Dream Theater’s John Petrucci has revealed new details on the upcoming Dream Theater album.
In a recent interview with GuitarWorld, Petrucci was questioned about whether he and his bandmates have begun working on any new music with their original drummer. Reflecting his opinions on Mike Portnoy’s return to the band as the drummer, he revealed that Portnoy would be playing the drums in the new album:
“Well, very soon. So, we start the new album in less than two weeks. And we’re looking forward to it. It’s really exciting to have [Portnoy] back in the band. We started the band together. I talked [earlier in the interview] about being 18 at Berklee [College Of Music]; that’s where we met. And we’ve been friends ever since. So, having him back in the band is really special to all of us. I know he’s really excited as well.”
When asked whether or not they started working on new music, he responded:
“We haven’t started. We haven’t written a note yet, but I’m sure when we get together, it’s just gonna be like old times. So, I’m really looking forward to doing that and diving in.”
Portnoy Thinks This Is The Last Chapter Of Dream Theater
In September 2010, Portnoy officially announced his departure from Dream Theater. The band subsequently brought Mike Mangini to take over his role. However, on October 25, 2023, Dream Theater made the announcement that Mike Portnoy was rejoining the band, leading to the departure of Mike Mangini.
Despite rejoining the band just recently, Portnoy believes that this phase could potentially be the final chapter for Dream Theater, given their ages.
The drummer discussed his return to Dream Theater and its impact on his involvement with other bands like The Winery Dogs and Sons of Apollo in an earlier interview. While expressing pride in his work outside Dream Theater over the past 13 years, he emphasized that Dream Theater is now his primary focus, particularly for the next few years:
“We start working on a new album after the New Year. And I cannot wait to tour and get on stage with those guys again. That’s gonna be the most exciting thing about it, of it all. So, where the future lies for any of my other bands and projects, time will tell. Some will probably slip away; some will survive. And we’ll see; it might have future chapters. But right now, my focus is just on Dream Theater.”
You can see the interview below.
