Dream Theater fans: Mike Portnoy has left the band.

[bbernardini]

Sad, but true.

http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=145749

[bbernardini]

1. I have to say, I'm surprised nobody responded to this.

I figured there would be at least ONE response, falling into one of three categories:

1. Portnoy is GOD.
2. Dream Theater are all about technical mastery, not actual music.
3. Who?

[Amerigo Vespucci]

2. Hard to argue with his exit letter...

..."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"...

I haven't heard his work with Avenged Sevenfold, but I have heard Transatlantic. It's a looser format, even though they do rend to wrap themselves around the occasional 30-minute "epic."

I've seen all of the D.T. DVDs so I'm familiar with Portnoy's role in the band...far from being "just the drummer." The band has a number of choices...steal a "seasoned vet" from some other prog band, take a big risk and hire someone who sounds nothing like Portnoy, etc...

...but his role as catalyst will have to be assumed by one or more members...they're going to have to step up or risk becoming an "oldies act." It could potentially be a disaster to give the new guy too much creative control, too soon. They might just want to consider driving semi trucks full of money up to Terry Bozzio's house and having him sit in on tour until they are comfortable with their next move. I've seen Bozzio live (with Zappa)...he's one of the few players who comes to mind as a "fill-in" (not replacement) for Portnoy. The guy is a friggin' animal.

[mikeytherat]

3. Saw Terry at a drum clinic many years ago.

Awesome. Simply awesome.

Dale's pretty awesome, too. ;)

mikey_the_rat

[tigereye]

4. amazingly complex drummer

[FlyByNight]

5. Terrific player

I love prog but, for some reason, I never really got into DT. Talented band though.

I don't think he'll stay unemployed (for lack of a better word) for long.

:headbang:

[Tobin S.]

6. I've heard that the easiest musician to replace in a band is the drummer

Maybe not so easy in this case, but like a poster said above, there are some drummers out there who are talented enough to fill the role. Portnoy is incredibly talented, as is everyone else in that band, and those guys are so tight musically and have been together so long that I never really thought something like this would happen. Good luck to Portnoy and good luck to the rest of the guys in finding a good replacement.

[txprog]

7. my thoughts....

I am a big fan of the band and the news is disappointing. Portnoy is a great, great drummer and he had seemingly endless passion for and devotion to his now former band.

But I always suspected that Portnoy had TOO much control. He once commented that he often took control because no one else would. Fair enough, but I still wonder. He did the set lists, I suspect they did covers because he was so into that. I thought his lack of humility, his un-apologetic stance, after the Master of Puppets debacle in Chicago was very, very disappointing. What other perhaps negative influences he had of course are unknown, but a question one might ask.

All that said, DT can carry on. They will find a new drummer with great chops, and with Ruddess and Petrucci there should be plenty of creative drive. Maybe even Myung and Labrie can and will contribute more. We shall see.

As long as there is a DT that makes sense, I'll be with them.