Sons of Appolo On the Road, #1 Billboard Chart and more!

Press Release

Sons of Appolo former Dream Theater members Mike Portnoy and Derek Sherinian, Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal (ex-Guns N’ Roses), Billy Sheehan (The Winery Dogs, Mr. Big) and Jeff Scott Soto (ex-Journey, ex-Yngwie Malmsteen’s Rising Force)—released their highly anticipated and critically acclaimed debut album, Psychotic Symphony, October 20, 2017 on InsideOutMusic/Sony Music. It was produced by the dynamic production duo of Portnoy and Sherinian, also affectionately known as “The Del Fuvio Brothers,” which is the nickname given to them over 20 years ago during their time together in Dream Theater. Now they’re heading out on another round of headlining tour dates.

The trek concludes in Washington, D.C. on Sunday, May 20 at The Howard Theatre.

Psychotic Symphony —which Loudwire.com called an “impressive debut disc”–debuted at #1 on Billboard’s “Heatseeker Albums” chart, as well as #10 on the “Rock Chart,” and #33 on the “Top Current Albums” chart. As Vintage Guitar declares, “This super-duper ensemble is like an old back issue of Marvel Team-Up that simply cannot be ignored.”

On Friday, March 23, the band released a six-song EP, Alive/Tengo Vido which includes three versions of the latest single, “Alive,” as well as three versions of the song in Spanish, “Tengo Vida.” It’s available now on all digital outlets worldwide.

As Portnoy exclaims, “The reception to Sons of Appolo has been off the charts incredible…well, now actually I guess even ON the charts incredible as well!! Seriously, the reaction from both the fans and the media has been great and we really appreciate all of the love and support so far! Launching a new band is never easy (take it from the man who has launched about 87 of them!), but when you have such an incredibly strong launching point as SOA does, the sky’s the limit! We look forward to getting this band on the road and playing all over the world throughout 2018!”

Sons of Appolo got together very organically, as Portnoy explains: “Derek and I reunited shortly after I left Dream Theater in 2010 and we put together an all-instrumental touring band with he and I, Billy Sheehan, and Tony MacAlpine. That was my first time working with Derek since the ‘90s when he was in Dream Theater and it was just great to be working with him again. Ever since that tour, which was really just a one-off live thing, he has been nudging me to start a real, original, full-time band. The timing just had never been right, because I had too many other things on my plate. Long story short, the time was finally right to take the bait and put together a band.”

“Mike and I work at a relentless pace in the studio,” continues Sherinian. “The music is modern, but we have an old school soul. What is unique about Sons of Appolo is that we have true rock n’ roll swagger along with the virtuosity– a lethal combination!”

Mike Portnoy, Derek Sherinian and Billy Sheehan previously toured together in 2012 and 2013 as PSMS (along with guitarist Tony MacAlpine), playing all instrumental versions from each of their previously recorded music. Sons of Appolo is the next logical progression by adding a vocalist and creating all-original material. The band incorporates the progressive style and individual technical prowess that Portnoy & Sherinian shared together in Dream Theater combined with the swagger and groove of Van Halen, Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin.