Drummer Reacts : MIKE MANGINI - ALIEN (Dream Theater)

[@C5drummer]

Where beating the absolute shit out of one's drumheads has its place, Mike always plays smooth, comfortable, almost effortless. As Neil Peart once said: Most drummers of the world make easy things appear impossible, where the true masters make the impossible look easy. I would dare to say Mike is the Master Drummers Master!

[@eMysterium]

The Guthrie Govan of drums.

[@GustiDevitto]

@@eMysterium the eminem of drums

[@V4Victory93]

Many don’t understand his technique. One reason he doesn’t have to play too hard always is also the way he designed his sticks. The sticks are heavy and he doesn’t have to hit them too hard for more attack. Those who have used Mike Mangini signature sticks will understand. I had one, when he used to endorse zildjian sticks. Now it’s the wicked pistons.

[@eMysterium]

@@V4Victory93 Thats realy cool. I didn't know that.

[@eliostar1]

Total respect for Mike Mangini. A wonderful guy and an absolute beast of a drummer. A true inspiration.

[@BaconIsNotBiceps]

Think about this one song. I bet he had more time changes, tempo changes, etc than most drummers have in an entire night's play list. It's astounding the brilliance of his mind.

[@BaconIsNotBiceps]

Mangini is the most deceptive drummer on earth. He's one of the best drummers ever but you wouldn't know it because he's so relaxed and in control that he makes it look easy. It is far from easy and damn near impossible for 99% of drummers alive.

[@skildude]

I've seen DT several times. Mike always has a smile on his face when playing. I saw and heard him drop a song from one their odd time signatures with Petrucci standing next to him. John just shook his head and they both had a laugh. I doubt many at the concert noticed when it happened.

[@Desto13]

Absolute monster on the kit! Im a bassist and always blown away.

[@kevinflynn4519]

I'm friends with his ex wife TSO keyboard player Jane Mangini, and was lucky enough to see them play together probably 100+ times in Boston.. He just keeps getting better.. And he was scary good 40 years ago.

[@troywest]

Mangini is such a beast !!! so much respect.

[@mcarthneylaron8582]

His drum sings like it follows or has a melody on it

[@donkarnage6032]

A recommendation is checking a video called 'Dream Theater Take This for the Pain'. It is a documentary on part of the auditions that went on when replacing Mike Portnoy. This particular video has the improvised jam that the band did with Mike Mangini that was part of his audition. It is amazingly good and shows the talent of the band and why Mike Mangini was perfectly suited as a replacement.

[@MrChisponX]

Small detail: The documentary is fake, Mangini was already selected as the replacement of Portnoy, but the band decided they needed some marketing, made up the casting, tried to sell it to MTV and they didnt want it so they just uploaded it on their YT channel.

[@scorpiusbalthazar4327]

He also was the only one that played the music the way they wanted and without mistakes.

[@scorpiusbalthazar4327]

@@MrChisponX It was an extra cd that came with the deluxe version of the album. And where did you hear that it was fake? I've seen people say they knew they wanted him but I haven't seen anyone say it was entirely fake.

[@pearlguy6351]

Mike playing the best drums in the world

[@davidvalderrama1816]

Thank you for the perspective. Good luck with the drumming, been playing for 30+. Technical is impressive, but sometimes not the best.

[@thunderanderson]

Wait, WHAT!?!?! What a one handed ending !

[@Staplez440]

Awesome man, definitely recommend checking out his Rhythm Knowledge books especially Volume One to see his mindset, it’ll definitely give you a good look at how he got to that level.

[@Archangel591]

I think Mike Mangini is the closest we're likely to get to a living drum machine. I personally can't vibe with his playing, but one would have to be deaf and senseless to not appreciate his absolute mastery over drumming. I miss Portnoy's drumming creativity and vibe in DT, but one can argue that Mangini also completely unlocks all the other members to do whatever they can imagine turned to 11, because Mangini can drum to absolutely anything in any way shape or form, and is probably far more accepting to follow the lead of others.

