In a candid interview with Modern Drummer magazine, Mike Portnoy admits that his own personal change was one of the reasons why he left Dream Theater. Although Portnoy claims it's hard for him to talk openly about his former band without "being torn to shreds" from critics, he does offer a few insights about the split.

"That's a big reason why I left Dream Theater -- I changed," said Portnoy, who in recent years has helped form the bands Adrenaline Mob and the Winery Dogs. "I mean this totally diplomatically, but when I heard the new material, it simply wasn't my cup of tea. It's great, but I couldn't relate to it anymore."

Portnoy also talked about how his obsessive compulsive disorder worked into the Dream Theater dynamic, as each member fit into their respective roles. "With Dream Theater, I very much ran the show because my OCD allowed me to handle the additional roles," said Portnoy. "Luckily, those guys always trusted my direction. OCD can be a detriment, though. I know it sometimes makes my wife crazy, and I'm sure it must have driven the guys in Dream Theater crazy at times too, but they rolled with it."

Portnoy is spending this month touring Europe with The Winery Dogs, a trio of rock vets which also includes Mr. Big members Billy Sheehan and Ritchie Kotzen. Their self-titled debut album was released in May, and they continue their tour next month with various U.S. stops, culminating with an Oct. 31 performance in Pawtucket, R.I. (The Met).

More From Noisecreep