When it comes to drumming on a massive scale, Mike Portnoy has never been one to hold back. Known for his work with Dream Theater, The Winery Dogs, Sons of Apollo, and countless other projects, Mike Portnoy recently took things to a new level by assembling what he calls his “Dream Monster Kit.” It’s not just big for the sake of being big, it’s a deeply personal, carefully thought-out instrument that reflects the full arc of his career and influences.
Portnoy’s new setup is something close to a museum exhibit, if museum exhibits could be played at deafening volume. Two full drum kits, side by side, mirror images of each other. On the left, a Tama Starclassic Maple kit, similar to the classic setups he used in Dream Theater’s heyday. On the right, a Tama Starclassic Bubinga kit, a nod to his more recent adventures in Sons of Apollo and beyond. Each kit has its own set of cymbals, snares, and pedals, tuned and placed just the way he likes them: a setup only a drummer with Portnoy’s kind of career could dream up.
But this isn’t just about size. Mike Portnoy has always been a drummer obsessed with detail, and it shows. Every drum, every cymbal has its place and purpose. The kit isn’t thrown together for spectacle; it’s built around the way he thinks about music, layered, dynamic, and constantly shifting. He designed it to be functional for his style of playing, which moves between complex progressive patterns and hard-hitting grooves without missing a beat.
In interviews, Mike Portnoy explained that this monster setup is something he’s been envisioning for years but could never fully realize until now. With the right time, space, and support from Tama and Sabian, he finally built the kit he always imagined. It’s not designed for easy touring. Moving something this size is a serious operation. But for special events, studio work, and the kind of musical showcases Portnoy thrives on, it’s a dream come true.
There’s a sense that the Dream Monster Kit is as much a tribute to Portnoy’s journey as a musician as it is a tool for future projects. It pulls from every era he’s been part of: from the technicality of his Dream Theater years to the more free-form, hard-rock energy of his recent bands. In that way, it feels less like an indulgence and more like an artist finally permitting himself to put all the pieces of his identity in one place.
Fans of technical drumming, progressive music, or simply larger-than-life performances will likely be hearing and seeing a lot more from Mike Portnoy’s Dream Monster Kit in the months ahead. True to form, Portnoy has once again managed to push things forward without forgetting where he came from.