DREAM THEATER ANNOUNCE THE RETURN OF DRUMMER MIKE PORTNOY

[Buddyhunter1]

Next tour they finally bring back Octavarium, but rotate it out with Illumination Theory from night to night.

[Madman Shepherd]

Rotating setlists are weird for me. I love the idea of them, but I absolutely hate not seeing songs other cities got to see. 2011 I missed Far From Heaven and I'll never see that now probably. Though, I did get Beneath the Surface and The Silent Man instead, and would be missing those. 2017, I missed Don't Look Past Me by a couple shows and it bothered me for a long time. It actually kind of ruined the show for me at the time (another reason why I hate spoilers... it takes me out of the experience if I know they're playing certain songs)... 2007, I saw five shows in a row hoping for Misunderstood. Missed on every one. They played it the next night.

That was one I missed too. I only went to one show, though. I still have never heard it live

[OpenYourEyes311]

... 2007, I saw five shows in a row hoping for Misunderstood. Missed on every one. They played it the next night.

WOW!

Haha, YUP! Ironically, I could have just gone to the Boston show and would have missed nothing I hadn't seen at the other four shows, or previously. And they played Misunderstood in 2008 in Boston anyway. I rarely go to more than one show for these reasons now lol.

Next tour they finally bring back Octavarium, but rotate it out with Illumination Theory from night to night.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[nobloodyname]

Next tour they finally bring back Octavarium, but rotate it out with Illumination Theory from night to night.

I roll my eyes hard at people being anything more than very mildly disappointed XYZ song didn't get played on their personal night of attendance. But for this, I'd have to make an exception. There are no circumstances in the universe under which it'd be legally permissable to play Illumination Theory in place of Octavarium

[MirrorMask]

When Bruce came back to Maiden, he said he would be honored to play anything from the Blaze era, and that was a period of the band that they could have easily ignored going forward and nobody would notice.

They've generally ignored it. Not at the beginning, but definitely since, save for the Legacy Of The Beast tour. If I'm not mistaken, not since Lord Of the Flies was played in 2004.

To be fair, when Bruce returned, the Blaze albums were recent and they absolutely did honor them in the first tours; then the albums with the reunited lineup became more and more, they started doing nostalgia tours and one-offs like playing the entire new album live (A Matter of Life and Death) and so there was not much room to honor all the albums, let alone the Blaze ones.

Also, the Blaze albums are two, and by now they're more than 20 years old. DT with Mangini has released five albums in 13 years, they just can't brush away those albums like they never happened.

[Dream Team]

It would certainly be a slap in the face of Mangini to not play any of his songs. BUT - here's the thing, because of James' limitations they really can't feature I&W or Awake anymore, so basically MP's desire for playing their older stuff is limited mostly to that 6 album run of SFAM - BCSL.

[Mladen]

I think they'll continue performing songs from I&W and Awake, it's just that James will have to alter the melodies significantly. He might have to do the same for some songs from SFAM onwards, though.

[Mosh]

When Bruce came back to Maiden, he said he would be honored to play anything from the Blaze era, and that was a period of the band that they could have easily ignored going forward and nobody would notice.

They've generally ignored it. Not at the beginning, but definitely since, save for the Legacy Of The Beast tour. If I'm not mistaken, not since Lord Of the Flies was played in 2004.

To be fair, when Bruce returned, the Blaze albums were recent and they absolutely did honor them in the first tours; then the albums with the reunited lineup became more and more, they started doing nostalgia tours and one-offs like playing the entire new album live (A Matter of Life and Death) and so there was not much room to honor all the albums, let alone the Blaze ones.

Also, the Blaze albums are two, and by now they're more than 20 years old. DT with Mangini has released five albums in 13 years, they just can't brush away those albums like they never happened.

