The Dream Theater World, the official DREAM THEATER fan membership, just lately carried out an interview with DREAM THEATER members John Petrucci (guitar),Jordan Rudess (keyboards) and Mike Portnoy (drums). Requested what it has been like touring collectively once more following the return of Portnoy in October 2023 after a 13-year absence, Rudess mentioned (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): ”To start with, when Mike got here again and was within the studio with us the primary day, in my thoughts it is nonetheless nearly unattainable to suppose it was so a few years since he was with us earlier than, ‘trigger it appeared such as you simply blink your eyes and we’re again collectively once more. And a part of the rationale that it appeared that solution to me, and I feel we are able to all relate to this, it is simply so proper, it is so pure. It is like, ‘Okay, nicely, that is the place we ought to be.’ To not low cost the opposite years or the music we made when Mike [Portnoy] wasn’t there, however to only say once we’re collectively, it is, like, okay, nicely, that is what actually, actually works and feels proper. And so we have been having a good time hanging out.”
Added Portnoy: “It feels so pure, like Jordan mentioned. It was one factor to spend that first 12 months collectively within the studio — even earlier than we performed a present or had any form of public appearances with the 5 of us, we spent nearly a stable 12 months simply alone within the studio. And inside a pair days, it simply felt like no time had handed. And it was the identical as soon as we began touring. The primary couple of exhibits, there was possibly a second right here or there the place it was, like, ‘Wow, we’re in a van touring to the gig collectively. Who would’ve ever thought this is able to occur?’ Each on occasion there’d be these moments of the place it simply felt surreal and unbelievable. However, actually, it was extra — 95 % of the time, it simply felt like no time had handed, and it was precisely the way it was again then.”
Mike continued: “I imply, I’ve mentioned this earlier than and it is actually true — this was extra than simply coming again to a band for me. It was like coming again dwelling to a household. You spend a lot time collectively on the highway, touring on a bus or on an airplane or in dressing rooms backstage — it is a lot extra than simply being in a band taking part in music collectively. It is all that different stuff. And each on occasion there’d be a second, like, ‘Wow. Wow, the place did this come from? How did this occur?’ However actually, it is solely very often that these emotions come out. For essentially the most half, it simply looks like we simply picked up proper the place we left off — for me, no less than.”
Petrucci chimed in: “For me, it has been superior simply having my brother again within the band. We met once we have been 18 years previous. We began this factor [together]. And there is a sure relationship that approach and bond that may’t be damaged. And it is also attention-grabbing to form of make amends for what occurred throughout these instances. Nearly each evening on the bus we get collectively and whether or not [Mike‘s] turning us on to music or we’ll play a sport collectively on the bus or some type of trivia, and it is numerous enjoyable. One of many issues that retains taking place — it is actually hysterical — we have been taking part in this sport the opposite evening the place we have been taking part in… I do not know — by some means we went down this rabbit gap of taking part in actually obscure one-hit wonders from the ’60s and seeing who may title the track. And our tour supervisor Rikk is nice at that. And each on occasion anyone would title the track, after which Mike can be, like, ‘I truly did a canopy of that with THE WINERY DOGS in Glasgow.’ And it was like getting hysterical. Even at my previous guitar camp — we did ‘Hocus Pocus’ by FOCUS, and Mike was, like, ‘I truly performed that with the precise man from…’ So it is form of humorous catching up on what Mike was doing musically. Now we have all these new tales to share. So it has been nice.”
Earlier within the month, DREAM THEATER singer James LaBrie was requested by The Prog Report what number of exhibits into the band’s Fortieth-anniversary tour it took earlier than “the shock” of him “turning round and seeing Mike again” behind the drum equipment “died down just a little bit” for him. James mentioned: “It was most likely the primary 5, six exhibits — it simply felt just a little surreal, ‘trigger, yeah, I would flip round and we’re, like, each one another, no matter, smiling or making faces at each other. However, yeah, I would say possibly after the primary 5 exhibits, then it simply turned, like, ‘Okay, it is cool.’ It is a nice new starting as soon as once more, you may truly say. And it simply feels proper.”
Referencing the truth that Portnoy was changed in 2010 by Mike Mangini, who performed with DREAM THEATER throughout 5 studio albums and accompanying world excursions, LaBrie added: “I’ve mentioned it in a number of interviews. It is humorous. You get away, and Mike Mangini is a phenomenal drummer — he was unimaginable within the band and that, and he has his type of taking part in and being concerned within the music and the writing and all that stuff. After which coming again to Mike Portnoy, I used to be simply reminded, and we even talked about it whereas we have been writing [the latest DREAM THEATER album] ‘Parasomnia’, and he has a really particular vibe and really feel and groove to when he performs. And also you simply really feel that, and then you definately’re reminded and also you’re, like, ‘Wow. Yeah. There it’s. There it’s. That is precisely what it was like.’ And it is good. It is like a coming dwelling — for all of us. For all of us. For certain.”
