He's ba-a-a-ack! In 2010, Dream Theater drummer and songwriter Mike Portnoy took a hiatus from the band, which he had helped found in 1985, for an unspecified period. Portnoy had long been considered one of the, if not the, greatest progressive metal drummers in the world (he also played in the progressive supergroup, Transatlantic, as well as almost every group and album produced by neo-progressive godfather, Neal Morse). He was replaced during his hiatus by Mike Mangini, who some feel is as good as or better than Portnoy (it is hard to tell in the world of drummers who use two bass drums and drum kits with 7,000 pieces…lol…but I prefer Portnoy's style over Mangini's).
The band released five albums during Mangini's time, though he was not involved in the actual writing process, as Portnoy had been. Still, at least one of those albums is among their top ten (and would make an excellent first-time-ever progressive rock Broadway musical).
Last year, Dream Theater announced that Portnoy would be returning and that a new album and tour would be quickly forthcoming. They weren't kidding. The tour is already set, beginning next week in London, starting in the U.S. in February 2025, and ending on March 2, 2025, at NYC's Radio City Music Hall. The album, tentatively titled Parasomnia, is due out early in 2025.
However, the band has just dropped the first track from the album, called "Night Terror," and they are in super-fine form. Filmed in a spooky house with each member in a different room, it is a perfect reintroduction of the original line-up of what is arguably the most influential progressive metal band other than Rush. Each member of the band is in fine form (guitarist John Petrucci in particular). And, of course, Portnoy is nothing short of amazing.
If the remainder of the album is anywhere near as good as this track, it is going to be a monster.