MIKE PORTNOY: It's 'Painful' For Me To Hear New DREAM THEATER Music - Aug. 6,

[tgstk2]

Former DREAM THEATER and current ADRENALINE MOB drummer Mike Portnoy was interviewed on last night's (Friday, August 5) edition of Eddie Trunk's "Friday Night Rocks" radio show on New York'sQ104.3 FM.

When asked for his opinion of the DREAM THEATER track "On The Backs Of Angels", the first song to be released with new drummer Mike Mangini (STEVE VAI, ANNIHILATOR, EXTREME), Portnoy said, "It's very difficult for me to hear. Nobody wants to see their ex-wife of 25 years with a new husband moving into the house that you built for 25 years. It's a painful thing for me to hear and see. A DREAM THEATER without me was never in the plan; I never expected that. But they've chosen to move on and I just have to kind of sit on the sidelines and watch and listen. I did hear the song and I heard an excerpt of another song [from the forthcoming DREAM THEATER album]. And I guess I'll reserve comment on those just because whatever I say — whether it be good, bad or indifferent — it's probably gonna come across wrong and it will be completely dissected and misinterpreted. So let's leave it at 'no comment.'"

In a recent interview with The Jerusalem Post, DREAM THEATER keyboardist Jordan Rudess stated about Portnoy's change of mind and request to be reinstated after leaving the band last September, "Mike wanted to come back after we had gone through all the emotional turmoil and pain of losing a friend, and the effort we went through to get back on our feet. We were well past our recovery phase and had made a commitment to Mike Mangini."

Regarding Portnoy's decision to leave the band he co-founded and led for 25 years, Rudess said, "His leaving was unbelievable, it was so emotional. He's a close friend of mine and we've been through so much together — it basically brought me to tears. But being a positive person and around guys who love what they're doing, we had to figure out how to move forward."

On the topic of Mangini, a former Berklee College of Music teacher and holder of five World's Fastest Drummer records, Rudess said, "Mike adapted to our world so wonderfully. He's not only a great drummer, but a great guy. He came into the audition and locked in with us and nailed it. We were amazed.

"We were looking for someone who could walk onstage with us and not throw us off in the least, and we found him in Mike. As painful and said as the situation was over not being able to work with Mike Portnoy, life goes on — this kind of thing, unfortunately, happens in bands and we're interested in keeping a positive direction and making really good music."

DREAM THEATER's new album, "A Dramatic Turn Of Events", will be released on September 13 via Roadrunner Records.

Photo credit: Joe LaRusso

[Metropolis pt.-1]

Can't blame him for not giving a comment.

[ehra]

Can't blame him for not giving a comment.

All things considered, it's probably his best option.

[Nick]

And I guess I'll reserve comment ... just because whatever I say — whether it be good, bad or indifferent — it's probably gonna come across wrong and it will be completely dissected and misinterpreted. So let's leave it at 'no comment.'"

I really wish that would have just been the entire statement.

[tgstk2]

His only option, he can share his comments with his close ones but not with the world/internet...

Well thought spoken mp

[tgstk2]

And I guess I'll reserve comment ... just because whatever I say — whether it be good, bad or indifferent — it's probably gonna come across wrong and it will be completely dissected and misinterpreted. So let's leave it at 'no comment.'"

I really wish that would have just been the entire statement.

Why? It would come across strange if he would say the new dr? Like i give a fuck....

[Pinga]

And I guess I'll reserve comment ... just because whatever I say — whether it be good, bad or indifferent — it's probably gonna come across wrong and it will be completely dissected and misinterpreted. So let's leave it at 'no comment.'"

I really wish that would have just been the entire statement.

Exactly. He said that after stating how much he's saddened by the band's decision to move on. Far from "no comment".

[IdoSC]

And I guess I'll reserve comment ... just because whatever I say — whether it be good, bad or indifferent — it's probably gonna come across wrong and it will be completely dissected and misinterpreted. So let's leave it at 'no comment.'"

I really wish that would have just been the entire statement.

Exactly. He said that after stating how much he's saddened by the band's decision to move on. Far from "no comment".

He still didn't comment about OTBOA though. That's what he referred to in "no comment".

