On being nominated for a Grammy Award alongside FOO FIGHTERS, MASTODON, MEGADETH and SUM 41:

LaBrie: “It’s the feather in our cap to be in that category with those nominees.”

“I was really taken aback. I just never thought that it was in the cards for us because our music tends to be left wing — it’s not your typical music, [but] it’s an amazing feeling and we’re hoping for the best possible result and that is to win it.”

“It will be an educational process for a lot of people who are going to ask, ‘Who are these guys?’ We’ve sold 12 million albums, but there are still a lot of people who don’t know we exist because we’re not the typical band that’s on radio, MTV or MuchMusic.”

On how he always knew he wanted a career in music:

LaBrie: “From the age of five, I was singing around the house. I grew up in a musical family. My father was always singing and was in barbershop quartets. We had a piano and a stereo and, if the radio wasn’t on, then records were being played.

“Being a singer out in front of a band, and seeing guys like Robert Plant and Steven Tyler, hearing bands like PINK FLOYD and RUSH — which was a huge influence — I knew then. . . I always knew it was definitely going to be rock ‘n’ roll…. I knew I wanted to have a combination of players that were great players and who could do epic or progressive music.”

On joining DREAM THEATER after several years playing in Toronto bands:

LaBrie: “When DREAM THEATER came around, it was hard for me to believe that these guys, (who were) only 22 years old, were playing like this. That was exactly where they wanted to go with the music — progressive hard rock angle — and that pretty much sold me as soon as I heard them.”

On how the song “Pull Me Under” from DREAM THEATER’s 1992 “Images And Words” album helped cement the group in the hearts and minds of progressive rock fans across the world:

LaBrie: “It gave us a strong foothold and allowed us to be in the business as long as we have been. We’ve kept progressing, and I think what’s been the godsend for us is we have an incredibly strong fan base around the world. Anybody that comes on board with DREAM THEATER stays. They’re committed.”

On continuing to live in Midland, Ontario, Canada all these years:

LaBrie: “My wife (and I) found ourselves coming up to Midland every weekend to get together with friends and family, so we thought it doesn’t really matter where I live. We met at Midland Secondary School and we’ve been married 22 years and were together nine years before that. We both grew up here and knew we wanted to be back in this area.”

“My wife is very real, independent and strong, and she keeps everything in perspective for me. For the longest time, I could walk around here and nobody would even know I was in a rock ‘n’ roll band. It definitely is something that keeps life a little more simple.”

On separating James LaBrie the rock star and Kevin LaBrie the father, husband and “normal guy”:

LaBrie: “I live in two worlds. I live in the rock ‘n’ roll world where I go out on stage in front of thousands of people and it’s very surreal. Then I come home and it becomes the real world for me. I am able to switch back and forth. It’s like anyone else — doing a job, but doing a job I thoroughly love.”

Read the entire interview from Simcoe.com.

Source: www.blabbermouth.net

The Arizona Republic: I was reading that a lot of drum parts on [the new DREAM THEATER] album ["A Dramatic Turn Of Events"] had been programmed in advance while they were demoing the songs.

Mangini: [DREAM THEATER guitarist] John Petrucci programmed some drum machines. In some cases, it was a skeleton. In other cases, it was kick and snare placement, which I did mimic, because after trying different things, he had come up with what I thought was the best stuff. He gave me full rein. But he’s the guitarist. He’s also the producer. So where he put the kick and the snare, most of the time, was in a place I thought was great. I had full autonomy to come up with anything and everything. And what’s great about working with him is that both of us like the same things.

The Arizona Republic: Did you and John get a chemistry going pretty quickly?

Mangini: It was amazing. I don’t like to use the phrase “meant to be,” because there is such a thing as free will. We can choose whatever. Nothing’s automatic. But this opportunity was clearly meant to be.

The Arizona Republic: How did working up the older songs for the tour compare to working on the new material?

Mangini: It was similar in that I don’t want to come into this sticking out like a sore thumb. I don’t want to join DREAM THEATER, a band with a 20-year history, and come into it thinking about me because this is a situation with a pre-existing history, and, lucky me, I’m a fan of the pre-existing history. Lucky me, I love the pre-existing drum parts. So that makes it easy for me to not have to try too hard to see the old songs as a different thing than the new ones. I’m not [former DREAM THEATER drummer] Mike [Portnoy]. Mike’s not me. But we definitely have the same influences and the same likes. So it’s not a stretch. It’s pretty easygoing for me, coming up with comfort on the old songs and pushing new boundaries now, not only on “A Dramatic Turn of Events” but on current things that we jam on at sound check. I’m really going further with my skills.

