Written by Music is about passion. If you don’t have passion for music, and for playing music, then you lose the soul and the emotion and the joy that are all such vital ingredients for great artists.
I’m hugely passionate about drumming, and have been since I remember, but I don’t think I’d have been quite as driven in later life if it weren’t for the drummers who influenced me.
It’s almost like falling in love at first sight. You see them play, you hear what they produce, and you just think, “wow.” There’s not many people who can evoke that feeling, so I thought I’d let you know who they are.
Without further ado, here’s my five favourite drummers of all time (in no particular order).
- Danny Carey, Tool
Danny is best known as the drummer from Tool, who play alternative metal, progressive metal and progressive rock. He’s also contributed to music by Zaum, Green Jellÿ, Pigface and others.
He started playing the drums at the age of 10 and later studied jazz drumming, which would go on to really influence his style. At school and college, Danny became interested in geometry, science and the occult, which had a huge impact on his technique – allowing for fluent drumming, polyrhythms, rudiments and skilled, independent footwork.
I first heard Danny play when I was 18 after a friend of mine leant me Tool’s album Ænima. I remember thinking, “I had no idea drums could sound like this!” He is able to play with an unusual and seemingly impossible combination of brute force and fluidity, moving through the many complicated sections seamlessly. His ability to control his timing, switching from time signatures and playing around with different groupings (linear polyrhythm), is incredible. A great example of this is his parts on the track Eulogy where his open hi-hat dotted every 8th note. Polyrhythms can be hard to listen to, but his drumming mixed with the singing of Maynard James Keenan works well.
Danny definitely changed the way I viewed the role of drums within the make-up of a band.
- Sean Kinney, Alice in Chains
Sean Kinney beats even Danny Carey to the title of Youngest Drummer. He got his first kit when he was just five and by age nine he was playing in a band!
As the band’s only drummer since its inception in 1987, Sean has enjoyed a long career spanning over 30 years. Sean also has a passion for visuals, and plays a huge part in how the band presents itself, including setting up the stage and designing artwork.
I was introduced to Alice in Chains by another friend when I was about 14 years old. The first song of theirs I listened to was No Excuses, which is still one of my favourite song of theirs to this day, and it’s the first song I ever transcribed.
The linear groove that Sean plays on that song has a melody of its own and I wanted to copy it and make my own. He has a sound to his beats that make him so unique on the kit, and although he isn’t the most technical drummer out there his feel, groove and ability to complement a song is inspirational. It actually made me want to start to develop my own voice on the drums, which is something I’m still working on.
The best albums he played on, in my opinion, were Jar of Flies and Boggy Depot – an album with Jerry Cantrell. Have a listen and you’ll see what I mean.
- Matt Cameron, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden
Matt is a member of the prestigious Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, having been inducted in April 2017 as a member of Pearl Jam.
He has been a member of a number of bands, but is principally known for his time with Soundgarden – who he spent 11 years with – and later Pearl Jam.
Without doubt what I love about his playing style is his creativity, precision and power. His influences include jazz drummer Tony Williams, Steve Gadd – who has worked with Simon & Garfunkel, Eric Clapton and others – and the infamous Keith Moon of The Who.
Matt’s time with Soundgarden produced some of the most beautiful pieces of music I heard growing up, and that still stands to this day. One example would be his part on Spoonman, from the album Superunknown. The 7/4 part almost sounds like a straight tom groove! He has an ability to make odd timings sound so groovy and easy to digest. Another example would be on Black Days, where he is on 5/4 but because of his approach and the arrangement of the piece you don’t even notice the odd timing, instead just experiencing the whole tune as a ride.
Matt’s ability to change the anchor of the bar and the way he can shift the main accent to fit the music makes him one of the most interesting rock drummers out there. Add to that his power behind the kit and his ability to make a song kick without overplaying makes his style awesome.
- Josh Freese from A Perfect Circle, The Vandals and Devo
Josh has appeared on close to 400 records. He’s had his fair share of experience, having played drums for A Perfect Circle, Weezer, Nine Inch Nails, Sublime with Rome and Guns N’ Roses among others, including Paramore – who he toured with. In addition to playing, he also writes songs and composes music, which I feel adds a personal touch to his performances.
He started drumming at eight, was playing in a band by 12 and began working as a session drummer and temporary replacement not long after. And look where all that hard work got him, because let me tell you, you don’t get the call up to drum for Guns N’ Roses without putting the effort in!
I first heard Josh when I listened to A Perfect Circle. It was love at first sound for me, and that band and his parts in particular had a massive impact on my playing. He has all the power of a classic rock drummer with the finesse of a jazz cat! He has an ability to create a very simple beat that doesn’t sit where you would normally hear it but still fits in well. For instance, his parts in Magdalena from A Perfect Circle’s first album are the perfect example of simple but interesting to play – something that is almost impossible!
However, for me the thing that makes Josh one of the best drummers out there is the fact that you can hear his fingerprint on almost everything he does. There’s a sound that comes out his kit that is completely unique. I still remember hearing Chris Cornell’s Euphoria Morning album and thinking to myself “I know this drummer!” Funnily enough I was right, and it was Josh playing on some of the tracks. That made me realise that he is a drum machine, and one of the most in demand session drummers in the world.
He’s playing with Sting at the moment! Enough said.
- Vinnie Paul from Pantera / Hell Yeah
Last but most definitely not least is Vinnie Paul. Vinnie is best known for co-founding and drumming for heavy metal band Pantera, although now he is part of supergroup Hellyeah.
Vinnie’s brother is Dimebag Darrell, who was tragically killed while on stage in 2004. Together, they formed Pantera, which went on to be nominated for four Grammy awards for Best Metal Performance. After Pantera broke up the brothers formed another band – Damageplan – but following Dimebag’s death Vinnie wasn’t sure if he could get back into music. It took some time, but eventually he returned to his true calling and joined Hellyeah, whose latest album came out in 2016.
There’s a lot I could say about Vinnie, but for me the man is the perfect example of a true soul drummer. Don’t get me wrong, he doesn’t play soul music, but every beat he plays and every hit he slams comes from his soul. He’s a beast on the kit! His sticks look more like brooms and the sizes of his drums could allow for four drummers to play. Add to that his infamous love of booze combined with his very technical groove metal band and you’ve got the stuff of legends.
Vinnie and his late brother wrote some of the best riffs and drum parts I know and love to play. The fact that they were both such educated musicians made Pantera so interesting to listen to and learn from. For example, let’s take Five Minutes Alone, one of their bigger hits. On the most part it’s a very simple song, yet they love throwing in an odd time signature in the pre-chorus to keep things on edge.
His double kick part in track Becoming made a lot of drummers re-evaluate how they play double kick. He’s truly one the greats!
I think a pattern we’ve seen here is the age at which these drummers started. All of them started young, which I feel is so important for development, and to show such passion, interest and dedication at such a young age is crucial to becoming the best that you can be.
So, now that I’ve shared mine how about you share yours. Who’s your favourite drummers? Let me know in the comment section below and when you come in we can discuss why and begin your journey towards eclipsing them!
See you soon,
Dave
Grosz Drums 