May 2018 Issue – Volume 42 • Number 5

St. Vincent’s Matt Johnson

A Profound Evolution

Zildjian - K Sweet Series Cymbals

Larger, darker, and thinner cymbals with just enough transparency and brightness to sit comfortably in any mix.

Eric Clapton's Jamie Oldaker

After forty years, the famed Eric Clapton cohort’s career is coming full circle.

Paramore’s Zac Farro

Spending your teenage years making records and touring the world on a rocket ship to stardom is every young musician’s fantasy. Choosing to jump off that rocket while it’s still on a steady ascent may seem like madness. For this…

Do You Need to Read Music?

Weighing the Pros and Cons in an Age-Old Argument

Tune-Bot - Studio Digital Tuner

A more accurate, user-friendly, and feature-laden version of the groundbreaking digital drum tuner.

Next to None’s Max Portnoy

Within the international drumming community, the name Portnoy is synonymous with progressive metal. Through his work with Dream Theater, Liquid Tension Experiment, Flying Colors, Transatlantic, and, most recently, Sons of Apollo, Mike Portnoy has garnered every award and accolade imaginable…

Smashing Pumpkins’ Jimmy Chamberlin

For the second incarnation of the Jimmy Chamberlin Complex, as heard on its new album, The Parable, the mighty drummer, who came to prominence in the ’90s with the Smashing Pumpkins, gathered players from East and West Coasts to create…

Belle and Sebastian’s Richard Colburn

For a touring band, life can imitate This Is Spinal Tap in any number of ways, from getting lost backstage to prop and gear malfunctions to, of course, drummers spontaneously combusting. And then there are predicaments that not even the…

Terri Lyne Carrington with Lewis Porter, Blake Richardson with Between the Buried and Me, Virgil Donati with IceFish, and More!

RECORDINGS Between the Buried and Me Automata Part I The progressive metal veterans release their highly anticipated eighth full-length album. Drummer BLAKE RICHARDSON somehow takes it up a notch. Once again Blake Richardson’s fluent, musical playing is rendered brilliantly by producer…

May 2018 Issue – Volume 42 • Number 5

Yamaha - Tour Custom Drumset

An aptly named series designed to bring full, versatile tones to any stage and at an economical price.

Ray Lucas and Frank Capp Remembered

Ray Lucas: 1939-2017 The loyal NYC drummer had the music in him. Ray Lucas was an unsung hero of the dynamic New York City R&B/soul scene of the ’60s and ’70s, recording with Aretha Franklin, Roberta Flack, George Benson, and…

Five-Note Phrasing

Part 1: Creating Rhythmic Tension

Travis Orbin on Silly String II

Exploring the Session Guru’s Latest Chop-Infused Labyrinth

Finding a Balance

Drummers often grapple with certain questions or problems that could be answered by simply finding the right balance between two choices. For example, a popular debate among drummers is the choice between using traditional or matched grip. Or some players…

The Elf’s Giant

For Eddie “the Elf” Piotrowski of Edison, New Jersey, it took more than ten years of collecting and assembling to build this month’s monster setup. Piotrowski explains that his extensive collection of individual drums and reclaimed sets, which includes a…

What’s Your Favorite 1980s Metal or Hard Rock Drumming Album?

This month we dive into the third installment of our series on great ’80s drumming performances with a focus on metal and hard rock tracks. As usual we asked MD readers and social media followers for their take on the…

John McLaughlin’s Ranjit Barot

Drumming in the 4th Dimension

Up-Tempo Studies

Part 2: More Exercises for Reflexes and Chops