Page 125 - Sick Drummer Magazine Issue 27 - March 2014
P. 125
shalaty cntd. marathon double-bass runs. I shoot for a meager SDM: Do you use triggers in the studio or live?
continuous 15 minute run at various tempos as What s your opinion on using triggers? SDM: Who are some of your main drumming influ-
compared to George s 30-60 minute recommenda- ences today and back when you first started? Do
tion. That s why he s the best in the biz! Yes, for both, but only on kicks. Gotta have them.
SDM: Do you feel that you emulate the guitar on you listen to different styles of music?
drums when you create parts? I think it s a must for anyone going fast. I ve heard
guys go without them, but it always sounds like When I started I was straight away into the thrash
SDM: What double bass technique do you use? crap. It s no cakewalk using triggers either. It was
I try to accentuate, as much as possible, everything guys like Glen Evans, Charlie Benante, Lars, and
that is going on in the song. That includes rhythm Heels-up singles. There is a lot of slide and slap one of the hardest adjustments for me to make. It s Dave Lombardo. Those guys were monsters. I
guitar, vocal patterns, leads etc. That s why with like putting a microscope on your footwork and if thought they knew secrets that I didn t. But, death
Immolation I like to have the total picture when to control starts, stops and subdivisions, but you re not clean, it s ugly. metal changed everything for me. Mike Smith,
when I m cruising it s all heels-up. I try not to get
I m writing drum parts. Most of the time when I m too caught up in who is using what technique Alex Marquez, Craig Smilowski, Steve Asheim and
recording drums, the vocals and leads haven t Pete were my new heroes. The one guy that really
been written yet so I have less to work with. I think anymore. It seems to me that everyone s personal SDM: How long did it take you to record the drums? proved to me that all this flying and flailing could
technique is an ever-changing matter. The body of
it glues the song together when you hear a drum Were you happy with the final product? really be an art form was Stephane Provencher.
pattern that follows the guitar, bass or vocals. With knowledge that relates to drumming is boundless I believe it was 5 days of drum tracking. I m never After I heard Gorguts Erosion of Sanity , I forgot
so that even the great guys are learning all the
Immolation it s also fun to write opposing patterns time. And unlearning. In other words, embrace the all about going to college for a traditional percus-
or call-and-answer parts. Either way, you are inter- happy with the final product. On the Decibel tour sion education and concentrated on death metal
acting with the other players and making the song techniques, study the techniques, experiment with I was still coming up with little things all over the drumming and my band at the time. Since then
them, create your own. In the end what you choose
more interesting even if its going by at a million new songs. I can t help it. It takes a long time to there have been a ton of guys that have blown me
miles an hour. to use to express yourself are the things that work develop drum parts that pay proper tribute to the away and inspired me but four that come straight
best for you. Everyone s anatomy and physiology is riffing. When I play with the live band instead of a to mind are George Kollias, Lille Gruber, Derek
different and a technique that works for one person click and a scratch guitar, the feel of the riffs and Roddy, and Alex Pelletier. I usually try to listen to
may not work for a person of a different size and songs is more visceral and will inspire me to do
SDM: How do you prepare yourself before a show shape. It s part of what create s a drummer s unique death metal exclusively. Most other music annoys
and recording? different things. To me, this is the normal writing me. That s not to say I can t listen to a country song
style. Everyone is on their own road in that respect. process, but with Immolation I don t have that and come up with something good to say about
If you try to shoehorn yourself into someone else s luxury. This makes the drum parts and fills that I
The most important thing I do to prepare for a technique you will hinder your own personal devel- the song or drums musically. I just prefer death
performance is get a good amount of sleep the record sound elementary and underdeveloped to metal. I also love Rage Against the Machine. Brad
night before. The next thing is fuel. High carbs that opment. When I started trying to master death me. Wilk swings so hard and never overplays. Great
metal techniques there were no instructional
burn clean are best. I have a routine of stretches dynamics and the band just has huge balls. It s so
and warm-ups that I do every time I play to insure websites or sources of information. There was none SDM: Did you record the drums to a click track? Do pissed and ballsy, I love it!
