Feature Stories
Modern Drummer is the world’s most widely read drum magazine, is dedicated entirely to the art of drumming and caters to the needs of amateur, semi-pro, and professional drummers.
Adrian Erlandsson of Cradle Of Filth
If there's any lesson to be learned from the success of Cradle Of Filth drummer Adrian Erlandsson, it's the valuable concept of persistence. Before joining the successful speed metal outfit in 1999, the Swedish-born Erlandsson worked with the bands At…
Billy Hart
Billy Hart is one of the unsung giants of jazz. He's recorded over six hundred albums, including seminal dates with Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Stan Getz, Joe Zawinul, Sam Rivers, Pharoah Sanders, John Scofield, Lee Konitz, Hank Jones, Pat Martino,…
Brann Dailor of Mastodon
For Mastodon drummer Brann Dailor, playing in a band named after a huge prehistoric beast makes perfect sense. "When I'm performing or writing," Dailor says, "I sometimes think, That definitely sounds like a Mastodon part." Well, how about a "Sea…
Matt Abts of Gov't Mule
Jack Bruce, Larry Graham, John Entwistle, Chris Squire, Bootsy Collins, Les Claypool, Phil Lesh-is there a drummer among us who hasn't fantasized about playing with these and other giants of the bass guitar? Matt Abts of Gov't Mule recently got…
In The Loop With The Pros
For many years since the inception of studio recording sessions, the status quo for a successful session drummer has been to have exceptional time, great-sounding drums, qualified reading skills, and an approachable personality. But during the past couple of decades…
Tommy Alesi
When Tommy Alesi gets chugging hand-to-hand on the snare in a train beat, the band cooks and people kick away their chairs. Alesi's band is Beausoleil, considered one of the best Cajun groups in the world. And you can hear…
Tim Alexander
When Tim Alexander left Primus in 1996, he was ready to move from the wacky, experimental frenzy of rhythms that had made the band a household name to a more structured rock format. He started his band Laundry to be…
Tony Allen
Providing the rhythms for African music icon Fela Anikulapo-Kuti has had a double-edged effect on Nigerian drummer Tony Allen's reputation. His work is ubiquitous, but his name recognition is negligible. Allen played with Fela's Afrika 70 orchestra for fifteen years,…
Martin Atkins
"I have an ability to bring people together, and that gives me the opportunity to do something very dangerous." So says drummer Martin Atkins about Pigface, a rotating consortium of musicians conceived of thirteen years ago during a tour with…
Travis Barker: Life After Blink
With Blink-182 on an "indefinite hiatus," master slammer Travis Barker has his sights set on his next release with another group'the sophomore album, titled Haunted Cities, from The Transplants. Collaborating again with Tim Armstrong (of Rancid fame) and vocalist Rob…
Julio Barreto
Fidel Castro may have squandered what many consider the best of Cuba. But he also developed exceptional arts institutions, which, even today, continue to nurture amazing talents. Among them, is Latin drumset king Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez. Hernandez honed some…
Eddie Bayers
Eddie Bayers is blown away by the fact that, after thirty years of first-call recording status, he's recently become a member of two bands. And in fact, both bands will have significant releases in the coming months. Three years ago,…
Frank Beard of ZZ Top
Frank Beard of ZZ Top has created his share of monsters. See if you recognize one of them in the following scenario. You're barely into your first set with your local bar band when somebody howls, "Play some ZZ Top!"…
Louie Bellson A Lifetime Of Greatness
"Young drummers should learn the history of the instrument. You have to know where you came from in order to know where you're going." When one of the greatest drummers of all time turns eighty, the celebrations continue all over…
