Keep up with Derek here:
1996 – 2000: Gorgasm "Stabwound Intercourse" Pulverizer Records, Extremities Records
2000 – 2001: Incestuous "Brass Knuckle Abortion" United Guttural Records
2001: Gorgasm – After Dave Culross recorded Bleeding profusely cd, Gorgasm needed a drummer to play live. After they tried out 30 drummers I went back to help them out to play some shows.
2003 – 2004: Fleshgrind "Murder Without End" Century Media Records.
2004 – 2006: I left Fleshgrind to jam with Tom Tangalos (ex Gorgasm) and a few local guys. We played a couple of local shows but never made it into a real studio to put out a quality recording. Tom and I both became frustrated with other members. I ended up leaving and it wasnt long before Tom got fed up and left too.
2006 – 2009: I ended up drumming in 2 different bands from 2006 – 2009. I had some really great times but for 9 years I felt my drumming sounded best with Tom Tangalos. Tom spent thousands of hours working with me back in the Gorgasm days. We work extremely well together and can write very fast music. In 2009 Tom emailed me a pre-recorded guitar track from a new band he started called PESHMERGA. I recorded drums to it and it was clearly obvious it was time for us to jam once again and make up for lost time.
2009 – present: Peshmerga – The self recorded debut cd "Murderous Acts Of Cruelty" will be coming out on Sevared records October 2010. The second album is 95% written and will be recorded soon.
Derek Hoffman Interview:
SDM: How old were you when you started playing?
Derek: I started playing guitar when I was 17 and by the time I was 21 I sold everything to buy a drum set. My first drum kit was a black double bass Pearl Export. I used this kit to record "Stabwound Intercourse" about 3 years later.
SDM: Did you play in a school band or any drum corps?
Derek: I always wished I did. Rudiments are very important! When I finally started working on different combinations of single and double stroke rolls, I developed better coordination and everything improved.
SDM: Ever take any lessons?
Derek: I learned how to play drums when I was a guitarist. I would hop behind the drummers kit and ask lots of questions. I still ask questions to this day. For years I played what I felt like playing and eventually I got pretty good at it. I developed a slightly different style and it really helped me later in life.
SDM: As far as actual teacher/student lessons?
Derek: I jam with other drummers from my local area. We always trade ideas and hang out. Kinda like getting free lessons and teaching at same time. I always watch drum instructional videos from all genres of music and will never stop learning. Whenever I see a cool roll or fill, I try to learn it and add it into my music somewhere.
SDM: Who are your top 5 influences?
Derek:
1. Dave Culross. When I rejoined Gorgasm I had to play "Bleeding Profusely" songs the way Dave recorded them because the cd totally killed. It was extremely difficult because at first I had my own visions of what the songs on the cd should sound like. Once I started learning the songs off Gorgasm's "Bleeding Profusely" I soon realized there were many things I didn't know and many things I was doing wrong! It changed my playing style forever and quite honestly, for the better. Much respect to Dave! Not many drummers had this kind of impact on my playing.
2. Chris Reifert from Autopsy. Chris has a very creepy style and plays from the heart. He puts feeling into the songs and its always total doom and gloom! I try to do same thing with blast and grind.
3. Mike Smith from Suffocation had developed a wicked style many tried to imitate. I admit I am one of them.
4. "Dennis the Menace" from Macabre! The first "extreme" metal drummer I ever saw live. This dude was chopping drummers in half back in 1987.
5. Curtis Beeson from Nasty Savage. When people were going crazy over Dave Lombardo's double bass parts in Angel of Death, I was listening to the double bass work on "Indulgence" XXX wishing I could play drums.
SDM: Assuming that influences doesn't mean favorites, who are your favorites?
Derek: Besides the above drummers… Here are a few of my favorites. Paul Bostaph, Bill Andrews, Clive Burr, Lee Harrison, Tim Yeung, Dave Lombardo, George Kollias, Tony Scaglione and Bill Ward. Some drummers in different generes of music that I watch and try to learn from… Virgil Donati, Akira Jimbo, Thomas Lang, Steve Smith and Dean Castronova.
SDM: What are 5 CD's in your personal rotation?
Derek: This is really tough because I listen to tons of death metal!
1. Arch Enemy
2. Necrophagist
3. Decrepit Birth
4. Dying Fetus
5. Nile
SDM: Can you remember a night you think was your best playing ever? If yes, when and where?
Derek: We played a show with Dying fetus in Chicago when I was with Gorgasm back in 1998. Both bands drew a decent crowd and the crowd went insane when we played. After we got done playing several people were hurt from being in the pit and still somehow smiling. 6 people went out in ambulances. My friend Rich East ended up with a broken collar bone from stage diving. He stayed for drinks and wasnt included in the ambulance total list. The crowds energy was incredible and it made me play even stronger. When I played stronger, the band played stronger. By the time Dying Fetus played, cops were called and about 30 riot cops shut down the show. The club owner was freaking out and worried about lawsuits because so many were injured. It was one of the most insane shows I ever played. Anyways… These days I play to a metronome. It's set to a damn aggressive tempo which is alot quicker then the old Gorgasm songs ever were. I hope the pits get better next time!
SDM: Do you have a favorite brand of drums or cymbals?
