Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy and guitarist John Petrucci sat down with Ola Englund for a new interview where they discussed their relationship both inside and outside the band.
“I think we very rarely disagree, very rarely,” the drummer explained to Englund. “I could only think of a handful of times throughout 40 years where we weren’t on the same page. It very rarely happens.”
Petrucci added, “The way that we approach writing music or being creative even in a lyrical sense is that there’s always more, there’s always options. Dig your heels in on something that you feel passionate about, but if you’re not selling it, there’s more notes. Just try something different, there’s more words, there’s a different word for that. Sometimes it ends up being better, so it’s it’s important to kind of listen to everybody.”
Portnoy returned to Dream Theater in October last year. While he is no longer in charge of the band like he was before, the members are glad to have him back. “With him just coming back into the band, it has been great. It’s like we haven’t missed a beat and it really feels like we’re 18 again,” Petrucci explained in another interview. “The flow was really, really smooth. There’s definitely an undeniable, creative chemistry there. You meet certain people in your life and you connect on an artistic level, and it just flows. We have been working in our own studio and our space has expanded. We have just built a new live room and control room, which is just beautiful.”
Jordan Rudess also mentioned that having Portnoy back is very important for the band.
In April, Dream Theater announced the European leg of their ’40th Anniversary Tour 2024 – 2025.’ This will be their first tour since Portnoy’s return. The European leg started on October 20 and will finish on November 24.
