In a recent conversation with El Estepario Siberiano, Dream Theater co-founder Mike Portnoy dug into the variety of drummers who shaped his distinctive style, revealing how figures like Keith Moon, Ringo Starr, and Neil Peart, alongside Metallica‘s Lars Ulrich, contributed to his development.
Portnoy shared that his early influences were a varied group, each leaving a different mark. When asked about his initial inspirations, he said (as transcribed by Blabbermouth): “I often say Keith Moon [The Who]. But there’s a bunch of guys. Ringo Starr [The Beatles] was a huge, huge one for me. Neil Peart [Rush] was a huge, huge one for me.” He specifically highlighted Moon‘s energetic stage presence as a driving force: “But seeing the type of drummer Keith Moon was made me want to be an animated drummer, ’cause somebody like Ringo and Neil Peart, as much as they’re my heroes, on stage, they’re very subdued, whereas when I saw Keith Moon just bouncing sticks off and throwing and twirling, you couldn’t take your eyes off him. I knew I wanted to be that kind of a drummer.”
Beyond raw drumming technique, Portnoy also looked to drummers who played a more expansive role within their bands. He cited both Lars Ulrich and Neil Peart as prime examples of this “more than just a drummer” spirits. “And another one who gets such a beating, his reputation, but Lars Ulrich [Metallica], believe it or not, was a big influence for me,” Portnoy noted.
He explained Ulrich‘s profound impact: “A lot of people give him a hard time over his technique and everything, but, to me, he was an influence for me because it was more than just drums. He was the leader of the band, he would write the setlist, he would deal with the fan clubs and the merchandise, and he was co-producing the albums and co-writing the music. He, to me, was a role model. And even to this day, he still is. I went and saw Metallica a few weeks ago, and more than just the drumming, his personality and his presence, he was so important for Metallica‘s success that, to me, that was the thing.” Similarly, Portnoy added: “And Neil Peart too — Neil wasn’t just the drummer; he was the lyricist and he would oversee the artwork. So, it’s drummers like that, that do more than just play the drums. Those are my role models.”
Portnoy also delved into the specific influence of Ulrich‘s early drumming style within the burgeoning thrash metal scene. He credited Ulrich as a pioneer: “[Lars] was a pioneer for the style of music that Metallica plays. When they came out in 1983 or whatever it was, that was a game changer. They were inventing an entire style of music, and he was at the forefront of it. So, you’ve gotta give him credit for that. And those first four albums, his drumming was very progressive — very aggressive and progressive. It wasn’t until the Black Album where he started to pull it back a little bit, but those first four albums I learned so much about metal drumming from those albums.”
Furthermore, Portnoy acknowledged other key metal drummers from that era who significantly impacted his understanding of the genre. “And not just Lars, but also Dave Lombardo [Slayer], Charlie Benante [Anthrax], Vinnie Paul [Pantera], Mikkey Dee with King Diamond — those were all big ones for me in in that kind of time period.”
