Mike Portnoy has thanked a fan for producing a remix of his Twelve-step Suite concept from his time as Dream Theater drummer before quitting in 2010.
It features five songs from across five Dream Theater albums. Portnoy based the lyrics to each on his experience with alcoholism.
"It's like my life flashing before my eyes!" wrote Portnoy in the YouTube comments to the remix clip. "Will always be very proud of my legacy with the band. I still hope to someday perform this suite in its entirely live on stage, as that was always my intention. Thanks for making this!"
Last year Portnoy teased fans by saying that if he hadn't quit Dream Theater, he would have performed the entire Twelve-step Suite in full, according to Prog Magazine. Instead, the band continue to write their 12th studio album with Portnoy's replacement, Mike Mangini.
Meanwhile, Portnoy will tour an improvisational show Europe with Neal Morse's band and the Flower Kings, which will conclude with a set of Transatlantic songs.
Mangini is as you say just that damn good and there is no doubt about that. However, Mangini is now just the drummer in Dream Theater where as Portnoy was Dream Theater and without him they are now just a run of the mill prog band.
Agreed. Yes, Portnoy must have been a bit of a bossypants, but he got his band to do sooooo much cool shiet i.e. the 3 hour sets, live covers of entire albums, etc. He was also the man behind most of their more interesting, high concept material like the twelve-step suite and "A Change of Seasons". And you know Portnoy was 80+% of the character in DT when, in his absence, John Myung seems about as exciting a member as Petrucci.
Love DT still with Mangini, but I'll always miss Portnoy in the group. Intangibles of leadership and character can't be replaced, even if the drummer is technically superior. Support them all, that's what I say-still great players whatever the material or band.
\m/
Whether this day will ever come is another matter :S