This interview courtesy of: Carlos Ramirez of NoiseCreep.com
Who was the drummer that first made you notice the instrument?
It's kinda hard to say. My uncle got me into drumming, and I learned playing along with AC/DC records, but I guess the first guy I wanted to be as a kid was Lars Ulrich. I was obsessed with Metallica for a while, and I learned everything. Then Slayer came into my life and Dave Lombardo was my hero and still is practically. That guy raised the metal bar higher than anyone ever has and in fact I don't think anyone in metal has been able to rise to what he has done fill or creativity wise. The double bass break in 'Angel of Death' is probably the catchiest stand-out metal drum fill of all time.
What mistakes did you make early on?
When you're learning, there are really no mistakes. It takes everyone different times to understand things I think. I wouldn't go back and learn a different way because that's what made me who I am today and most importantly it was fun.
Did you have any mentors?
Brandon Thomas of Ripping Corpse was always my biggest mentor. He was local, and I would watch him play all the time. I drew a ton of influence from him, and he was probably my main inspiration for a while. Best of all, we are great friends and it was easy to learn things from him. He's still fantastic and makes me laugh each time I see him play.
You can read the rest of the interview here: NoiseCreep.com
Leave a Reply