Earlier today Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy issued the following update on his personal website:

“After having had such an amazing experience recording my drum tracks for the new Avenged Sevenfold album, we all knew it would be awesome if I’d be able to do some touring with the band after its release.

I am happy to say that the timing worked out perfectly that my touring cycle with Dream Theater (and Transatlantic) was coming to an end just as A7X‘s was scheduled begin! Well, perfect for everyone except my poor family!

Although I wish I could stay on board with A7X in a more permanent capacity, the reality is that I am committed to Dream Theater as my main priority (that is my baby after all!), and I will need to resume work with DT to start a new album at some point in 2011.

However, I will be able to join my brothers in Avenged Sevenfold for at least the duration of their touring throughout 2010…and hopefully this will give them the time to continue to heal and get comfortable back on the road.

You can look at me like the band’s ‘rebound drummer’ to buy them some time until they are comfortable and ready to make a commitment to somebody new for full-time relationship in their future!

In the meantime, I am real excited to hit the road with the boys…to bring my drumming from their new album to life on stage and to honor The Rev (late drummer Jimmy Sullivan) with all of their older material.

Hey, do I get to have a cool, bad-ass stage name now???”