In a recent interview with Loaded Radio, DREAM THEATER vocalist James LaBrie talked about the band’s decision to reunite with Mike Portnoy in October 2023, 13 years after the drummer initially departed from the progressive metal giants.
When asked how Portnoy‘s return to band came about, LaBrie offered (as transcribed by Blabbermouth): “Well, I think that there were several existential things that were going on as far as you could see Mike Portnoy doing [guitarist] John Petrucci‘s solo album, you could see him doing [Petrucci‘s] solo tour, you could see him doing the latest LIQUID TENSION [EXPERIMENT] album. So there was all these things that were slowly but surely opening the door to, is that a possibility? Is that something we should consider? Is it inevitable that the band should be considering the classic-lineup reunion? And things just start to become a little more obvious as time continues and things unfold naturally in that direction. And I think after the last world tour, after we had completed that tour and we were at home for a couple months, there were already things that we were thinking about. And that kind of — without getting into it, it was just something that was just pushing us that way through conversations with one another.
“When I say one another — being myself, John Petrucci, Jordan [Rudess, DREAM THEATER keyboardist] and [DREAM THEATER bassist] John Myung, just kind of feeling that magnetism, like, ‘Guys, I think this is our time. I think this only makes sense that we bring back Mike [Portnoy] and make something of it. Let’s do this time. Life’s short. It really is. And let’s take it while we’re still feeling great, while we’re still loving what we’re doing and it’s not just for a money situation. It’s because we wanna see this back and we wanna make the best of it.’ And I think this album is a true testament to that. So, yeah, it made sense.”
When asked how former DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Mangini reacted to the news that Portnoy was returning, after the band informed him, James said: “Well, he was very professional about it. [It was] very admirable of him to have been… He took it in style and class. I mean, obviously, I think it would have been upsetting — it must have been upsetting — but he took it for what it’s worth and even saying things like, ‘It kind of makes sense, guys. I see why this should be happening and why this would maybe inevitably be happening. It just makes sense for the band and the amount of history that you all have together. It seems natural.’ So, yeah, no, he was a class guy. Classy. Yeah.”
DREAM THEATER is set to release their new studio album, Parasomnia, on February 7, 2025. This album marks the band’s first release with drummer Mike Portnoy since 2009’s Black Clouds & Silver Linings. You can read our review for Parasomnia here.
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