That is kind of my logic there, relative to the rest of the discography, they did a decent (not great) job of representing the Blaze albums. The amount of inclusion of songs from those albums in the 21st century is comparable to (if not greater than) some reunion albums. They haven’t played anything off Final Frontier or Book of Souls since touring those albums. Also we’re talking about an era of Maiden that was controversial at best. To the average Dream Theater fan, there isn’t a giant divide in quality between the 5 Mangini albums compared to the recent Portnoy albums.

So if DT continues to build setlists in a somewhat similar way to how they’ve been constructing setlists, I think it’s reasonable to expect one or two Mangini era songs to be included generally. Like Bridges in the Sky on the View tour. They haven’t really been pulling from a huge pool of Mangini songs when the album tour is over, so I don’t expect that to change, but they do usually throw an older song in.

If they bring back rotating setlists, ironically that will give them even less of a valid reason not to include the Mangini era.

[hunnus2000]

It would certainly be a slap in the face of Mangini to not play any of his songs. BUT - here's the thing, because of James' limitations they really can't feature I&W or Awake anymore, so basically MP's desire for playing their older stuff is limited mostly to that 6 album run of SFAM - BCSL.

I generally agree with this statement. I think songs like Anna Lee, Sacrificed Sons and maybe even The Best of Times an LTE song and maybe 3 or 4 from the MM ERA. I'd love MP to play maybe the Overture from the Astonishing. I am curious to see MP's take on these songs the MM songs and obviously their new album. I wouldn't like it if it became the best of MP tour.

[Stadler]

I remember that poster. A dork had it hanging in his hall locker. I think I may have hung the little troll by his belt from the drinking fountain.

Someone tried that with me once.


Once. 

[Stadler]

After their worst album (A View From the Top of the World) I actually welcome Mike Portnoy back.  Hopefully Mike keeps his garbage woke politics off of the next album though. Bring back the memorable melodies along with great instumentals. Nothing was memorable from the last album IMO. Can't believe it was well regarded. I am hoping for an album similar to Awake filled with memorable shorter songs (by Dream Theater standards)

There are a lot of words I can use to describe Mike and his point of view...some good, some bad.  "Woke" isn't one of them.

[ReaperKK]

After their worst album (A View From the Top of the World) I actually welcome Mike Portnoy back.  Hopefully Mike keeps his garbage woke politics off of the next album though. Bring back the memorable melodies along with great instumentals. Nothing was memorable from the last album IMO. Can't believe it was well regarded. I am hoping for an album similar to Awake filled with memorable shorter songs (by Dream Theater standards)

There are a lot of words I can use to describe Mike and his point of view...some good, some bad.  "Woke" isn't one of them.

If Mike broke? I heard being woke entails financial hardships...

[Stadler]

As usual, it's like I'm listening to a different video.

Really, really excited for this still, though.  I can't wait to hear what they come up with.   And as for setlist, I will get what I get.  I can't lose sleep over what was played the night before and what might be played the next night.  I can only enjoy what I see.  For me, I liked the rotations because it kept it fresh; it wasn't about what song I heard, it was about the fact of seeing excellent musicians on their toes night after night. 

I'm also rather excited to hear what Mangini era songs get played (I find it unfathomable that none will be played).  Mangini is excellent, he's a top flight drummer no doubt, but as I was revisiting some of the recent albums in my recent listen through, my criticisms remain the same; I found his style and choices to be as often as not intrusive, not supportive.  I'm rather looking forward to Portnoy playing them in his style.  I think it might give them new life for me.

[TAC]

As usual, it's like I'm listening to a different video.

What are you hearing?

[Stadler]

As usual, it's like I'm listening to a different video.

What are you hearing?

I didn't hear several of the things people wrote about.  His answers were appropriately wishy-washy, so that whatever the band decides in the (future) moment will be credible.  I didn't hear anything that said he wasn't willing to or looking forward to playing any and all songs, for example.  I heard a man that was happy to be "home" (not for nothing, he talked for almost five minutes about FAMILY; some wise soul here posited that this decision perhaps had significant roots in the familial aspect of the last two years), and who was open to doing what it took to maintain that position. 

