Mike Portnoy is a legendary modern drummer and, as of 8th September 2010, the former drummer of Dream Theater. He has used quite a variety of drum kits throughout his musical career, some of which he has incorporated electronic drum sets. He was also the back vocalist of the band, and for a long time has been known as a very technical drummer. He wrote many of the lyrics for Dream Theater, particularly after Kevin Moore departed from the band. In the Modern Drummer's Hall of Fame, Portnoy is second to Neil Peart in terms of age, making him the 2nd youngest person ever to be inducted. During 2010, Portnoy filled in as Avenged Sevenfold's drummer temporarily for the recording of the album Nightmare. This was in place of Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan. Sullivan unfortunately passed away in 2010, hence why Portnoy's talents were temporarily adopted by Avenged Sevenfold especially for the recording of Nightmare.
There is speculation that Portnoy's departure from Dream Theater could mean that he is going to become the new permanent drummer for Avenged Sevenfold. His leave was surprising, as earlier in the year he had stated that his commitment to Dream Theater was his main priority and that he was going to go on to work on their next album for 2011.
Portnoy is extremely talented and dedicated when it comes to drumming, and somewhat unique. He has used a wide variety of drum kits, including electronic drum sets. Some of his kits include the When Dream and Day Unite/Images & Words kit, The Purple/Green/Red Monsters kit, and the Transatlantic kit. The When Dream and Day Unite/Images & Words kit was purchased by Portnoy himself, which he worked three jobs to pay for. Some of his influences include the likes of Jon Fishman, Billy Cobham and Andy Sturmer.
As both a creative and technical drummer, Portnoy is practically a perfectionist, which certainly always made him a suitable drummer for Dream Theater, and he managed to fit in brilliantly with Avenged Sevenfold's lineup. Although electronic drum sets are used in some of Portnoy's drum kits, it is usually for the "secret cowbell". This is a way of communicating with the rest of the band and crew, to count off the songs. Portnoy has been seen playing bass guitar on the occasional performance, particularly for the fictional band Nightmare Cinema. He appears to be a fairly capable player of the instrument, making him a multi-talented musician, especially with his skills in writing lyrics and performing back vocals.
As for Portnoy's personal life, he is very open about being a recovering alcoholic. He is a dedicated member of Alcoholics Anonymous. Dream Theater's Twelve-step Suite was written by Portnoy - it's a set of five songs reflecting his experiences of coping with alcoholism. He is also happily married to wife Marlene, of whom he has two children with. Portnoy resides at his home with his family in Philadelphia.
Make sure to check out manicdrummer.com for your next electronic drum set purchase.
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