Mike Mangini Speaks on Dream Theater Exit, Future Projects, and Moving Forward with Class
After more than a decade of powering the progressive metal machine that is Dream Theater, drummer Mike Mangini has officially turned the page. In a new conversation with Dream Theater World, the band’s longtime fan club, Mangini addressed his 2023 departure with remarkable clarity and calm, reiterating: “It just made sense.”
Mangini joined Dream Theater in 2010 after a highly publicized audition process, stepping in following the sudden exit of co-founder Mike Portnoy. For 13 years, Mangini contributed to the band’s live mastery and studio evolution, even helping deliver their first-ever Grammy win in 2022. But with Portnoy’s return in October 2023, Mangini took his exit in stride.
“I looked at it and went, ‘Okay, original guy back in the band… makes sense,’” he said. There was no long-winded goodbye, no drama — just a quiet understanding of the band’s legacy and his place in it.
Though Mangini had no advance warning, he says he met the news with peace: “I didn’t have to go through a drop-down menu of emotions,” he explained. “I just knew what I had to do next.” That “next” includes a slate of unfinished creative goals: teaching, product development, and the continuation of his own musical vision.
Shortly after his departure, Mangini released his solo debut Invisible Signs in November 2023, a dynamic project featuring Gus G., Jen Majura, and others. He also formed a new band called MONOLITH, aiming to fuse technical prowess with new energy. With names like Hernán “Motley” Rodríguez and Andy Barrow on board, it’s clear Mangini isn’t slowing down — he’s accelerating.
Former bandmate James LaBrie praised Mangini’s handling of the situation as “classy,” while Mangini himself remains grateful. “How lucky am I to be part of that history?” he said, reflecting on the respect he’s received from fans and peers alike. “It’s positive, positive, positive.”
Rather than linger on what’s lost, Mangini is focused on what lies ahead. “There’s stuff to do, places to be, things to accomplish… and that’s what it is.”