[TAC]

As usual, it's like I'm listening to a different video.

What are you hearing?

I didn't hear several of the things people wrote about.  His answers were appropriately wishy-washy, so that whatever the band decides in the (future) moment will be credible.  I didn't hear anything that said he wasn't willing to or looking forward to playing any and all songs, for example.  I heard a man that was happy to be "home" (not for nothing, he talked for almost five minutes about FAMILY; some wise soul here posited that this decision perhaps had significant roots in the familial aspect of the last two years), and who was open to doing what it took to maintain that position.

Appropriately wishy washy.. yes.

[porcacultor]

As usual, it's like I'm listening to a different video.

Really, really excited for this still, though.  I can't wait to hear what they come up with.   And as for setlist, I will get what I get.  I can't lose sleep over what was played the night before and what might be played the next night.  I can only enjoy what I see.  For me, I liked the rotations because it kept it fresh; it wasn't about what song I heard, it was about the fact of seeing excellent musicians on their toes night after night.

I'm also rather excited to hear what Mangini era songs get played (I find it unfathomable that none will be played).  Mangini is excellent, he's a top flight drummer no doubt, but as I was revisiting some of the recent albums in my recent listen through, my criticisms remain the same; I found his style and choices to be as often as not intrusive, not supportive.  I'm rather looking forward to Portnoy playing them in his style.  I think it might give them new life for me.

I could not agree more.

Been revisiting the setlists of both the shows I got to see with MP in the band in São Paulo and those played before and after, say in Rio or other Brazilian or South American cities (in 2008 and 2010). Plenty of great choices all around, but it was a hoot to attend and see what they'd cook. In terms of favorites, I lucked out in 2008 getting Blind Faith and Never Enough, but in 2010 they reserved plenty of my favorites for the Rio gig. Regardless, it was an exciting experience, one that almost felt CURATED for the fans. Whatever we get coming forward, I hope MP's love in making choices and arranging the experience will shine through.

Regarding what MP can bring to the MM-era tracks, I refer back to that video from one of his drum tapes of him playing "Free" by OSI. The original was a mix of his recorded parts and programmed parts (by either Matheos or Moore). He cooked an organic arrangement to be played in one go and I think it added so much to the song! (Of course, it'd be even better to have the other musicians playing with him in the room and feeding from his enthusiasm) https://youtu.be/9ZlV9dlL_rc?t=634

I'll love to see his spin on the stuff from the past 13 years!

[JeopardousRaven]

It would certainly be a slap in the face of Mangini to not play any of his songs. BUT - here's the thing, because of James' limitations they really can't feature I&W or Awake anymore, so basically MP's desire for playing their older stuff is limited mostly to that 6 album run of SFAM - BCSL.

I generally agree with this statement. I think songs like Anna Lee, Sacrificed Sons and maybe even The Best of Times an LTE song and maybe 3 or 4 from the MM ERA. I'd love MP to play maybe the Overture from the Astonishing. I am curious to see MP's take on these songs the MM songs and obviously their new album. I wouldn't like it if it became the best of MP tour.

I really love Anna Lee (and most of FII) but I'd be utterly shocked to see it be brought back. For one, it's not really a fan favorite and I don't believe it has been played once since 1998. More significantly, I feel like that's kind of Derek's watered-down equivalent to Space-Dye Vest or The Best of Times, albeit not nearly as personal of a connection. IIRC Derek almost completely composed the song while JLB wrote the lyrics, so maybe not playing it is their way of 'honoring' DS or something along those lines. It is a gorgeous song however, and I'd love to have the chance to see it live. Falling Into Infinity is such a cool album in my opinion. You get to see the band explore a completely different side of themselves and I'm all there for it.

[nobloodyname]

Regardless, it was an exciting experience, one that almost felt CURATED for the fans.

