February 2021 – Volume 45 • Number 2
Articles in February 2021
CRITIQUE
RECORDINGS Puscifer Existential Reckoning Puscifer began its life as a joke in a Mr. Show sketch but has since become Maynard James Keenan’s creative refuge from Tool and A Perfect Circle. Existential Reckoning is the fourth full-length from the project…
Donn Bennett’s Drum Vault
The Who’s Zak Starkey’s Collection Keith Moon provided the magic ingredient in the unique chemistry that created the legendary rock band the Who. Moon’s passion and unpredictable drumming propelled the band to heights that no other drummer could duplicate. When…
DW, Adoro, Gibraltar,Black Swamp, Tama, Roland
DW Collector’s Series Private Reserve Exotics Exotic finishes over available DW shell configurations include Tortoise Shell Pommele, Moabi, Horizontal Padouk, Vertical Padouk, Super Maple Curl, African Chechen, and Monkey Pod. Each can be ordered in a hand-sprayed polyester gloss or…
Chad Smith
Remembering Neil Peart I spent my sophomore year listening to 2112. Up until that point I had an older brother who listened to a lot of English rock albums. Led Zeppelin was probably my favorite, and John Bonham’s drumming was…
The Path to Polyrhythmic Proficiency
Building Grooves That Train You to Hear Two Things at Once The main challenge with any polyrhythm is being able to hear and feel it as it relates to the pulse. The best way to attack this challenge is by…
Jojo Mayer Style and Analysis Part 2
We took a look at some of the incredible work of forward-thinking master drummer Jojo Mayer and his band Nerve back in the September 2020 issue. Jojo’s playing is so innovative and virtuosic that we couldn’t cover everything in one…
Zildjian - Aaron Spears and Kaz Rodriguez Artist Series Drumsticks
Extra-long but perfectly balanced models for two of the most versatile drummers around. With such a deep history in cymbal making that dates back hundreds of years, Zildjian still seems like a relative newcomer as a drumstick manufacturer. Yet the…
Nick Mason’s
Mysterious Mirror Hi, Modern Drummer. I hope everyone there is doing well and is healthy and safe. I don’t really see your Ask A Pro section these days, but I have a question about Pink Floyd’s Nick Mason that has…
Angel Drums - Segment-Shell Maple Drumset
Massive, upfront tones that will steal the show live and in the studio. Angel Drums is a small Hungarian company that prides itself on making no compromises when it comes to the quality of the snares and drumsets that it…
Professor and the Madman’s Rat Scabies
The legendary punk drummer discusses the fourth release from his trans-Atlantic band featuring former Adolescents and D.I. vocalist/guitarist Alfie Agnew, ex-D.I. and Mind Over Four vocalist/guitarist Sean Elliott, and Scabies’ old Damned bandmate Paul Gray on bass. MD: What was…
Papa Roach’s Tony Palermo
Tony Palermo has been a Pearl endorser since 2008, and for his most recent set the company custom-made shorter-sized floor toms to give them a faster decay. MD caught up with Palermo to get more details about his setup changes.…
Revolution Drum T-Loks, Survival Drum Key, Brass Cymbal Fasteners, and Capitola Suede Stick Bag
An assortment of smart, innovative, and high-quality accessories for the working drummer. Revolution Drum is a small accessory manufacturer that focuses on creating fresh, outside-the-box ideas that are innovative, practical, and trustworthy for drummers of all styles and levels. You…
Secret Machines’ Josh Garza For the Sake of Rock ’n’ Roll
Not everyone would release an album in the middle of the pandemic. For Secret Machines, it seemed to be the perfect time to break their hiatus and share their new record, Awake in the Brain Chamber, for the sake of…
The Modern Drummer Festival 2020
A Celebration and Tribute to the Life and Legacy of Neil Peart Modern Drummer had been planning to bring back the world-renowned MD festival in 2020, and we were ready to put the plan into action. Then the world stopped…
The Modern Drummer Festival Returns!
Another year has flown by, and what a year it was! 2021 is here and with it a new beginning. Modern Drummer is as committed as ever in uniting and inspiring the worldwide drumming community. It was in this spirit…
Mike Clark’sPost-Bop Drum Book
Mike Clark is a jazz-funk pioneer. As a member of keyboardist Herbie Hancock’s legendary fusion band Head Hunters, he wrote the playbook on how to turn busy, displaced 16th-note grooves into some of the coldest, most-sampled beats of all time.…
Charli Persip1929–2020
In hindsight, Charli Persip uttered perhaps the most unintentionally comical two words of his life when landing the biggest connection of his drumming career. In 1953, the upcoming drummer was playing in the house band at the Piccadilly nightclub in…
Harvey Mason
I have always been a sympathetic player. I’ve always been in situations where I felt I was backing someone else up, and the object is to make them feel comfortable so they can do what they do the best they…