Dream Theater reunited with founding drummer Mike Portnoy in late October, meaning longtime drummer Mike Mangini was out of the band. Portnoy parted ways with Dream Theater in 2010 and was replaced by Mangini between from then until this year. Mangini's time in Dream Theater also yielded the band's only GRAMMY, which they won for Best Metal Performance in 2022 for the song "The Alien".
In an interview with The Mistress Carrie Podcast, Mangini spoke a little about Dream Theater's choice to have Portnoy rejoin, saying that he simply understood the decision.
"The situation made sense to me when I heard it in that — I don't know, I guess I just skipped out and thought, 'Oh, that's an original band member going back to a band. Oh, I get that. Okay, I get it.'" said Mangini. "And that's it. I mean, that is literally it."
He continued: "A decision was made that I understood. That's all it is. 'Cause when I heard the decision, I understood it. I tried to explain that I understood the parameters of that being a music thing. Anyway, it's as simple as that. And I'm telling you, I was, like, 'Okay, 'I get that.' I was with the band for 13 years. It was an unbelievable experience."
Mangini has since announced his new solo album Invisible Signs due out November 11. Upon Portnoy's rejoining, Mangini offered similar sentiments on his departure: "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. I also really enjoyed spending lots of time with the crew. And then there's the GRAMMY win, which was amazingly satisfying. To the fans: thank you so much for being amazing to me. I cherish the pictures I have of you all losing your minds and having fun. Finally, I really love the band, crew and management and wish them and the entire organization all the best."