[Metabog]

Is anyone else tired of hearing his recycled "wife moving out" metaphor every time he's interviewed? I almost anticipated his response word for word from previous interviews.

[Zydar]

Is anyone else tired of hearing his recycled wife metaphor every time he's interviewed?

Trust me, I am too.

[ReaPsTA]

Portnoy said, "It's very difficult for me to hear. Nobody wants to see their ex-wife of 25 years with a new husband moving into the house that you built for 25 years. It's a painful thing for me to hear and see. A DREAM THEATER without me was never in the plan; I never expected that. But they've chosen to move on and I just have to kind of sit on the sidelines and watch and listen. I did hear the song and I heard an excerpt of another song [from the forthcoming DREAM THEATER album]. And I guess I'll reserve comment on those just because whatever I say — whether it be good, bad or indifferent — it's probably gonna come across wrong and it will be completely dissected and misinterpreted. So let's leave it at 'no comment.'"

By itself, this is fine.  But what about the part where Myung, Rudess, LaBrie, and Petrucci all played a major part in building this metaphorical house?  Why do their contributions seemingly not even exist?  What about MP trying to pimp every other album he can think of that's being released that isn't DT's?  If we use his divorce metaphor, even if you can't be happy for your ex-wife, how mature/good is it to run around talking shit on her?  "But ReaPsTA, you've never even had a girlfriend, much less been through a divorce."  Fine, but Portnoy is a 44 year old man and a public figure, shouldn't he hold himself to a higher standard?  I recently talked to someone about my age who handled a real divorce more maturely than this.

[JediKnight1969]

You wanted a "hall pass". When your proposal was rejected, you abandoned you "wife" and FAMILY for an adventure with a younger lover who kicked you out in a second. YOUR MISTAKE. Grow up and live with it. Stop whining and bitching around with this melodrama bullshit anymore. You are a hell of a drummer: let's see if you can really create great music or you're just a cover artist.

[ReaPsTA]

You wanted a "hall pass". When your proposal was rejected, you abandoned you "wife" and FAMILY for an adventure with a younger lover who kicked you out in a second. YOUR MISTAKE.

Good point.

[emindead]

Finally, he gave a good answer: "no comment". It took almost a year.

[KevShmev]

The "no comment" reply was the best answer to give, since he probably doesn't have it in him to admit that anything the band does without him is worthy (although many would also be unwilling to admit this), and thus any comment he would give would probably not be that positive, so, again, the "no comment" was a smart move.

As for everything else, even though he penned the lyrics to all of the 12-step suite songs, you really have to wonder if he learned anything.  Perhaps he needs to read them again and take the advice of his own words, since they can be applied to things besides a drug addiction.  Just a thought,

[Aniland]

eh forget it

[tri.ad]

The "no comment" reply was the best answer to give, since he probably doesn't have it in him to admit that anything the band does without him is worthy (although many would also be unwilling to admit this), and thus any comment he would give would probably not be that positive, so, again, the "no comment" was a smart move.

This entirely.

[Addy]

Is anyone else tired of hearing his recycled "wife moving out" metaphor every time he's interviewed? I almost anticipated his response word for word from previous interviews.

Me too !

I think that if MP didn't like DT's new stuff, he would have said that. He would have taken the "See? They're nothing without me." kind of attitude. I think he just doesn't want to admit that DT did a good job.

[TAC]

I don"t have any problem with anything MP said here. It's his point of view.  I would love to hear the rest of the interview.

[ReaPsTA]

Is anyone else tired of hearing his recycled "wife moving out" metaphor every time he's interviewed? I almost anticipated his response word for word from previous interviews.

Me too !

I think that if MP didn't like DT's new stuff, he would have said that. He would have taken the "See? They're nothing without me." kind of attitude. I think he just doesn't want to admit that DT did a good job.

Yes and no.  To him, nothing DT does without him can possibly be legitimate because he is DT.  But the new DT stuff has gotten lots of positive response, so he feels trapped.  If everyone in the universe hated the new DT, I'd bet my genitalia that he'd be on Facebook and Twitter telling everyone how he was right about DT having no heart without him.  Since I wouldn't risk getting my dick cut off for any less than all the money in the world, Portnoy would make me a very rich man.

[GuineaPig]

It's just so grating that he continues to consider himself the victim.

