Keep up with Mike here:
I started playing drums at an early age. After I seeing The Beatles’ movie “A Hard Days Night” I knew I wanted to be behind a set of drums! My first drum kit was an old mid-sixties maple Ludwig in Pink Champagne Sparkle picked up at a garage sale. By the time I was 13 I was playing in Jazz band, Symphonic band and Marching Band during the school week and in a youth orchestra playing classical music and jamming in cover bands on the weekends. It was also around this time that a good friend of mine got me into two bands named Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden. It was all down hill from there.
By the time I was in high school I had an enormous 8 piece double bass Pearl Export drum set, started my own Thrash band named Vicious, and was sporting a denim vest with Razor and Sadus patches on it. As high school came to a close I continued playing in local metal bands in the northern Chicago suburbs before getting the break of a lifetime: landing an audition with Broken Hope.
The next year we were on tour with Obituary and writing the first Broken Hope album in over 10 years. This latest album, titled “Omen of Disease” came out in October 2013 on Century Media and we have been on the road since!
Mike Miczek Interview:
SDM: How old were you when you started playing?
Mike: I remember being in 5th grade when I first picked up a pair of sticks and hit something with them. Where I grew up 5th grade was the first year band was offered to students. Been playing them ever since!
SDM: Did you play in a school band or any drum corps?
Mike: I grew up being heavily involved with music. I was in general band from middle school all the way through high school, as well as being in Jazz band and Symphonic band. I was also in Drum line in high school and managed to work my way up from Bass #4 my Freshman year all the way to lead snare and Drum Captain my senior year. I credit a lot of the chops I have now from busting my ass on the marching field for four years. On top of all of this I was also in a local youth symphony as a percussionist playing the works of Shostakovich and Beethoven in my free time!
SDM: Who are your top 5 metal influences?
Mike: Gene Hoglan, Dave McGraw, Dave Lombardo, Pete Sandoval and Danny Walker.
SDM: Who are some other of your favorites?
Mike: My non-extreme metal favorite would have to be Jean-Paul Gaster of Clutch. In terms of in the pocket playing, tasty fills and serious groove with attitude, no one can top him! Brooks Wackerman from Bad Religion for adding musicianship into punk rock (I’ve heard him sneak in some blast beats live as well!) I also have to list Ringo Starr, for I never would have bothered to pick up a pair of sticks if it wasn’t for discovering The Beatles at a very young age.
SDM: Let us know 5 CD's that are in your current rotation
Mike: Exhumed-Necrocracy, Carcass- Surgical Steel, Pig Destroyer-Book Burner, Cattle Decapitation- Monolith of Humanity, Napalm Death- Utilitarian. All of these albums have come out in the past two years and all have fantastic drumming on them. It is certainly a great time for extreme music!
SDM: What do you do to warm up before a show?
Mike: I always make sure to do plenty of stretching before shows, particularly with my wrists and feet. I practice alternating 8th’s slow to fast with my hands and do singles with my feet matching the speed of my hands.
SDM: Do you read music? Regardless of answering yes or no, please tell us how it might have effected your playing?
Mike: I grew up playing piano so I learned how to read music at a very early age. For me, reading music was essential, because being able to read rudiments and basic rhythmic patterns is an essential part of becoming a well-rounded drummer.
SDM: Can you tell us about the gear you use?
Mike: I have a custom made Trick Drumset: white aluminum shells with black hardware. It sounds absolutely massive and is loud enough to cut through in a Death Metal band. I have Zildjian cymbals all around. Ever since I saw Ringo Starr as a very young kid I have never wanted to play anything else. I use Mastersound hi-hats, Rezo Crashes, A custom Splash, Z3 Megabell ride, and an Oriental Trash China. I use a Gibraltar Road Series Rack and hardware. For pedals I have recently switched to Tama Speed Cobras. They provide a similar feel to the long board direct drives I’ve used, with added power to be able to dig in during groovier songs.
SDM: If you could give one piece of advice to young drummers, it would be…
Mike: The best advice I could give to young drummers is to start slow! Trying to play as fast as your favorite gore grind album right away is a sure fire way to either hurt yourself or develop bad habits/technique. Practice with a metronome and up the tempo by a couple of BPM’s every time.
SDM: Who gave the best live performance you've ever seen?
Mike: I saw Baroness this past year in a very small club in Chicago as part of a Lollapalooza after show. The pure musicianship and energy that dripped off that stage was electrifying. Nothing is better than witnessing a band in their absolute prime.
SDM: Aside from drumming, what else do you like to do?
Mike: I am a huge craft beer aficionado. In my spare time I am usually reading blogs on the latest collaboration/special releases before heading out and trying to find them! I've been in love with craft beer ever since I stumbled upon a bottle of Arrogant Bastard in upstate New York. I love Double IPA's and Russian Imperial Stouts. Extreme beer and extreme music. Makes sense!
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Youtube video of “Into the Necrosphere” Live at MDF 2013 :
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