Well, that's because it literally was. That really was what MP used to do.

[crystalstars17]

I really love Anna Lee (and most of FII) but I'd be utterly shocked to see it be brought back.

It is a gorgeous song however, and I'd love to have the chance to see it live.

I know music is subjective and all, and there are exceptionally few DT songs that I could actually say that I hate, but this is the worst. It sounds to me like sleepy old 70's radio pop. Like they were trying to be Elton John. Maybe that's what they were going for(?), but when I first heard it I was like, seriously, wtf? So when I read your post my gut reaction was nooooo, not that! 

Falling Into Infinity is such a cool album in my opinion. You get to see the band explore a completely different side of themselves and I'm all there for it.

Ok, that's how I feel about TA, so that's fair  I do love Hell's Kitchen, though.

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

Elton John rules so hard, why would DT writing a song that sounds like him be a bad thing?

[nobloodyname]

Yes, I agree.

I think Anna Lee is a gem in their catalogue; it's a lovely showcase of the band's ability to diversify. It's also far better than literally everything on The Astonishing which, sylistically, it's not dissimilar to.

[Stadler]

I really love Anna Lee (and most of FII) but I'd be utterly shocked to see it be brought back.

It is a gorgeous song however, and I'd love to have the chance to see it live.

I know music is subjective and all, and there are exceptionally few DT songs that I could actually say that I hate, but this is the worst. It sounds to me like sleepy old 70's radio pop. Like they were trying to be Elton John. Maybe that's what they were going for(?), but when I first heard it I was like, seriously, wtf? So when I read your post my gut reaction was nooooo, not that! 

Falling Into Infinity is such a cool album in my opinion. You get to see the band explore a completely different side of themselves and I'm all there for it.

Ok, that's how I feel about TA, so that's fair  I do love Hell's Kitchen, though.

As I understand it, that's EXACTY what they were going for.  Derek often played Elton John songs as part of his solo and when the band would do covers, and I think I remember in one of the documentaries that that was his primary inspiration for the music for that track. 

[KevShmev]

Plus, the A Change of Seasons EP did have their live cover of Elton's Funeral For a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding - great song, and IMO the best cover DT has ever done (it's the only I ever revisit) - so the Elton influence was there for the duration of the short-lived Sherinian era.  I know Portnoy is an Elton fan as well, but I am not sure you ever really hear it come from him.

[XeRocks81]

Plus, the A Change of Seasons EP did have their live cover of Elton's Funeral For a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding - great song, and IMO the best cover DT has ever done (it's the only I ever revisit) - so the Elton influence was there for the duration of the short-lived Sherinian era.  I know Portnoy is an Elton fan as well, but I am not sure you ever really hear it come from him.

big +1 for the DT Funeral for a friend/Love lies bleeding cover,  it's awesome. 

btw there's also an excellent Kevin Gilbert cover version from the Toy Matinee era  https://youtu.be/aSVxKA7dOwY?si=QOsuY28QvVzNVVq7

[HOF]

Anna Lee is a really nice song, lovely piano piece for sure. It's not my favorite DT ballad, and there are other songs from the FII sessions I might have even preferred for the final album, but I do like it. Very Elton John/Beatles-ish.

Ironically, I don't think Derek really likes the final version, which is why he re-did it as an instrumental for one of his solo albums.

[Setlist Scotty]

After their worst album (A View From the Top of the World) I actually welcome Mike Portnoy back.  Hopefully Mike keeps his garbage woke politics off of the next album though. Bring back the memorable melodies along with great instumentals. Nothing was memorable from the last album IMO. Can't believe it was well regarded. I am hoping for an album similar to Awake filled with memorable shorter songs (by Dream Theater standards)

There are a lot of words I can use to describe Mike and his point of view...some good, some bad.  "Woke" isn't one of them.

