GRAMMY®-winning, progressive music titans DREAM THEATER have announced the return of drummer Mike Portnoy to the group.
Portnoy will reunite with guitarist John Petrucci and bassist John Myung – the trio formed the band at the Berklee College Of Music in 1985 – along with longtime members, vocalist James LaBrie and keyboardist Jordan Rudess. DREAM THEATER will be going into the studio to begin working on their 16th studio album and the first with Portnoy since 2009’s Black Clouds & Silver Linings.
The band parted ways with Portnoy in 2010 and replaced him with Mike Mangini, who has been with them since 2011.
Regarding his departure from the band, Mangini has issued the following statement: “I understand DREAM THEATER’s decision to get Mike Portnoy back at this time. As was said from Day 1, my place was not to fill all the roles that Mike held in the band. I was to play the drums in order to help the band carry on.
“My main role of keeping our live show working tightly on a nightly basis was an intense and rewarding experience. Thankfully, I got to experience playing music with these iconic musicians, as well as some fun times laced with humor.
“I also really enjoyed spending lots of time with the crew. And then there’s the GRAMMY® win, which was amazingly satisfying. To the fans: thank you so much for being amazing to me. I cherish the pictures I have of you all losing your minds and having fun. Finally, I really love the band, crew and management and wish them and the entire organization all the best.”
