Mike Mangini On New Dream Theater

New York, NY (Top40 Charts/ Roadrunner Records) Dream Theater will release their self-titled 12th studio album on September 24, and we/they premiered it for some music journalists and other folks last night in New York. Drummer Mike Mangini spoke to Metal Insider after the listening session, and talked about his own performance on the record, re-learning the material to prepare for the band's 2014 touring plans, and more.
[Dream Theater in the studio 2013] Dream Theater in the studio 2013

Says Mangini of his input into the writing and recording, "I knew when to be quiet and when to offer something. It's interesting, because it took a lot of years to learn how to do that. It really did. But the bottom line is that the vibe of this album, because it reflects what we were feeling, what I was thinking when I was in there was 'you know something? These guys are all just pouring out stuff that I don't want to disturb. At times just let it go.' I was either doing that or when I had something to offer, I just spoke up."

During the formal presentation, Mangini mentioned that he listens to the music at half-speed in order to memorize his own parts, many of which were improvised in the studio; he elaborates, "That's how I prepared for the audition [to join Dream Theater]. That's how I learn songs for bands that I'm not the drummer in. Especially with what I did, I have to slow it down. Someone says 'what was that?' and I say 'that's a twenty-nine-tuplet.' And I've got to sit there and I say, 'oh, that's right, that's X amount on each drum times this plus five equals OK, now I know what I did.'"

Read the whole thing here: https://bit.ly/18TpgPD