Mike Portnoy
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Michael Stephen Portnoy (born April 20, 1967) is an American musician who is primarily known as the drummer, backing vocalist, and co-founder of the
progressive metal Progressive metal (often shortened to prog metal) is a broad fusion music genre melding heavy metal music, heavy metal and progressive rock, combining the loud "aggression" and amplified electric guitar, guitar-driven sound of the former with t ...
band Dream Theater. In September 2010, Portnoy announced his departure from Dream Theater after 25 years, with Mike Mangini taking his place as drummer of the band. In October 2023, 13 years after his departure, the band announced his return. During his time out of Dream Theater, Portnoy remained active, with a variety of bands and projects, including
Adrenaline Mob Adrenaline Mob is an American Heavy metal music, heavy metal supergroup (music), supergroup formed in early 2011 by singer Russell Allen, guitarist Mike Orlando and drummer Mike Portnoy. The band's current lineup consists of Allen, Orlando, and ...
, Avenged Sevenfold, Transatlantic, Yellow Matter Custard, Flying Colors, The Winery Dogs, Liquid Tension Experiment, Metal Allegiance, Sons of Apollo, the Neal Morse Band, and
BPMD BPMD is an American hard rock/ heavy metal supergroup. Formed in 2019, the band plays cover songs of classic American rock bands of the 1970s. The band consists of Overkill singer Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth, former Vio-lence and Machine Head g ...
.


Early life

Portnoy was born on April 20, 1967, in Long Beach, New York. He is
Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
. His father, Howard Portnoy (1940–2009), worked as a DJ at a local radio station. Mike and his father later moved to
Carmel-by-the-Sea, California Carmel-by-the-Sea (), commonly known simply as Carmel, is a city in Monterey County, California, located on the Central Coast of California. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 3,220, down from 3,722 a ...
, to work at KRML radio station after watching the 1971 film '' Play Misty for Me''. His mother died on November 16, 1984, when the private plane she was riding in, with her boyfriend, crashed off the
Atlantic City Atlantic City, sometimes referred to by its initials A.C., is a Jersey Shore seaside resort city in Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Atlantic City comprises the second half of the Atlantic City- Hammonton metropolitan sta ...
coastline. His father's job as a DJ helped Portnoy gain an appreciation for music at an early age, as he had access to his father's collection of LPs. He developed a preference for bands Rush,
Kiss A kiss is the touching or pressing of one's lips against another person, animal or object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely; depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sex ...
,
Queen Queen most commonly refers to: * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a kingdom * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen (band), a British rock band Queen or QUEEN may also refer to: Monarchy * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Q ...
,
Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1968. The band comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist-keyboardist John Paul Jones (musician), John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham. With a he ...
,
The Who The Who are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup (1964–1978) consisted of lead vocalist Roger Daltrey, guitarist Pete Townshend, bassist John Entwistle and drummer Keith Moon. Considered one of th ...
,
Iron Maiden Iron Maiden are an English Heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris (musician), Steve Harris. Although fluid in the early years of the band, the line-up for most ...
, and
The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
, among others. Portnoy claims to be self-taught as a drummer, though he did take
music theory Music theory is the study of theoretical frameworks for understanding the practices and possibilities of music. ''The Oxford Companion to Music'' describes three interrelated uses of the term "music theory": The first is the "Elements of music, ...
classes in high school. During that period, he began playing in local bands. With Rising Power and Inner Sanctum, he recorded and released independent albums.


