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Mike Portnoy - "Even I have to laugh at how it's taking over the stage." Mike Portnoy has easily distinguished himself from the rest of the modern drummers by combining remarkable talent and skill with deluxe and seemingly awkward time signatures. He calls his set the 'Siamese Monster' and it really is quite a monster on stage, having three bass drums and over twenty cymbals. Mike claims that there is a reason for every one of them. He was with Liquid Tension Experiment as a side project, but now Dream Theater seems to have become more successful.
Buddy Rich - "The greatest drummer to have ever drawn breath." Buddy Rich is without a doubt the greatest drummer who ever lived. Buddy Rich died in 1987. He played one of the most basic set-ups ever and still plays better than any drummer ever. His snare drum was oddly positioned due to his traditional style of grip. And needless to say, his rolls were perfect. Both in sound and style, they excelled above the rest. Buddy Rich was a great drummer who will be missed.
Joey Jordison - "Little People Kill People" Joey is one of the most controversial drummers in the music business. Coming from a band like Slipknot, where accusations of being satanists is not uncommon, he is often overlooked despite his talent. Although Joey has a background of being a decent jazz drummer, his talent and area of expertise is the double bass. He can often make this sound like a machine gun with each foot kicking out equal volume levels for lengthy periods, even while turned upside down. Or, watch Joey play the Heretic Anthem Live.
Thomas Lang - "Ringo Starr was a big influence." Thomas Lang is a more interesting drummer because he is not American, like most drummers Americans listen to. He started playing at the age of 5, and is now in his late thirties. He is a studio drummer who has done some solo projects as well as toured with other artists. He really proves that some studio drummers can be better than some drummers in more mainstream bands. He recently made a two disc DVD called Creative Control, and I advise anyone who plays any type of instrument to watch this, as his talent and skill are truly remarkable. A few of my favorite things that Thomas Lang does are his heavy rock music played traditionally, his multiple crash technique on the way up, and of course his incredible stick trick solo.
Steve Gadd - "Sometimes when things don't work out, you just have to swear at your feet and try again." Steve Gadd is no doubt one of the more influential musicians of our time. He is a studio drummer who once again proves that some studio drummmers really can play better than some drummers in mainstream bands. While Steve Gadd may lack some talent in the area of double bass, he has achieved what all drummers should one day hope to, equal volume of every note. He can play modern or traditional grip, and has played with many greats such as Eric Clapton, B.B. King, and Steeley Dan. One of Steve Gadd's more remarkable traits is the ability to site read something and sit down and play it. I recently saw Steve in a clinic where when asked about Aja, he replied, "I'm not sure what I did. I probably ran it through a few times and did some of these and some of these." He has a reputation for only playing things a few times, despite their difficulty and still being able to pull them off smoothly.
John Dolmayan - "Pure schizophrenia" John Dolmayan is in a metal band composed of Armenian Americans. He does not have a trait that necessarily makes him stand out from the rest, but is no less a talented drummer. He has one thing that he does very well, and that is the ability to mesh fast single pedal with the hi-hat opening and closing at the same time. Because the single pedal is fast, the sixteenth notes on the hi-hat must be also. This makes for a complicated rhythm and fits well with the style of music that only System of a Down can create.
Neil Peart - "Neil showed up to the audition for Rush in a beat up car carrying his drums in trash cans." Neil Peart. Need I say more? Neil Peart has distinguished himself as one of the best drummers of today and all time. He is a member of Rush and has produced over twenty Cd's with them. Believe it or not, when Neil auditioned for Rush, one member of the existing band was not so sure about letting him in, but was convinced by another member. Neil Peart is often found playing a "cage" style drumset. In other words, he is surrounded by drums, hardware, and some electronic drums and an electronic keyboard. Neil Peart can play double bass, traditional or modern style grip, and pretty much any type of music. He is one of the best drummers ever.