Brennan Shackelford Interview

Hi, I’m Brennan Shackelford. I play drums for Reviled, Cesspool of Corruption, and Mortifying Deformity. I’m from Dallas, Texas and am 22 years old. I’ve been playing drums for 9 years currently.

Brennan Shackelford Interview:

SDM: How old were you when you started playing?

Brennan: I was 13 years old when I officially started playing drums. I took my first drum lesson on May 1, 2010, and rented a kit from my instructor at the time. 

SDM: Did you play in a school band or any drum corps?

Brennan: I didn’t go to a school that had drumline or anything like that, but we did have a band class that covered popular songs. The teacher we had in my senior year of high school pushed us to actually write original tunes too. Having the drum set there was great, as it let me practice whatever I wanted to during lunch or before school. 

SDM: Who are your top 5 metal influences?

Brennan: Sean Reinert, Lille Gruber, Gene Hoglan, Shannon Lucas, Bryce Butler

SDM: Who are some of your other favorites?

Brennan: Matt Kilner, Gabe Seeber, Mike Hamilton, Chad Walls, Jon Engman, John Longstreth, Hannes Grossman, Matt Gartska, Blake Richardson, Trey Williams, Lyle Cooper, Davide Billia, and Dave Culross.

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SDM: Let us know 5 CD’s that are in your current rotation

Brennan: Disincarnate – Dreams of the Carrion Kind

Megadeth – Peace Sells… but Who’s Buying?

Necrophagist – Onset of Putrefaction

Gorguts – The Erosion of Sanity

Vitriol – To Bathe From The Throat of Cowardice

SDM: What do you do to warm up before a show?

Brennan: Stretch, hydrate, and maybe grab the sticks and air drum if I have time. I don’t usually take a practice pad with me to shows, but if I do I’ll run singles, doubles, and paradiddle variations to get going. 

SDM: Do you read music? Regardless of answering yes or no, please tell us how it might have affected your playing?

Brennan: I don’t currently, but I used to when I studied out of books with my instructors. It helped me get a better understanding of rhythmic theory and to actually picture note values as I hear them. 

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SDM: Can you tell us about the gear you use?

Brennan: I have two kits I use currently. The one you see in my videos at the rehearsal space is a PDP Maple Concept kit, with 10, 12, and 16-inch toms and a 22-inch kick. The one I use in the studio and live is a Tama Birch Bubinga Starclassic with the same dimensions. I use Sabian cymbals for the most part. 14″ HHX Evolution hats, 17″ AA Holy China, 20″ Leopard ride, 17″ Paragon crash, 18″ AAX-plosion crash, 13″ David Garibaldi signature hats, 18″ HHX China, and 22″ HH Power Bell. In addition to these, I use a 9 inch LP Ice Bell and an 8″ Paiste Cup Chime. I use Scorpion Percussion sticks exclusively. 

SDM: If you could give one piece of advice to young drummers, it would be…

Brennan: Get good at learning music. You will train your ear, expand your vocabulary, learn to count, and eventually get more gigs. 

SDM: Who gave the best live performance you’ve ever seen?

Brennan: Lille Gruber of Defeated Sanity, really any time I’ve seen them live. He has the most interesting style of any current metal drummer. Lots of dynamics, displacement, odd time signatures, tuplet groupings, brutal blast beats, and crushing grooves. It scratches every itch all at once. 

SDM: Aside from drumming, what else do you like to do?

Brennan: I’ve been learning guitar over the last year.  I enjoy playing my favorite bands’ music as well as writing riffs. I play my favorite video games and watch shows and YouTube videos when I’m resting my hands. I enjoy spending time with my friends and family, as well as meeting new people at shows. A couple of things that I plan on doing more often are cooking and going to the gym.

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Brennan’s Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brennanblastsTX/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/brennanblasts

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBxPd_iOi_5ca713CwRFm2A

Reviled links: 

https://www.facebook.com/ReviledTX/

https://instagram.com/reviledtx?igshid=11hau6mj43aal

Cesspool of Corruption links: 

https://www.facebook.com/CesspoolofCorruptionOfficial/

https://instagram.com/cesspool_of_corruption?igshid=1s3u2t6s84t05

Mortifying Deformity links:

https://www.facebook.com/MDTXDM/

https://instagram.com/mortifyingdeformity?igshid=jtz6vlsndk4b

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