MIKE PORTNOY On Possible DREAM THEATER Reunion: 'I Never Say Never'

JAM Magazine's Andy Laudano recently conducted an interview with drummer Mike Portnoy (DREAM THEATER, AVENGED SEVENFOLD) about ADRENALINE MOB, Mike's new band with SYMPHONY X frontman Russell Allen, guitar virtuoso Mike Orlando (SONIC STOMP),bassist Paul DiLeo and STUCK MOJO/FOZZY axeman Rich Ward. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

On the fact that ADRENALINE MOB does not sound anything at all like DREAM THEATER with SYMPHONY X's singer:

"That's the whole fucking point. People need to realize before they even pop in our CD or come to one of our shows that if they're expecting anything in the vein of DREAM THEATER or SYMPHONY X they're in for a shock because this is a whole other animal. Russ and I have been doing progressive metal forever and we both wanted to do something different. Even when I was doing TRANSATLANTIC, O.S.I. or LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT, all those projects had prog elements in them. ADRENALINE MOB is just straight-ahead, balls out, slammin', groovin' metal. If you're into PANTERA, STONE SOUR and BLACK LABEL SOCIETY I think you'll dig this as much as I do. Yeah, I'm a prog guy and I've spent 25 years in a prog band but I also love SLAYER, MEGADETH, IRON MAIDEN and METALLICA."

"Fans that come into this without any preconceived ideas about what it should sound like should enjoy this, especially after they've seen the live show. Anybody that was unsure coming in walks away from the live show completely convinced this is the real deal. When you come see the show live, it's literally a five ring circus. For the first time in my career I'm surrounded by guys that are flying off the handle with energy. If anything I'm probably the most low key and that's a first for me in any band I've ever been in. That's why the name is so fitting. The adrenaline in this band is completely off the charts."

On ADRENALINE MOB's recent tour with GODSMACK:

"We were gonna wait until the album came out and tour next year. But then we got the GODSMACK offer and in the immortal words of The Godfather, 'It was an offer we couldn't refuse.' Musically, it's a great double bill. Our music is rooted in riffs and grooves and that's what GODSMACK does. When I was in AVENGED SEVENFOLD, we did the [Rockstar Energy] Uproar tour with STONE SOUR, DISTURBED and HELLYEAH. After I left I knew I wanted to do something in that vein and tap into that audience."

On whether there any hope at all for a reconciliation with DREAM THEATER somewhere down the line:

"I never say never. They've moved on and I've moved on. [New DREAM THEATER drummer] Mike Mangini's an amazing drummer. But if the opportunity presented itself a few years down the road and I was available, I would definitely consider it. That band was my heart and soul for 25 years. There's too much history there to ignore."

Read the entire interview from JAM Magazine.

Photo credit: Joe LaRusso