Why did Mike Portnoy leave Dream Theater? Fans are elated as metal band welcomes back founding drummer for 16th studio album

Mike Portnoy, the founding drummer of Dream Theater, is getting back with the band. Dream Theatre made an announcement on Wednesday, October 25, in which they said that Portnoy will be back and they are soon going to start working on their 16th studio album.

Mike Mangini, who took over the role of Portnoy in 2010, talked about Portnoy's news of returning to the band. Mangini said,

"I understand Dream Theater’s decision to get Mike Portnoy back at this time. As was said from Day 1, my place was not to fill all the roles that Mike held in the band. I was to play the drums in order to help the band carry on. My main role of keeping our live show working tightly on a nightly basis was an intense and rewarding experience. Thankfully, I got to experience playing music with these iconic musicians, as well as some fun times laced with humor."

For those unaware, Mike Portnoy left Dream Theater in 2010, as he was not looking to get associated with only one band. During interviews with rock magazines, he said that he wanted to work with others as well and was not looking to only work with four people, thus, that was the reason why he left the band.

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Mike Portnoy left Dream Theater in 2010 citing other projects, burnout; fans are elated by his return

News of Portnoy's return to Dream Theater has left fans excited. Several social media users reacted by saying that they can't believe that this is happening.

Mike Portnoy, in an interview with Classic Rock Magazine, spoke about his exit from Dream Theatre in 2010. At that time, he said,

"One of the reasons I needed to leave Dream Theater was because I didn’t want to end my career as just the drummer in one band. I didn’t want to play with the same four musicians for the rest of my life. I needed to spread my wings, and I knew I had more to offer than just Dream Theater."

He further said that in his interview, if people look at his work now, they can see that he worked for 50 different bands, too, in different styles. He also said,

"All of the bands that I’ve been in make up the bigger picture of who I am, and I would hope that my musical legacy is about all of those things. I’d just like to be remembered as a huge music lover."

However, there were also reports that Portnoy was having creative differences with the band's lead guitarist, John Petrucci, and that was the reason why he decided to leave the band.

The band's 16th studio album will be their first with Portnoy since 2009’s Black Clouds & Silver Linings. Speaking about his rejoining the band, Mike Portnoy said,

“I am overwhelmed with joy to be returning home and reuniting with my brothers! There is so much shared history between us all… so many memories, so much music… to think we’re coming up on 40 years since this journey began! The idea of creating new music together is so exciting and I absolutely cannot wait to hit the road and get to play live for a whole new generation of fans that weren’t ever able to see this lineup before…There’s no place like home!!”

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Dream Theater was founded in 1985

Dream Theater was founded in 1985 and at that time, the band was called Majesty. The band was founded by John Myun, Mike Portnoy, and John Petrucci while they were studying at Berklee College of Music in Boston. The current lineup consists of Petrucci, Myung, Portnoy, vocalist James LaBrie and keyboardist Jordan Rudess.

Dream Theater has a dedicated fan base and has released a number of albums.The band's music often combines heavy guitar riffs, intricate keyboard melodies, and elaborate drumming.