«
»
Hipsters Out Of Metal!, Upcoming Bullshit

ADRENALINE MOB: MIKE PORTNOY’S IFFY NEW BAND

 Thursday, June 16th, 2011 at 11:00am by

When I heard about the Dream Theater-shaped hole in the life of drummer Mike Portnoy back in September, I wanted to pitch him on my long-gestating idea to form a killer Jellyfish cover band. I bet he’d be into it cuz of his Jellyfish super-fandom (he has cited 1993′s Spilt Milk as a top ten favorite album); and he’s a pro at pulling together all-star jams, like his awesomely fun tributes to The Who, The Beatles, and Led Zeppelin with guys like Paul Gilbert, Jason McMaster, and Dave LaRue; and lastly, The Ghosts At Number One (that’s my vote for our band name) could serve as a totally non-cynical tribute to another hardcore Jellyfish fan, the late Dimebag Darrell Abbott. And what better way to hip headbangers to irresistible non-metal jams? How could Mike say no to that? Can I call him Mike?

But, shit, while I was dicking around, gobbling drugs, and failing to corner, pressure, and/or threaten Portnoy about the Jellyfish idea, he teamed with qualified musicians he knows who actually, like, realize their ideas. Even if those ideas aren’t so great. Symphony X singer Russell Allen talks about Adrenaline Mob, one of Portnoy’s new bands:

[Adrenaline Mob is] a straight-up rock band with just rock songs — kind of like an edgy, modern kind of sound… almost like Rob Zombie meets Black Label Society meets Disturbed, with Dio singing. So it’s definitely different and it’s cool.

Different? Sure. Cool? Uh, dude, I don’t know. It seems like good marketing to name-drop three popular bands and the most respected man in metal, but, no offense, is that description appealing to anyone over the age of fifteen? When old guys aim for “edgy” and “modern,” it sets off alarm bells, right?

And it all might be a waste of Portnoy-level skills, though it’s equally possible that he’s just the dude to pump life into those three moribund styles. Ditto for Ad-Mob guitarist Rich Ward of Fozzy, aka the dude who teamed with producer Devin Townsend for the only rap-rock record I’ve ever rubbed my ballz on, Pigwalk by Stuck Mojo. Could go either way, really. Hey if it doesn’t work out, I have just the project for Portnoy!

-ADF

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
  • some douche

    20 bucks says everyone gets extremely dissapointed, come on portnoy your better than that. disturbed? black label society? rob zombie? stupid stupid stupid

  • Bread

    Only thing I took from this article: devin produced a rap rock record.

  • http://thatdevilmusic.net rob liz

    This can’t be taken seriously. It’s Mike trying to be relevant after playing with A$X and DT has moved on without him. Russell Allen has his own band that’s in the midst of a promo tour so I can’t see this being anything more then a jam band like every other Portnoy project.

  • Bryno

    Jellyfish is terrific. I just started listening to them about a month ago.

    • bucketochicken

      Check out their “Fan Club” boxed set. The live stuff from disc 4 is mind-blowing.

  • The Uncool Guy Down The Hall

    “…the only rap-rock record I’ve ever rubbed my ballz on…”

    I now know what it would feel like if I was the last person on Earth and I suddenly found one other person existed.

  • Bierko

    Shows his dedication for Dream Theater when he’s going to be making music that will nestle him up against A7X. This guy is a fraud and no wonder Dream Theater gave him an ultimatum to leave or be fired. He got that taste of the A7x fanbase, now wants to tap into it on his own.

    Mike Portnoy is a fucking scab. Fuck you.

    • Andrew

      That’s what I feel like too, he got to play easy boring drums and get adored by scene girls, now he’s addicted.

    • Android

      1

  • Kuranes

    Sounds sketchy. But I love Rich Ward even if the last few Stuck Mojo albums have been alarmingly bad.

    • JakeInYourBox

      evilution is one of the best riffs i have ever heard

  • Brian R.

    just a way to pass the time until DT inevitably falls on it’s face without him, and they reconcile. No worries…

  • Brian \m/(-_-)\m/

    im sorry but i cant help but be slightly optimistic about this one. one of my favorite frontmen teaming up with one of my favorite drummers? AND Rich Ward and Mike Orlando? i hafta be at least kind of excited 2 c what thats gonna b like.