[TL]

It's just so grating that he continues to consider himself the victim.

This. It was his decision to leave. He doesn't have to be happy about it, but he at least has to own up to it being a result of his own actions.

[tofee35]

Portnoy said, "It's very difficult for me to hear. Nobody wants to see their ex-wife of 25 years with a new husband moving into the house that you built for 25 years. It's a painful thing for me to hear and see. A DREAM THEATER without me was never in the plan; I never expected that. But they've chosen to move on and I just have to kind of sit on the sidelines and watch and listen. I did hear the song and I heard an excerpt of another song [from the forthcoming DREAM THEATER album]. And I guess I'll reserve comment on those just because whatever I say — whether it be good, bad or indifferent — it's probably gonna come across wrong and it will be completely dissected and misinterpreted. So let's leave it at 'no comment.'"

By itself, this is fine.  But what about the part where Myung, Rudess, LaBrie, and Petrucci all played a major part in building this metaphorical house?  Why do their contributions seemingly not even exist?  What about MP trying to pimp every other album he can think of that's being released that isn't DT's?  If we use his divorce metaphor, even if you can't be happy for your ex-wife, how mature/good is it to run around talking shit on her?  "But ReaPsTA, you've never even had a girlfriend, much less been through a divorce."  Fine, but Portnoy is a 44 year old man and a public figure, shouldn't he hold himself to a higher standard?  I recently talked to someone about my age who handled a real divorce more maturely than this.

I think that by building up other bands it probably helps him to personally deal with not being in DT. It's almost like he's trying to show MP and DT fans that he's trying to move on even though it's tough. I truly believe that he thought the band needed a break,not just him. They didn't think so and here we are...

[Daso]

What about MP trying to pimp every other album he can think of that's being released that isn't DT's?  

 

I've seen it on Twitter. He advertised both Anthrax and Arch/Matheos albums, which are both released on Sept. 13, and there's nothing wrong with that, but I'm pretty sure I have not seen any advertising for any other albums by him (of course, excluding band where he plays).

[Cable]

You wanted a "hall pass". When your proposal was rejected, you abandoned you "wife" and FAMILY for an adventure with a younger lover who kicked you out in a second. YOUR MISTAKE. Grow up and live with it. Stop whining and bitching around with this melodrama bullshit anymore. You are a hell of a drummer: let's see if you can really create great music or you're just a cover artist.

Touche.

I love how it is so hard to see the "ex-wife" move on, as though there is no blame to him. He cheated with younger musicians, and wanted to force four other people into stopping. They simply said no, forward or out. The analogy is great when he uses it, as how he defends himself, because like the cheating spouse, they often act justified in their actions. He simply is now holding onto the past, where DT truly has moved on.

All of these reactions really do show he had too much control. He wanted the band to be too much modern metal, when it is kind of obvious already that the other four have never been into that to the same degree. Listening to TDEN as it shuffled on today, I recall how he gutted the verses JP wrote because they were not "metal" enough. Same thing with ANTR, and those abomination of death metal vocals he attempted.

The remaining DT is tied to their original influences; Maiden/Metallica,Floyd, Rush, Yes and etc. Outside of MP, I have never heard of the band being into Opeth, or heavy into Meshuggah and etc. They simply do not, and cannot, sound like Opeth, Nile, or whoever else. Yet MP kept trying to bring that in, and could not accept the fact that "his" band sound like they sound. He really should have been in a more hardcore metal side project if he thought that was so incredible. I grew tired of the crappy modern influences on their sound, so hopefully I am right with this album.

[Jaffa]

I get that MP's been handling this thing a little bit... well, shall we say 'less than ideally'?  But I don't understand what about this specific comment rubs anyone the wrong way.

[Metabog]

I get that MP's been handling this thing a little bit... well, shall we say 'less than ideally'?  But I don't understand what about this specific comment rubs anyone the wrong way.

