JAMES LABRIE Reveals What It’s Really Like Having MIKE PORTNOY Back In DREAM THEATER
Singer reflects on how the drummer’s return stopped feeling surreal after a handful of shows.
Summary
- Singer James LaBrie says the reunion with Mike Portnoy quickly stopped feeling surreal, ‘it just feels right.’
- John Petrucci and Jordan Rudess highlight the renewed creative spark and ‘magic’ of the original lineup.
DREAM THEATER singer James LaBrie recently shared his thoughts on the band’s monumental reunion with founding drummer Mike Portnoy, stating that after a few initial shows, the feeling of having him back was no longer “surreal” but simply “right.”
The reunion, announced in October 2023, marked the end of a 13-year separation and has been a major topic of discussion in the progressive metal community.
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In a new interview with The Prog Report, LaBrie was asked how long it took for the shock of seeing Portnoy behind the kit to wear off during the band’s recent 40th-anniversary tour dates. James said:
“It was probably the first five, six shows, it just felt a little surreal, ‘cause, yeah, I’d turn around and we’re, like, both looking at each other, whatever, smiling or making faces at one another. But, yeah, I’d say maybe after the first five shows, then it just became, like, ‘Okay, it’s cool.’ This is a great new beginning once again, you could actually say. And it just feels right.”
It seems like James’s feelings are shared by the rest of the band. All the guys have talked about how much creative energy they have now and how their relationships have gotten so much better since Mike came back.
It was a surprise for a lot of fans, but for the band, it sounds like it was a natural decision, especially since they’d been slowly fixing their personal relationships over the last few years.
Speaking to Drumeo earlier this year, Mike Portnoy himself detailed the journey back to the band he co-founded in 1985.
“It’s been 13 years, and I think time heals all wounds, as the expression says,” Portnoy explained. “It was the right time for this to happen. My relationships with the guys were in a much better place… The last piece of the puzzle was reconnecting with James LaBrie, because James and I hadn’t spoken in over a decade. I went to see DREAM THEATER in New York in March of ‘22, and that was the first time James and I had reconnected. And once we were in the same room and we hugged it out, it was, like, ‘Okay, this is the final piece.’ We’ve all been in a great place, and the timing was just right.”
Guitarist John Petrucci, in an interview with Guitar World, shed light on the creative and professional dynamics that made the reunion so compelling.
“Once we were together and we were talking, it was like no time had passed,” Petrucci said.
“We were all laughing, and it was just so comfortable. You have the personal side of it, and then you have the creative and musical side. We were all at a point in our lives where we could look at it and say, ‘This is the right thing to do.’ The creative chemistry is undeniable, and to have him back in the band as we go in to write a new record, it’s just a feeling of excitement and positivity.”
The reunion also meant the departure of drummer Mike Mangini, who held the position for 13 years and recorded five studio albums with the band.
Petrucci made it clear in an interview with Ultimate Guitar that the decision was not a reflection of Mangini’s immense talent.
“Mike Mangini is one of the most amazingly talented musicians and drummers on the planet, and his dedication and hard work for us for 13 years was incredible,” Petrucci affirmed. “This decision was not made lightly. It was more about looking at the band’s story, the history, where we are now, and the feeling that this was a chapter we needed to revisit. It’s about family and re-establishing that original chemistry.”
Keyboardist Jordan Rudess offered a similar perspective to Rolling Stone, focusing on the intangible “magic” of the original lineup.
“Mike [Portnoy] has a certain kind of energy that is part of our sound, the sound that began it all,” Rudess said. “When we got in a room together again, there was a magic that was so apparent. We’re all older, hopefully wiser, and the appreciation for each other and the music we created is at an all-time high. It feels like coming home.”
With a new studio album and a world tour celebrating their 40th anniversary, the members of DREAM THEATER are united in their message:
Bringing back Mike Portnoy served both purposes, reconnecting with the band’s roots and ensuring they stay relevant going forward.
In October 2021, Dream Theater released their fifteenth studio album, A View from the Top of the World, recorded between October 2020 and March 2021 at their DTHQ studio.
The album delivered their first Grammy win for Best Metal Performance in April 2022, awarded for the track “The Alien”.
On October 25, 2023, Dream Theater announced the departure of drummer Mike Mangini and the return of original drummer Mike Portnoy, marking the end of a 13-year separation.
This reunion followed years of gradual reconnection, culminating in Portnoy and frontman James LaBrie reuniting in 2022 at a show in New York.
By February 2024, Dream Theater had begun recording their sixteenth studio album, the first with Portnoy in 15 years.
By early April, writing and drum tracking were complete; guitar tracking followed in May, keyboards in June, and vocals were posted as completed by July 2024.
October 10, 2024, saw the release of the first single, “Night Terror”, alongside the announcement of the album title Parasomnia, which was released on February 7, 2025.
That same month, the 40th‑anniversary tour kicked off with Portnoy back behind the kit, beginning at London’s O2 Arena.
In early 2025, Dream Theater continued the 40th‑anniversary tour in North America, beginning on February 7 to coincide with the Parasomnia release.
The band has been surprising fans with rare setlists under Portnoy’s renewed direction, including special performances like “O Holy Night” in Chile for the first time in 26 years and a full cover of Pink Floyd’s “Echoes” at the historic Pompeii amphitheater in July 2025.
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