenly things were "too technical" for some fans' taste.

The interesting aspect is that one is dealing with Melody, while the other handles the rhythm and the beat. It's easier for people to grasp technical melodies than it is for rhythms and grooves that are in odd beats and time that it seems jarring for some. Human relationship with music and groove is interesting and sometimes people want to just groove, dance, jive, rather than try and relate with a complex rhythm pattern.

I appreciate Mangini immensely because he brought that technical rhythm to DT and I love that he was able to do what he has always wanted to do in regards to being able to let loose with drumming.

[Max Kuehnau]

Mike M had a stint with Vai and that already showed some of his technical prowess before joining DT.

there were in fact many aspects that he used very well with Vai (have a listen to Fire Garden and his solo on The Ultra Zone Tour with Vai in 1999 for reference) that carried over to DT and that evolved even more with them and he was on his top level even then (which he then was able to up again so considerably with DT). Some prowess is an understatement is what I meant to say (although I see what you mean)

[Stadler]

I know I'm oversimplifying their respective careers here, but I do think the perception of these two drummers shifted a little bit due to Mangini's time in the band. As inhuman as a lot of his playing is, for every Three Days there's an Enemy Inside or Untethered Angel where he's just rocking out. And on Portnoy's side, songs like Dance of Eternity, 6:00, Metropolis still remain gold standards for technical drumming. Idk Mangini is definitely a more technical player but I think they are on more equal ground than they get credit for, in both directions.

I think you're probably right, here, but I know for me - FOR ME, my opinion only - I'm trying to capture in words what is a visceral feeling. All the analysis, psychoanalysis, and technical explanation in the world isn't going to capture the one (and only, for me) important thing:  What I hear and what I enjoy.   

I'm VERY VERY careful in all these posts to be clear I PREFER Portnoy, not that "Portnoy is the better drummer".   Who cares who's "better"?   I care only about whether that's music I want to listen to again.  And the fact remains, there are more parts by Portnoy that I note and think "wow, that was pretty cool!" or "wow, that brought the music to a new level!" than are "wow was that distracting!".  And it's the opposite for Mangini.   There were parts of A View where I was disconnected from the music and trying - as a game, like you count ceiling tiles when you can't sleep - to count the bass drum hits.   Fair?  Don't know, don't care.  True?  Don't know, don't care.  It is, thought, what I HEAR, and that I do know and that I do care about. I don't put on music to count bass drum hits.  I put on music to forget about work, forget about my bills, forget about that shoulder that won't give me a minute's peace, forget about that hemorrhoid that's acting up, forget about the fact that my stepson has time to play computer games with his friends and yet no time to shovel the front walk...  you get the picture. 

[nobloodyname]

...forget about that hemorrhoid that's acting up[...] 

Yup, definitely a you problem.

[BeatriceNB]

I think you're probably right, here, but I know for me - FOR ME, my opinion only - I'm trying to capture in words what is a visceral feeling. All the analysis, psychoanalysis, and technical explanation in the world isn't going to capture the one (and only, for me) important thing:  What I hear and what I enjoy. 

I'm VERY VERY careful in all these posts to be clear I PREFER Portnoy, not that "Portnoy is the better drummer".  Who cares who's "better"?  I care only about whether that's music I want to listen to again.  And the fact remains, there are more parts by Portnoy that I note and think "wow, that was pretty cool!" or "wow, that brought the music to a new level!" than are "wow was that distracting!".  And it's the opposite for Mangini.  There were parts of A View where I was disconnected from the music and trying - as a game, like you count ceiling tiles when you can't sleep - to count the bass drum hits.  Fair?  Don't know, don't care.  True?  Don't know, don't care.  It is, thought, what I HEAR, and that I do know and that I do care about. I don't put on music to count bass drum hits.  I put on music to forget about work, forget about my bills, forget about that shoulder that won't give me a minute's peace, forget about that hemorrhoid that's acting up, forget about the fact that my stepson has time to play computer games with his friends and yet no time to shovel the front walk...  you get the picture. 

I will always find taste to be something... inexplicable. It's the exact opposite in my case
I actually love Portnoy's parts in WDADU, I&W and Awake. If someone told me they changed the drummer starting with ACOS EP, I could believe it. After that, I find him distracting most of the time.
With Mangini, and also Marco Minnemann, to me it occurs that I always agree with what they play, it just makes sense to me, and listening to them brings me a smile from ear to ear, always.

I don't want to disqualify your opinion or anything, just to clarify, I just find it interesting that taste is as subjective as it gets

[Stadler]

I will always find taste to be something... inexplicable. It's the exact opposite in my case
I actually love Portnoy's parts in WDADU, I&W and Awake. If someone told me they changed the drummer starting with ACOS EP, I could believe it. After that, I find him distracting most of the time.
With Mangini, and also Marco Minnemann, to me it occurs that I always agree with what they play, it just makes sense to me, and listening to them brings me a smile from ear to ear, always.

I don't want to disqualify your opinion or anything, just to clarify, I just find it interesting that taste is as subjective as it gets

No, that's the beauty of music (any art, really).  It can and often does mean different things to different people.  That's one of the things I love about it.  Hell, sometimes it means different things to ME at different times. 

[emtee]

Just curious, MM said he will be playing shows again in 2025. I Googled and only see that he is currently in his Mangini band. Is this what he's talking about or does he have another gig lined up?

[Stadler]

It'd kind of be cool to see him in a small theater or a club... I'd go see him at Toad's.

[gzarruk]

Just curious, MM said he will be playing shows again in 2025. I Googled and only see that he is currently in his Mangini band. Is this what he's talking about or does he have another gig lined up?

