Mike Portnoy interview (excerpt)

Portnoy also talked about life in the wake of leaving Dream Theater, his high-profile run with Avenged Sevenfold, and other moments in the topsy-turvy world that is the rollercoaster life of one of the world’s most famous stickmen.

Portnoy’s frustrations stem from the instantaneous way rumors and gossip gets spread today, but it’s not slowing him down.

“The thing that breaks my heart,” shared Portnoy, “is that some of the fans rely more on what’s reported about me than what I’m actually saying at the moment. I see all these sensational headlines on certain websites that misrepresent what I’m doing, and there are fans that react to that without knowing the real truth. I always try to offer sincere, heartfelt explanations through social media sites, and sometimes that gets lost.

“This past year for me featured the highest highs and some of the lowest lows. I mean, after spending 25 years in Dream Theater, something I’ll never be more proud of, and then the experience with Avenged, it’s been some pretty extreme emotional stuff.”