Keep up with Matt here:
www.myspace.com/woodhavenmetal
Matt Robertson Interveiw:
SD.com: How old were you when you started playing?
Matt: I was 17 when I started playing. I’m 20, so October 2008 will be 3 years.
SD.com: Did you play in a school band or any drum corps?
Matt: I played percussion in the school band as a kid, though nothing fancy. Usually snare or the bass drum with the hand mallet. Looking back I think that really helped me to keep a beat and execute fills at the right tempo, Though my teacher wouldn’t allow me to play the drum set in any of the concerts. So I quit and purchased my own.
SD.com: Who are your top 5 influences?
Matt: I’m constantly being influenced by the music I listen to. I take what I hear and mess around with it till I’ve meshed it with my own style. I love learning the techniques and playing styles of other drummers, while strengthening and building my own unique style. But the drummers that have influenced me the most are:
Zack Gibson: The black Dahlia Murder
Nick barker: Dimmu Borgir
Darren Cesca: Arsis
Shannon Lucas: The black dahlia Murder
Bret Batdorf: The Faceless
SD.com: Assuming that influences doesn’t mean favorites, who are your favorites?
Matt: I’d have to say Shannon Lucas, And Chris Adler of Lamb of God.
SD.com: Let us know 5 CD’s that are in your current rotation
Matt:
The Faceless: Akeldama
The Breathing Process: In waking; Divinity
Necrophagist: Epitaph
From The Shallows: Beyond The Unknown
Through The Eyes of The Dead: Malice
SD.com: What do you do to warm up before a show?
Matt: I usually do some mild stretching followed by some single stroke exercises for my hands and legs to get the blood flowing.
SD.com: Can you remember a night you think was your best playing ever? Ifyes, when and where?
Matt: Yes, it was actually the last show we played in June. I felt as if I landed each note and even improved on some of my fills. The crowd response was amazing that night as well which always adds to the rush.
SD.com: Do you have a favorite brand of drums or cymbals?
Matt: I’m a relatively new drummer, with my third year of playing fast approaching. The first set I bought is the one I use still today, a Mapex 7 piece double bass drum set. I’d like to say it sounds good, but I’ve never had the chance to try other brands often. As for cymbals I use Sabian, Mainly the Metal-X series.
SD.com: If you could give one piece of advice to young drummers, it would be…
Matt: Practice, and never stop pushing yourself. Most of the parts I’ve wrote I couldn’t play at the time that I thought of them, whether it was an issue of sloppiness, coordination, speed, or simply a technique I hadn’t mastered. But I heard the way I wanted it to be in my head and I pushed through it. Also try to progress as a musician, don’t stagnate. Be creative. Incorporate the things you’ve learned into new songs. Even the most simple of beats are reproduced often, it’s how the drummer blends different techniques and beats he’s done before, stripping them down and applying them in different ways and situations that truly starts to develop your own style.
SD.com: Who gave the best live performance you’ve ever seen?
Matt: Definitely Strapping Young Lad. The entire band sounded perfect. I had arrived at Ozzfest late thinking that they were playing one of their songs over the P.A. though in reality it was the band performing flawlessly.
SD.com: If you had to stop drumming, what would you want to do with your life?
Matt: I sincerely hope it never comes to that but I’d most likely go into psychology.
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