by Michael Popke

The big news in prog and metal circles today is the debut of Dream Theater’s new song with new drummer Mike Mangini (the short one, second from right). Titled “On the Backs of Angels,” the first Dream Theater track (ever) to not feature founding member Mike Portnoy is streaming on YouTube. The track opens with John Petrucci’s lovely acoustic guitar, followed by Mangini’s first beats. He plays a tribal-like groove that sets the pace for the nearly nine-minute song. A middle section highlights Jordan Rudess’s classical-piano chops, and Petrucci’s soloing sounds clean and carefree. Even vocalist James LaBrie seems a lot less pissed off than he did — especially on last year’s solo album, Static Impulse. This is pure Dream Theater, but — and it could just be the nature of the song — this also sounds like a band renewed.

The new Dream Theater album, aptly titled A Dramatic Turn of Events, will be released by Roadrunner Records on Sept. 13.

by Michael Popke

Ex-Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy recently tweeted about a new project, proving he is keen to move past awkward breakups with both Dream Theater and Avenged Sevenfold:

VERY excited about a new project I’m working on w one my fav singers in the world: my bro Sir Russell Allen…wait til you hear this sh*t!!!

You may recall that Allen’s main band, Symphony X, was working on a new album last summer that was supposed to be out already. Allen, like Portnoy, doesn’t like to sit still for long – taking on projects with Jorn Lande, Ayreon and his own solo work in the past. Both men are powerhouse performers with their chosen instruments, and it should be fun to see (and hear) how this goes.

(And if you’re not following Portnoy on Twitter, I urge you to do so. He posts about everything from iPhones to  TV shows to middle school sporting events.)

by Michael Popke

I’ve been waiting to see if the post Mike Portnoy made on his Facebook page today turned out to be a joke of some kind. (Plus, I wanted to avoid writing another Dream Theater-related post so quickly after previewing James LaBrie’s new solo album.) But so far, this appears to be the real deal: The drummer who founded Dream Theater and saw it through a quarter-century of ups and downs is leaving his own band. Here is Portnoy’s official statement, which as of 9:50 p.m. (CST) had garnered more than 2,000 comments and clearly rocked the progressive-metal universe:

I am about to write something I never imagined I’d ever write:

After 25 years, I have decided to leave Dream Theater….the band I founded, led and truly loved for a quarter of a century.

To many people this will come as a complete shock, and will also likely be misunderstood by some, but please believe me that it is not a hasty decision…it is something I have struggled with for the last year or so….

After having had such amazing experiences playing with Hail, Transatlantic and Avenged Sevenfold this past year, I have sadly come to the conclusion that I have recently had more fun and better personal relations with these other projects than I have for a while now in Dream Theater…

Please don’t misinterpret me, I love the DT guys dearly and have a long history, friendship and bond that runs incredibly deep with them…it’s just that I think we are in serious need of a little break…

Dream Theater was always my baby…and I nurtured that baby every single day and waking moment of my life since 1985…24/7, 365…never taking time off from DT’s never-ending responsibilites (even when the band was “off” between cycles)…working overtime and way beyond the call of duty that most sane people ever would do for a band…

But I’ve come to the conclusion that the DT machine was starting to burn me out…and I really needed a break from the band in order to save my relationship with the other members and keep my DT spirit hungry and inspired.

We have been on an endless write/record/tour cycle for almost 20 years now (of which I have overseen EVERY aspect without a break) and while a few months apart from each other here & there over the years has been much needed and helpful, I honestly hoped the band could simply agree with me to taking a bit of a “hiatus” to recharge our batteries and “save me from ourselves”…

Sadly, in discussing this with the guys, they determined they do not share my feelings and have decided to continue without me rather than take a breather…I even offered to do some occasional work throughout 2011 against my initial wishes, but it was not to be…

While it truly hurts for me to even think of a Dream Theater without Mike Portnoy (hell, my father named the band!!), I do not want to stand in their way…so I have decided to sacrifice myself and simply leave the band so as to not hold them back against their wishes….

Strangely enough, I just read an interview that I recently did that asked me about the future of DT and I talked about “always following your heart and being true to yourself”…sadly I must say that at this particular moment, my heart is not with Dream Theater…and I would simply be “going through the motions”, and would honestly NOT be true to myself if I stayed for the sake of obligation without taking the break I felt I needed.

I wish the guys the best and hope the music and legacy we created together is enjoyed by fans for decades to come…I am proud of every album we made, every song we wrote and every show we played….

I’m sorry to all the disappointed DT fans around the world…I really tried to salvage the situation and make it work…I honestly just wanted a break (not a split)…but happiness cannot be forced, it needs to come from within….

