Page 43 - Sick Drummer Magazine Issue 27 - March 2014
P. 43
I love the sound of live triggers on toms and snares, different positions due to proximity issues, and at One place we had suffered badly in a storm and our
but sometimes it s too overpowering on kick one point we couldn t decide which of the 4 snares gear got drenched. So that wasn t ideal. Practice for
drums. I understand the need for death/tech metal to use for a track, so we just used them all and us is something we do intensely the weeks leading fight with the kit and I m always going to win. In
drummers to use them, but I personally don t have layered them up! It sounded deafening! up to a major gig or tour. Otherwise we just blast the studio you have to be a lot more controlled and
a use for them. the rust off as we see necessary. Real life gets in channel it the right way with way more precision.
the way too much sometimes.
SDM: What band or drummer might have influ-
SDM: How long did it take you to record the drums? enced you on your latest recording? Practicing for me has always been something I ve SDM: Did you ever take drum lessons? Do you play
Were you happy with the final product? found difficult to work into my everyday life, partly any other instrument? Can you read music like drum
I think you can take influence from anyone be it an due to the size of my kit being impractical to set notation or guitar tab?
I took 4-5 days to get the drums down in the studio, old pro or a beginner. People will always do things up at home, and restrictions on being able to get
maybe 2-3 takes of each track. In the months different to you so it s important to not be closed to the practice room (if and when we have one ). Drum lessons for me were something I could never
leading up to the studio I was going through some minded. On this particular album, I was listening to When I do practice, I make sure I work on each limb, really afford, so I m pretty much self-taught. I
bad personal health problems, so my focus wasn t a lot of Bobby Jarzombek and Vinnie Paul prior to work both directions around the kit, work on linear knew from sitting down behind a kit the very first
on the band as much as it could have been this going into the studio. Groove playing has always patterns around all the kit and basically try new time I could just do it - it was just there. I can play
resulted in me not rehearsing any of the new been something I can deliver, and I have Vinnie to things you can t do when the rest of the band are guitar and bass to competent levels, which helps
material behind an actual kit; I went into the studio thank for that. around haha! articulate ideas to the guitarists in Evile whilst
pretty much blind. Maybe it helped because I felt writing, and I d like to think I m a more than capable
like I really played what I felt on this album, there vocalist. Somewhere inside there s a front-man
was a lot of scope to try new things whilst still SDM: Do you have any touring planned for your SDM: How important are your kick pedals to your waiting to get out haha! Reading music and music
getting the job done within the time frame I set latest release and if so with who and where? playing? theory was always something I ve struggled with
myself. The end result is a very strong album, and though. I can t process the notation quick enough.
from myself, being analytical, I think it s my We re planning another trip to the US in 2014 My kick pedals are the most important parts of my
strongest performance on any of our albums. (money permitting) and hopefully travelling to kit, maybe second only to my snare drum. I use
places we ve not played yet like Australia and the Tama Iron Cobras with Powerglide Cams, Cobracoils SDM: What kind of gear do you use?
Far East. South America would also be amazing! and wooden beaters for definition and attack. I ve
SDM: Did you record to a click? used every major brand of pedal out there, and My pedals are Tama Iron Cobras (powerglide cams,
they re the only ones I feel secure with. I m very cobracoils, wooden beaters). My stick of choice
I always use a click in the studio. It s become SDM: Who are some of your main drumming influ- much a stomper, with a little slide technique thrown is the Vic Firth 55A with a wood tip. For cymbals,
second nature to me. At first, I hated it; I always felt ences today and back when you first started? Do in, so a high spring tension and recoil control are I use Paiste across the board, ranging from Alpha
like I was chasing the tempo, but once you become you listen to different styles of music outside of the what I look for, as well as unbreakable components. Brilliants to Signature Reflectors to Rudes to
familiar with it you kind of become one with it and metal realm? I ve never had a Cobra fail on me! *crosses fingers* Signature Dark Metal series. I ve recently gotten
realize it s there to help, not hinder. an Evans endorsement, and am using the Black
I take influence from so many different drummers, Chrome tom heads, the Emad 2 kick heads and the
from new guys just starting out, to the old masters SDM: How do you prepare yourself before a show amazing Hybrid snare head. It s the most reliable
SDM: How were the drums recorded in the studio like Dave Lombardo. I ve been listening to a lot and recording? head I ve ever used and I love it.
and with what kind of gear? How did you create the of Overkill lately, Ronny Lipnicki has been a big
parts? Did you do anything different with the drums influence in terms of speed. I also am a big fan Preparing for a show is different than the studio
on this album that you haven t on previous? Did of the band Heart, so listening to Mike Derosier, in that in a live setting, you really have to get the
you try out any new gear or use any new recording Denny Carmassi and Denny Fongheiser deliver such adrenaline flowing and make sure you re ready to
techniques? awesome fills and playing for the band is where put on a show. I never warm up to excess before
I take my inspiration from. When I first started, it a show just some mild stretching and loosening
This time around was very straightforward; close was all about Lars though. joints up. In the studio you have to use more control
micing the toms, kicks miced up internally and and realize that every action will have a conse-
externally at intervals throughout the room, quence, whereas on the stage, the moment is there
about 20 snare drum mics haha! Apart from using SDM: How often does the band practice? How often and gone in an instant. I like performing live to
different heads on the kicks and toms, the only do you practice by yourself? having a high profile cage fight or similar. I m in a
other thing that changed was my actual kit layout
I went back to 3 toms up top rather than 2, which As a band it s difficult, as we all still have day jobs,
enabled me to be quicker around the toms in fills and we found it hard to find somewhere secure
etc. We experimented with cymbals in enough to leave our gear, or somewhere with
access 24/7 for load-ups and drop-offs after gigs.