Career


Dream Theater: 1985–2010, 2023–present

Portnoy left Inner Sanctum, his last high school band, after being awarded a scholarship to attend the
Berklee College of Music Berklee College of Music () is a Private university, private music college in Boston, Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern Music of the United ...
in
Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
. There, he met
John Petrucci John Peter Petrucci (born July 12, 1967) is an American guitarist, best known as a founding member of the progressive metal band Dream Theater. He produced or co-produced (often with Mike Portnoy before Portnoy's absence from the band 2010-2023 ...
and John Myung. They formed a band called Majesty, which was later changed to Dream Theater. Soon after they all left Berklee. Known for his technical skill as a drummer in Dream Theater, Portnoy has won 32 awards from the '' Modern Drummer'' magazine. He is the second youngest person (after
Neil Peart Neil Ellwood Peart ( ; September 12, 1952 – January 7, 2020) was a Canadian and American musician, known as the drummer, percussionist, and primary lyricist of the rock band Rush (band), Rush. He was known to fans by the nickname "the Profe ...
) to be inducted into the ''Modern Drummer'' Hall of Fame, at 37 years of age. He was one of the main songwriters during his first tenure with Dream Theater. He co-produced six of their albums with guitarist
John Petrucci John Peter Petrucci (born July 12, 1967) is an American guitarist, best known as a founding member of the progressive metal band Dream Theater. He produced or co-produced (often with Mike Portnoy before Portnoy's absence from the band 2010-2023 ...
, starting from '' Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory'' through '' Black Clouds and Silver Linings''. In the spring of 2010, Portnoy filled in for Avenged Sevenfold's former drummer, Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan, who died during the production of the band's fifth album '' Nightmare''. On May 5, 2010, Portnoy released a statement on his status with Avenged Sevenfold on their official website, confirming his working relationship with the band. In September 2010, Portnoy announced he was leaving Dream Theater. The band hired Mike Mangini to take his place after inviting and holding auditions with seven "world-class" drummers. Avenged Sevenfold chose not to continue working with Portnoy after the ''Nightmare'' tour was completed, in part due to the significant controversy surrounding his departure from Dream Theater. Following this, Portnoy announced that he asked to return to Dream Theater, but was turned down by their lawyer as the band had already brought Mangini fully onboard and he had left his tenured teaching position at Berklee College of Music to join the band. On October 25, 2023, Dream Theater announced that Portnoy was returning to the band, Portnoy having gradually reconciled with the band throughout his 13-year absence before lastly reconciling with James LaBrie in 2022 at the band's show at the Beacon Theatre in New York. His first album with the band in 15 years, ''
Parasomnia Parasomnias are a category of sleep disorders that involve abnormal movements, behaviors, emotions, perceptions, and dreams that occur while falling asleep, sleeping, between sleep stages, or during arousal from sleep. Parasomnias are dissocia ...
'' was released on February 7, 2025.


