bamdrummer
Senior Member
the sight on tama where ur s'posed to be able to see his new kit doesnt work. But anyway...Hes a really awesome drummer!
Mike Portnoy
- Thread starter DrummerDad
- Start date
I have to go get the full CD, but I purchased two tracks from Dream Theater's new album last week. I really like the song "A Rite of Passage."
My favorite Dream Theater album is Awake, but this new one sounds like it is great too!
I've met Mike Portnoy a long time ago after a show. He seems like a cool guy.
I hope Mike keeps doing instructional videos, and drum clinics.
My favorite Dream Theater album is Awake, but this new one sounds like it is great too!
I've met Mike Portnoy a long time ago after a show. He seems like a cool guy.
I hope Mike keeps doing instructional videos, and drum clinics.
That pretty much conveys everything I'm about to say. I'm not picking a fight with you, but I guess you live under a rock. The guy has been playing the same crappy solo since the 90's he has not gotten any better. Plus, besides his slump of not ever getting any better, the guy isn't very friendly. I live in the same town he grew up in that is how I know that. He's not one of the elite drummers out right now, there are so many better then him. If this was said on his little "forum" he would edit your post and ban you because that's the way that he is. He's over rated and could never compete with real drummers such as Gavin Harrison, Morgan Ågren, Thomas Haake and many many more. Sorry.
Fox622003
Gold Member
I have to agree. I personally don't like what Dream Theater is all about at all, I think they focused so much on the "complexity" of their songs that they don't really remember what musicality means. Not to mention Portnoy gets the prize for biggest ego in that band...and his stuff has gotten old ages ago. Got to give him some credit though, I don't understand how he memorizes those songs...I mean, we're talking about 25 minute + songs with tons of different parts and time signatures. It's sad to see so many young players look up to him so much, when he really didn't invent anything and his style isn't very special musically. It's very stupid music (in my opinion).
Fox.
I understand your opinion. Maybe I should retract that statement earlier. I don't necessarily believe that he is a power house. But to me many talented drummers out there are very good at a very limited aspect of drumming (Just to give one quick example, Joey Jordison and no I'm not a fan of slipknot, is a power house when it comes to double bass drumming, but that's about all he has going for himself). What I find very impressive about Mike Portnoy is the fact that he seems to have a strong foundation in many various aspects of drumming. He's not the fastest double bass drummer, but he has a good foundation in double bass drumming. He's pretty good at mastering odd time sig songs and transitioning into the various time signatures. He has a pretty descent knowledge of music theory which in my opinion allows him to be a team player with the rest of the band. Yah, there's a lot of drumming in DT music, but everyone else such as Petrucci and Ruddess (sp?) all have ample opportunities to express their instruments as well.
MaT
Member
I'm just gonna add my personal opinion on this, just as you did.
When I see Mike Portnoy live (or in dvds), I get the feeling he's playing with passion. Then, honestly, I don't care about his personal life, he's a model as a musician to me, not as a person. But, I don't really think he's an unfriendly person.
Now, about his drumming skills, I think he's very good, very creative when playing DT songs; he inspired me a lot and I respect him for giving me an open minded approach when creating drum parts and song structures.
Let me add that he also works on many other things besides just drumming, so I don't blame him for not being playing as fast as any elite drummer out there, I believe he's not aiming for that, but to keep creating great music.
Just my honest opinion.
DrumEatDrum
Platinum Member
I don't this attitude of if you pay a compliment to drummer A, you are somehow insulting drummer B, C, or D. Saying a drummer is "talented" does not equal saying someone is "the best' or automatically "better than" everyone else.
And you really think if you insult someone on their website, they're not going to boot you?
Got to any website message board and insult the owner, and see how long you last. LOL.
Since when is drumming a competition anyway? I don't recall Portnoy every claiming he is/was completing with anyone. Is there a prize for the winner now? Is drumming an Olympic event now? Will this competition be televised along with the SuperBowl?
I've met Mike 1/2 dozen times over the years. He's always seemed like a nice guy. He's pretty humble when he does talk about other drummers, and he doesn't consider himself in the same league as some of the names mentioned. So what? But he's also a very driven individual, and admits he's very OCD, which I suppose could rub some people wrong.
I don't feel like typing out a whole essay again, but if you think Joey Jordison is a "power house" at double bass then you have a lot to discover, bub.
These following two videos are just ice breakers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOaJS1yg6v4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cC-4ZRkVnOM
Now for the real stuff.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qc98u-eGzlc
Word could not have agreed more...
Your right there are faster double bass drummers out there and I stand corrected. That was the first example that came to mind.
xxmastermindxx
Junior Member
i found a mike portnoy interview and a little workshop w/ him (in person!) on a German site called bonedo... the videos are in English, so we all understand it anyway... 
here is the link: http://www.bonedo.de/feature/allgem...theater-video-interview/index.html?no_cache=1
here is the link: http://www.bonedo.de/feature/allgem...theater-video-interview/index.html?no_cache=1
krayziemex99
Member
Has anybody heard Black Clouds and Silver Linings? Man he just tears it up on that album he does some fantastic playing on that.