42 43
but sometimes it s too overpowering on kick one point we couldn t decide which of the 4 snares gear got drenched. So that wasn t ideal. Practice for
drums. I understand the need for death/tech metal to use for a track, so we just used them all and us is something we do intensely the weeks leading fight with the kit and I m always going to win. In
drummers to use them, but I personally don t have layered them up! It sounded deafening! up to a major gig or tour. Otherwise we just blast the studio you have to be a lot more controlled and
a use for them. the rust off as we see necessary. Real life gets in channel it the right way with way more precision.
the way too much sometimes.
SDM: What band or drummer might have influ-
SDM: How long did it take you to record the drums? enced you on your latest recording? Practicing for me has always been something I ve SDM: Did you ever take drum lessons? Do you play
Were you happy with the final product? found difficult to work into my everyday life, partly any other instrument? Can you read music like drum
I think you can take influence from anyone be it an due to the size of my kit being impractical to set notation or guitar tab?
I took 4-5 days to get the drums down in the studio, old pro or a beginner. People will always do things up at home, and restrictions on being able to get
maybe 2-3 takes of each track. In the months different to you so it s important to not be closed to the practice room (if and when we have one ). Drum lessons for me were something I could never
leading up to the studio I was going through some minded. On this particular album, I was listening to When I do practice, I make sure I work on each limb, really afford, so I m pretty much self-taught. I
bad personal health problems, so my focus wasn t a lot of Bobby Jarzombek and Vinnie Paul prior to work both directions around the kit, work on linear knew from sitting down behind a kit the very first
on the band as much as it could have been this going into the studio. Groove playing has always patterns around all the kit and basically try new time I could just do it - it was just there. I can play
resulted in me not rehearsing any of the new been something I can deliver, and I have Vinnie to things you can t do when the rest of the band are guitar and bass to competent levels, which helps
material behind an actual kit; I went into the studio thank for that. around haha! articulate ideas to the guitarists in Evile whilst
pretty much blind. Maybe it helped because I felt writing, and I d like to think I m a more than capable
like I really played what I felt on this album, there vocalist. Somewhere inside there s a front-man
was a lot of scope to try new things whilst still SDM: Do you have any touring planned for your SDM: How important are your kick pedals to your waiting to get out haha! Reading music and music
getting the job done within the time frame I set latest release and if so with who and where? playing? theory was always something I ve struggled with
myself. The end result is a very strong album, and though. I can t process the notation quick enough.
from myself, being analytical, I think it s my We re planning another trip to the US in 2014 My kick pedals are the most important parts of my
strongest performance on any of our albums. (money permitting) and hopefully travelling to kit, maybe second only to my snare drum. I use
places we ve not played yet like Australia and the Tama Iron Cobras with Powerglide Cams, Cobracoils SDM: What kind of gear do you use?
Far East. South America would also be amazing! and wooden beaters for definition and attack. I ve
SDM: Did you record to a click? used every major brand of pedal out there, and My pedals are Tama Iron Cobras (powerglide cams,
they re the only ones I feel secure with. I m very cobracoils, wooden beaters). My stick of choice
I always use a click in the studio. It s become SDM: Who are some of your main drumming influ- much a stomper, with a little slide technique thrown is the Vic Firth 55A with a wood tip. For cymbals,
second nature to me. At first, I hated it; I always felt ences today and back when you first started? Do in, so a high spring tension and recoil control are I use Paiste across the board, ranging from Alpha
like I was chasing the tempo, but once you become you listen to different styles of music outside of the what I look for, as well as unbreakable components. Brilliants to Signature Reflectors to Rudes to
familiar with it you kind of become one with it and metal realm? I ve never had a Cobra fail on me! *crosses fingers* Signature Dark Metal series. I ve recently gotten
realize it s there to help, not hinder. an Evans endorsement, and am using the Black
I take influence from so many different drummers, Chrome tom heads, the Emad 2 kick heads and the
from new guys just starting out, to the old masters SDM: How do you prepare yourself before a show amazing Hybrid snare head. It s the most reliable
SDM: How were the drums recorded in the studio like Dave Lombardo. I ve been listening to a lot and recording? head I ve ever used and I love it.
and with what kind of gear? How did you create the of Overkill lately, Ronny Lipnicki has been a big
parts? Did you do anything different with the drums influence in terms of speed. I also am a big fan Preparing for a show is different than the studio
on this album that you haven t on previous? Did of the band Heart, so listening to Mike Derosier, in that in a live setting, you really have to get the
you try out any new gear or use any new recording Denny Carmassi and Denny Fongheiser deliver such adrenaline flowing and make sure you re ready to
techniques? awesome fills and playing for the band is where put on a show. I never warm up to excess before
I take my inspiration from. When I first started, it a show just some mild stretching and loosening
This time around was very straightforward; close was all about Lars though. joints up. In the studio you have to use more control
micing the toms, kicks miced up internally and and realize that every action will have a conse-
externally at intervals throughout the room, quence, whereas on the stage, the moment is there
about 20 snare drum mics haha! Apart from using SDM: How often does the band practice? How often and gone in an instant. I like performing live to
different heads on the kicks and toms, the only do you practice by yourself? having a high profile cage fight or similar. I m in a
other thing that changed was my actual kit layout
I went back to 3 toms up top rather than 2, which As a band it s difficult, as we all still have day jobs,
enabled me to be quicker around the toms in fills and we found it hard to find somewhere secure
etc. We experimented with cymbals in enough to leave our gear, or somewhere with
access 24/7 for load-ups and drop-offs after gigs.
42 43
