Saluting the Men Behind the Kit: Some of the Coolest Metal Drummers (Part 2)

In our previous blog, we shared our pick of some of the coolest drummers in the metal world, using skill, attitude and style as the main criteria. The team at School of Popular Music, specialising in music tuition in Guernsey, takes a look at the next batch of jaw-dropping metal drummers – let’s kick it off!

 

4. Mike Portnoy (Ex Dream Theater)

Long-time driving force behind Dream Theater, Portnoy came to be recognised as the archetypal progressive metal drummer, capable of virtuosity and sheer strength in equal measures. He grew up learning to play the drums and is primarily self-taught. Portnoy has received countless of awards, including Best Progressive Rock Drummer, 30 Modern Drummer magazine reader’s poll awards and has been placed in the Drumming Hall of Fame. He’s a master of odd time signatures and double bass drum fills.

 

5. Chris Adler (Lamb of God)

One of the millennium’s most imitated and influential extreme metal time-keepers, Chris Adler is known for his highly developed heel-toe bass drum technique, and has been the engine behind Lamb of God’s career success for over a decade. Unlike most drummers, Adler lacks drumming influences as he was trained as a piano player for eight years, followed by instruments such as the sax, acoustic and bass guitar. This perhaps contributed to him developing his own unique drumming style, which includes the unusual approach to double bass playing, mixing toms and cymbals along the way.

 

6. Dave Lombardo (Slayer)

Known for his fast, aggressive style of play mastering the double bass technique which has earned him the title “the godfather of double bass” by Drummerworld, Cuban-Born Lombardo is a two-time Grammy Award winning drummer.

 

If reading about these epic drummers has inspired you to kick behind the kit, we encourage you to try out our drum lessons in Guernsey. At School of Popular Music, learning music is just the beginning; we look to build up confidence and encourage teamwork among our pupils. Our school is a hub for aspiring musicians of all ages, so if you’re looking to take up an instrument or work on singing techniques, we offer a variety of music lessons in Guernsey.

 

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