Keep up will Bill here:
Drums became my life in 11th grade, which was around 2005 I believe. I started jamming with some friends and we began learning everything from Death, to Necrophagist. We started a band and just kept learning and playing. I eventually made it into a few other bands here and there and played for years all over the place.
A couple years later, I settled down in Va. briefly after I got married and started to "grow up" and started taking my drumming a lot more serious, and really started to work on my technique. Doing drum exercises, workouts, routines, rudiments, everything. Shortly after that is when I joined up with Bury the Memories and I just continued working on my skills while creating a full length album with them.
Fast forward to about 3 years later (2013). That was when I was approached by the guitarist and vocalist of Visceral Disgorge. I had previously jammed with these guys 7 years ago or so in Eaten Alive briefly and was part of the original Visceral Disgorge lineup back in 2009. We had discussed the possibly of myself auditioning for the empty drum position. We are currently working on getting up to speed on all the previous material and working on brand new material together for a brand new album which will be a follow up for "Ingesting Putridity."
Bill Denne Interview:
SDM: How old were you when you started playing?
Bill: I believe i was 16, the first time I picked up a pair of sticks.
SDM: Did you play in a school band or any drum corps?
Bill: Never played in recreational setting, but I always played the drums in the back room of the school auditorium.
SDM: Who are your top 5 metal influences?
Bill: Not in any particular order: Mikael Akerfeldt, "Opeth" , Dan Swano, "Edge of Sanity" , Devin Townsend, "Strapping Young Ladd", Muhammed Suicmez, "Necrophagist", Chuck Schuldiner, "Death". Probably the main influences Iv'e had over my lifetime of metal listening.
SDM: Who are some other of your favorites?
Bill: Oh man, once again no real order: Origin, Malevolent Creation, Decapitated, Deicide, Augury, Sleep Terror, Vital Remains, World Under Blood, Emperor, Jeff Loomis, Nevermore, Mors Principium Est, Obscura, Gorguts, Suffocation, Divine Empire, Cryptopsy, Behemoth, and on and on and on.
SDM: Let us know 5 CD's that are in your current rotation
Bill: Strapping Young Lad "Aliens", Opeth "Watershed", Decrepit Birth "Diminishing Between Worlds", Trauma "Neurotic Mass", Children of Bodom "Hatebreeder"
SDM: What do you do to warm up before a show?
Bill: A little bit of stretching, the normal arms/legs/wrists and some rhythm drumming between hands and feet. More like endurance warm ups, for set time lengths.
SDM: Do you read music? Regardless of answering yes or no, please tell us how it might have effected your playing?
Bill: I do read music, but it seemed like it never helped or hurt my learning of drums. However, it did more or less gave me an upper hand when learning my favorite songs on the guitar.
SDM: Can you tell us about the gear you use?
Bill: I'm not too picky when it comes to my shells. I play an all black Pearl custom studio with Evans heads. Personally, I prefer Sabian cymbals for the most part, they are very durable. I also have some Axis AL2 long board pedals.
SDM: If you could give one piece of advice to young drummers, it would be…
Bill: Never try to out do yourself right away, always play to your ability, progression will come with practice. Also, make sure you play for a reason. If you are only playing for money or popularity, you will end up with no respect from your musical peers that way. Plus to me, drumming always sounds better when the drummer is into the music!
SDM: Who gave the best live performance you've ever seen?
Bill: Dave Culross with Malevolent Creation. I Had a chance to sit behind him an entire set, he is a super cool person.
SDM: Aside from drumming, what else do you like to do?
Bill: I definitely live for the outdoors, so anything with a board… surf, snow, wake, skate, skim… all the fun stuff ! Also, I work full time as a custom car technician for a shop, so autos are fun for me.
Leave a Reply