Fans React to Dream Theater’s Dark New Song With Mike Portnoy

Fans have reacted to “Night Terror,” the first new song off 2025’s Parasomnia, Dream Theater‘s first album with Mike Portnoy since 2009.

The song clocks in at five seconds under the 10-minute mark, a proper reintroduction for one of the greatest prog metal lineups ever assembled.

Below, we’ve collected reactions from across the internet. What takes do you agree with?

Dream Theater, “Night Terror”

READ MORE: The Best Album by 10 Huge Prog Metal Bands

Comments on YouTube

Overwhelmingly saw, commenters on YouTube marvel at how unmistakable Portnoy’s sound and style is. A lot express appreciation for the Mike Mangini era and his experimental nature, but are overjoyed to hear Portnoy going full throttle on “Night Terror.”

John Petrucci and Portnoy’s backing vocals also seem to be a valued highlight for fans who have been waiting so long to hear this lineup write new music together.

• “It’s crazy how much of the soul of Dream Theater’s sound is in Portnoy’s drums. This is what DT has been missing for the last 14 years.”
• “Just told my boss, ‘Dream Theater dropped new music. I’m going on break.’ Plus, I get new Dream Theater music for my birthday! So awesome! Thank you, gents, for a lifetime of memories.”
• “Mike and John singing along again, brings back many memories, love their heavy tone.”
• “The funniest part about Portnoy coming back is realizing how much I actually missed Petrucci’s back vocals.”
• “Mike Portnoy is instantly recognizable in DT, Winery Dogs, Neal Morse Band, Transatlantic, or any of the other 5 million projects he does lol. He is one of the few heavy drummers that you can hear a sense of joy or sense of playfulness in the midst of technical work. His personality comes through is what I guess I’m saying, not just double bass and odd time, but you hear a soulfulness that I think other drummers are lacking when they play heavy music.”
• “This hits so hard. James sounds frickin’ fantastic. This is simply Dream Theater being Dream Theater. Thank you, boys.”
• “Literally zero complaints. And that synth/guitar solo section is just stupid, silly, crazy, insanely fantastic.”
• “Heavy Opeth vibes on the intro and also kinds of reminds me to ‘As I Am’ and ‘The Count of Tuscany.'”
• This gives me ‘Systematic Chaos’ vibes.”
• ‘Octavarium,’ ‘Train Of Thought’ and ‘Systematic Chaos’ vibes.
• ‘Six Degrees’ of ‘Images’ and ‘Trains’ of ‘Chaos.’ Old is new again! Welcome home MP!

Comments on Reddit (r/Dreamtheater)

On Reddit, the conversation was expectedly more detailed with fans expanding on their thoughts and offering more comparisons to other bands (just Opeth, really) and previous Dream Theater releases.

One fan, who has been looking forward to hearing what the band sounds like with the iconic drummer back in the saddle, offers,

I’m honestly really excited. Their singles have always been the most straightforward and even thinking back to Portnoy era singles releases (“Rite of Passage” especially), this one is much more interesting. I get some Opeth from the intro (maybe I’m just excited about THAT new release), I have missed the energy from Mike, and TBH I think it’d be hard for me to immediately stomach a total reinvention.

While plenty of others felt that the music calls back to various points in the Dream Theater catalog, the prevailing mindset was that “Night Terror” feels like a perfect continuation of where this lineup left off after recording that 2009 album.

Many feel like they’ve been transported right back to before Portnoy left the band:

This feels like the classic formation picking up where they left off in Black Clouds and Silver Linings. I’m even more excited to hear the entire new album now!

Another fan agrees on the comparison and is intrigued by the dark nature of “Night Terror”:

Seeing them all together again just feels right and sounds right. Like I just sat back in comfortable chair. I would say Portnoy was accurate about when he said it would be a continuation of the sound from BC&SL. James seems to be in his comfortable range and is supported by backup singing from JP and MP. I was pretty surprised how long they were going for this song. The album and theme seems to be very dark. With a more ‘horrorish’ vibe? Can’t wait to see what is in store in the album. Hopefully some interesting soundscapes.

Squarely summing up the progressiveness of the song, one fan exclaims:

Second verse different from the first! Each chorus a little different! Crazy timing changes!!! THAT’S WHAT WE HAVE BEEN MISSING!!! Thank you MP! Holy shit what a song!!!

Another replies to that comment:

That second verse is pure insanity! I can’t comprehend what’s happening.

See what more fans have to say below.

Comments on X

Echoing all the praise above, fans commenting on Dream Theater’s announcement on X are just as impressed.