He said a while ago there was new music coming this month and that it isn't new solo stuff, so it seems he's joined or formed a new band/project. No other info has been shared yet.

[hefdaddy42]

I hope he gets on with a good gig.  I'm rooting for him to have continued success as a professional drummer.

[Stadler]

I hope he gets on with a good gig.  I'm rooting for him to have continued success as a professional drummer.

He's too good not to.

[Northern Lion]

I hope he gets on with a good gig.  I'm rooting for him to have continued success as a professional drummer.

Being in DT made him more famous and really showcased what he was capable of as a drummer, I don't think he will have any problems getting a good gig.

[TAC]

He said a while ago there was new music coming this month and that it isn't new solo stuff, so it seems he's joined or formed a new band/project. No other info has been shared yet.

I tried to find out the other night but no dice.

[gzarruk]

I tried to find out the other night but no dice.

At least we know it isn't Primus or Satch/Vai

[TAC]

At least we know it isn't Primus or Satch/Vai

I'd be surprised if it involves heavy touring.

[BeatriceNB]

It's 99,9% unlikely, but I would love Mangini being the drummer for Devin Townsend. I do wonder what project/band he's joining or starting

[gzarruk]

It's 99,9% unlikely, but I would love Mangini being the drummer for Devin Townsend. I do wonder what project/band he's joining or starting

I'm not a Devin fan AT ALL, but that'd be interesting I guess

Do you, or any other of his fans, know what what he's been up to? He might've teased working on a new project or something.

[hefdaddy42]

Being in DT made him more famous and really showcased what he was capable of as a drummer, I don't think he will have any problems getting a good gig.

That's what I think also, but nothing has materialized as of yet.

[Stadler]

It's 99,9% unlikely, but I would love Mangini being the drummer for Devin Townsend. I do wonder what project/band he's joining or starting

I don't generally care about suggestions like this - I'd rather musicians work with people that bring something out of them; most often the combos I think I'd like turn out to be shit - but this is one I think I would like to see.

[gzarruk]

He posted this earlier in the month:

This is not a drill, nor a vacation.

Most likely moving one of his kits around for whatever he's been working on, but the Canada thing is interesting. It could very well be a Devin thing... which would suck for me, but I'm sure many would love it DT toured a lot with Dev in 2022-2023, so it'd make sense.

Anyway, my prediction is whatever this ends up being, we'll get something this friday, since it's usually the day new music gets released and also because, well... he said we'd get something this month and there's no more February after this week

[bosk1]

Well, I've often felt that more February would not be a bad thing.  So if anyone wants to add some more, I'm all for it, for the record.

[Stadler]

He posted this earlier in the month:

Most likely moving one of his kits around for whatever he's been working on, but the Canada thing is interesting. It could very well be a Devin thing... which would suck for me, but I'm sure many would love it DT toured a lot with Dev in 2022-2023, so it'd make sense.

Anyway, my prediction is whatever this ends up being, we'll get something this friday, since it's usually the day new music gets released and also because, well... he said we'd get something this month and there's no more February after this week

Honest question, who's "he", and what are we looking at? Is that Mangini and a Uhaul?

[Adami]

I wouldn't read anything into the Canada thing. Uhauls come from everywhere and end up everywhere.

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

This is a guess but maybe he's doing something with Annihilator.

[gzarruk]

Honest question, who's "he", and what are we looking at? Is that Mangini and a Uhaul?

I took the quote and photo from a post by Mike M on Facebook.

[Stadler]

Any chance he helping a friend move apartments?  Free pizza and beer....

[macneil]

I'm not a Devin fan AT ALL, but that'd be interesting I guess

Do you, or any other of his fans, know what what he's been up to? He might've teased working on a new project or something.

Devin's currently working on a musical/rock opera called The Moth, which he's performing live for 2 special shows at the end of March in the Netherlands with orchestra and choir. Interestingly, it'll be the first time anyone will have heard any of the material (not even sure he's planning to record a studio version of it).

I believe Darby Todd has already been announced as the drummer for that, so I don't think Mangini is involved. You never know though, he usually has other projects on the back burner, though personally I think it's unlikely.

[Sir Walrus Cauliflower]

Check out "Monolith Band" on Facebook everyone - that's his new project. He shared a snippet today and after clicking into the band's page I spotted band pics with MM. Should be interesting and I'm stoked to hear what they're cooking up.

New single Friday!

[gzarruk]

Check out "Monolith Band" on Facebook everyone - that's his new project. He shared a snippet today and after clicking into the band's page I spotted band pics with MM. Should be interesting and I'm stoked to hear what they're cooking up.

New single Friday!

That's it!  

[TAC]

I don't have facebook, and there's a million Monoliths!
Can anyone post a link?

[MinistroRaven]

I don't have facebook, and there's a million Monoliths!
Can anyone post a link?

https://www.instagram.com/p/DGjizgZpbtc/

[TAC]

https://www.instagram.com/p/DGjizgZpbtc/

Thank you, Ministro.


Oof, I hate that kind of low tuned guitar playing.

[Sir Walrus Cauliflower]

From Mike's replies on FB - "Both other guys sing; strongly. Hope you like it. Each song coming out is better and better and the videos are high budget, full of actors, full of great musician shots, totally what is missing these days. We went ALL OUT"

Sounds much more intriguing than an instrumental band imo. Also, I agree that the downtuned djenty stuff isn't my favorite but i bet there's a lot of meat on these bones. Super stoked now

[devieira73]

From band's facebook:
"Meet Monolith, a genre-defying band that embodies the fusion of rock and metal. With the incredible Hernán "Motley" Rodríguez on bass, Andy Barrow delivering electrifying riffs, and the legendary Mike Mangini on drums. Stay tuned for what's to come!"