Seemingly out of nowhere, Dream Theater introduced the return of original drummer Mike Portnoy in October 2023. Portnoy left the band in 2010 and was changed for the subsequent 13 years by Mike Mangini. Regardless of Dream Theater and Mangini‘s decade-plus historical past collectively, Mangini mentioned the band did not give him any advance warning that Portnoy was returning to the band.
“[It was] quick,” mentioned Mangini in an interview with Chris Akin Presents. “But it surely’s like… So the fish comes up out of the water, it is quick. However the fish was swimming for some time. The place was the fish? No matter.”
He continued: “The rationale it was simple for me to cope with — very simple, really — I used to be, like, ‘Oh, okay. Yeah. Yeah. Authentic man again in band.’ I bought it. And I did not need to undergo a drop-down menu; I did not need to do it. It was simply I checked out it and went, ‘Okay.’ And plus I do not know whether or not it was intuitive, instinctual [or] mental… however I’ve left so many issues on the desk for therefore a few years — the publishing of extra books, the lessons that I wanna train, the interplay that my very own self-development comes largely from me having to show and discuss it to folks. Sooner or later, I imply, I see the entire image, the grid, and I do know what I am unable to do, and that evokes me.
“However anyway, the reply to your query is, I bought a name and understood the decision, and mentioned, ‘Okay, let’s do a joint assertion.’ After which the subsequent day, I am, like, ‘Okay.’ I am having espresso and fairly actually, at my assume tank, taking a look at my checklist and going, ‘How am I gonna full this job now? I’ve gotta repair this or do this. I’ve bought lots to do.’ My studio facility had development, there was stuff that needed to be fastened. I used to be, like, ‘Let me simply let all of these things occur and breathe and simply end these items.’ So that is what my mindset was. I am unable to let you know something completely different as a result of that is what it was.”
Mangini later elaborated on his departure, saying he would not know the way the reunion got here to be and what the complete story behind all of it really is. “Nicely as a result of I do not know that that is what’s the full image. I do not know that that’s what occurred certainly. And I do not let myself even give it some thought. Folks determine issues and I respect that. It is simply it’s what it’s.”
In a earlier interview with The Mistress Carrie Podcast, Mangini spoke somewhat about Dream Theater‘s option to have Portnoy rejoin, saying that he merely understood the choice.
“The scenario made sense to me after I heard it in that — I do not know, I assume I simply skipped out and thought, ‘Oh, that is an unique band member going again to a band. Oh, I get that. Okay, I get it.'” mentioned Mangini. “And that is it. I imply, that’s actually it.”
He continued: “A choice was made that I understood. That is all it’s. ‘Trigger after I heard the choice, I understood it. I attempted to clarify that I understood the parameters of that being a music factor. Anyway, it is so simple as that. And I am telling you, I used to be, like, ‘Okay, ‘I get that.’ I used to be with the band for 13 years. It was an unbelievable expertise.”
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