Former and current projects: 1997–2023

Portnoy is known for his many side projects and tribute bands. He is a founding member of Liquid Tension Experiment, an instrumental progressive rock band featuring fellow Dream Theater members John Petrucci and Jordan Rudess along with bassist
Tony Levin Anthony Frederick Levin (born June 6, 1946) is an American musician and composer specializing in electric bass guitars, Chapman Stick and upright bass. He also sings and plays synthesizer. Levin is best known for his work with King Crimson (19 ...
. He is also a founding member of Transatlantic, a progressive rock "super-group" featuring former Spock's Beard keyboardist/vocalist Neal Morse, Flower Kings guitarist Roine Stolt and
Marillion Marillion are a British neo-prog band, formed in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, in 1979. They emerged from the post-punk music scene in Britain and existed as a bridge between the styles of punk rock and classic progressive rock, becoming the mo ...
bassist
Pete Trewavas Peter Trewavas (born 15 January 1959) is an English musician, best known as the bassist of the progressive rock band Marillion. He joined in 1982, replacing Diz Minnitt, while acting as a backing vocalist and occasional guitarist. Biography ...
. Outside of Transatlantic, Portnoy has worked with Neal Morse extensively, appearing on most of his solo albums. He is a member of The Neal Morse Band, featuring guitarist/vocalist Eric Gillette, bassist Randy George, and second keyboardist/vocalist Bill Hubauer. Portnoy has also recorded and/or toured/performed live with
Umphrey's McGee Umphrey's McGee, sometimes stylized as UM, is an American rock band originally from South Bend, Indiana. The band experiments with many musical styles, including rock, metal, funk, jazz, blues, reggae, electronic, bluegrass, country, and ...
, OSI, Hail!,
Stone Sour Stone Sour was an American rock band formed in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1992. The band performed for five years before disbanding in 1997. They reunited in 2000; since 2015, the group has consisted of Corey Taylor (lead vocals, guitar), Josh Rand ...
,
Fates Warning Fates Warning is an American progressive metal band, formed in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1982 by vocalist John Arch, guitarists Jim Matheos and Victor Arduini, bassist Joe DiBiase, and drummer Steve Zimmerman. There have been numerous lineup ch ...
, Overkill and G3. Over the years, Portnoy has created tribute bands to the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Rush, and the Who. After his departure from Dream Theater, Portnoy formed several new bands, starting with
Adrenaline Mob Adrenaline Mob is an American Heavy metal music, heavy metal supergroup (music), supergroup formed in early 2011 by singer Russell Allen, guitarist Mike Orlando and drummer Mike Portnoy. The band's current lineup consists of Allen, Orlando, and ...
, a
traditional heavy metal Heavy metal (or simply metal) is a Music genre, genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the United Kingdom and United States. With roots in blues rock, psychedelic rock and acid rock, heavy metal band ...
/
hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a heavier subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and Distortion (music), distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the Garage rock, garage, Psychedelic rock, psychedelic and blues ...
band with singer Russell Allen (of Symphony X) and guitarist Mike Orlando. On June 4, 2013, however, Portnoy announced his departure from Adrenaline Mob, citing scheduling conflicts. Portnoy is a founding member of Flying Colors, a
progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog) is a broad genre of rock music that primarily developed in the United Kingdom through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early-to-mid-1970s. Initially termed " progressive pop", the ...
band also featuring Steve Morse, Neal Morse, Dave LaRue, and Casey McPherson. He also founded The Winery Dogs, a
power trio A power trio is a rock band format having a lineup of electric guitar, bass guitar and drum kit, leaving out a dedicated vocalist or an additional rhythm guitar or keyboard instrument that are often used in other rock music bands that are quart ...
also featuring bassist Billy Sheehan ( Mr. Big) and guitarist Richie Kotzen (formerly of Mr. Big and
Poison A poison is any chemical substance that is harmful or lethal to living organisms. The term is used in a wide range of scientific fields and industries, where it is often specifically defined. It may also be applied colloquially or figurati ...
); Sons of Apollo, a progressive metal supergroup also featuring Sheehan, Derek Sherinian,
Jeff Scott Soto Jeff Scott Soto (born November 4, 1965) is an American Rock music, rock singer of Puerto Rican descent. He is perhaps best known for being the vocalist on Yngwie Malmsteen's first two albums, and the lead vocalist for Journey (band), Journey i ...
and Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal; Metal Allegiance, a thrash metal/groove metal band also featuring Mark Menghi,
David Ellefson David Ellefson is an American musician, best known for his long tenure as the bassist and backing vocalist for thrash metal band Megadeth across two stints. Ellefson initially became an accomplished bassist and honed his songwriting skills whi ...
(
Megadeth Megadeth is an American thrash metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1983 by vocalist and guitarist Dave Mustaine. Known for their technically complex guitar work and musicianship, Megadeth is one of the "big four" of American thrash metal—alo ...
) and Alex Skolnick (
Testament A testament is a document that the author has sworn to be true. In law it usually means last will and testament. Testament or The Testament can also refer to: Books * ''Testament'' (comic book), a 2005 comic book * ''Testament'', a thriller no ...
); and
BPMD BPMD is an American hard rock/ heavy metal supergroup. Formed in 2019, the band plays cover songs of classic American rock bands of the 1970s. The band consists of Overkill singer Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth, former Vio-lence and Machine Head g ...
, a supergroup/cover band also featuring Menghi,
Phil Demmel Phil Demmel (born April 2, 1967) is an American musician who played lead guitar in the Heavy metal music, heavy metal band Machine Head (band), Machine Head between 2002 and 2018, making him their longest running member in that position. He has a ...
( Vio-lence) and Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth ( Overkill). He was also a member of PSMS, with Tony Macalpine, Billy Sheehan and Derek Sherinian. Portnoy also drummed with
Twisted Sister Twisted Sister was an American Heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed in 1972 in Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey, and later based on Long Island, New York (state), New York. Their best-known songs include "We're Not Gonna Take It (Twisted Sister song ...
from 2015 to 2016, following the death of longtime drummer A. J. Pero. He also played with the band at their one-off performance in 2023.