The Arizona Republic: So this is a good fit for you?

Mangini: Again, I have enough empirical evidence to know free will is very real, so when I say this was meant to be, I don’t know what that means. It just feels like the opportunity was going to happen and I fortunately made decisions that made me ready to respond. The only athlete that I can compare my path to is Tom Brady, the quarterback of the New England Patriots. He was drafted very late. I’m 48 years old. I was in EXTREME. I toured around the world, did this and that, and it’s almost as if I was drafted in the late rounds. But I’ve always been prepared. I’ve always been the type to study and practice. So when the opportunity got passed to me, now I’m put in the game and I’m not letting anybody get in there for a play.

Read the entire interview from The Arizona Republic.

”On The Backs Of Angels” was the first sample of the album, which made us consider we would have to do with a rather interesting release. One of the most ’serious’ DT songs in history, it develops its way softly and smoothly through your ears and though it might not impress you at first, after many listenings you realize you are dealing with an excellent song, for which an excellent video has been shot also. Then comes the duo of ”Build Me Up, Break Me Down” and ”Lost Not Forgotten” that makes the condition critical. The first one is maybe the best song of the year 2011, full of point and exact heaviness combined with all the characteristic DT elements. The second closes the eye on the more progressive direction we have got used from the band all these years and in something more than ten minutes, the initial smile turns into certainty that you witness in front of you the ressurection of Dream Theater, taking for granted that their last three albums after ”Train Of Thought” (album of the ’00s definitely) caused a lot of controversy to the fans.

It is no secret that people got disappointed by the direction of ”Octavarium” (too soft after an excellent album), ”Systematic Chaos” (a great ultra heavy album, which many saw just as riffs connected in random order) and ”Black Clouds & Silver Linings” (also a solid album which didn’t stand the test of time for the fans, mainly because of the long songs, despite being good ones). ”A Dramatic Turn Of Events” wins the impressions from a very early point, and songs like ”Bridges In The Sky” and ”Outcry” prove this undoubtedly. Lasting both more than eleven minutes, they show us that the band sounds kinda relieved from all the things that recently happened and decides to move on. The portrait is ready and DT simply put the last details on it, in order to be nothing less than a new masterpiece. Also, the ambitious song of the album, ”Breaking All Illusions” (being the longest one also), sounds as if it is going to be the future direction of the band, if we look at the signs of the previous years, though they have never released two same albums in a row.

Of course, in such an album, melody and emotion couldn’t be missing, and though I am not the one to judge things, the two ballads of the album ”This Is The Life” and ”Far From Heaven” sound a lot better than similar songs on the last albums, more focused for sure, bringing out a sweet feeling and bridging the old DT with their new version. ”Beneath The Surface” closes the album perfectly and once it is over, you can’t say you miss your favourite old drummer, as Mike Mangini does a tremendous work, showing why he was the perfect fit from all candidates to audition for the place behind the drum kit. In this album we deal with a fully inspired John Petrucci in terms of songwriting, riffing relentlessly where needed and keeping the balance inside the songs, an out of control Jordan Rudess on keyboards and compositions, a monstrous rhythm section by John Myung and the newcomer mentioned before, and last but not least, James LaBrie’s most mature performance ever. A pleasant but also very welcome surprise, raising the album’s worth much higher.

And here comes the things I must get myself against at, as I am very sad that they decided to change their direction in such a way, bringing out the feeling that the person not among them anymore was the one responsible for the much heavier direction of the last decade. In a group, everybody is taking decisions, as long as they respect themselves and not just follow the initial plan. Also, it sounds like a step back and a safe solution to bring out the early feeling of the ’90s era, showing that this time they had to prove something. And I find this a little annoying, because in my heart, DT have nothing to prove to anyone, as they reached their status simply because they were such charismatic and daring through the years. These are the only reasons for which I find this album NOT perfect, though it could be. But I know that it is the start of new adventures and discoveries. One of the best bands of all times returned in such a way that noone can deny, and once again everybody is staring at the backs of angels. And so they will in the future also… For what others dream and think, the theater of dreams just accomplishes.

Interview (audio):

The self-titled debut EP from ADRENALINE MOB — the new band featuring Mike Portnoy, SYMPHONY X frontman Russell Allen, guitar virtuoso Mike Orlando (SONIC STOMP), bassist Paul DiLeo and STUCK MOJO/FOZZY axeman Rich Ward — sold 1,800 copies in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 13 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.