Derek: As far as cymbals, Paiste 2002's are my favorite crashes. Sabian are my favorite splashes and Wuhan are my favorite chinas. The Paiste 2002's are extremely bright and clear when recording. They cut through excellent live with great volume and are somewhat affordable. In my current set up I have two 2002 16" crashes, one 2002 17" crash, a 2002 ride, 2002 heavy hi-hats, Paiste signature china, 2 Wuhan chinas and a few Sabian splashes. My Sabian splashes held up against the test of time and took a brutal pounding for years. I definately prefer Wuhan chinas over any brand china, even though other chinas sound little bit better. At $40 each, the Wuhans sound great and it's no big deal if they break! Grindhead Jim from Cardiac Arrest got me hooked on these things. I can buy 4 of them for the price of one Zildjian or Paiste china and I usually do. They break after a couple of months, but still worth the price. Not a bad idea to have a few spares. As far as new cymbals… I am digging the Meinl cymbals. I've seen demonstrations on youtube and Meinl cymbals sound really damn good! It's all about getting the best sound you can afford.
As far as drums… I recorded the Peshmerga "Murderous Acts Of Cruelty" cd with an 8pc. custom kit made with keller 10-ply maple shells and all Pearl Masters hardware (All power sizes). 22×22 bass drums, 8×8, 10×10, 12×12, 14×14, 16×16. In my opinion, Pearl makes the best hardware. The optimount tom holders and die cast hoops are excellent! I was very impressed with Pearls hardware designs and quality, so I just picked up a brand new Pearl MCX masters 8pc in black sparkle fade lacquer. Right now the Pearl MCX are my current favorite. I was looking into Tama Starclassics before I bought the Pearl Masters MCX, as they are pretty awesome too. Just about anything can sound good if it has a good bearing edge and heads are tuned right.
SDM: Do you have any pre-show rituals?
Derek: All I am thinking about is our songs. I have my drum rack and cymbal arms set up in a corner ready to go up quick and a set of sticks in my hand with click tracks playing.
SDM: Who gave the best live performance you've ever seen?
Derek: I went to a drum clinic in Chicago and saw Chad Wackerman, Mike Portnoy, Terry Bozzio,Steve Smith and this crazy dude named Hussein who was a hand drummer. He sat on the floor indian style and played everything around him. It was a complete circus act and quite honestly I never seen anything like it. Percussion taken to a whole new level. As far as metal drummers, seeing Pete Sandoval on the "Altars Of madness" tour was incredible. I remember driving home from the show saying DAMN!
SDM: If you had to stop drumming, what else would you want to do with your life?
Derek: I would build custom drums or record music.
SDM: If you could give one piece of advice to young drummers, it would be…
Derek: Every young drummer wants to start ripping fast speeds right off the bat. Take your time and learn the basic rudiments first. Play solid to a metronome and start off very very slow! A metronome is the best piece of gear a drummer can ever own. For $15 you can get something that will do more good for your playing then any piece of expensive gear. It is important your "entire" band knows how to use one and owns one! Most guitarists I've recorded with in the past wrote whatever riffs they wanted and the speeds varied from riff to riff. I look back and cringe. Luckily things aren't like that anymore. A good guitarist should know how to use a metronome. Biggest mistake I see young drummers and guitarists making is not using a metronome. Some bands already have many songs written and drummers get frustrated when things don't line up to the click. Well. If the guitarists wrote properly to the metronome, their drummers might just understand things a little bit better. Again… It all starts off with learning things slow and working your way up. Don't let your guitarists expect perfection if they dont know the basics of music themself.
SDM: What is your favorite part of your drum kit?
Derek: My Ddrum 4 S.E. System
SDM: Do you practice any specific rudiments or combo's regularly?
Derek: The majority of my death metal drumming and just about everyone eleses deathmetal drumming has always been many straight forward combinations of single stroke rolls at high speeds. I work on rudiments a lot. I throw things in here and there to spice things up but never turn my back on the stuff that makes the song brutal. At home I practice double strokes and paradiddles with my hands and switch between 16th notes and 32nd double bass rolls on feet as a practice technique. It is kinda odd and maybe impractical but it has really helped me keep my hands and feet synchronized a little bit better. Everyone has a different technique or style. Pick the best way to practice for you! Just remember practicing at home should be a lot different than band rehearsal.
Но, сэр, даю вам "скачать новые серии ворониных" честное слово, сказал Мордонт, "игра спящая красавица скачать" что никак не могу отдать предпочтение одной из "проги для айфона скачать" этих молодых леди.
Потом к ним вдруг присоединился четвертый, и все они, толкая друг "лайт элоу скачать" друга, выбежали из хижины.
Через несколько минут матрос и "скачать третий лишний в переводе гоблина торрент" кок вновь обрели способносгь думать о "скачать детская библия" том, какие меры предосторожности надо будет предпринять "скачать зарубежные музыки" и с чего в первую очередь необходимо начать.
Таким "скачать арабская песня" образом и поддерживается уже известный тебе статус-кво.
ФОТО "скачать стефан цвейг письмо незнакомки" ФЛЯШ Я проснулся от очередной встряски.
Зачем я поверила нежным словам И с белым бродила.
Никогда "скачать игру для электронной книги effire" раньше я не испытывал ничего подобного.
Не могу "игровые автоматы онлайн кекс" припомнить случая, когда она "English Grammar. Reference and Practice: Учебное пособие" этого не делала.
Говорит, что "игры мотор комбат" он пошел в дом Ларри "Детская Библия (3176)" Тальбота.
Храбрица ее именуют также травой мужественности "игры для нокиа смартфон скачать" вселяет в человека смелость и решительность.
Это "Математика. 6 класс. Самостоятельные работы: учебное пособие для общеобразовательных учреждений" административный блок, объясняла на "Рассказы" ходу Султана.
Исида смеется, а "русский характер краткое содержание" Негра протягивает руку и касается "демоны старшей школы скачать" металлической опоры, поддерживающей ближайшую палатку.
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