Artistry and influences

In the April 2001 edition of '' Modern Drummer'' and Portnoy's website, he names
Neil Peart Neil Ellwood Peart ( ; September 12, 1952 – January 7, 2020) was a Canadian and American musician, known as the drummer, percussionist, and primary lyricist of the rock band Rush (band), Rush. He was known to fans by the nickname "the Profe ...
,
Ringo Starr Sir Richard Starkey (born 7 July 1940), known professionally as Ringo Starr, is an English musician, songwriter and actor who achieved international fame as the drummer for the Beatles. Starr occasionally sang lead vocals with the group, us ...
,
Phil Collins Philip David Charles Collins (born 30 January 1951) is an English musician, songwriter, record producer and actor. He was the drummer and later became the lead singer of the rock band Genesis (band), Genesis and had a successful solo career, ac ...
,
John Bonham John Henry Bonham (31 May 1948 – 25 September 1980) was an English musician who was the drummer of the rock band Led Zeppelin. Noted for his speed, power, fast single-footed kick drumming, distinctive sound, and feel for groove, John Bonh ...
and
Keith Moon Keith John Moon (23 August 1946 – 7 September 1978) was an English musician who was the drummer for the rock band the Who. Regarded as one of the greatest drummers in the history of rock music, he was noted for his unique style of playing and ...
as influences. Portnoy played bass when Dream Theater performed as the fictitious band Nightmare Cinema. Before live performances of "Trial of Tears", he would sometimes switch instruments with
John Petrucci John Peter Petrucci (born July 12, 1967) is an American guitarist, best known as a founding member of the progressive metal band Dream Theater. He produced or co-produced (often with Mike Portnoy before Portnoy's absence from the band 2010-2023 ...
and play a fragment of " Eruption" by
Van Halen Van Halen ( ) was an American rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1973. Credited with restoring hard rock to the forefront of the music scene, Van Halen was known for their energetic live performances and the virtuosity of their guit ...
. In Nightmare Cinema, he went by the stage name "Max Del Fuvio". Portnoy played bass guitar and xylophone during a song on '' Liquid Tension Experiment 2''. He has also contributed lead and harmony vocals to numerous projects.


The "Portnoy fill"

Portnoy is often cited for a recurring
drum fill In popular music, a fill is a short musical passage, riff, or rhythmic sound which helps to sustain the listener's attention during a break between the phrases of a melody. "The terms riff and fill are sometimes used interchangeably by musicians, ...
he uses in songs, that has become colloquially known as "the Portnoy fill": it consists of a repeating pattern of two sixteenth notes played on either the
snare SNARE proteins – "Soluble NSF attachment protein, SNAP REceptors" – are a large protein family consisting of at least 24 members in yeasts and more than 60 members in mammalian and plant cells. The primary role of SNARE proteins is to m ...
or a tom, followed by two sixteenths on the
double bass The double bass (), also known as the upright bass, the acoustic bass, the bull fiddle, or simply the bass, is the largest and lowest-pitched string instrument, chordophone in the modern orchestra, symphony orchestra (excluding rare additions ...
. Portnoy himself has credited
Terry Bozzio Terry John Bozzio (born December 27, 1950) is an American drummer best known for his work with Missing Persons, U.K., and Frank Zappa. He has been featured on nine solo or collaborative albums, 26 albums with Zappa and seven albums with Missi ...
as the originator of it.


