SDM: How old were you when you started playing?
Adam: I started playing when I was seven years old. My very first kit was a metallic green Peavy 5-piece drum kit with one ride, crash, and hi-hat. I still have the floor tom that I occasionally use as a table!
SDM: Did you play in a school band or any drum corps?
Adam: I never played in school band or drum corps. My parents started off by getting me a rental snare drum from the local music store. Eventually, that led to my parents buying my first kit. I grew up playing drum covers with my brother (who is a guitar player), anywhere from Exodus, Immortal, Darkthrone, Mayhem, and much more.
SDM: Who are your top 5 metal influences?
Adam: George Fluke, Kai Hahto, Mikkey Dee, Nils Fjellstrom, Derek Roddy.
SDM: Who are some of your other favorites?
Adam: Dennis Chambers, Dave Weckl, Billy Cobham, Tony Williams, Dave Witte, Mike Smith, Pete Sandoval, Brandon Thomas, Bryan Fajardo, Mike Hamilton, John Longstreth, James King, Scott Travis, Tom Hunting, Dave Lombardo.
SDM: Let us know five albums in your current rotation
Adam: Rush – “Power Windows”, Laceration – “Demise”, Motorhead – “Sacrifice”, Unmerciful – “Wrath Encompassed”, Whoresnation – “Dearth”
SDM: What do you do to warm up before a show?
Adam: I try to do 8-10 mins of just singles with left and right accents, then 5 minutes of stretching, then another 10 mins of singles mixed with doubles and triplets.
SDM: Do you read music? Regardless of answering yes or no, please tell us how it might have affected your playing.
Adam: I have never read music in my life. Playing cover songs in my early years of drumming helped me learn how to emulate different metal drumming styles, and then I would just find what I’m gravitating towards. I don’t need to know how to read music to play in these kinds of bands, but maybe one day, if I wanna play for the symphony, then I’m screwed!
SDM: Can you tell us about the gear you use?
Adam:
My main kit is a 2016 Pearl Masters Maple Complete kit.
22″ kick drums (mostly use one for gigs)
10″, 12″, 13″ rack toms, 16″ floor tom.
Trick Dominator Pedals
Foot Blaster Triggers
14″ Brass Pearl Free Floating Snare
13″ Brass Patina Pork Pie snare
Roland TM-2 triggers
Old ass iPad for cuing samples
Endorsed by Scorpion Percussion drum sticks (Slightly thicker than 2B)
Gorilla Snot wax for drum sticks
All Zildjian Cymbals:
12″, 16″, 18″ Oriental chinas
9″ Oriental splash
18″, 19″ A Custom Projection crash
14″ A New Beat hats
10″ Zildjian FX stack
22″ Earth Ride, 22″ 80’s Power Ride
SDM: If you could give one piece of advice to young drummers, it would be…
Adam: Practice as much as you can when you’re younger because it’s hard to get time in when you get older! Practice on and off the kit with practice pads or textbooks.
SDM: Who gave the best live performance you’ve ever seen?
Adam: Mike Hamilton from Deeds of Flesh at MDF 2022!
SDM: Aside from drumming, what else do you like to do?
Adam: Going to shows, watching King of the Hill, making homemade nachos.
Play-through videos:
Cartilage – Enough to Make Your Skin Crawl: https://youtu.be/sG0BOcltGJE
Bands I play in:
Cartilage:
http://www.facebook.com/CartilageSF
http://www.cartilagegore.bandcamp.com
@cartilage_gore
Maentra:
http://www.maentr3.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/maentr3/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bOyD6SQZYc
@maentr3
Terrorizer L.A. (live drummer)
Exclusive Creepsylvanian drum tech for Ghoul.
About MÆNTRA:
MÆNTRA: A band formed in San Francisco in the year 2017 with Rudy Pina (Guitar, Vocals, electronics), Adam Houmam (Drums & Vocals) Paul Ryan (Bass & Vocals). MÆNTRA is a sonic force of extreme musical elements welded together to form a “Grindustrial” sound. From members of bands such as Origin, Terrorizer LA, Cartilage, Cyanic & Genocide Skin.
About Cartilage:
Whether you call them deathgrind, goregrind, or gore metal, some things are certain: the Bay Area’s Cartilage bleeds in blast beats, rips out gut-twisting riffs, and spews idiomatic viscera with delight. Spawned from original members featuring sibling duo, guitarist/vocalist Ria and vocalist Mark Wallace along with guitarist Michael Flory (Logistic Slaughter) and drummer Adam Houmam (Terrorizer LA), came one that delighted in the flesh-searing death metal that the likes of Impaled and General Surgery claim as their own.
San Francisco-based gore metal outfit Cartilage has announced a Fall tour across the Western US, supporting Gruesome with additional support provided by Immortal Bird. The tour begins September 29th in Portland and ends October 15th in Sacramento.
CARTILAGE w/ Gruesome, Immortal Bird:
9/29/2022 Dante’s – Portland, OR
9/30/2022 El Corazon – Seattle, WA
10/01/2022 The Shredder – Boise, ID
10/02/2022 Aces High Saloon – Salt Lake City, UT
10/03/2022 HQ – Denver, CO
10/05/2022 Amplified Live – Dallas, TX
10/06/2022 White Oak – Houston, TX
10/07/2022 Come And Take It – Austin, TX
10/08/2022 The Rockbox – San Antonio, TX
10/10/2022 The Launchpad – Albuquerque, NM
10/11/2022 Nile Underground – Phoenix, AZ
10/12/2022 Knucklehead – Los Angeles, CA
10/13/2022 Kensington Club – San Diego, CA
10/14/2022 Eli’s Down Under – Oakland, CA
10/15/2022 Café Colonial – Sacramento, CA
