Rudess: Portnoy replacement had to be kind

Dream Theater were determined to hire a “kind” man in place of drummer Mike Portnoy, says keyboardist Jordan Rudess – and he’s delighted that Mike Mangini fits the bill.

The band launched a hunt for a new sticksman after Portnoy’s surprise departure in 2010, and confirmed Mangini in the role the following year.

Rudess tells Wikimetal: “One of the things we really wanted was someone who would be this really kind person, who is from the heart and that we just have a really good feeling with. Because after losing somebody and having it be so traumatic, we wanted to just feel comfortable.

“Mike’s not only a great drummer, he’s such a nice guy, and he makes us laugh; he’s just a lot of energy all around. So there’s a lot of joy when we’re with him.”

Mangini first appeared on the prog metal giants’ eleventh album A Dramatic Turn Of Events, and was a full part of the creative process for 2013’s self-titled follow-up.

Last month they were honoured as Band Of The Year at the Prog Awards and recently released live DVD Breaking The Fourth Wall. They’re currently touring the Far East and will play two shows in Australia next week.