of the free sharing of knowledge on the subject that
that I don t injure myself and that there is no there is now. The emergence of sources like Sick
restriction to muscle movement. I m most prepared you find that challenging?
when my body is revving and my mind is calm. Drummer have helped so many drummers including SDM: Tell us about the cover artwork.
myself and I wanted to take the opportunity to
Don t underestimate the importance of the mental Yes I did. All the pre-production was done to a click
side. acknowledge them for helping to legitimize and as well. Bob and I work out tempos throughout Par Oloffson did the cover. It uses very powerful
advance the art form that I love. Thanks! the preproduction process. Playing to a click is symbols of power, greed, oppression, manipula-
miserable. I m getting better with more practice. tion and control to create a scene that coincides
I use it in drills all the time. I used to think I was
SDM: How do you practice? perfectly with the lyrical content of the album. I
SDM: Did you ever take drum lessons? Do you play pretty dialed-in as far as meter was concerned, think it s the best Immolation cover in years. It
any other instrument? Can you read music? but after recording to my first click track on
I like to drill with a metronome and stopwatch. Harnessing Ruin I was forced to reassess. I really encapsulates the attitude and seriousness
Monday I will run speed and stamina drills and then I started playing drums as part of the school of the band. It s not fantasy art. It s about real
Tuesday I will play to recordings of other drummers would humbly suggest that everyone use a click or subjects in a real world.
or myself. Wednesday will be drills again. Thursday curriculum in 6th grade and continued to study until metronome to some degree during practice.
graduation. In addition I took private lessons for a
jamming again etc. My favorite drills are the Derek
Roddy single-stroke ladder drills and the alter- few years from a great jazz instructor named Buddy SDM: Anyone maybe influence you on your latest
Brasky. I can read drum notation and Buddy also
nating single-stroke between hand and foot drill taught me how to read the lead trumpet part in case
that I mentioned earlier. This last one has been a recording?
great help in rehabilitating my right leg after my there was no drum chart, which is often the case
with jazz drums. Unfortunately, I do not play any
surgery and in teaching my left foot to lead the one I would say George Kollias, Lille Gruber and of
foot blast. I have also been trying George Kollias other instruments, although I do enjoy composing. I course Craig Smilowski and Alex Hernandez.
just need a good translator.
124 125
continuous 15 minute run at various tempos as What s your opinion on using triggers? SDM: Who are some of your main drumming influ-
compared to George s 30-60 minute recommenda- ences today and back when you first started? Do
tion. That s why he s the best in the biz! Yes, for both, but only on kicks. Gotta have them.
SDM: Do you feel that you emulate the guitar on you listen to different styles of music?
drums when you create parts? I think it s a must for anyone going fast. I ve heard
guys go without them, but it always sounds like When I started I was straight away into the thrash
SDM: What double bass technique do you use? crap. It s no cakewalk using triggers either. It was
I try to accentuate, as much as possible, everything guys like Glen Evans, Charlie Benante, Lars, and
that is going on in the song. That includes rhythm Heels-up singles. There is a lot of slide and slap one of the hardest adjustments for me to make. It s Dave Lombardo. Those guys were monsters. I
guitar, vocal patterns, leads etc. That s why with like putting a microscope on your footwork and if thought they knew secrets that I didn t. But, death
Immolation I like to have the total picture when to control starts, stops and subdivisions, but you re not clean, it s ugly. metal changed everything for me. Mike Smith,
when I m cruising it s all heels-up. I try not to get
I m writing drum parts. Most of the time when I m too caught up in who is using what technique Alex Marquez, Craig Smilowski, Steve Asheim and
recording drums, the vocals and leads haven t Pete were my new heroes. The one guy that really
been written yet so I have less to work with. I think anymore. It seems to me that everyone s personal SDM: How long did it take you to record the drums? proved to me that all this flying and flailing could
technique is an ever-changing matter. The body of
it glues the song together when you hear a drum Were you happy with the final product? really be an art form was Stephane Provencher.