DrumEatDrum
Platinum Member
Not my favorite Dream theater album (and I've been a huge fan since 92).
But I have to say it sounds like Portnoy had been practicing before recording this one, which is only odd given how often he says he never practices anymore!
krayziemex99
Member
Who know he might have been but he did some awesome playing on a Nightmare to Remember there was some cool stuff that was done there.
krayziemex99
Member
I don't think Portnoy practices as much as he just keeps getting better with time and with more playing that he does just like anyone else I mean if thats all you do your bound to get better and better. Of course practice always helps though.
Dean Talbot
Junior Member
I wouldn't have thought he needed to practice. Since DT joined Roadrunner, they have done 2 year long tours, interspersed with studio time. As with other bands, Roadrunner have these guys on the road for such a long time that the tour becomes the practice.
dwsabianguy
Senior Member
Actually, yeah, it does seem that he's gotten cleaner for Black Clouds. But I think he's gotten into the same rut as the rest of the band (resting on their laurels, more or less), but A Nightmare to Remember kills me. It's a tough song on the feet if you ask me, but I'm no double-bass technician.
MP was my second drum hero after Neil Peart, and I still come back to Dream Theater and enjoy most of it. Regardless of what people say, I find a lot of substance in the music (don't get me wrong, some songs are wankalicious, but definitely not all of them) and I like the music as a whole, rather than being into it just for the drums. In other words, I got into the band for MP, but stayed for John Petrucci.
He does have one big stylistic characteristic (some people would call it a flaw), which would be his constantly accented 1. No matter what the time signature is, he almost always lands on 1. There are a couple exceptions, like a a couple times in Voices and Learning to Live, but overall, he lands on 1 every time without any playing over the bar line. And most of the time it works for the music.
Not to mention that his drums sound great... sometimes.
AND the new Transatlantic album is fantastic.
MP was my second drum hero after Neil Peart, and I still come back to Dream Theater and enjoy most of it. Regardless of what people say, I find a lot of substance in the music (don't get me wrong, some songs are wankalicious, but definitely not all of them) and I like the music as a whole, rather than being into it just for the drums. In other words, I got into the band for MP, but stayed for John Petrucci.
He does have one big stylistic characteristic (some people would call it a flaw), which would be his constantly accented 1. No matter what the time signature is, he almost always lands on 1. There are a couple exceptions, like a a couple times in Voices and Learning to Live, but overall, he lands on 1 every time without any playing over the bar line. And most of the time it works for the music.
Not to mention that his drums sound great... sometimes.
AND the new Transatlantic album is fantastic.
I have been a Dream Theater/Mike Portnoy fan for years...
For the music in Dream Theater, Mike is like a frount man... not to montion the drumming
wich i think SFAM (scenes from a memory) and SDoIT (Six Degrees of Inner Turbulance) was his best drumming in DT. I stress whan people say, "whoah, he has a waaaaayyy too big kit" because, if you look up on MP and his kits (monsters), it 2 kits made into one, its just a usual Metal kit, mixed in with a jazzy/proggy fusion kit...
I also love MPs LTE (liquid Tention Experimen with: MP, John Petrucci, Tony Levin and Jordan Rudess.) The size down totaly work for LTE and i love it, as many DT/MP fans may know MP loves his cymbals and are a great addion to MPs kits. IMO they bring wis kit alive, with a range of crashes and slashes the sounds he makes just fits everytime.
MP (IMO) is the best drummer since maybe john bonham or Keith Moon...
But, i know he cannot please everyone, thoughs who are not into the "prog" scene (witch is ALOT atm.) will not take note to him. but, i strongly suggest listening to a variaty of MP music (DT, LTE, OSI, Trans Atlantic etc.) Thats my take on MP
- JMX
For the music in Dream Theater, Mike is like a frount man... not to montion the drumming
wich i think SFAM (scenes from a memory) and SDoIT (Six Degrees of Inner Turbulance) was his best drumming in DT. I stress whan people say, "whoah, he has a waaaaayyy too big kit" because, if you look up on MP and his kits (monsters), it 2 kits made into one, its just a usual Metal kit, mixed in with a jazzy/proggy fusion kit...
I also love MPs LTE (liquid Tention Experimen with: MP, John Petrucci, Tony Levin and Jordan Rudess.) The size down totaly work for LTE and i love it, as many DT/MP fans may know MP loves his cymbals and are a great addion to MPs kits. IMO they bring wis kit alive, with a range of crashes and slashes the sounds he makes just fits everytime.
MP (IMO) is the best drummer since maybe john bonham or Keith Moon...
But, i know he cannot please everyone, thoughs who are not into the "prog" scene (witch is ALOT atm.) will not take note to him. but, i strongly suggest listening to a variaty of MP music (DT, LTE, OSI, Trans Atlantic etc.) Thats my take on MP
- JMX
krayziemex99
Member
Holy hell this guy works his ass off!!! Now he is in the studio with Avenged Sevenfold when does he not stop! Plus I'm almost even more excited to see what Mike is gonna sound like with them in the studio.
