Editorials

The 10 Most Important Metal Drummers in History

1) John Bonham
The first metal drummer. Black Sabbath’s Bill Ward was very much a player of his generation—loose with the sticks, grooving on his ride, incorporating rudiments; not unlike like The Who’s Keith Moon. Bonham simplified drumming, made it more powerful, more precise, more focused on the hi-hat and snare. This laid the foundation for every metal drummer that succeeded him. In his best moments Bonham also brought a technical element to the instrument that was unique. Tighter grooves, arguably, than any rock/metal player in history and a legend that continues to inspire this generation’s youth.

2) Neil Peart
Another rock player who transcended his genre. I grew up in the early 80s and I can tell you that there wasn’t a drum player in my town who didn’t want to be Neil Peart. The drum solo in “Tom Sawyer,” heard on air waves across America, had infected our minds. Discovering the actual player was then an incredible experience. Peart was a remarkable drummer; strong, active on his kit, absolutely lethal with single stroke rolls across his snare and toms. Also, one of the first to explore the possibilities with double bass. Took what Bonham proffered and advanced it to a level that still sounds technical today. Rush remains an icon for many of the top metal bands.

3) Lars Ulrich
Anyone who’s read my editorial Master of Profits knows I have no respect for this punk whatsoever. But Ulrich’s thrash drumming, and his double bass work, inspired a generation of drummers that has now come to age. Those in the underground were blown away by the new, intense rhythms of Metallica in 1982, but it wasn’t until the double bass rolls of the video for “One” that Ulrich had America listening. Master of Puppets and And Justice For All became instruction manuals for young kit bashers. Ulrich stopped pushing himself to be a better drummer a long time ago, though, and was never gifted enough technically to cover it up. Today, easily the worst drummer in this group.

4) Dave Lombardo
A more gifted player than Ulrich, Slayer’s Dave Lombardo played at unbelievable tempos and yet always kept his playing loose, unpredictable, explosive. Lombardo was out there to kick ass, not to sponsor drum clinics. Equally responsible as Ulrich for establishing the foundation of thrash/speed double bass. Continues to challenge himself as a player with side projects like Fantômas and Apocalyptica. A class act and probably the fiercest player on this list.

5) Mark Zonder
I remember hearing “Thunder Child” back in his days in Warlord. I forced my drum teacher to listen to Thy Kingdom Come. “Doesn’t he overplay?” I asked. “Yeah, but he’s got good chops,” my teacher said. Indeed. Zonder might have started out extravagantly in Warlord, but in Fates Warning he found the perfect vehicle for his technical, syncopated style. Fantastic grooves and a guy that inspired a horde of progressive metal drummers. Recently left Fates, stating that he wished to pursue other artistic interests, namely At War With Self and the group TempleWithin, which sounds pretty damn good. Still loves to play and I respect his decision.

6) Gene Hoglan
Hoglan honed his chops in the vastly underrated speed metal outfit Dark Angel. He was a vicious player; direct, fierce, angry. His graduation present was a stint with Chuck Schuldiner and Death on Individual Thought Patterns and Symbolic, where he continued to set a standard for technical excellence in metal drumming that today’s players have been guided by. Now closely aligned with Futurist Devin Townsend and Strapping Young Lad, Hoglan is very well respected to this day by his peers. A Hoglan drum clinic would be a sight to see.

7) Mike Portnoy
Yes, I know Portnoy was on my Overrated list. But that is more because of his intense fame than his ability. Portnoy does have great chops and a tremendous respect for his instrument. Furthermore, Dream Theater’s fame has allowed him to reach large segments of the rock and metal communities. If I had a dime for every time I've seen Portnoy on the cover of a magazine like Modern Drummer, I’d be freakin’ rich! There is no denying that Dream Theater created a unique sound and musical style that shaped the dreams of a generation of prog musicians and listeners. A guy that admittedly has earned his good fortune.

8) Sean Reinert
When Chuck Schuldiner decided he wanted to take Death to the next level technically, he signed up Reinert for the 1991 landmark release, Human. Folks, with this album Reinert set the bar for what we know today as technical death metal. He took what the extreme players before him bequeathed and made it incredibly tight, precise, complex. His next band, Cynic, would release one of the most important technical albums in history, Focus. Since then, projects like Gordian Knot and Aghora have allowed him to further explore his instrument. As relevant as Portnoy to his genre and yet hardly known in the States.

9) Brann Dailor
Why is Mastodon’s Brann Dailor one of the most important drummers in metal history? Because he has taken this generation’s obsession with technically precise drumming and turned it on its head. His idols were Motorhead’s Mikkey Dee, Nicko McBrain of Iron Maiden and Dave Lombardo. Like Lombardo, Dailor has a loose, active approach that focuses around his snare and toms. It almost recalls jazz/big band drumming, or perhaps the busy style of late 60s rock players. It flies in the face of today’s technical orthodoxy, the irony being that Dailor and companion/guitarist Bill Kelliher started out in the technical metal acts Lethargy and Today is the Day. Like Nixon opening China, perhaps Dailor was the only man who had the credentials to take this step; and his best years might still lie ahead.

10) Nick Barker
Likely to be the most controversial selection on this list ... There is still talk to this day of Barker and drum triggers. I can only say that I have seen the man play live with Dimmu Borgir and I’m confident both that he was playing that s*** and that he is a totally amazing musician. Barker’s drumming is larger than life, machine-like, impossibly fast; it points directly into the future. When I heard a Dimmu song in the “Hellboy” trailer, it was as if a gauntlet had been thrown down for today’s young rock/metal drummers (Black Metal Purists love to hate Dimmu, but I’m personally glad the genre was introduced to the mainstream). Barker has been a great player since his Cradle of Filth days, but drug problems recently led to his forced exit from the Dimmu line-up. Perhaps he will now concentrate on his stand-out project, Old Man’s Child.

By: Ladd Everitt

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