I don't know, it just seems like a recycled comment on how his "wife" is cheating on him. He's been saying the same thing since they went their separate ways, but he never seems to consider the situation from both sides, and I don't really see the comparison. If you really want to keep the marriage metaphor going, well then you don't tell your wife you want to stop your marriage for years while you try something different and then expect her to say "fine". I wouldn't mind if he just said something outright and expressed a proper opinion. I wouldn't mind if he could just say "I messed up", or at least "They messed up." Anything, just not this waffling. Not that I care massively, but he used to be one of my biggest heroes, and I grew up with his drumming and attitude. Now he's out of Dream Theater, I wouldn't mind hearing some direct comments on the issue that aren't carefully calculated half-truths and "no comments", because truth of the matter is that whenever I talk about it with other DT fans we usually agree on the fact that he screwed up not just his own position in DT, but also had a negative effect on the last few albums, and he's not doing anything to dispel that belief.

[Zook]

Portnoy said, "It's very difficult for me to hear. Nobody wants to see their ex-wife of 25 years with a new husband moving into the house that you built for 25 years. It's a painful thing for me to hear and see. A DREAM THEATER without me was never in the plan; I never expected that. But they've chosen to move on and I just have to kind of sit on the sidelines and watch and listen. I did hear the song and I heard an excerpt of another song [from the forthcoming DREAM THEATER album]. And I guess I'll reserve comment on those just because whatever I say — whether it be good, bad or indifferent — it's probably gonna come across wrong and it will be completely dissected and misinterpreted. So let's leave it at 'no comment.'"

By itself, this is fine.  But what about the part where Myung, Rudess, LaBrie, and Petrucci all played a major part in building this metaphorical house?  Why do their contributions seemingly not even exist?

This is what I thought of after reading the PR.

[farsight]

Is it just me and am I looking at it too deeply, because I'm not fluent with english, but is there a difference between saying "Dream Theater without me" and "me without Dream Theater"?

[Mladen]

Finally some well chosen words by Mike. 

[Elite]

Portnoy said, "It's very difficult for me to hear. Nobody wants to see their ex-wife of 25 years with a new husband moving into the house that you built for 25 years. It's a painful thing for me to hear and see. A DREAM THEATER without me was never in the plan; I never expected that. But they've chosen to move on and I just have to kind of sit on the sidelines and watch and listen. I did hear the song and I heard an excerpt of another song [from the forthcoming DREAM THEATER album]. And I guess I'll reserve comment on those just because whatever I say — whether it be good, bad or indifferent — it's probably gonna come across wrong and it will be completely dissected and misinterpreted. So let's leave it at 'no comment.'"

By itself, this is fine.  But what about the part where Myung, Rudess, LaBrie, and Petrucci all played a major part in building this metaphorical house?  Why do their contributions seemingly not even exist?

This is what I thought of after reading the PR.

And then you forgot about Sherinian, Moore, Dominici, hell maybe even Chris Collins..

[TheGreatPretender]

"I'll reserve comment on those just because whatever I say — whether it be good, bad or indifferent — it's probably gonna come across wrong and it will be completely dissected and misinterpreted. So let's leave it at 'no comment.'"

It's probably true, but it can't possibly be MORE dissected than every time he "likes" someone else's comment that says, "DT sucks without Mike" and stuff like that. He'd be better off just speaking his mind.

[Ħ]

The way I see it, there are two bad extremes he should avoid.

1) What he's doing now (rambling/grumbling/etc)
2) Saying "no comment" to everything DT related (falling into the same way as Kevin)

He just needs to figure out how to balance the two.  I think he should just directly answer the questions he is posed, and refrain from adding anything unnecessary.

[Moonchild]

The way I see it, there are two bad extremes he should avoid.

1) What he's doing now (rambling/grumbling/etc)
2) Saying "no comment" to everything DT related (falling into the same way as Kevin)

He just needs to figure out how to balance the two.  I think he should just directly answer the questions he is posed, and refrain from adding anything unnecessary.

The first is like Dave Mustaine kicked out of Metallica.
The second isn't bad.. I respect Kevin a lot.

[Metabog]

The way I see it, there are two bad extremes he should avoid.

1) What he's doing now (rambling/grumbling/etc)
2) Saying "no comment" to everything DT related (falling into the same way as Kevin)

He just needs to figure out how to balance the two.  I think he should just directly answer the questions he is posed, and refrain from adding anything unnecessary.

The first is like Dave Mustaine kicked out of Metallica.
The second isn't bad.. I respect Kevin a lot.

It would be weird for MP to become the new Kevin Moore though.