Mike Portnoy talks about why he fell out with former Dream Theater keyboard player Kevin Moore during their time as part of prog-rock supergroup, OSI.

The quote, taken from the forthcoming second edition of the Dream Theater biography, ‘Lifting Shadows’, reveals just how severe things got between the two while they worked together on the second OSI album.

“I honestly went in there with an open mind and I was truly excited to work with Kevin again,” he sighs. “I was hoping that it was going to be a great experience. But it ended up being more of the same old shit that it was when he left Dream Theater.”

“Basically when I’m making music with other people, I want it to be fun and I want it to put a smile on my face. At the end of the day, making those records with Kevin wasn’t fun. He’s not a fun person to work with. He’s a very depressing and stubborn personality and there’s no reason in my life or my career that I need to subject myself to that sort of personality.”

“I’d rather work with people who are enjoying the process. And if anything, making those two albums showed me in no uncertain terms that if Kevin hadn’t left Dream Theater, then Dream Theater would have broken up many, many years ago. So him leaving the band was probably the greatest ever thing that ever happened to Dream Theater.”

“There’s no way Dream Theater could exist with that type of personality. As you know they are now doing a third album which they didn’t even bother asking me about as they already know my feelings on the subject.”

Dream Theater bring their ‘Progressive Nation’ tour to the UK in October with support coming from Opeth, Big Elf and Unexpect. Get dates and tickets here!