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Cool, calm and collected: Dream Theater's John Petrucci and Jordan Rudess hang at Cove City Studios in Long Island, NY. © Joe Bosso

Inside a cozy lounge area at Long Island's Cove City Studios, Dream Theater's John Petrucci fixes himself a cup of coffee and then sits down on a soft leather couch. "I think the new album looks good for September," he says. "We don't have an official date yet, and we're kind of playing around with titles. But I'd definitely say September is the month we're shooting for."

The master guitarist heaves a contented sigh. Dressed in a T-shirt and jeans, he exudes the sangfroid cool of a guy who's just weathered a fierce storm and has emerged unscathed. Which, in a way, is the truth: Last September, drummer and founding member Mike Portnoy threw the group for a loop when he up and quit, intent on drumming for heavy metallers Avenged Sevenfold and expressing a desire for an extended hiatus from Dream Theater, leaving the prog-rock titans, in Petrucci's words, "more than a little stunned."

It was a difficult time, to say the least, but with the recent announcement of Portnoy's replacement, Mike Mangini, who has played with Steve Vai, Extreme, Annihilator, and has, until just recently, served as a faculty member at Boston's prestigious Berklee College Of Music, things are looking up in the world of Dream Theater.

"I hear an interview is about to happen," says Jordan Rudess, who grabs a bottle of water and sits down beside Petrucci. The keyboard whiz, similarly dressed but sporting an Apple baseball cap, has been finishing his parts on the much-anticipated new record. He doesn't have long: in June, the band will convene in NYC to rehearse for four days before hitting the European summer circuit, which includes a headline slot at the High Voltage Festival on Sunday 24 July. "We're definitely looking forward to playing live this summer," says Rudess. "And we're really excited to show everybody what Mike Mangini is bringing to the band."

Pleased at the thought that their new album is almost in the can - to say nothing of the fact that Dream Theater is still together - Petrucci and Rudess settled down with MusicRadar for a candid discussion about trials, tribulations and triumphs.

All career bands face various hurdles. Was Mike Portnoy's exit the hardest thing you've had to deal with as a group?

John Petrucci: "Mike leaving Dream Theater has been the hardest thing we've had to face for quite a while. Other members have left, and those were trying times, as well. I remember when [keyboardist] Kevin Moore left [in 1994]. That was devastating. We didn't know we'd eventually get to Jordan. [Rudess laughs] But Kevin leaving was hard, too. I grew up with him and wrote music with him. But yes, of course, Mike leaving… it was big blow."

Jordan Rudess: "For me, personally, it was probably the biggest hardship I've had to face in this band. Obviously, I wasn't around for Kevin Moore or Charlie [Dominici, the band's singer, who left in 1989 and was replaced by James LaBrie], but Mike's departure, yeah, it was extremely hard. Even with the other things we've gone through – label changes, lawsuits, other kind of bullshit – other than Mike leaving, it's been a pretty smooth ride, at least in the 13 years since I've been in the band."

Of course, Mike wasn't just your drummer - he was a founding member, and he was involved in so many aspects of the group.

Petrucci: "That's Mike's personality. He puts his whole self into it and obsesses over things. He did the artwork and kept all the archives – that was just his way. He did a great job of keeping in touch with the fans and having his finger in so many different aspects of Dream Theater."

You've all been free to explore outside projects, but how did you initially feel about Mike's plan to play with Avenged Sevenfold? Did you think it might be too much time away from Dream Theater?

Rudess: "Mmmm. There were a lot of feelings in the band about Mike's plan. We had a lot of discussions about that. Various people had differing feelings, too. My first thought was, Wow, that seems like a great opportunity. He'll go out and play with Avenged Sevenfold, and that'll result in a lot of their fans coming back and checking out Dream Theater. So, at first, I didn't have a problem with it. [to Petrucci] You had a problem with it, though…"

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