ADRENALINE MOB: First Band Photos Released

The first official photos of ADRENALINE MOB the new band featuring former DREAM THEATER/AVENGED SEVENFOLD drummer Mike Portnoy, SYMPHONY X frontman Russell Allen, guitar virtuoso Mike Orlando (SONIC STOMP),bassist Paul DiLeo and STUCK MOJO/FOZZY axeman Rich Ward can be seen below (photo credit: Joe LaRusso).

ADRENALINE MOB will make its live debut on Friday, June 24 at The Hiro Ballroom (16th Street and 9th Avenue) in New York City. The group will play songs from its upcoming CD as well as a few classic covers.

"The feedback we've gotten back so far has been unreal," Portnoy told AOL's Noisecreep. "Even my wife, who's been through it all with me, says it's the best stuff she's ever heard me play on. I played in DREAM THEATER for 25 years, plus some other pretty decent bands including AVENGED SEVENFOLD, so that's really saying something."

He added, "I've listened to these tunes so many times already and all I want to do is go out and play them live with this band. I've always had lots of side projects in my life, but what's exciting for me is knowing that ADRENALINE MOB is bigger than that. This is a real band with a real future and 11 new songs that I think the fans are going to flip for. This last year for me has been such an emotional rollercoaster, with lots of dramatic highs and lows, so to be in this place right now with these guys and this music let's just say it's a very happy place for me."

In a March 2011 interview, Russell described ADRENALINE MOB as "a straight-up rock band with just rock songs kind of like an edgy, modern kind of sound. It's not progressive or trying to be too metal or anything it's just good, old crunchy rock stuff." He added, "I think it will be really well received by people who like to hear that kind of stuff. This is a new thing for Portnoy and myself, too. I've always done kind of done stuff with AYREON, but that's more of a vintage-y vibe, but nothing like this, which is kind of modern-sounding, almost like ROB ZOMBIE meets BLACK LABEL SOCIETY meets DISTURBED, [but] with [Ronnie James] Dio singing. It's all this kind of craziness. So it's definitely different and it's cool."

Speaking to MetalSymphony.com, Orlando stated about ADRENALINE MOB, "This band is not in the vein of SYMPHONY X or DREAM THEATER. It's more along the lines of, say, ROB ZOMBIE, GODSMACK, DISTURBED, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, SHINEDOWN with Russell's absolute pipes from hell and Mike just outright killing it on the kit. The guitar is really rocking and has some pretty insane moments, but it's a song-oriented band and that's the most important aspect before anything." He continued, "Russell and I have an amazing writing chemistry together and he is one of my closest and dearest friends. It's an absolute pleasure to work with such a great talent as Russell on every level.' He added, "Mike is just unbelievable. His playing is beyond words at times. He's the utmost professional musician but also one of the nicest and coolest guys I have ever met and played with. It's an honor to call him my bandmate, to say the least, and I look forward to ripping it up every night out there with Mike and Russ and the guys!"

Photo credit: Joe LaRusso