Mike Portnoy seems to remain regretful that he left seminal prog band Dream Theater.
In an interview on Friday Night Rocks (via Blabbermouth), Portnoy says how difficult it is to hear the band move forward without him:
"It's very difficult for me to hear. Nobody wants to see their ex-wife of 25 years with a new husband moving into the house that you built for 25 years. It's a painful thing for me to hear and see. A Dream Theater without me was never in the plan; I never expected that. But they've chosen to move on and I just have to kind of sit on the sidelines and watch and listen."
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"I did hear the song and I heard an excerpt of another [forthcoming] song. And I guess I'll reserve comment on those just because whatever I say - whether it be good, bad or indifferent - it's probably gonna come across wrong and it will be completely dissected and misinterpreted."
Keyboardist Jordan Rudess recently told The Jerusalem Post how Portnoy's departure was unbelievable, but by the time he expressed that he wanted to return, the band had made a commitment with new drummer Mike Mangini. "He's a close friend of mine and we've been through so much together - it basically brought me to tears. But being a positive person and around guys who love what they're doing, we had to figure out how to move forward."
In the meanwhile, Portnoy will continue drumming with Adrenaline Mob. Dream Theater's new album "A Dramatic Turn Of Events" will be released on September 13.