    • Bierko

      If Mike Portnoy is involved, it doesn’t matter who else is involved. Mike Portnoy’s ego is one of the members and that counts more than anyone else.

      He got an offer to do shit rock after A7x and took it. He’ll be playing in malls and in front of hot topic pretty soon. that is if the other members don’t bail on him. He even had problems with OSI because he couldn’t figure out that it was John and Kevin’s band and he was session.

      • Brian \m/(-_-)\m/

        dont u mean jim? whatever thats just me nitpicking.
        listen, mike may be difficult to work with when in a band in terms of ego, and dont get me wrong, as big a fan as i am ill b the first to say that he grossly mishandled the DT split and behaved like a spoiled child, but that doesnt take away from his skill as a drummer and the innovation he brings to the instrument. id imagine that something involving that and mike orlando and rich ward’s guitar skill with russel allen thrown on top of it, its hard 4 me not 2 b cautiously optimistic that this might actually even be good

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Eirik-Kjs-Usterud/1067091137 Eirik Kjøs Usterud

    “[Adrenaline Mob is] a straight-up rock band with just rock songs — kind of like an edgy, modern kind of sound… almost like Rob Zombie meets Black Label Society meets Disturbed, with Dio singing. So it’s definitely different and it’s cool.”

    *throws up*

  • Braston

    Seems strange to have members that are so insanely talented to do JUST a rock record if that makes any sense… Oh well! I’m just looking forward to more Symphony X and DT!!!

  • Mike

    Rich Ward is a great player,, and has no shortage of slammin riffs.
    This could be cool

  • Stu

    Rob Zombie, Black Label Society, Disturbed? Sounds like a trifecta of Suck!!!!!!

    • MachinaeSupremacist

      A trifecta of exclamation points wasn’t enough for you.

  • lost goat

    its metal for people who listen to radio country,”construction rock”

    thats a loyal market that has money,just look at how good that horrible red state rock sells

  • http://www.facebook.com/sammysings Sammy

    Allen’s description has “This is our heaviest album yet” written all over it.

  • Dan the man

    All I can say is GOOD LUCK MIKE… you have an uphill battle to face with this… more like Mount Everest… this is like Neil Peart joining with Justin Beiber… WTF…

    It’s not just a job… IT’S A FUCK’N ADVENTURE LOL

    This will probably go down in “MAD” magazine as “PENICILLIN JOB”

    what me worry? :)

  • daff

    Russell Allen is a good singer so there shouldn’t be any worries in this department.

    Its just easy to say Portnoy is trying to do a Vinnie Paul and copying Hellyeah.

    Will they be big? Who knows but this is clearly the goal of the band with they sound they’ve choosen.

    Portnoy can barely sellout a show just on his name alone as shown with the sharp drop in traffic on his forum and mild showings at the live shows he played with Neal Morse last month.

  • http://www.forallweknow.net Wudstik

    So interesting how some people talking shit about Mike Portnoy seems to know how it all really, really, really went down… Feeding themselves on the media.. like they where there.. believing every written story.. too simple.

    Portnoy is a musician and writer who likes to play the drums and write music with musicians all over the planet. After 25 years of DT he had an idea, he made a choice.. for some bad for some good. You weren’t there.. you don’t know how it all went down and what more might have happened

    Start listening en respect his music. If you don’t like it don’t attack him personal and start working on your on issues instead of throwing yours at him.

    make music not war.

    W

  • Brian \m/(-_-)\m/

    if you like their facebook page u can hear a 1:30 sample of songs. its hard to really tell considering you get like 3 seconds of each song but it sounds like its gna b pretty cool actually

  • Jon

    I’m a big time Jellyfish fan too. I’ll come see you guys, although I don’t really want to hear Portnoy sing. His vocs are only slightly better than Evan Seinfeld. That’s one of the reasons I’m looking forward to hearing the new DT album.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Kim-Stomboli/1246605334 Kim Stomboli

    Clearly you can’t be iffy after last weeks performace. Here is the Youtube video of Adrenaline Mob at Hiro, NYC. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFKeo8h_K_k&