“Adrenaline Mob” is available via iTunes and is being sold in physical form at the group’s shows and online store. Self-produced by the band, the effort features four original tracks as well as a blistering cover of the Ronnie James Dio-era BLACK SABBATH classic “The Mob Rules”. From the opening riff of “Psychosane” through the over-six-minute epic-sounding “Hit The Wall”, it is clear that ADRENALINE MOB are in class all their own as musicians.

“Releasing the EP gives fans around the world a chance to get a taste of the MOB NOW without having to wait until the full-length album comes out at the beginning of next year,” Portnoy said.

“Adrenaline Mob” track listing:

01. Psychosane
02. Believe Me
03. Hit The Wall
04. Down To The Floor
05. The Mob Rules

The EP is now available for streaming in its entirety using the player below.

ADRENALINE MOB’s first-ever headline tour runs through mid-September. The trek will make stops in various markets, including Chicago, Denver and San Francisco. ADRENALINE MOB has also been tapped to open for GODSMACK on select dates of the Massachusetts act’s headlining tour.

ADRENALINE MOB formed in early 2011 when Orlando approached Allen with some material the guitarist had written. Allen and Orlando refined those ideas, at which time Allen reached out to longtime friend Portnoy to see if he had any interest in playing with them. Portnoy jumped on board and soon thereafter DiLeo and Ward were recruited to join the family. From the very first note, the chemistry was apparent and the beast that is known as ADRENALINE MOB was born.

Photo credit: Joe LaRusso

Source: www.blabbermouth.net

When asked for his opinion of the DREAM THEATER track “On The Backs Of Angels”, the first song to be released with new drummer Mike Mangini (STEVE VAI, ANNIHILATOR, EXTREME), Portnoy said, “It’s very difficult for me to hear. Nobody wants to see their ex-wife of 25 years with a new husband moving into the house that you built for 25 years. It’s a painful thing for me to hear and see. A DREAM THEATER without me was never in the plan; I never expected that. But they’ve chosen to move on and I just have to kind of sit on the sidelines and watch and listen. I did hear the song and I heard an excerpt of another song [from the forthcoming DREAM THEATER album]. And I guess I’ll reserve comment on those just because whatever I say — whether it be good, bad or indifferent — it’s probably gonna come across wrong and it will be completely dissected and misinterpreted. So let’s leave it at ‘no comment.’”

In a recent interview with The Jerusalem Post, DREAM THEATER keyboardist Jordan Rudess stated about Portnoy’s change of mind and request to be reinstated after leaving the band last September, “Mike wanted to come back after we had gone through all the emotional turmoil and pain of losing a friend, and the effort we went through to get back on our feet. We were well past our recovery phase and had made a commitment to Mike Mangini.”

Regarding Portnoy’s decision to leave the band he co-founded and led for 25 years, Rudess said, “His leaving was unbelievable, it was so emotional. He’s a close friend of mine and we’ve been through so much together — it basically brought me to tears. But being a positive person and around guys who love what they’re doing, we had to figure out how to move forward.”

On the topic of Mangini, a former Berklee College of Music teacher and holder of five World’s Fastest Drummer records, Rudess said, “Mike adapted to our world so wonderfully. He’s not only a great drummer, but a great guy. He came into the audition and locked in with us and nailed it. We were amazed.

“We were looking for someone who could walk onstage with us and not throw us off in the least, and we found him in Mike. As painful and said as the situation was over not being able to work with Mike Portnoy, life goes on — this kind of thing, unfortunately, happens in bands and we’re interested in keeping a positive direction and making really good music.”

DREAM THEATER’s new album, “A Dramatic Turn Of Events”, will be released on September 13 via Roadrunner Records.

Source: www.blabbermouth.net

The band’s setlist was as follows:

01. Under a Glass Moon
02. These Walls
03. Forsaken
04. Endless Sacrifice
05. Drum Solo
06. The Ytse Jam
07. Peruvian Skies
08. The Great Debate
09. On the Backs of Angels
10. Caught In A Web
11. Through My Words
12. Fatal Tragedy
13. The Count of Tuscany

Encore:

14. Learning To Live

“A Dramatic Turn Of Events”, the much-anticipated new album from DREAM THEATER, which marks drummer Mike Mangini’s recorded debut, will be released on September 13 via Roadrunner Records.

In a recent interview with Revolver magazine, DREAM THEATER guitarist John Petrucci stated about the departure of the band’s drummer and founding member Mike Portnoy, “I love Mike. We’ve known each other for so long… I met him when I was, what, 17? We went to Berklee [College Of Music] together. We went through everything. He’s an awesome guy.

