Welcome Back: Dream Theater

With a new, record-setting drummer, it’s more ‘faster, higher, further’ for prog-metal’s musical Olympians.

As James Labrie, Dream Theater’s amiable singer, makes his way to the phone, an almighty a loud clattering sound comes from the receiver. “Sorry, man,” he shouts above the din, “We’re just getting our gear ready here.” Classic Rock catches up with the band as they’re easing into a lengthy tour in support of their intricate new record, A Dramatic Turn Of Events. It’s a title that alludes to the seismic shift in Dream Theater’s internal machinations caused by the departure of linchpin drummer Mike Portnoy.

You’ve kept things simple and replaced one Mike with another – Portnoy out, Mangini in. The word is that the new guy already has a drum solo in the live set.

He deserves to be sitting where he is. I stand and watch it at the side of the stage and the first time, my jaw dropped. He’s an incredible technician. In a band like AC/DC it wouldn’t matter, but our fans like it.

Mangini has held no less than five world records for speed drumming, including 1,280 beats in 60 seconds.

He can do a drum roll on a table with just one hand faster than most guys can do it with two. Sometimes each of his limbs are doing a separate rhythm, and one hand’s doing a roll on its own.

He’s held five world records, your guitarist John Petrucci has been voted one of the top 10 Shredders of all time, John Myung has been voted best bassist of all time, yet you were only voted the 15th best singer of all time. Do they give you lots of stick?

Well you have to ask how accurate these kind of things are. Look at who was voted number one [Axl Rose]. I beat Steven Tyler, though. I was pretty happy with that. In my younger years I was desperate to prove myself, but since my injury [LaBrie ruptured three vocal chords in 1994] I’ve been able to maintain my voice and not worry about any of that other stuff.

A few internet snarks have been asking how it feels for you to be the frontman of the band at last, now that Mike Portnoy has gone.

I used to go and see Mötley Crüe, and there was Vince singing and doing his thing, but behind him was this real big character throwing his sticks around and stuff, and people would be watching him. I suppose in a way Mike Portnoy was like that, a big personality, and it sometimes felt like a competition with someone trying to overtake me. You can’t be a frontman when someone else is trying to be. It feels a lot more balanced now.

Any fool can write a three-minute song. What’s the secret to writing a good long one?

It has to make sense, and it has to have direction. It has to have classic moments, even if it’s contemporary. We’re always thinking about what we are – which is where prog and metal meet. They have to be complementing one another. We had a point where the metal was overpowering the prog, but we’re back in balance now.

Do also you need to be in shape to play them?

I jog and eat healthy. John Petrucci works out every day – that’s why he’s as big as Thor. Jordan [Rudess] does speed-walking. You’ve gotta stay limber. JH