Who are the drum heroes?

The bass heroes thread got me to thinking about the great drummers out there.

Of course, I think all of us, even non-Tourniquet fans, agree that Ted Kirkpatrick is a world class drummer.

Who else makes rhythm that moves you?

There are 5 Christian rock/metal drummers that have wowed me over the years.

They are/were:

Abishai Collingsworth from The Overseer and Wolves at the Gate

Louie Weaver from Petra

Ben Hewitt from Mylon Lefevre and Broken Heart (wish I knew what he was up to these days)

Karl Ney from Guardian

Jayson Sherlock from Mortification of course, Jordan Mancino from As I Lay Dying, and Aaron Gillespie from Underoath

Michael Feighan (Whitecross/King James)
Jim Chaffin (The Crucified, etc.)
Chris Hyde (Deliverance, Vengeance Rising) (RIP)

Non-metal:
Jon Knox (White Heart)
Steve Hindalong (The Choir)

That guy from Saint...

There are more I'm forgetting.  I'll probably have to edit this later.

Robert Sweet

Aside from those already mentioned, I will add:
Joey Daub of Believer
Ashley Lawhon of Consecrator
Billy Fraser of Summoned, Oblation, and Discern
Alan Doss of Galactic Cowboys
Tony Velasquez of Sacred Warrior
Tank of Seventh Angel

You know, when I think of "hero", I think of profesionals with outstanding quality.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy Louie Weaver, Robert sweet and Michael Feighan works, but I think they are far away from heroes.

For me, the heroes that comes to mind are:
Ted Kirkpatrick
Jayson Sherlock
Jim Chaffin
Chris Hyde
Kevin Lee (from Deliverance - He is the guy that played on What a joke, right?)


And Maybe, just maybe, Tony Velazques from Sacred Warrior.

Robert Sweet ABSOLUTELY belongs here, especially if we're talking in the Christian scene.  He's been my #1 musical influence since back in the day.  When I watch him live now, I get a new respect for what he can do.  He is so solid, and is like a machine - he just never stops and never slows down.  The guy has great technique as well, even though on recordings, he makes it sound simple.  Just a great player, no question.

timekeeper wrote:Robert Sweet ABSOLUTELY belongs here, especially if we're talking in the Christian scene.  He's been my #1 musical influence since back in the day.  When I watch him live now, I get a new respect for what he can do.  He is so solid, and is like a machine - he just never stops and never slows down.  The guy has great technique as well, even though on recordings, he makes it sound simple.  Just a great player, no question.

I see that he's been mentioned twice here positively, and that's great. But for me, he's just another drummer. Not being a musician, I have a hard time recognizing talent and I don't fully understand music and how it works, so I rank people and things in the arts based on how they make me feel, and that is what art is. It's something that makes you feel.

New Creation wrote:

timekeeper wrote:Robert Sweet ABSOLUTELY belongs here, especially if we're talking in the Christian scene.  He's been my #1 musical influence since back in the day.  When I watch him live now, I get a new respect for what he can do.  He is so solid, and is like a machine - he just never stops and never slows down.  The guy has great technique as well, even though on recordings, he makes it sound simple.  Just a great player, no question.

I see that he's been mentioned twice here positively, and that's great. But for me, he's just another drummer. Not being a musician, I have a hard time recognizing talent and I don't fully understand music and how it works, so I rank people and things in the arts based on how they make me feel, and that is what art is. It's something that makes you feel.

Truthfully, I don't care how great a reviewer is or an aficionado of any art form may be, that is pretty much what sums up how any of us ascribe greatness.  There are a lot of talented guitarists, bassists, drummers, vocalists, etc.  In the end, though, how we remember them will be based on how the music (or individual parts) made us feel at the time.

For example, Mike Portnoy is a beast of a drummer.  He is way better in technique than Robert Sweet.  However, I haven't heard anything with Portnoy playing that excited me in the least.  I am not into progressive rock/metal and his worked has been completely ignored by myself.  However, I am a huge Stryper fan and their body of work has touched me in many ways.  Thus, I would remember Robert's playing moreso than I would Portnoy.  I've been awed by Sweet both on albums and live performances (much better than on the albums).  For me, Robert will go down as a drum hero whereas Portnoy will not even be a blip on my radar.

Jerry McBroom from Bride.  He was always throwing in extra little percussive parts during his years with Bride that I loved.  It just gave his playing a tad different feel than others at the time.

alldatndensum wrote:

New Creation wrote:

timekeeper wrote:Robert Sweet ABSOLUTELY belongs here, especially if we're talking in the Christian scene.  He's been my #1 musical influence since back in the day.  When I watch him live now, I get a new respect for what he can do.  He is so solid, and is like a machine - he just never stops and never slows down.  The guy has great technique as well, even though on recordings, he makes it sound simple.  Just a great player, no question.

I see that he's been mentioned twice here positively, and that's great. But for me, he's just another drummer. Not being a musician, I have a hard time recognizing talent and I don't fully understand music and how it works, so I rank people and things in the arts based on how they make me feel, and that is what art is. It's something that makes you feel.

Truthfully, I don't care how great a reviewer is or an aficionado of any art form may be, that is pretty much what sums up how any of us ascribe greatness.  There are a lot of talented guitarists, bassists, drummers, vocalists, etc.  In the end, though, how we remember them will be based on how the music (or individual parts) made us feel at the time.

For example, Mike Portnoy is a beast of a drummer.  He is way better in technique than Robert Sweet.  However, I haven't heard anything with Portnoy playing that excited me in the least.  I am not into progressive rock/metal and his worked has been completely ignored by myself.  However, I am a huge Stryper fan and their body of work has touched me in many ways.  Thus, I would remember Robert's playing moreso than I would Portnoy.  I've been awed by Sweet both on albums and live performances (much better than on the albums).  For me, Robert will go down as a drum hero whereas Portnoy will not even be a blip on my radar.

Thank you so much. You just shared in even more and better words exactly what I'm feeling.

alldatndensum wrote:

New Creation wrote:

timekeeper wrote:Robert Sweet ABSOLUTELY belongs here, especially if we're talking in the Christian scene.  He's been my #1 musical influence since back in the day.  When I watch him live now, I get a new respect for what he can do.  He is so solid, and is like a machine - he just never stops and never slows down.  The guy has great technique as well, even though on recordings, he makes it sound simple.  Just a great player, no question.

I see that he's been mentioned twice here positively, and that's great. But for me, he's just another drummer. Not being a musician, I have a hard time recognizing talent and I don't fully understand music and how it works, so I rank people and things in the arts based on how they make me feel, and that is what art is. It's something that makes you feel.

Truthfully, I don't care how great a reviewer is or an aficionado of any art form may be, that is pretty much what sums up how any of us ascribe greatness.  There are a lot of talented guitarists, bassists, drummers, vocalists, etc.  In the end, though, how we remember them will be based on how the music (or individual parts) made us feel at the time.

For example, Mike Portnoy is a beast of a drummer.  He is way better in technique than Robert Sweet.  However, I haven't heard anything with Portnoy playing that excited me in the least.  I am not into progressive rock/metal and his worked has been completely ignored by myself.  However, I am a huge Stryper fan and their body of work has touched me in many ways.  Thus, I would remember Robert's playing moreso than I would Portnoy.  I've been awed by Sweet both on albums and live performances (much better than on the albums).  For me, Robert will go down as a drum hero whereas Portnoy will not even be a blip on my radar.

I'm sorry to disagree, but I don't think we should let our feelings about a band interfere in a decision of who is the best drummer.
I love Stryper, but mainly to the guitar andvocal work on it. I confess, Robert doesn't make an astonishing work in any Stryper album, though I see he has an unique style that can be seem in other albums that heplayed aside Stryper.

On the other hand, I do not like The Crucified, but even so I conider Jim Chaffin a drum hero.

How else should I judge an artist except on how they make me feel? I have no desire or intention of learning music theory. I just like to enjoy the music, I don't spend my time analyzing how they make and perform it at a technical level.

New Creation wrote:How else should I judge an artist except on how they make me feel? I have no desire or intention of learning music theory. I just like to enjoy the music, I don't spend my time analyzing how they make and perform it at a technical level.

Agreed.

Staybrite wrote:

New Creation wrote:How else should I judge an artist except on how they make me feel? I have no desire or intention of learning music theory. I just like to enjoy the music, I don't spend my time analyzing how they make and perform it at a technical level.

Agreed.

Double agreed!

New Creation wrote:How else should I judge an artist except on how they make me feel? I have no desire or intention of learning music theory. I just like to enjoy the music, I don't spend my time analyzing how they make and perform it at a technical level.

Again, I say that we shouldn't let our feelings about a BAND interfere on our judgements about who is the best musician. The word "HERO" you brought from the bass player thread was put there on purpose. See that we don't ask who is your favorite, but who are the heroes. On other words, who are the best drummers, technically speaking? Who are the drums masters in Christian metal?

For instance, I love Petra and love Bob Hartman work, however I can see clearly that he is not a guitar hero, though he is one of my favorites. And I am pretty sure, you don't need to be a music master to recognize that Impelliteri or Carjohan Grimmark have spent much more time working on their guitar skills.


I guess the thread title was misunderstood. We have had plenty of "who is your favorite..." threads in the past. I wanted to bring a different discussion.

Well then I can't participate in my own thread I guess, since I don't know what "good" drumming is.

Apparently, I'm not allowed to only listen, I must now study music theory and composition in order to make an evaluation in MY OWN THREAD.

For instance, I love Petra and love Bob Hartman work, however I can see clearly that he is not a guitar hero, though he is one of my favorites. And I am pretty sure, you don't need to be a music master to recognize that Impelliteri or Carjohan Grimmark have spent much more time working on their guitar skills.

Are you sure of that?  Bob just has a different style but is able to shred with the best of them.  Just because the other guys can play repeatedly faster doesn't make them heroes any more than putting on spandex makes me a superhero.

The heroes of music for most of us are the guys that moved us.  They don't have to be the best as that is just relative to individual tastes.  I'll take someone like BB King or Angus Young who played with feeling over some of the blazing fast technical players any day.  Why?  Because our heroes often can make us feel different emotions without having to utilize 32nd notes.  When you have only blazing fast solo skills, the only feeling I get is ear fatigue.  Besides, these days it is near impossible to tell guitarists apart because they have the same playing style and same overprocessed sound.  Our heroes typically had a unique sound that made them stand out from the crowd.

alldatndensum wrote:

For instance, I love Petra and love Bob Hartman work, however I can see clearly that he is not a guitar hero, though he is one of my favorites. And I am pretty sure, you don't need to be a music master to recognize that Impelliteri or Carjohan Grimmark have spent much more time working on their guitar skills.

Are you sure of that?  Bob just has a different style but is able to shred with the best of them.  Just because the other guys can play repeatedly faster doesn't make them heroes any more than putting on spandex makes me a superhero.

The heroes of music for most of us are the guys that moved us.  They don't have to be the best as that is just relative to individual tastes.  I'll take someone like BB King or Angus Young who played with feeling over some of the blazing fast technical players any day.  Why?  Because our heroes often can make us feel different emotions without having to utilize 32 notes.  When you have only blazing fast solo skills, the only feeling I get is ear fatigue.  Besides, these days it is near impossible to tell guitarists apart because they have the same playing style and same overprocessed sound.  Our heroes typically had a unique sound that made them stand out from the crowd.

I am sure. I am not saying just because of the shredding, though it is part of the package when it regards to hard rock/heavy metal.
I would probaly say that Bob Hartman has great skills on composing songs, riffs, etc. (after all, Petra have something around 20 original albums released), can you imagine how many original music he create, as he did most of the writing and songs himself?

Bob Hartman is amazing, though he is not a guitar hero. There are many better than him.

Bob Hartman is amazing, though he is not a guitar hero. There are many better than him.

And that is relative to your feelings.  There have been many bands in the Christian scene that have specifically listed Bob and Petra as a major influence.  He was their hero.  You may not feel that he is, but he is to some of us.

Since this is more based on feeling than theory, as egotistical as it sounds, I'm my own drum hero.  I've done the drum tracks for 7 full length albums and 1 EP.  ...but Jayson Sherlock and Nicolas Barker were major influences in my technique.

Would I still be my own drum hero without their influence?  Probably...  but my drumming would certainly sound different if it wasn't for these gents blowing me away. (and ultimately, me trying to copy them)

ThomasEversole wrote:Since this is more based on feeling than theory, as egotistical as it sounds, I'm my own drum hero.  I've done the drum tracks for 7 full length albums and 1 EP.  ...but Jayson Sherlock and Nicolas Barker were major influences in my technique.

Would I still be my own drum hero without their influence?  Probably...  but my drumming would certainly sound different if it wasn't for these gents blowing me away. (and ultimately, me trying to copy them)

I am more in the "thank the Lord that take was actually good" kind of drummer!  I've always said that my drumming sucked.  Well, fast forward to last year when I actually did the drums on one of the songs on my blues album.  Of course, it isn't as technical as a lot of other forms of music would be, but I was thrilled just to have a keeper take myself!

Brian Foster from ANCESTOR is absolutely amazing.
http://www.bandmix.com/brian-foster/
(check out "See the Light")

I've always liked Lance Garvin from Living Sacrifice and Matt Greiner from August Burns Red. A lot of the drum parts stuck out to me on Hope for the Dying's Dissimulation too, whoever the drummer was then (I haven't really kept up with them).

New Creation wrote:Well then I can't participate in my own thread I guess, since I don't know what "good" drumming is.

Apparently, I'm not allowed to only listen, I must now study music theory and composition in order to make an evaluation in MY OWN THREAD.

You don't have to study, man. Of course you can have your own thoughts.  If someone prefers the technical side of things and then decides who is the best, so be it. If you prefer to listening to the feeling and then decide who is YOUR favorite, that's fine too. And you have every right for it .

Though I'm a musician myself, I've never studied theory. I like technical drummers, but still there has to be feeling in their playing. No matter how fast they play . Every single hit has to mean something . It has to fit to the music, and that's of course the situation with every instrument. So I think it's 50/50 to me.

But who is my favorite drummer and who I consider as a drumming hero? Hmm... Hard to pick up one. Many gems out there and  many of my favorites have already been mentioned there . Lance Garvin, Ted Kirkpatrick and Robert Sweet are truly phenomenal drummers. They play with real attitude and power.  David Husvik from Extol-fame is one beast of a drummer. Very technical, yet tasty stuff. Kai Hahto (Nightwish, Wintersun, Swallow the Sun, Rotten Sound) is also one of my favourites these days. I'll go with these .