[@machinegunpreacher2469]

That was one of the hangups about Portnoy that the rest of the band mentioned. They felt Portnoy was too restrictive (not due to lack of skill, obviously, but because of Portnoy's narrow creative preferences). In one interview JP and Jordan said they felt like they had more creative latitude with Mangini. And if we'll be real about it, we all know Portnoy wanted to go mainstream and play generic rock and metal; and you could hear it in many of his later tracks with the band. His drumming in a lot of ways became more rock-sounding, as time went on. He still did a lot of his crazy cymbal work that he's famous for, but the kicks and toms were sounding more and more standard and thrash metal-ish. That's one man's opinion though. Not taking anything away from him.

[@Seth-fg4ho]

@@machinegunpreacher2469 He definitely moved in a more mainstream direction with several of his projects, but thankfully, his work with the Neal Morse and Transatlantic have kept his prog chops in shape. And I agree with the poster.... Mike has the heart and soul, but Mangini's open to supporting anything the rest of the band asks him to do, no matter how challenging or simple. He's been quite good on the last two albums.

[@billwell9266]

Seen him 5 times with DT and he is insane!

[@sergiocarlos5395]

Check out Manginis drum solo when he used to play for Steve Vai. It's amazing.

[@danielhartung-schuster5916]

I dont know if he still holds them but awhile back i remember seeing him breaking some Guiness Book World Records in several catagories for speed and acuracy.

[@kevinflynn4519]

1203 bpm. That's over 30 beats a second.

[@stranjedejavu]

Mike Mangenius, total inspiration 🤘🏼

[@KevinLuWX]

You have to react to Dream Theater's - A View From The Top of the world. It's has the most complex drum part they've ever composed.

[@gestalt7756]

Not 6.00?

[@ryanem969]

This song is more DT than DT. I love it, especially the double time outro. Thanks be to the MM for his efforts in carrying DT through the '10's and beyond. Can't wait for MP, hope these songs aren't lost

[@andreascala2663]

Mangini IS the alien

[@danidelgado3015]

Man, this is completely fucking insane…

[@samueljanderson]

You don't hear vocals because they aren't during a Dream Theatre intro. Their intros can last up to five minutes. But this one was relatively short. 😁

[@edneigrilo9106]

Mike Mangini is the past and future, the master. Both sides of hands and foot. He can play everything, but his drums parts are very dificult to play, with the same notes and precision.

[@Zakariah1971]

Technical no question. Sales? Platinum? Double platinum? Triple platinum? Crickets…. 😳

[@asabovesobelow2299]

Hahah

[@jayadyrumengan6315]

DT has got Grammy with MM...

[@JoseJr1977]

Full of links but the one MM is playing lol

[@orphydianmusic9529]

What is your light setup back there?

[@TheGhostNotePodcast]

On the wall? Around the Alex grey picture? It’s two cheap led corner lights. They are like $45 on Amazon. I used nails to hold them up. Basically there is one big nail that the light sits on and then two nails on the sides that hold the light up straight

[@JustinOhio]

It's not a "really long song". This whole idea of music being three minute long songs is just mainstream media bs. You cannot be taken through an entire set of emotions, feelings, tension building and release, setting themes, rehashing themes, grandiose reprises, etc......in three minutes. Concept albums are where some of the best music to be had these days is at. Thank you for the content and good luck on your musical journey! Cheers!

[@joeldrummer23]

Too bad he got fired 😮 but I understood that decision

[@TheGhostNotePodcast]

Eh I wouldn’t really say “FIRED”…. More like he was relieved of duty as a substitute 😅😅 not like jay weinberg and Joey Jordison who just got told “aye so… your fired ✌️ “

[@igfoxify]

Он бы так в annihilator играл

[@lillpete64]

As someone whos been playing drums for 50 years Mike mangini Is technically superior but Mike Portnoy brings an element of soul and heart that's the difference

[@joaquinramos6706]

yeah I agree! Mike portnoy has some sort of feel

[@ryanorlando1122]

Mangini is a drummer, Portnoy is a musician /artist that plays drums, there's a big difference. Portnoy's talents go way beyond the drum kit.

