Portnoy recording ‘full-blown’ metal album

Drummer Mike Portnoy has revealed he’s been recording his first “full-blown” heavy metal album.

Details of who he’s recording with haven’t been officially confirmed, although he recently posted a picture of himself with Testament guitarist Alex Skolnick and Megadeth bassist David Ellefson on Facebook.

And the sticksman says his live appearance with members and former members of bands including Anthrax, Slayer, Sepultura and Death Angel under the Metal Allegiance banner sparked his idea for his latest project.

He tells Mike Portnoy Warriors: “There’s another album I just finished the drums and the writing on – and it’s my full-blown first full-on metal album. We wrote it in December and January, I tracked my drums in January, and we’re about to do the guitar and bass tracks.

“It’s pretty obvious that it’s stemming from my Metal Allegiance experience. I’m getting to do double-bass shredding drumming that I’ve only been able to hint at with Dream Theater, Avenged or Adrenaline Mob.”

He continues: “This album is really a kind of history of metal. There’s moments that are early metal – very Sabbath-esque and then there are moments that are full-on mid-80s thrash: Exodus, Slayer and early Metallica.

“Then there’s moments that get more into 90s Alice In Chains – so it’s almost a good history-of-metal sort of album. But I definitely got my metal chops in. It’s been fun and really, really cool. I can’t wait for people to hear it.”

The sticksman has also returned to the studio with Richie Kotzen and Billy Sheehan for The Winery Dogs’ second album and recently confirmed he’ll make a guest appearance on the upcoming double record by US prog outfit Tiles.

Portnoy is also part of The Neal Morse Band who issue The Grand Experiment on February 16. It’s the 16th studio album the drummer has recorded with the former Spock’s Beard frontman.

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