pattern that follows the guitar, bass or vocals. With knowledge that relates to drumming is boundless I believe it was 5 days of drum tracking. I m never After I heard Gorguts Erosion of Sanity , I forgot
so that even the great guys are learning all the
Immolation it s also fun to write opposing patterns time. And unlearning. In other words, embrace the all about going to college for a traditional percus-
or call-and-answer parts. Either way, you are inter- happy with the final product. On the Decibel tour sion education and concentrated on death metal
acting with the other players and making the song techniques, study the techniques, experiment with I was still coming up with little things all over the drumming and my band at the time. Since then
them, create your own. In the end what you choose
more interesting even if its going by at a million new songs. I can t help it. It takes a long time to there have been a ton of guys that have blown me
miles an hour. to use to express yourself are the things that work develop drum parts that pay proper tribute to the away and inspired me but four that come straight
best for you. Everyone s anatomy and physiology is riffing. When I play with the live band instead of a to mind are George Kollias, Lille Gruber, Derek
different and a technique that works for one person click and a scratch guitar, the feel of the riffs and Roddy, and Alex Pelletier. I usually try to listen to
may not work for a person of a different size and songs is more visceral and will inspire me to do
SDM: How do you prepare yourself before a show shape. It s part of what create s a drummer s unique death metal exclusively. Most other music annoys
and recording? different things. To me, this is the normal writing me. That s not to say I can t listen to a country song
style. Everyone is on their own road in that respect. process, but with Immolation I don t have that and come up with something good to say about
If you try to shoehorn yourself into someone else s luxury. This makes the drum parts and fills that I
The most important thing I do to prepare for a technique you will hinder your own personal devel- the song or drums musically. I just prefer death
performance is get a good amount of sleep the record sound elementary and underdeveloped to metal. I also love Rage Against the Machine. Brad
night before. The next thing is fuel. High carbs that opment. When I started trying to master death me. Wilk swings so hard and never overplays. Great
metal techniques there were no instructional
burn clean are best. I have a routine of stretches dynamics and the band just has huge balls. It s so
and warm-ups that I do every time I play to insure websites or sources of information. There was none SDM: Did you record the drums to a click track? Do pissed and ballsy, I love it!
of the free sharing of knowledge on the subject that
that I don t injure myself and that there is no there is now. The emergence of sources like Sick
restriction to muscle movement. I m most prepared you find that challenging?
when my body is revving and my mind is calm. Drummer have helped so many drummers including SDM: Tell us about the cover artwork.
myself and I wanted to take the opportunity to
Don t underestimate the importance of the mental Yes I did. All the pre-production was done to a click
side. acknowledge them for helping to legitimize and as well. Bob and I work out tempos throughout Par Oloffson did the cover. It uses very powerful
advance the art form that I love. Thanks! the preproduction process. Playing to a click is symbols of power, greed, oppression, manipula-
miserable. I m getting better with more practice. tion and control to create a scene that coincides
I use it in drills all the time. I used to think I was
SDM: How do you practice? perfectly with the lyrical content of the album. I
SDM: Did you ever take drum lessons? Do you play pretty dialed-in as far as meter was concerned, think it s the best Immolation cover in years. It
any other instrument? Can you read music? but after recording to my first click track on
I like to drill with a metronome and stopwatch. Harnessing Ruin I was forced to reassess. I really encapsulates the attitude and seriousness
Monday I will run speed and stamina drills and then I started playing drums as part of the school of the band. It s not fantasy art. It s about real
Tuesday I will play to recordings of other drummers would humbly suggest that everyone use a click or subjects in a real world.
or myself. Wednesday will be drills again. Thursday curriculum in 6th grade and continued to study until metronome to some degree during practice.
graduation. In addition I took private lessons for a
jamming again etc. My favorite drills are the Derek
Roddy single-stroke ladder drills and the alter- few years from a great jazz instructor named Buddy SDM: Anyone maybe influence you on your latest
Brasky. I can read drum notation and Buddy also
nating single-stroke between hand and foot drill taught me how to read the lead trumpet part in case
that I mentioned earlier. This last one has been a recording?
great help in rehabilitating my right leg after my there was no drum chart, which is often the case
with jazz drums. Unfortunately, I do not play any
surgery and in teaching my left foot to lead the one I would say George Kollias, Lille Gruber and of
foot blast. I have also been trying George Kollias other instruments, although I do enjoy composing. I course Craig Smilowski and Alex Hernandez.
just need a good translator.
124 125