You DT fans are the greatest fans in the world and as you all know, I have always busted my ass for you guys and I hope that you will stay with me on my future musical journey, wherever it may lead me….(and as you all know my work ethic, there will surely be no shortage of future MP projects!)

Sadly…Your fearless ex-leader and drummer,
MP

Granted, Portnoy has been dabbling in other projects lately — the prog supergroup Transatlantic and emo headbangers Avenged Sevenfold being the highest profile — but he also recently told Goldmine editor Pat Prince that although Dream Theater will take the rest of 2010 off, the band would reconvene next year. “Generally, after a tour ends, we take some time off and then regroup to start the next record, so I’m sure this will be no different,” he said.

The one guy in that band who always seemed to be having fun apparently wasn’t. The tone and implications of Portnoy’s post can have a numbing effect, and I’m sure many fans are in shock tonight. After all, Mike Portnoy was the face of Dream Theater. Not vocalist James LaBrie or guitarist John Petrucci, and certainly not keyboard player Jordan Rudess or bassist John Myung. His innovative, chaotic style invokes Keith Moon and John Bonham, and watching him play was sometimes the most rewarding aspect of witnessing a Dream Theater concert. He is one of prog-metal’s true characters, and it’s worth keeping an eye (and ear) on what he does next.

But what happens now? Will the remaining members of Dream Theater issue a statement?  What will be Portnoy’s first post-Dream Theater project? And who will replace him? This story could be with us for a long time.

A side note: Curiously, there’s nothing posted about Portnoy’s departure on the official Dream Theater web site.

UPDATE: SEPTEMBER 10, 2010
The remaining members of Dream Theater have a issued a statement in the wake of Portnoy’s departure:

To all of our loyal fans and friends: It is with profound sadness — regret — we announce that Mike Portnoy, our lifelong drummer and friend, has decided to leave Dream Theater. Mike’s stature in the band has meant the world to all of us professionally, musically, and personally over the years. There is no dispute: Mike has been a major force within this band.

While it is true that Mike is choosing to pursue other ventures and challenges, we can assure you that Dream Theater will continue to move forward with the same intensity — and in the same musical tradition — that you have all helped make so successful, and which is truly gratifying to us.

Fans and friends: File this episode under “Black Clouds and Silver Linings.” As planned, we begin recording our newest album in January 2011, and we’ll follow that with a full-on world tour. “The Spirit Carries On.”

All of us in Dream Theater wholeheartedly wish Mike the best on his musical journey. We have had a long and meaningful career together. It is our true hope that he finds all he is looking for, and that he achieves the happiness he deserves. He will be missed.

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by Michael Popke

It seems like Dream Theater is never out of the music news for long. Arguably one of progressive-metal’s definitive bands, Dream Theater released its most recent album, Black Clouds & Silver Linings, back in June 2009. But since then, drummer Mike Portnoy has reunited and toured with the supergroup Transatlantic and appeared on the new Avenged Sevenfold album, Nightmare. Keyboardist Jordan Rudess launched Wizdom Music, a virtual musical instrument iPad/iPhone app development company, in July.  And, of course, Dream Theater recently wrapped up its latest  tour, this time with the mighty Iron Maiden.

Now comes word of a second solo album from Dream Theater vocalist James LaBrie — fourth, if you count his two Mullmuzzler projects from 1999 and 2001 — and it appears to be a doozy. Titled Static Impulse and scheduled to drop Sept. 28 on InsideOut Music, the album is heavier and more aggressive than even hardcore fans might expect. LaBrie and creative partner/keyboardist Matt Guillory (who appeared on the Mullmuzzler albums and also was in Dali’s Dilemma) co-wrote the material and then invited growler Peter Wildoer to, as LaBrie puts it, “scream his ass off.” Wildoer, who fronts the Swedish melodic-death/progressive-thrash band Darkane, can be heard all over “One More Time” – one of two cuts from Static Impulse that I’ve previewed. It’s relentless, propulsive and damn near lethal, a shocking slab of thick prog metal that begins with Wildoer’s barking, not LaBrie’s voice — which, by the way, is sounding more like Geddy Lee’s as each years passes. “I Need You” also features Wildoer but is slightly more typical of both Dream Theater and LaBrie’s earlier solo work.

Still, these tracks are bound to rattle some staunch Dream Theater fans. After all, LaBrie’s main band stays far away from brutal barking — which is one of the reasons for its immense popularity. (Personally, I don’t think LaBrie, a love-him-or-hate-him vocalist that I merely like, has it in him to growl more than a few syllables, and that’s fine with me.) As with practically anything revolving around Dream Theater, though, reaction to LaBrie’s latest effort should be both intense and swift.