Dream Theater's co-founder, gone from 2010 and back since October 2023. A song drummer hiding inside progressive metal's largest drum kits — the Monster rigs, each with its own name and its own fan following. Tama shells and Sabian cymbals for decades.
Built for the Dream Theater 40th Anniversary tour after his return. Two complete kits joined into one in a purple-to-white fade: a Starclassic Maple double-bass setup on the left, much like his classic rig, and a Starclassic Bubinga kit with single-headed concert toms on the right. The tonal difference between the two halves is the point.
The 2024 kit at a glance. Tap a piece to find it below; sticks, pedals and hardware aren't drawn.
Tama Starclassic Maple kitleft side — double bass, purple-to-white fade⤷ who plays this
Tama Starclassic Bubinga kitright side — single kick and concert toms⤷ who plays this
The last of the first-run Dream Theater kits before he left the band in 2010. All white, still two kits wide, and by now carrying the Max Stax stacks that have since turned up on half the kits in metal.
The 2009 kit at a glance. Tap a piece to find it below; sticks, pedals and hardware aren't drawn.
Tama Starclassic Maple kitall-white finish, twin kicks⤷ who plays this
The first of the named Monster kits and the template for all of them: two configurations fused into one enormous rig, with stacks, chinas and splashes filling every gap. Sabian cymbals throughout, and the beginning of his Max Stax idea.
The 2002 kit at a glance. Tap a piece to find it below; sticks, pedals and hardware aren't drawn.
Tama Starclassic Maple kittwin 22" kicks, eight-plus toms⤷ who plays this
The record that put a progressive metal band on MTV. Portnoy was already a Tama and Sabian artist; the stick endorsement came later, as he played Hot Sticks before moving to ProMark in the late nineties.
The 1992 kit at a glance. Tap a piece to find it below; sticks, pedals and hardware aren't drawn.
Tama Artstar kitdouble bass, deep rack and floor toms⤷ who plays this
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