MusicRadar

Mike Portnoy is coming at you double-barreled with two new releases. © Sayre Berman/Corbis

"March is going to be Mike Portnoy Month," says the drummer whose name just so happens to be Mike Portnoy. "I've got Adrenaline Mob coming out on the 13^th, and Flying Colors comes out two weeks later. It's either a brilliant move to release both albums so close together or it's completely insane – I'll find out soon."

With a rabid fan base developed during his years in Dream Theater, along with highly regarded side projects like Transatlantic, Liquid Tension Experiment and a host of big-time pedigree cover bands, Portnoy's involvement with any project is bound to stir interest.

Even so, Portnoy admits that the level of expectation leading to the release of both Adrenaline Mob and Flying Colors feels different than what he's experienced in the past. "People have been waiting to hear what I do after leaving Dream Theater. All of 2011, it was like, 'What's Mike going to do? What's Mike going to do?' I understand that. And now, I'm giving everybody the answers."

In two wildly disparate and altogether winning ways. Recorded in the early part of last year, the eponymous debut album from Flying Colors, a quasi-supergroup comprised of Steve Morse (guitar), Neal Morse ([no relation] keyboards, vocals), Dave LaRue (bass), Casey McPherson (lead vocals) and Portnoy, combines pop, rock, prog and hints of metal with captivating narratives.

Omerta, the first full-length from Adrenaline Mob, comes at you full-force and hammers you down with guitarist Mike Orlando's colossal riffs, singer Russell Allen's scarifying growls and Portnoy's defibrillator-like rhythms. (Guitarist Rich Ward and bassist Paul DiLeo, who toured with Adrenaline Mob last year, exited the group recently to concentrate on their main band, Fozzy.)

"These are two albums I'm very, very proud of," says Portnoy. "Stylistically, they're worlds apart, but then I've always done that of thing. I need to mix it up. Being creative with different people, surprising yourself - that's what it's all about. I'm having a blast."

MusicRadar sat down with Portnoy at the NAMM show in Anaheim, California to talk about his new Tama Melody Master signature snare drums. Afterwards, we discussed how he views Adrenaline Mob and Flying Colors, what working with Steve Morse was like and how different guitar players shape his drumming.

Was their ever any thought to spacing the release of these two records further apart?

[laughs] "The truth is, both record labels were originally shooting for the same date. I had to sort of convince them not to. They were like, 'No, it'll be great promotion, Mike.' And I said, 'When was the last time you heard of a major artist putting out two different records on the same day? There's a reason not to!' You don't see Brad Pitt putting out two movies on the same day. Eventually, we worked it all out."

Around the web:

• Ethan T BottThe Dregs have been at it since the 70s. I would assume Mike knows that, maybe it just read weird.
• Steve PelzelHe's right! "Interview with the Vampire" and "Legends of the Fall" came out 2 months apart!