Agreed. I've seen MP post a few things that were political on social media, but I don't think any of that ever appeared in the lyrics he wrote and those posts were few and far between. I'd say JL's lyrics were more political than MP's ever were. Nevermind that JP seems to go the other way, although I don't think that's really appeared in JP's lyrics either.

Regardless (and to keep this from turning political), MP has stated, even as far back as during the BCaSL tour cycle that he was pretty much done doing lyric writing. Had he never left the band, it's quite possible none of the albums since would have had any lyrics from him. Of course that could have changed since then, but from what I know about the myriad of bands/projects he's been in since leaving, he's only written lyrics to a few songs at most. So I don't think you have anything to worry about Mr. Gruber. 
 
 

I really love Anna Lee (and most of FII) but I'd be utterly shocked to see it be brought back.

It is a gorgeous song however, and I'd love to have the chance to see it live.

I know music is subjective and all, and there are exceptionally few DT songs that I could actually say that I hate, but this is the worst. It sounds to me like sleepy old 70's radio pop. Like they were trying to be Elton John. Maybe that's what they were going for(?), but when I first heard it I was like, seriously, wtf? So when I read your post my gut reaction was nooooo, not that! 

Falling Into Infinity is such a cool album in my opinion. You get to see the band explore a completely different side of themselves and I'm all there for it.

Ok, that's how I feel about TA, so that's fair  I do love Hell's Kitchen, though.

As I understand it, that's EXACTY what they were going for.  Derek often played Elton John songs as part of his solo and when the band would do covers, and I think I remember in one of the documentaries that that was his primary inspiration for the music for that track.

What's really interesting is that the original demo for AL on the FII demos official bootleg actually has more of a Beatles vibe to it, at least to my ears, whereas the studio version is definitely more of an Elton John vibe.
 
 

Anna Lee is a really nice song, lovely piano piece for sure. It's not my favorite DT ballad, and there are other songs from the FII sessions I might have even preferred for the final album, but I do like it. Very Elton John/Beatles-ish.

Ironically, I don't think Derek really likes the final version, which is why he re-did it as an instrumental for one of his solo albums.

I believe you are correct on that. Can't remember where I read it, but I saw comments he made that gave that general impression.

[TAC]

As usual, it's like I'm listening to a different video.

As usual..

Really, really excited for this still, though.

So....super excited? 

[Dedalus]

I also like Anna Lee. I think I like all of DT's mellow songs, with the exception of Wither.

[BlacklistJones]

Really awesome interview with the man himself - and my apologies if that has already been posted elsewhere:

https://metalinjection.net/news/mike-portnoy-on-how-he-reunited-with-dream-theater-if-theyll-do-a-scenes-from-a-memory-sequel

[Setlist Scotty]

Really awesome interview with the man himself - and my apologies if that has already been posted elsewhere:

https://metalinjection.net/news/mike-portnoy-on-how-he-reunited-with-dream-theater-if-theyll-do-a-scenes-from-a-memory-sequel

Already discussed it, starting here:
https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=58684.msg3057791#msg3057791

[ReaPsTA]

Kinda torn on those excerpts. A lot of the stuff he's saying/implying they haven't talked about are things it seems like should have been worked out beforehand. On the other hand, he's basically saying that he's the new guy now and stepping into something that's existed for a while without him, rather than "I can't wait for things to be just like they were before", which is probably a good thing.

[ReaPsTA]

I thought it was fascinating btw that he said Metropolis Part 3 would be the natural thing, which to me just kinda seemed like fan wank. But Portnoy thinks like a fan and I think that's why a lot of people like the guy so much.

[gzarruk]

IIRC, Jordan was asked around the time ADTOE was released about making Metropolis pt. 3 someday and he said that'd be like a bad movie where they keep making sequels just for the sake of it and the story never ends. I really hope they don't go that route, but I'd gladly welcome another concept album for sure.

[ReaPsTA]

If they're going to do it now feels like the best time. The longer you wait, the more contrived it would be.