Keep up with Brian here:
The very first band I was in was a punk band called The Reaganites back when I was 16. For the most part, we were just a cover band. We could bang out pretty much anything on Black Flag’s “Everything Went Black” as well as a good majority of Minor Threat’s discography. This was pretty much where I learned how to play fast on the drums. The Reaganites eventually morphed into my first serious band. We were a crust band called Dominant Minority. I gained a lot of live experience in this band due to our active show schedule. We played all over the region with bands like League of Struggle, Brother Inferior and Snotrokitz. All together we prolly played between 50 and 100 shows as well as recorded a full length and an ep. To make a long story short, I played in two other bands before Exitium which were Biomass and Humanicide. In Biomass I did vocals and in Humanicide I played guitar which leads me up to me up to the band that I’m in now.
Exitium formed in 2001 and I’ve been jamming with them ever since. When we first got together I was unfamiliar with how to play double bass or blast beats. I just got behind the kit and taught myself on-the-fly how to do everything. Since we’ve formed I’ve had the opportunity to open for a lot of the bands that I like, play all over the region and record two albums.
Brian Carrigan Interview:
SD.com: When did you start playing drums?
Brian: I started creating audio terror on drums around the age of 14. I learned how to play on an extremely old 4 piece Pearl kit that was given to me by my grandfather’s friend. I remember the first thing me and my other drummer friends tried to accomplish was to play the double bass part on “One” from Metallica.
SD.com: Do you play in a school band or any drum corps?
Brian: I never played drums in the school band. However, I did play guitar in Jr. High for the school honor choir. (T’was very unbrooooootal). Alas, even though I had to wear a cumber bun and play Styx songs, it got me used to playing music in front of an audience.
SD.com: Ever take any lessons?
Brian: I’ve never had a day of lessons in my life. I learned everything I know from watching and listening to other drummers. Every once in a while I’ll run into someone that absolutely rips total nutz on the drums and is cool enough to sit me down for a few minutes and explain some of the tricks they do.
SD.com: Who are your top 5 influences?
Brian:
Anders Jakobson
Dave Lombardo
Danny Herrera
Nick Barker
John Longstreth
SD.com: Assuming that influences doesn’t mean favorites, who are your favorites?
Brian: Shit man, where do I start? Tony Laureano, Pete Sandoval, Tim Yeung, Dave Suzuki, Frost, Hellhammer, Cato Bekkevold, Van Williams, Martin Lopez, Gene Hoglan, John Bonham, Raymond Herrera, Pierre Langlois, Adam Jarvis, Martin Maurais, Flo Monier….
SD.com: Let us know 5 CD’s that are in your current rotation
Brian:
Enslaved – Isa
Coldworker – The Contaminated Void
Dio – Last In Line
Gorgoroth – Twilight of the Idols
Katatonia – The Great Cold Distance
SD.com: Do you practice any specific rudiments or combo’s regularly?
Brian: Well, I really don’t get to practice much at all period. I usually get to practice about 2 hours a week on Fridays when Exitium jams. I really wish that I had a practice space that was 24 hours accessible because I’m usually awake at night on account of my work schedule. If I had it my way, I would practice 3 or 4 hours a day.
SD.com: What is your favorite part of your drum kit?
Brian: My favorite part of my kit has got to be my snare. I enjoy taking my misanthropy out on it in the form of blast beats.
SD.com: If you could give one piece of advice to younger drummers, it would be…
Brian: Play as many shows as you can wherever they might be. Live experience is the most crucial skill to acquire as a drummer in my opinion because you will learn how to proficiently execute your instrument in the most dire and hopeless of situations (e.g. no monitors, extreme temperatures, sleep deprived). After all, playing to 20 cigarette-throwing rednecks at the local pub in Beaver Dam, Arkansas is a lot different than playing in your practice space.
SD.com: Who gave the best live performance you’ve ever seen?
Brian: Probably Martin Maurais when we played with Kataklysm in May of ’04. That guy is fucking amazing.
SD.com: If you had to stop drumming, what else do you want to do with your life?
Brian: If I wasn’t in Exitium playing drums, I would probably move to the east coast and get a job in the printing / journalism industry. That being said, I don’t think there will ever be a time in my life that I will be inactive as far as music is concerned. Playing music is in my blood and I don’t think anything could ever change that.
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