The Young Loud And Snotty record/skateboard store conducted an interview with drummer Mike Portnoy (ADRENALINE MOB, FLYING COLORS, DREAM THEATER, AVENGED SEVENFOLD) before Neal Morse's October 3 concert at Murray Hill Theater in Jacksonville Florida. You can now watch the chat below.

Portnoy is currently on the road with Morse in support of Neal's latest album, "Momentum", which came out on September 11. The CD features five exceptional standalone songs and one longer conceptual piece. In addition to the accessible title track, there's the quirkily clever, GENTLE GIANT-inspired "Thoughts Part 5", which follows in the footsteps of the previous "Thoughts" tracks penned by Morse with SPOCK'S BEARD. "Smoke And Mirrors" trods an introspective, acoustic path, while "Weathering Sky" offers a raucous cry for deliverance and renewal from a searching soul. Rounding out the shorter tracks is "Freak", an upbeat, strings-charged song unlike anything Neal has recorded to date. Last comes "World Without End", a near-34-minute, six-part epic that contains everything that defines Morse as a master of the genre.

Another highlight of this record is that, in addition to a masterful solo by guitar wizard Paul Gilbert, there are contributions from Adson Sodré, Bill Hubauer and Eric Gillette — three musicians who were selected as members of Morse's new touring band through an exciting YouTube-driven open-audition process.

While "Momentum" propels Morse forward and further cements his standing as a prolific progressive rock icon, it steers clear of the potential "more of the same" trap, and features fresh musical angles and some of the finest performances to date by the Morse, Portnoy, George team.

Interview:



Performance: