review
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.
VIDEO! Product Close-Up: Dixon Cajon Pedal Plus (From the June 2014 Issue)
by Miguel Monroy Wilco’s Glenn Kotche gave an interview in the January 2013 issue of Percussive Notes, in which he cited Max Roach as an influence to his multi-percussion approach to the drumset: “ called drumset the original multicultural and…
Nels Cline Singers Macroscope
Genre-hopping has been Wilco guitarist Nels Cline’s method of operation across his solo efforts, and that sense of adventure surely permeates the proceedings on the fifth album by this trio, which also features bassist Trevor Dunn and drummer Scott Amendola.…
Product Close-Up: Grover Pro Custom Snare Drums (From the July 2014 Issue)
by Michael Dawson The famed concert-percussion manufacturer Grover Pro recently launched a unique custom snare drum program where customers can log on to the company’s website and order a one-of-a-kind instrument made from a variety of shell, hardware, and finish…
KXM KXM
With the flood of so-called super-groups and pet projects out there, KXM is one of the few that holds water. The masterful musicianship is the undercurrent to the mature lyrical content and superbly crafted compositions. Fans of King’s X will,…
Product Close-Up: Geo. H. Way Tradition Snare Drums (From the June 2014 Issue)
by Michael Dawson George Way is a legendary figure in American drum manufacturing. He started his first drum company, Advance, in the early twentieth century and began working with Leedy in 1921, where he had a hand in a number…
Brand X {Missing Period}
Not that anybody perusing a drumming website should need convincing at this point, but Phil Collins is one badass drummer. Those who first heard Collins during his mid-’80s reign over pop radio could be forgiven for being unaware of the…
The Peter Ulrich Collaboration The Painted Caravan
Peter Ulrich is concerned with the song first on The Painted Caravan (City Canyons/AIS), a grand mix of folk and world music, though each track boasts an interesting array of percussion, including djembe, Turkish cymbals, and temple blocks, which sets…
VIDEO! Product Close-Up: Zildjian Kerope Series Cymbals (From the May 2014 Issue)
by Michael Dawson Zildjian spent the past couple years developing a new line of cymbals with New York City studio drummer/composer Zach Danziger that would recall the worn-in look, soft feel, and warm tones of highly coveted models made by…
VIDEO! Product Close-Up: Brady Baritone Series Snares (From the May 2014 Issue)
by Michael Dawson Brady snare drums are coveted by top studio and touring drummers for their unmatched power and thick, meaty tones. All of these limited instruments are handmade in the company’s facility in Australia, and they’re offered with traditional…
Mastodon Live at Brixton
On February 11, 2012, Mastodon played a sold-out show at London’s O2 Academy Brixton. It was the band’s largest headlining concert to date, with the nearly 5,000 in attendance privy to a metal event for the ages. Luckily, the group…
Product Close-Up: DW Collector's Series Cherry Drumset (April 2014 Issue)
by David Ciauro DW’s foray into making all-cherry shells aims to meet the needs of drummers who are fans of maple and birch but are looking for a union of the two that yields slightly darker results. DW executive vice…
Product Close-Up: Sabian 2014 Cymbal Vote Winners (April 2014 Issue)
by David Ciauro As the hustle of the holidays slows and we’re settled into 2014, we can now focus our energy on coveting all the new gear of the new year. Since being announced at Winter NAMM this past January,…
Product Close-Up: Magnus Opus FiBro-Tone Snare Drums (April 2014 Issue)
by Michael Dawson Magnus Opus founder and creative director Ron Adams has been fascinated by composite-shell drums since purchasing a Fibes Crystalite set in 1972. He then went on to pursue a degree in metallurgy and materials engineering, and now…
Billy Cobham Compass Point
With a backstory including a dangerous makeshift stage and a lottery-winning piano tuner who had quit a day earlier, this 1997 concert almost didn’t happen. And that would have been a great loss, since Billy Cobham and his superb band…