Dream Theater

Immediate interest grows when a few bands announce the coming of a new album. Because they are able to continue their own style or because of the fact that you may get to hear some new things as well. With Dream Theater both possibilities count; they are always true to their sound but are also able to surprise their fans. On the new album ‘Systematic Chaos’ they seem to present an add up of the last couple of albums without actually repeating themselves. The review is featured elsewhere in this issue, Lords Of Metal got the chance to talk to drummer and main man Mike Portnoy in Amsterdam where he and singer James LaBrie landed for their promo tour. A very tired but still enthusiastic tells us this...

By: Winston

How have you been Mike?

Good! Busy...very busy!

Goes without saying, first things first; how did you start work for the new album?

Well we took a five month break after the Radio City Music Hall thing (the recording of ‘Score’ the live CD/DVD) and it was our first summer off in ten years. We were always recording or on the road before. This time we all went back to our families to re-connect with them. For me it was supposed to be free time but I directed the Score DVD and made an album with Neal Morse...it was free time from Dream Theater. We got back together in September, excited to work again, nice and fresh. We started to work with a clean slate this time. With the last couple of albums we had ideas what we wanted to do; ‘Train Of Thought’ was a heavy album, ‘Octavarium’ a big scaled piece of music but now didn’t have anything. I had some things in the back of my head but I didn’t even come up with them because I wanted to see what would happen. And that worked out very well; we immediately wrote this 25-minute epic ‘In The Presence Of Enemies’ and once that was up and running we knew that it would be great session and there wouldn’t be any lack of ideas. Every song we wrote next was a reaction to the one we wrote before that and so we got a nice balance.

Why did you decide to split up the epic ‘In The Presence Of Enemies’?

That happened at the very end actually. I was going through my ritual; weeks and weeks of sleepless nights when I try to figure out the sequence of the album. I was troubled with that one because it would be a great album opener with its five minute instrumental overture. But then again, to open an album with a 25 minute track could also be too much of a mountain at the start of an album. Then I thought that it could also be good end song because of the big finale, but we already did that on ‘Octavarium’. John (Petrucci) already suggested earlier splitting it up because it would be really ‘prog’ to do that. But it actually worked out well that way and so we did like that. The best of both worlds and it seemed to make sense.

A new Dream Theater classic?

Yeah, I’m very proud of it. I think we’ll do it live in one piece though...

One song is special; ‘Repentance’ is part of your own personal string of songs. Can you say something about that?

It’s about the 12 step program I’m doing. It started with ‘The Glass Prison’ on ‘Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence’ which was the first album we made after I got sober and the last three steps will probably be featured on the next Dream Theater album. When all steps have been taken I finally can cut the cord of that albatross hanging around my neck. I came up with a sort of master plan to do a couple of steps in songs on each album.

And I guess you will do all of those songs live in a row once all songs are written?

Yes, that was the original intention is the idea, to do that would be the actual finishing.

Is the writing of these songs also part of the 12 step program?

No, I don’t think anyone ever done something like this, or at least that’s what I’d like to think. It’s very personal and weird. Because of the fact that I come out with it that also means people that want to talk to me about it; in interviews and fans who know about this. I’m willing to do that otherwise I wouldn’t do it. I’ve always written about personal stuff; the relationship to my stepfather or my mothers’ death for instance. I’ve never been scared to do that and I don’t want to be preachy but it’s good to hear people saying that they can relate to my personal things and that it helps them deal with their own personal issues.

You must be preparing for the upcoming tour already, what to play and such?

We will get ready in a couple of weeks. Jordan (Rudess) is on my back to send them a list of songs we will do. He has to program his keyboards with all the sounds he needs so I must get to that very soon, hahaha. A couple of weeks’ time left. I will make a list and send that to the guys so they can learn their parts, it’s usually of 40 or 50 songs. I always make chapters, what we’ll do in the first leg of the tour and so on. Once the rehearsals start they have had time to focus on their parts. The other guys hate me, I have an elephant’s memory, and I just sit down and play the songs. On the last tour we played ‘Another Won’, one of our very first songs ever and I didn’t even listened to it before; I sat down and played it. They have to get a lot of notes under their belts and fingertips, learning all the difficult parts. I can use that time to figure out the videos and stage set.

There are so many songs to choose from by now. Isn’t it hard to choose?

Oh yeah, for the last tour we did a different set each night so a lot of our songs were eventually played anyway but for the upcoming tour, when we play a two hour set because of the opening acts we’re bringing along, we may have to do a couple of medleys. In order to get it all in.

I always wondered how you create a set list...

I usually do this in my hotel room before a group of shows and then figure out what has been played so far, so I’m not just randomly picking songs, there ís a method to this madness. Every day off I sit down and gather was has been played in each city and create a new set of songs for the next couple of shows. Most of the time very different songs come up then.

So figuring this all out is more difficult than actually playing those songs for you...

Yeah you could say that, hahaha. It’s crazy.

Are there any songs that are blocked? Because certain members of the band doesn’t want to do that particular one?

No not really, except one song that John Petrucci doesn’t wanted to do. It has a guitar part that he doesn’t want to face playing every night. And no, I’m not saying what song it is, hahaha. But I kept on saying that it should be played and he came around. Other than that nobody ever said something, they always play what is on the list and that includes cover songs and such. They trust me with it.

What do you think of the new Rush album?

I just got it here in Amsterdam but I already knew it. It’s always nice to hear a new Rush album but I’m not a fan as I used to be, I was a real fanatic in the old days. I think I will play it six or seven times and then leave it for a while. I listen to them to hear what they are up to.

Anything you would like to say to our readers?

My closing line is always the same; check out the new album and I’m looking forward to see you all on the road...and peace out motherfuckers, hahaha.