Chris Kontos is a Sick American Drummer born in New York City. As a former drummer of Machine Head, he performed on their first album, 1994’s Burn My Eyes. Chris currently plays in Forbidden and The Boneless Ones and has played in many other bands/projects like Testament, Konkhra, Attitude Adjustment, Exodus, Death Angel, and Verbal Abuse. Sick drummers worldwide recognize Chris for his performance on songs like “Davidian,” a timeless classic in the history of metal drumming.
- Kontos performed with Machine Head for the first time in 24 years with a tour celebrating the 25th anniversary of the release of Burn My Eyes in 2019.
- On April 19, 2023, Kontos was announced as the drummer for the reactivated band Forbidden and has recently been endorsed by Ddrum, Soultone, and Czarcie Kopyto!
- See Chris on the US and European festival circuit in 2024, and look out for a new Forbidden record in 2025!
- Chris also recently joined forces with his nephew in the band Zack G. And The Moonlighters.
Keep up with Chris here:
https://www.facebook.com/ChristopherRobinKontos
https://www.instagram.com/chris.kontos
Chris Kontos Interview:
SDM: How old were you when you started playing?
Chris: I was about 9 years old when I started playing drums. My stepfather was a great bass player, and I would jam with him and play along with records in headphones.
SDM: Did you play in a school band or any drum corps?
Chris: I tried school band… hated it… tried drumming in The Blue Devils and hated that even more. I was just not down for the vibe and always wanted to be in a rock band as a kid.
SDM: Who are your top 5 metal influences?
Chris: This is always a tough question to answer… Black Sabbath, Motörhead, VoiVod, Exodus, Mercyful Fate, and Celtic Frost.
*All Photos By: Amber Buchanan
SDM: Who are some of your other favorites?
Chris: LED-Zeppelin, C.O.C., Cro-Mags, Van-Halen, Rainbow, G.B.H., Alice Cooper, D.R.I., Slayer.
SDM: Let us know 5 bands in your current personal rotation.
Chris: Behemoth, Bewitcher, Gojira, Obituary, and Necrot.
SDM: What do you do to warm up before a show?
Chris: I do a lot of Hand and arm stretching along with body and legs. I do 20 minutes of practice pads with heavy sticks. I like to try to get a little sweat going, work on my breathing, and drink a ton of water.
SDM: Do you read music? Regardless of answering yes or no, please tell us how it might have affected your playing.
Chris: I do not read music at all. I play by ear. I have always thought I should, but I just never got into it. I like to react to the music and write my parts organically. Not one of the bands I have been in has ever had a member bring in charts to read.
SDM: Can you tell us about the gear you use?
Chris:
I’m playing Ddrum now.
Dios Maple shells: 8″ 10″ 12″ 13″ 16″ 18″ toms 22″x20 kicks
Raider Helmet Silver finish
14″x7″ Dios cast steel snare
Soultone Cymbals
22″ Extreme Mega Bell Ride
20″ Custom Brilliant Crash
19″ Vintage China
21″ China Fxo
16″ China Fxo 6
21″ Gospel China
21″ Demon Breath China
17″ Gospel Crash
19″ Gospel Crash
18″ Explosion Crash
14″ Explosion Hi-hat Pair
15″ Extreme Hi-hats X-Hat
16″ Fxo 12 12″ Gospel Splash
10″ Gospel Splash
Czarcie Kopyto Pedals
REMO Color Tone Heads
Roc-n-Soc throne
Roland TM2 Module
Roland Rt 31K Kick Drum Triggers
SE V-Beat mics
SE V-Kick mics
Cympads chromatic (green)
Majestick Drum Stick 5b wood tips
SDM: If you could give one piece of advice to younger drummers, it would be…
Chris: I would tell them to play from the heart, work with their bass player, play with joy, really try to think about their showmanship, prepare themselves before they go on stage, be a part of the songwriting, set their drums up in the most ergonomic way possible and not play with too much-wasted motion. Define your style, and don’t follow trends in drumming… be yourself… play what comes naturally to you. Something I have a real concern about is the swivel technique. I’m very afraid that this technique will lead to knee problems. Be careful of your body position and your posture. Kick ass and have fun!
SDM: Who gave the best live performance you’ve ever seen?
Chris: Wow… that is a big one… I saw John Bonham in 1977… it changed my life. I saw Keith Moon live… I saw Cozy Powell in Rainbow Live. I have seen so many incredible drummers that it is impossible for me to answer that question. Alex Van-Halen, Tommy Aldridge, Vinnie Paul, Tom Hunting, Dave Lombardo, Danny Carey, Mario Duplantier, Danny Schuler, Inferno, Brann Dailor, Nick Barker, Away, Gene Hoglan, Reed Mullen, Slayer Hippy… they all are on my list of amazing drummers that have all blown my mind over the years… and many more as well. Only drummers matter!
SDM: Aside from drumming, what else do you like to do?
Chris: I like to cook, see live concerts, watch movies, race BMX, spend time with my family and friends, take photos, talk about music, meet people, and interact with music fans. I am also a huge sports fan!
~”Thank you for the opportunity to do this interview. Much love for Sick Drummer.”
Chris Kontos Discography:
- Attitude Adjustment, Dead Serious demo (1985)
- Attitude Adjustment, American Paranoia (1986)
- Attitude Adjustment, No More Mr. Nice Guy EP (1988)
- Verbal Abuse – Passport, Verbal Abuse of America (1989)
- Attitude Adjustment, Out of Hand (1991)
- Grinch, The Blacking Factory (1992)
- Machine Head, Burn My Eyes (1994)
- Verbal Abuse, Red, White and Violent (1995)
- Konkhra, Weed Out The Weak (1997)
- The Servants, Mostly Monsters (2002)
- Anti-Trust, Guilty as Charged (2005)
- Various Artists, A Tribute to Judas Priest: Legends of Metal (plays with Testament on “Rapid Fire”)
- Sangre Eterna demo (2006)
- Spiralarms EP (2007)
- Attitude Adjustment, “No Way Back” (2010)
- Anti-Trust, “Guilty” (2021)
- The Boneless Ones, “Back to the Grind” (2022)