This previous January, LaBrie was requested by This Day In Metallic if it is truthful to say that his face-to-face assembly with Portnoy in March 2022 “was possibly one of many final dominoes to fall earlier than the traditional DREAM THEATER lineup reunited”, James mentioned: “Yeah, for certain. When Mike and I met — you are referring to our preliminary assembly on the Beacon Theatre [in New York City] once we have been taking part in there and he got here out to the present. However, yeah, that was considerably the catalyst that actually form of busted the door vast open with the chance that we may all begin actually fascinated with. Is that this one thing that we ought to be severely contemplating, a reunion? And issues inevitably did result in that, however I feel there have been some precursors, like Mike had already finished [DREAM THEATER guitarist] John Petrucci‘s solo album, then he did his solo tour, then he additionally labored with John and Jordan [Rudess, DREAM THEATER keyboardist] on the newest LIQUID TENSION [EXPERIMENT] album. So all these items have been form of simply slowly however certainly guaranteeing that he was strolling by way of the door of being again within the fold.”
James continued: “[Mike] coming again in, although, when it truly did occur, it was very pure. There was no — I do not know — emotions of whether or not or not, ‘Hey, is that this actually gonna work? Is that this gonna be what we keep in mind the band as?’ And if there have been any apprehensive emotions, that simply undoubtedly was by no means part of it. To be fairly sincere with you, I joke round, in among the interviews I’ve mentioned it felt like Mike went out for a espresso and he got here again and we simply began writing. However it was very easy, seamless. And we have been joking a number of instances, saying stuff like, ‘Oh my God…’ As a result of when you truly get into that atmosphere and also you begin writing the album, you begin remembering the chemistry that was nearly palpable. And it was inside the first day or two days of beginning to write [the upcoming DREAM THEATER album] ‘Parasomnia’, we have been joking round, we have been laughing, it was, like, ‘Oh my god. I keep in mind that, that entire interplay, that entire analytical method to the songs and the way they slowly however certainly evolve into a whole composition.’ So it was all this familiarity happening, going, ‘Oh my god. That is precisely the way in which it was. That is the place we’re in the present day, nevertheless it would not appear that we have missed a step.’ So it was extraordinarily easy, so to talk. It was simply doing what we all know how one can do when the 5 of us get into the studio.”
The progressive steel legends performed their first live performance with Portnoy in 14 years on October 20, 2024 on the O2 Area in London, United Kingdom.
The drummer co-founded DREAM THEATER in 1985 with Petrucci and Myung. Mike performed on 10 DREAM THEATER albums over a 20-year interval, from 1989’s “When Dream And Day Unite” by way of 2009’s “Black Clouds & Silver Linings”, earlier than exiting the group in 2010.
London marked the kick-off live performance of DREAM THEATER‘s 2024-2025 Fortieth-anniversary tour. The European leg of the trek — introduced as “An Night With Dream Theater” — ran by way of November 24, 2024 in Amsterdam, hitting cities in quite a few nations alongside the way in which.
DREAM THEATER‘s sixteenth studio album, “Parasomnia”, got here out on February 7, 2025 through InsideOut Music. The LP marked the band’s first launch with Portnoy since 2009’s “Black Clouds & Silver Linings”.
Concerning what it felt wish to be writing and recording with DREAM THEATER once more, Portnoy mentioned: “To be again with these guys, it feels actually particular. It looks like household, actually, actually. John and me and [DREAM THEATER bassist] John Myung have been taking part in collectively nearly 40 years at this level. We fashioned the band once we have been youngsters and met in school, the primary month of school. So, for us, it is deeper than simply being in a band collectively. We have been by way of life collectively. We met our wives collectively, our wives performed in a band collectively, we advert our households on the identical time, we have been to the funerals of one another’s dad and mom and siblings and issues like that. So, we have been by way of all these life experiences collectively. It goes past simply the music for us. All that being mentioned, it additionally, no less than to me, felt like no time had handed. It didn’t really feel like 13 years. As soon as we began writing collectively, it felt so pure and so recent. ‘Night time Terror’ was the very first thing we labored on, and it simply got here out so naturally. There wasn’t a lot thought wanted to enter it. It was, like, ‘Okay, right here we’re the place we simply left off.'”
“Parasomnia” was produced by John Petrucci, engineered by James “Jimmy T” Meslin, and blended by Andy Sneap. Hugh Syme returned as soon as once more to lend his inventive imaginative and prescient to the duvet artwork.