Calling all Dream Theater fans! Mike Portnoy has officially returned to the group after more than a decade of being separated from his beloved bandmates; what happened to him?
According to Loudwire, the band now has the official lineup from 1999/2000 which composed of vocalist James LaBrie, John Petrucci on guitar, John Myung on Bass, Jordan Rudess on keyboard, and Portnoy on the drums.
Through the years of their career, this original lineup was able to record and release over six albums including their most successful project "Metropolis Pt. 2 Scenes From a Memory."
I’m incredibly excited to welcome @MikePortnoy back into @dreamtheaternet! pic.twitter.com/bGzLiHNRAL
— John Petrucci (@JPetrucci) October 25, 2023
With Portnoy's return, this means Mike Mangini will be stepping out from the group as he was the chosen replacement for the drummer after a gruesome audition process. Before he worked with the band, he used to work at Berklee College of Music, but he had to quit.
Mangini was able to play with other bands like Extreme, Annihilator, and Labrie's solo album in 2005.
In total, he played for Dream Theater for 12 years. He was able to contribute his talent in over five studio albums as well as live performances.
Mike Mangini Reacts to Mike Portnoy's Comeback to Dream Theater
Since Mike Portnoy is coming back, many people were curious as to how Mike Mangini would react to the matter.
"I understand Dream Theater's decision to get Mike Portnoy back at this time. As was said from day one, my place was not to fill all the roles that Mike held in the band," he said in a statement.
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He added that he was able to play the drums for the band to continue and one of his main roles was to keep the live show working tightly every single night.
12 years with the band was no joke so Mangini was grateful for the opportunity, as he said: "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." (via Forbes)
Why Did Mike Portnoy Leave the Group in the First Place?
Mike Portnoy left Dream Theater in 2010 and many fans were shocked by his decision at the time as the band was so concise and so intact that they never expected any member would leave.
In an interview with Classic Rock Magazine at the time, as reported by Sportskeeda, he noted that one of the reasons why he decided to leave was because he didn't want his career to revolve around just one band.
"I didn't want to play with the same four musicians for the rest of my life. I needed to spread my wings, and I knew I had more to offer than just Dream Theater," he added.