[@IndoFahmi]

subjective

[@janegilverkil9507]

I disagree. I’ve been a drummer for more than 40 years, and find Mangini more musical than Portnoy. He has a melodic background, which reflects his playing, if you just listen. I interviewed him a month ago, and we talked about his musical approach for an extended length of time. It’s become a constructed ”truth” that Mangini is a drum machine without feel, but it is so far from the truth!To me, Portnoy’s technical abilities, akd especially his lack of imagination compared to Mangini is way too obvious. I choose Mangini over Portnoy any Day!

[@IndoFahmi]

@@janegilverkil9507 Mangini's attention to details and awareness of what of each of the band members are playing is really unparalleled. And he wrote his drum parts based on that with his insane limb's independence is just further proof that he's far from what people are "accusing" him of. But I also excited to what the new old DT will be like with the return of Portnoy.

[@firegardendevine6039]

Mike Mangini schools most prog drummers, literally. I could never understand the bug up the arse attitude manty of DT's fans had when Portnoy hit the bricks. Mangini make music from his kit and his technical abilities far surpass Portnoy's.

[@ironwolg]

Portnoy had a very distinctive style and groove about him that Mangini just doesn't have. And that's to be expected, they're different drummers with different minds. Personally, I love what Mangini brings to the band and I love learning from his videos. He's a perfect fit for where the band is at.

[@mplsfalls1]

Allow me to phrase it this way. Mike Mangini has technical skills that surpass Mike Portnoy, but not quite approaching that of Gavin Harrison. Gavin Harrison however is not the fastest drummer, slower than Mike Portnoy and not even close to Mike Mangini. Both Gavin Harrison and Mike Portnoy have a much better feel and pocket than Mangini though. Mike Mangini is good for Dream Theater but would not fit with LTE or Porcupine Tree. Mike Portnoy could fit in with LTE and Dream Theater but not Porcupine Tree. Gavin Harrison could fit in with LTE and Porcupine Tree but not Dream Theater. The point is appreciate what each drummer has to offer.

[@Behemoth66]

I’m Italian and so is Mangini so that’s a plus . With that said, Mangini is the clear greater technical drummer however, Portnoy was just better over all especially live and his sound. There are songs DT had to retire due to only Portnoy could play them . Portnoy just has a great feel for music and his drum parts are second to non. But Mangini fills in better than anyone else not named Portnoy

[@amienmukromin7147]

Mike mangini is better than neil peart

[@eliostar1]

Mike Mangini is the drummer of his band. Neil Peart was his band. Big difference.

[@ThomasTallant]

Shots fired! LOL.

[@jonasw3945]

Why is he better ?

[@amienmukromin7147]

@@jonasw3945 because he's allien

[@dionysos6838]

@@eliostar1 hell ya Also its unnessecary to find out if he is better or not than Portnoy, both are Worldbest drummers and shape and influence dream theater in their aera

[@SockerConny80]

I feel like Mangini has become a worse drummer since he joined DT. It's like all the drum parts are written for a half-baked Portnoy wannabe with a little Mangini sprinkled in here and there. I mean he is still a great drummer but the passion in his drumming is all gone.

[@stranjedejavu]

😂que comentario más estúpido que acabo de leer.

[@sperreild]

He sounds like a drum machine

[@Desto13]

He’s that good. 🤷‍♂️

[@gilsorger6548]

He's a great drummer, but his snare sound sucks, and allways did. Dream Theater should stick to Tama drums.

[@Danalmagrodrumsnbass]

Both brands deliver powerful quality. However, Mangini's combination choice of wood, heads, EQ, etc is what's creating this weak sound. I miss those Portnoy punchy right in your face sound too.

[@Zakariah1971]

Nope. Check out Portnoy snare tone in ACOS. 😳

[@gestalt7756]

@@Danalmagrodrumsnbass it's just matter of mic, eq, and mixing. Both of them use the highest line of pearl and tama drums

[@Zakariah1971]

Egomania…. Zzzzzzzzzzzzz