Mike Portnoy interview

Artisan News Service: How did you get involved in Avenged Sevenfold?

Mike Portnoy: I guess I’d become kind of friends with the Rev and with the M. Shadows through text and emails and stuff like that through the last couple years, because those guys were always saying good stuff about Dream Theater. The Rev always talked about me and drum interviews, so I was always very flattered by that and just connected with them to touch base and say, “What’s up?” and connect. As soon as I heard about the Rev’s passing, I immediately reached out to M. Shadows just to tell him how shocked and sorry I was, and if there was anything I could do for him, that I was there for them. I wasn’t talking musically, I was just talking personally. I sent some stuff to Jimmy’s funeral and some to Jimmy’s parents, and I just really felt really bad about the situation and wanted to be there for them on a personal level. Then about a week after the funeral, I got a call asking me if I’d be interested in helping them record the album.

ANS: Some would say you went above and beyond for Avenged Sevenfold.

MP: First of all I like them musically, so I was into the idea of doing the record with them just because I think they’re good musicians and I like what they do musically, but obviously on a personal level what they were going through was incredibly emotional, and I guess I felt a real connection with them, being with them in the studio in such a heavy environment. It was something that really bonded us for life to share that experience together. So I knew I was part of the brotherhood from that experience and I told them if I was able to go on the road with them, I would, and here we are. But I really like them as people and I love them as a band musically, so I guess some people would say I went beyond the call of duty, but and that’s how I roll. If I’m into something, I put my full heart and soul into it.

ANS: So in working with Avenged Sevenfold on the record, you actually stayed true to the drum parts The Rev wrote for the album?

MP: I followed The Rev’s demos pretty, pretty closely. They had demoed all the songs with him playing an electronic kit, so basically I used that as a guideline in the studio and I followed the drum patterns and everything that he had to a tee. The whole purpose of me doing this album was to bring his parts to life and finish the job that he had started, and then every once in a while I’d sprinkle my nuances on top. A lot of the symbol work or the little fills in and out of sections weren’t very defined on Jimmy’s demos, so in those places I did my thing. But for the most part I fully respected his thing.

ANS: What were the most challenging and most fun parts of Avenged Sevenfold’s Nightmare to work on?

MP: As far as what was the most challenging or the most fun, I hear a lot of similarities between our styles. I mean I could hear a lot of my influence in Jimmy’s style, so for me it wasn’t that much of a change to play his drum parts. I really felt almost like myself. I was like covering a drummer who already had a bit of me in him, so the whole kind of style came full circle. For me just the real heavy and fast, aggressive stuff is stuff that I love. I get to do it a little bit with Dream Theater, but... There’s songs on the album that have Dream Theater flavors. Like ‘Buried Alive’ and ‘Victim’ and ‘Save Me’ definitely have Dream Theater flavor to them, so on those songs I was very much at home. But then there were songs like ‘Natural Born Killer’ and... maybe ‘Welcome to the Family’ – there were certain songs that I was doing stylistically things that I normally wouldn’t do with Dream Theater. ‘Danger Line’ also – more like metal core kind of punk beats and stuff like that. So for me that was a fun challenge to do something new.

ANS: Was touring with Avenged Sevenfold part of the plan when you first went in to record the album?

MP: I had a great time making the record with them and was really honored to be part of the healing process and helping them get back on their feet in the studio. Once the record was done I offered my services for touring if I was able to do so, and it turns out that I was, so here I am, and it’s been a great, great time.

ANS: So I hear that Avenged puts on a very elaborate stage show for Uproar?

MP: They’ve got an amazing production on this tour and I’m totally psyched to be part of it. It’s definitely a cool change of pace for me from Dream Theater. Dream Theater is very high tech, video screens, a lot of crazy playing. Avenged Sevenfold is more kind of old-school production. Picture like Ozzy’s Diary of a Madman or something like that – just a lot of pyro and flames and smoke and staging and cemetery gates and stuff like that. It’s real old school but it’s totally awesome. I mean the show starts with a with something that is totally over the top and surely to freak people out.

ANS: You and Vinnie Paul are kind of the elder statesmen on the Uproar tour this year...

MP: Yeah, it’s weird because me and Vinnie Paul are kind of the elder statesman on the Uproar tour. I think we’re at least 10 years older than most of these other bands, because Pantera and Dream Theater [have] been around since the ‘80s. So me and Vinnie are kind of looked up to and respected too, just because we’ve been doing this a long time. But it’s cool because we’re both older guys, but we’re playing with newer bands. He’s kicking it with Hellyeah and some fresh new blood and energy for him, and I’m loving playing with Avenged Sevenfold and some fresh new blood for me. I’ve been saying on this tour, “You’re only as old as the band you play with.” So I’m like back in my late 20s again then.

