Back On The Tour With Dream Theater, Mike Portnoy: It Feels Like Returning Home

Dream Theater Drummer Mike Portnoy (Instagram @dreamtheaterofficial)

JAKARTA - The return of Mike Portnoy to Dream Theater feels very natural and like returning to the family. This was revealed directly by Portnoy and his bandmates in an exclusive interview with The Dream Theater World, Dream Theater's official fan club.

Portnoy's return in October 2023 after 13 years of absence was a historic moment for the band he co-founded with John Petrucci and John Myung in 1985. Portnoy has become an integral part of the band, playing for 10 albums over 20 years, before finally deciding to leave in 2010.

Dream Theater keyboardist Jordan Rudess also expressed his feelings when Portnoy returned to the studio. According to him, this moment felt as if time had not passed at all.

"In my mind, it's almost impossible to think that it's been years since he was with us before, because it feels like you just counts and we come back together again," said Rudess, quoted by Blabbermouth, Monday, September 29.

He added that their chemistry fits perfectly and feels natural, as if this moment is the place they should be.

Rudess emphasized that although the band remains proud of the music made during the absence of Portnoy, the drummer's return brings back a very strong sense of togetherness.

Portnoy himself felt the same way. He said that spending a full year in the studio before starting the tour made them all feel like they didn't have wasted time.

"In a few days, it feels like no time has passed," Portnoy said.

Although there were some hard-to-confidence moments at the start of the tour, such as when they returned to travel together in the van, Portnoy said that 95 percent of the time they spent was very normal and like before.

"It's more than just going back to a band, for me. It's like returning home, to a family," said the drummer.

The bonds that have been formed for decades, ranging from meeting wives, raising families, to going through difficult times together, make their relationship more than just bandmates.

Dream Theater guitarist John Petrucci also welcomed Portnoy's return with joy. He called him a relative who returned to the band.

For information, Dream Theater's 16th album, Parasomnia, has been Dream Theater's first work with Portnoy since 2009. The album was released on February 7, 2025. The process of writing and recording this album also feels very natural.

According to Portnoy, not much thought was needed because everything just flowed, as if they had just continued the job that had stopped.