Progressive Nation

In 2008, Portnoy organized a tour called ''Progressive Nation''. Dream Theater headlined the touring festival and were joined by
Opeth Opeth is a Swedish progressive metal band from Stockholm, formed in 1990. The band incorporates folk music, folk, blues, classical music, classical, and jazz elements into its usually lengthy compositions, as well as strong influences from deat ...
,
Between the Buried and Me Between the Buried and Me, often abbreviated as BTBAM, is an American progressive metalcore band from Raleigh, North Carolina. Formed in 2000, the band consists of Tommy Giles Rogers Jr. (lead vocals, keyboards), Paul Waggoner (guitar, backing ...
and 3. Portnoy stated, "I've been wanting to assemble a package tour like this for many years now. With all of the festivals and package tours that go through America, I've been talking with our manager and agent for over 10 years now about doing something that focuses on the more progressive, musician-oriented side of hard rock and metal. I decided it was time to stop talking the talk, lace up and finally walk the walk." In 2009, the tour returned with Dream Theater headlining once more and joined by
Zappa Plays Zappa Zappa Plays Zappa is an American tribute act led by Dweezil Zappa, the elder son of late American composer and musician Frank Zappa, devoted to performing the music of Frank Zappa. History The band debuted in 2006 with shows in Europe, Cana ...
,
Pain of Salvation Pain of Salvation is a Swedish progressive metal band led by Daniel Gildenlöw, who is the band's main songwriter, lyricist, guitarist, and vocalist. Pain of Salvation's sound is characterised by riff-oriented guitar work, a broad vocal range, o ...
, and Beardfish. In 2014, Portnoy rebooted Progressive Nation as a 4-day cruising music festival called ''Progressive Nation at Sea''. The event took place on the Norwegian Pearl on February 18–22, 2014 sailing from Miami, FL to the
Bahamas The Bahamas, officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an archipelagic and island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the Atlantic Ocean. It contains 97 per cent of the archipelago's land area and 88 per cent of its population. ...
. Portnoy organized the cruise with help from Derek Sherinian, and music festival company, Sixthman. Portnoy performed in three different bands on the cruise, Transatlantic, Portnoy, Sheehan, MacAlpine, Sherinian (PSMS), and Bigelf. Also rounding out the cruise were a large number of other progressive rock artists,
Jon Anderson Jon Anderson (born John Roy Anderson, 25 October 1944) is a British, and latterly American, singer, songwriter and musician, best known as the former lead singer of the progressive rock band Yes (band), Yes, which he formed in 1968 with bassis ...
,
Adrian Belew Robert Steven "Adrian" Belew (born December 23, 1949) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. A multi-instrumentalist primarily known as a guitarist and singer, he is noted for his unusual approach to the instrument, his ...
's Power Trio, Devin Townsend Project,
King's X King's X is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Springfield, Missouri, in 1979. They were first called the Edge and later became Sneak Preview before settling on its current name in 1985. The band's current lineup has remained intact fo ...
, Spock's Beard, The Flower Kings,
Pain of Salvation Pain of Salvation is a Swedish progressive metal band led by Daniel Gildenlöw, who is the band's main songwriter, lyricist, guitarist, and vocalist. Pain of Salvation's sound is characterised by riff-oriented guitar work, a broad vocal range, o ...
,
Anathema The word anathema has two main meanings. One is to describe that something or someone is being hated or avoided. The other refers to a formal excommunication by a Christian denomination, church. These meanings come from the New Testament, where a ...
, Riverside, Periphery, Animals as Leaders, The Safety Fire, Tony Harnell & Bumblefoot, Beardfish,
The Dear Hunter The Dear Hunter is an American progressive rock band originating in Providence, Rhode Island. It began as a side project of Casey Crescenzo when he was a member of The Receiving End of Sirens, before becoming his main band in 2006. The band's s ...
, Haken, Jolly, Anneke Van Giersbergen, Mark Mikel, and his son, Max Portnoy's band, Next to None. Portnoy describes what the cruise was like: "Progressive Nation at Sea still remains one of my proudest career memories…at the time, music cruises were just beginning to blossom and to be given the opportunity to assemble such an amazing lineup was a dream come true for me". Since ''Progressive Nation at Sea 2014'', Portnoy went on to join forces with another cruising
progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog) is a broad genre of rock music that primarily developed in the United Kingdom through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early-to-mid-1970s. Initially termed " progressive pop", the ...
music festival, ''Cruise to the Edge'', to merge the vision and musical lineups. CTTE has been sailing annually since then.


