Modern Drummer recently spoke with Next To None drummer Max Portnoy and his father/producer Mike Portnoy about the making of the band's full length debut, A Light In The Dark. Following is an excerpt from the interview.

MD: What was it like having your dad produce the record?

Max: "It was really nice having him produce. He was helping us understand how to organize our time in the studio. If he wanted me to change something, he didn’t yell at me (laughs)."

MD: Mike, what was it like producing your son? Was it like coaching him on the basketball team?

Mike: "It was an amazing experience. They really reminded me of the way we were when we did our first Dream Theater album. Also, we went into a real studio and did the whole thing over the course of a month. Most bands these days, including mine, work on individual Pro-Tools rigs at home. We made a conscious decision to go into a studio so they’d have that camaraderie and studio experience."

MD: As a producer, did you learn anything from the experience?

Mike: "I produce three to five albums of my own a year, but this was the first time I worked as an outside producer. You have to be diplomatic. And in this case you have my son, Max…I had to show no favoritism or bias, and I had to try to be as objective as possible with the suggestions I would make. So I had to separate myself from the father role and be a producer. It was also important for their sound to match their style. Even though they’re in the prog genre, they are very heavy. They have those Slipknot, Pantera, and Lamb of God influences, so it was important that the drum sound and guitar sound stand up in that world. This wasn’t supposed to be a Dream Theater–sounding album; it was Slipknot meets Dream Theater.

Go to this location for the complete interview.

Next To None will continue their regional performances with several shows this December and on New Year's Day of 2016. The dates feature additional performances from bands such as Metal Allegiance, In The Presence Of Wolves, and Ghost Ship Octavius.

Tour Dates:

December
6 - Cambridge, MA - The Middle East (with In The Presences Of Wolves)
9 - New York, NY - Studio at Webster Hall (with Ghost Ship Octavius)
10 - Worcester, MA - Ralph's Diner (with Ghost Ship Octavius)
11 - Philadelphia, PA - Bull Shooters Saloon (with Ghost Ship Octavius)
12 - Binghamton, NY - Eclipse (with Ghost Ship Octavius)
19 - Philadelphia, PA - Bull Shooters Saloon (with The Madeline Haze)
31 - Amityville, NY - Revolution Bar (with Metal Allegiance)

January
1 - Richmond, VA - Canal Club (with The Madeline Haze)

Next To None released their debut album, A Light In The Dark, on June 30th in North America and June 29th in Europe, via InsideOut.

A Light In The Dark tracklisting:

"The Edge Of Sanity"
"You Are Not Me"
"Runaway"
"A Lonely Walk"
"Control"
"Lost"
"Social Anxiety"
"Legacy"
"Blood On My Hands"

Digital-only bonus tracks:

"Fortune Cookie"
"Deafening"