“It was a heartbreaking chapter in our lives, but it’s just one of those things in life where there’s a big change, and you don’t expect it, and what matters is the way face that change. You can embrace it or you can run from it. We just chose to move on.”

On the topic of “A Dramatic Turn Of Events”, Petrucci said, “It’s everything that makes DREAM THEATER what it is. It’s all our elements — metal elements, progressive elements, melodic elements, and all the playing and fusion elements we’ve always had. I try to stay pure to the initial conception of our band; we’re a progressive band and we’re a metal band, mixed.

“We always try to push some sort of boundary and do something that’s a little bit different, some sort of element we haven’t done before. You’ll hear that for sure. You don’t want to repeat yourself, but at the same time it’s important to stay focused on what makes up the sound of the band.

“My favorite bands growing up were YES and RUSH, so ‘Hemispheres’, ‘Close To The Edge’, ‘And You An I’ — those big, dramatic songs are a huge part of what we do, married with the metal sound and melodic sound that makes us unique. That’s always be there.”

Source: www.blabbermouth.net

“A Dramatic Turn Of Events” is scheduled for release on September 13 via Roadrunner Records. The CD was mixed by Andy Wallace, who has previously worked with AVENGED SEVENFOLD, WHITE ZOMBIE, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, SEPULTURA, SLAYER and NIRVANA, among many others.

In a recent interview with Music Radar, guitarist John Petrucci and keyboardist Jordan Rudess were asked if Mike Mangini contributed to the songwriting on the forthcoming CD. “Mike didn’t write with us,” Rudess replied. “Basically, we got in the studio and did our thing. We wrote songs and sent them to him. He came in and just nailed his parts. He’s incredible. I’m finishing my keyboard parts right now, and I’ll go to the computer to see how things are lining up, and I’m just speechless. The guy doesn’t mess up!” [laughs]

“We had the demos, had them fully written out, and he learned them and added his own stuff,” Petrucci stated. “But every time he would do something, if I said, ‘Hey, can you do that again?’ he’d do it, and it would be perfect. The guy is… he’s out of his mind! [laughs] People are not going to believe how great he is.”

“But what’s really special about him is, he’s not just a technician,” Rudess added. “Yes, he plays his parts perfectly, but he comes at everything as a total musician. Everything he does has real soul and a depth of feeling.”

Source: www.blabbermouth.net

“On The Backs Of Angels”, a brand new song from DREAM THEATER, is available for streaming at the Roadrunner Records YouTube channel. The track comes off the band’s new album, “A Dramatic Turn Of Events”, which is scheduled for release on September 13 via Roadrunner Records. The CD was mixed by Andy Wallace, who has previously worked with AVENGED SEVENFOLD, WHITE ZOMBIE, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, SEPULTURA, SLAYER and NIRVANA, among many others.

TRIVIUM’s new album, “In Waves”, will be released on August 9 via Roadrunner Records. The follow-up to 2008’s “Shogun” was recorded primarily at Paint It Black Studios in Orlando, Florida (with only the drums having been tracked at Audiohammer Studios in Sanford, Florida) with the production/mixing team of Colin Richardson (MACHINE HEAD, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, SLIPKNOT, FEAR FACTORY) and Martin “Ginge” Ford, along with engineer Carl Bown.

Source: www.blabbermouth.net

Commented Mangini: “The day that I got the phone call to be in DREAM THEATER, it took my brain a minute to assemble what was going on, and when it sank in, the feeling was just of tremendous relief.

“It means so much to me, I almost felt like crying a couple of times. [Laughs] I didn’t know what to do.

“What it means to me to be part of not only such a legendary band, but this band, is a sense of fulfillment and purpose. I feel like a puzzle piece, and with Mike [Portnoy] in particular, I feel really honored to carry on the torch for him; I’m carrying on his spirit.”

Regarding the decision-making process, the members of DREAM THEATER had the following to say:

Jordan Rudess (keyboards): “The thing that stands about Mike Mangini is that he [plays] with such intensity and direction and power, and that was very engaging.

“It was hard to totally decide; you can’t just say, ‘OK, it’s him and write off some other guy, because they’re both incredible.”

John Petrucci (guitar): “We unknowingly used a method that we use when we write music, which is, ‘Just hear out my side.’

“During that discussion, we kind of came to some conclusions, we hashed things out, and at the end of the discussion, it was clear. We made a decision.”

John Myung (bass): “A lot of it was just how felt with each particular drummer. It turned out that we were kind of all on the same page as to who we needed to carry on. I think it was meant to be.”

Mangini is notorious for his technical prowess and holds three out of four World’s Fastest Drummer titles. These include the Fastest Matched grip at 1,247 strokes in 60 seconds; Fastest Hands, which he earned by executing 1,203 single-stroke notes in 60 seconds without drumsticks mallets etc.; Fastest Traditional Grip which he earned by executing 1,126 strokes in 60 seconds; and Fastest Single Stroke Foot record, playing 13,222 hits in 15 minutes and 5,222 hits in five minutes.

Mangini has written two books about his drumming techniques. These books, titled “Rhythm Knowledge”, are a practice method for deconstructing and simplifying complex polyrhythms and time signatures.

Mangini joined ANNIHILATOR in 1991 and appeared on the band’s “Set The World On Fire” album. He toured with the group in support of the CD until 1994 at which point he was asked to play with the Massachusetts band EXTREME, replacing that group’s original drummer Paul Geary.

After EXTREME dissolved in 1996, Mike was informed through drummer Jonathan Mover that guitarist Steve Vai was auditioning drummers for his live band. Mike successfully auditioned for Steve Vai’s band and relocated to Los Angeles.

From late 1996 to early 2000, Mangini was the highly regarded drummer of Vai’s live ensemble, which also included bassist Philip Bynoe, guitar wizard Mike Keneally and (in 2000) guitarist Dave Weiner. Mike also recorded several drum tracks for Steve’s “Fire Garden” and “Ultrazone” albums.

In 2005, Mike accepted a full-time teaching position at the Berklee College of Music in Boston and today he is a prominent faculty member in the school’s percussion department.

Portnoy, who co-founded DREAM THEATER more than 20 years ago, abruptly quit the band last summer while on tour with AVENGED SEVENFOLD.

He played on AVENGED SEVENFOLD’s latest album, “Nightmare”, following the death of that band’s drummer, Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan, and toured with them in late 2010 .

The third and final webisode in which the members of DREAM THEATER share with their fans some of the intense process, along with the musical joy, that went into choosing a new drummer can be viewed by following the link below.

A little more than a month after Portnoy’s sudden departure from DREAM THEATER, the band held three days of auditions in New York City. Over an amazing and productive three-day period, the band played, jammed and spoke candidly with seven of the world’s greatest drummers, learning about them musically, personally and professionally, and assessing the fit of each drummer’s incredible chops with the band’s trademark prog-rock sound.

The members of DREAM THEATER have been extremely sensitive to the fact that this is not only a monumental decision in their own lives, but also a critical moment in the lives of their fans around the world. “The departure of our lifelong bandmate and friend was an unexpected and truly heartbreaking blow,” said guitarist John Petrucci. “The fact that as a result of that event we’d be introduced to seven infinitely capable and uniquely talented drummers was heartening.”

The following seven drummers took part in the DREAM THEATER audition process:

* Aquiles Priester (age 39) (ANGRA, PAUL DI’ANNO)
* Peter Wildoer (age 36) (DARKANE)
* Marco Minnemann (age 40) (KREATOR, NECROPHAGIST, EPHEL DUATH, JOE SATRIANI)
* Virgil Donati (age 52) (PLANET X, SEVEN THE HARDWAY)
* Derek Roddy (age 38) (HATE ETERNAL, NILE, TODAY IS THE DAY)
* Mike Mangini (age 48) (STEVE VAI, EXTREME, ANNIHILATOR)
* Thomas Lang (age 43) (JOHN WETTON, ROBERT FRIPP, GLENN HUGHES)

Source: www.blabbermouth.net

DREAM THEATER have been extremely sensitive to the fact that this is not only a monumental decision in their own lives, but also a critical moment in the lives of their fans around the world. “The departure of our lifelong bandmate and friend was an unexpected and truly heartbreaking blow,” says guitarist John Petrucci. “The fact that as a result of that event we’d be introduced to seven infinitely capable and uniquely talented drummers was heartening.”

DREAM THEATER would like to share with its fans some of the intense process, along with the musical joy, that went into choosing a new drummer.

So who is the best fit behind the kit?

Go to DREAM THEATER’s Facebook page on Thursday, April 21 at 11 a.m. to sign up for the mailing list and to receive more details about an exclusive and intimate look at the auditions, and to find out exactly when and how the momentous announcement about the band’s new lineup will be made. Fans will be able to find out information about the band’s upcoming 2011 world tour via Facebook as well.

Source: www.blabbermouth.net