Personal life

Portnoy and his wife Marlene (née Apuzzo) live in Upper Saucon Township in the
Lehigh Valley The Lehigh Valley () is a geography, geographic and urban area, metropolitan region formed by the Lehigh River in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Lehigh and Northampton County, Pennsylvania, Northampton counties in eastern Pennsylvania. It is a co ...
region of
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...
with their children, Melody Ruthandrea (born May 3, 1997) and Max John (born March 7, 1999). Portnoy is a recovering addict and has openly discussed it. The five song set '' Twelve-step Suite'' deals with his experience of substance abuse. Portnoy edged away from alcohol and drugs in April 2000; he has remained sober since.


Equipment

Portnoy endorses Tama drums, Sabian cymbals, Promark drumsticks and
Remo Remo Inc. is an American musical instruments manufacturing company based in Valencia, California, and founded by Remo Belli in 1957. Products manufactured include drum kits, drumheads, drums, and drum hardware, hardware, and various percussio ...
drumheads. Though Portnoy is mainly a drummer and backing vocalist he also contributes lead vocals, bass guitar, and keyboards.


Discography


Dream Theater

* '' When Dream and Day Unite'' (1989) * '' Images and Words'' (1992) * '' Awake'' (1994) * ''
A Change of Seasons ''A Change of Seasons'' is the first EP by American progressive metal band Dream Theater, first released on September 19, 1995, through East West Records. It comprises the 23-minute title track and a collection of live cover songs performe ...
'' (1995) * '' Falling into Infinity'' (1997) * '' Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory'' (1999) * ''
Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence ''Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence'' is the sixth studio album by American progressive metal band Dream Theater, released as a double-disc album on January 29, 2002, through Elektra Records. It is the first full-length Dream Theater album to fe ...
'' (2002) * ''
Train of Thought The train of thought or track of thought refers to the interconnection in the sequence of ideas expressed during a connected discourse or thought, as well as the sequence itself, especially in discussion how this sequence leads from one idea to ...
'' (2003) * '' Octavarium'' (2005) * ''
Systematic Chaos ''Systematic Chaos'' is the ninth studio album by American progressive metal band Dream Theater. Released on June 4, 2007 in the United Kingdom and June 5, 2007 in the United States, ''Systematic Chaos'' was the band's first release through ...
'' (2007) * '' Black Clouds & Silver Linings'' (2009) * ''
Parasomnia Parasomnias are a category of sleep disorders that involve abnormal movements, behaviors, emotions, perceptions, and dreams that occur while falling asleep, sleeping, between sleep stages, or during arousal from sleep. Parasomnias are dissocia ...
'' (2025)


Liquid Tension Experiment (including other variations of band)

* '' Liquid Tension Experiment'' (1998) * '' Liquid Tension Experiment 2'' (1999) * ''
Spontaneous Combustion Spontaneous combustion or spontaneous ignition is a type of combustion which occurs by self-heating (increase in temperature due to exothermic internal reactions), followed by thermal runaway (self heating which rapidly accelerates to high tem ...
'' (2007) * '' When the Keyboard Breaks: Live in Chicago'' (2009) * '' Liquid Tension Experiment 3'' (2021)