ANS: With Dream Theater you are very involved, but what is your role in working with Avenged Sevenfold – did and do they come to you for advice?

MP: I’m very used to – with Dream Theater – running the show, really. Pretty much all the direction, I’m steering the ship with Dream Theater. When we make music with Dream Theater, it’s very collaborative and especially me, John Petrucci and Jordan collaborate fully on the music. But after the music’s done, I kind of take over and steer the ship in every other direction. So it was definitely a big adjustment for me to come into Avenged Sevenfold and just be just the drummer and have no say, and I didn’t want to have a say. It wasn’t my place to come in and have an opinion or have an idea. They already had this record written with Jimmy and I did not want to come in and change or influence anything. This is their band and I fully knew that from the get-go, and even now on tour, I’m just playing drums. I’m not making decisions or submitting ideas or trying to influence or steer them in any way. I respect what they’ve built for all these years on their own and I’m here to just help them out. And to be honest, people ask me, “Well isn’t it making you crazy?” but no, I’m totally enjoying just playing the drums and not running the show. It’s a nice change of pace for me, I’m totally welcoming it.

ANS: Avenged Sevenfold is one of those bands that you either love ‘em or hate ‘em.

MP: I think Avenged Sevenfold has always been controversial and they’ve always had a bad reputation. Right now it’s weird, because I think they’ve spent that whole career being the bad boys, and right now I think everybody feels a lot of sympathy for them because of what they’ve just gone through. So I think that their reputation is cast a little bit in a different shadow at the moment, but I think they’re happy to be back on the road, and the show kicks ass and the production is awesome.

ANS: Where is Dream Theater at this point in time?

MP: Everybody in Dream Theater-land is just on a break. Dream Theater just finished a 14-month tour, so I think everybody’s just recovering from that and enjoying the time off, and I just happen to be filling my time off without time off! But as far as the time off from Dream Theater, I think everybody is enjoying catching their breath at the moment.

ANS: Where do you get the energy to be involved in all these different projects?

MP: I’m just a naturally driven guy. I don’t have an off switch. The other guys in Dream Theater, when Dream Theater is not working, they go home and can sit around for months just being with their families, but I can’t. I mean I do need time with my family and I love to go home, but after a couple days I’m getting itchy. I’m the type that deals with emails 24/7 and I can’t put the Blackberry down. This year alone – 2010 – I’ve toured with four different bands: extensively with Dream Theater, now extensively with Avenged Sevenfold. I did two months of touring with Transatlantic and I started the year with some shows with Hail! So this year alone four different bands, all very different from each other and providing me with a different outlet musically and in terms of drumming. It’s not like I’m looking for work. If an opportunity comes my way, if it’s a good opportunity and musicians that I respect and admire, I’m gonna strap up and hit the road and do it, just because I love to play.

ANS: So you’re not looking for work, work finds you.

MP: Yeah, I’m definitely not looking for work. Yeah, things like Transatlantic is something I put together, and there’s a lot of projects I do put together that still come back to haunt me and I still work with, but in the case of Avenged Sevenfold, they came to me. In the case of Hail! they came to me. These were opportunities that just arose, and if a good opportunity arises and I dig the guys and dig the music, I’m happy to be involved. My musical taste is so broad that I’m happy to do different things.

ANS: Have you talked to Avenged Sevenfold about who might permanently fill the drummer spot?

MP: I think right now they’re just taking baby steps. Right now they’re not even thinking about beyond me. Right now it’s just I’m their drummer now. Where it goes in the future, we’ll see, but they’re not even thinking about that. They’re still healing and recovering and they don’t want the fans to feel like somebody’s coming in to take Jimmy’s place. I mean I’m definitely helping the transition and they’re not thinking beyond me. I’m going to stick with them as long as I can, and what happens from there will be discussed when we get there. They have a song called ‘Seize the Day’ and I think that’s what it’s about. Right now they’re just living for today, and today I’m their drummer, and where we all go tomorrow we’ll find out when we get there.

ANS: So what’s the game plan moving forward?

MP: I’ll be with Avenged all throughout the year. I committed to them ‘til the end of the year and beyond if I can – we’ll see how that lays out. But I am surely with them ‘til the end of the year, so after Uproar that includes South America, Japan, the UK, Europe, maybe a few other things, and where it goes beyond that, we’ll soon find out.