Mike Portnoy to Play Drums For Twisted Sister Reunion

Portnoy WikiMedia Commons Twisted Sister Top Guitar
Published on:

Twisted Sister have never backed down to any challenge.

While they are going to be performing a one off reunion show, they’re having a powerhouse fill in for their original drummer.

After hanging it up in 2016, the hair metal icons are performing at their Metal Hall of Fame induction.

Despite AJ Pero’s tragic death in 2015, the band will take the stage with Mike Portnoy behind the kit. 

During a recent podcast, Portnoy mentioned that he is going to be inducting Sister into the Hall of Fame along with fellow virtuoso Steve Vai saying,

We’ve known that we’re playing for months now. I think it was only kind of made public. We are inducting them and then we’ll be performing a few songs there at the ceremony.”

While the band was on a farewell tour, they wanted to call it a day after Pero’s passing. Despite the bittersweet ending, Dee Snider said that he was proud of the legacy they left behind saying,

“Glad to cross the finish line, sad to see it end.”

This isn’t the first time Portnoy has stepped up to the kit for Sister.

On their last handful of shows following Pero’s death, Portnoy sat in behind the kit to deliver the backbeat to ‘I Wanna Rock.’ 

Although Dream Theater songs are a much different beast, Portnoy has jammed with Snider in the past, including a cover of Mountain’s ‘Theme From an Imaginary Western” with Sister guitarist Eddie Ojeda. 

While it will be bittersweet without their original drummer, Snider seems stoked about the reunion, commenting on Twitter

Looking forward to playing together for the first time since 2016…especially the rehearsal!”

When you have Portnoy behind the kit, none of the performances are going to be in shaky hands. 

After kicking ass throughout the ‘80s, this is bound to be the metal equivalent of a high school reunion.  

Right On: Mike Portnoy Bumped into Post Malone in an Iron Maiden Pit

Twisted Sister Is Reuniting For Metal Hall of Fame Charity Gala

Dee Snider Does Not Think Robert Plant Is Much Of A Frontman