Transatlantic

* '' SMPT:e'' (2000) * '' Bridge Across Forever'' (2001) * '' The Whirlwind'' (2009) * ''
Kaleidoscope A kaleidoscope () is an optical instrument with two or more reflecting surfaces (or mirrors) tilted to each other at an angle, so that one or more (parts of) objects on one end of these mirrors are shown as a symmetrical pattern when viewed fro ...
'' (2014) * '' The Absolute Universe'' (2021)


Avenged Sevenfold

* '' Nightmare'' (2010)


Neal Morse

* ''
Testimony Testimony is a solemn attestation as to the truth of a matter. Etymology The words "testimony" and "testify" both derive from the Latin word ''testis'', referring to the notion of a disinterested third-party witness. Law In the law, testimon ...
'' (2003) * ''
One 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...
'' (2004) * '' ?'' (2005) * '' Sola Scriptura'' (2007) * '' Lifeline'' (2008) * '' Testimony 2'' (2011) * ''
Momentum In Newtonian mechanics, momentum (: momenta or momentums; more specifically linear momentum or translational momentum) is the product of the mass and velocity of an object. It is a vector quantity, possessing a magnitude and a direction. ...
'' (2012) * ''
Sola Gratia ''Sola gratia'', meaning by grace alone, is one of the five ''solae'' and consists in the belief that salvation comes by divine grace or "unmerited favor" only, not as something earned or deserved by the sinner. It is a Christian theologi ...
'' (2020)


The Neal Morse Band

* '' The Grand Experiment'' (2015) * '' The Similitude of a Dream'' (2016) * '' The Great Adventure'' (2019) * '' Innocence & Danger'' (2021)


Flying Colors

* '' Flying Colors'' (2012) * '' Second Nature'' (2014) * '' Third Degree'' (2019)


Adrenaline Mob

* ''Adrenaline Mob'' (2011) * '' Omertà'' (2012) * ''
Covertà ''Covertà'' is the first official EP by American Heavy metal music, heavy metal band Adrenaline Mob. It was released on March 12, 2013, in North America by Elm City Music. As the title suggests, the EP consists entirely of Cover version, cover ...
'' (2013)


BPMD

* '' American Made'' (2020)


Haken

* '' Restoration'' (2014)


Metal Allegiance

* ''Metal Allegiance'' (2015) * ''Fallen Heroes'' (2016) * ''Volume II: Power Drunk Majesty'' (2018)


OSI

* '' Office of Strategic Influence'' (2003) * '' Free'' (2006)


Sons of Apollo

* '' Psychotic Symphony'' (2017) * '' MMXX'' (2020)


The Winery Dogs

* '' The Winery Dogs'' (2013) * '' Hot Streak'' (2015) * '' Dog Years'' (2017) * ''III'' (2023)


John Arch

* '' A Twist of Fate'' (2003)


Between the Buried and Me

* '' Colors II'' (2021) (Drum solo on "Fix the Error")


Bigelf

* '' Into the Maelstrom'' (2014)


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Portnoy, Mike 1967 births Living people 20th-century American drummers Adrenaline Mob members American male drummers American rock drummers American heavy metal drummers American heavy metal singers American male singers Avenged Sevenfold members Berklee College of Music alumni Dream Theater members Drummers from New York (state) Drummers from Pennsylvania Flying Colors (band) members Inside Out Music artists Jewish heavy metal musicians Liquid Tension Experiment members Magna Carta Records artists Metal Allegiance members OSI (band) members People from Lehigh County, Pennsylvania People from Long Beach, New York Record producers from New York (state) Roadrunner Records artists The Winery Dogs members Transatlantic (band) members Twisted Sister members Yellow Matter Custard members