Conquering Dystopia - Conquering Dystopia Review

Conquering Dystopia - Conquering Dystopia [Instrumental Metal]

Adding to the veritable list of musical super-groups to release material within the last year or so is Conquering Dystopia, featuring Alex Webster (bass), Jeff Loomis (guitar), Alex Rudinger (drums) and Keith Merrow (guitar). 

Being an unabashed fan of the instrumental work of Loomis and Webster, like so many others in the metal world are, I was gleefully anticipating heavy riffing, blistering leads, interesting bass work and ...

... more heavy riffing. 

Keith Merrow has been one of the few YouTube musicians that I've followed for a good few years. Of course, that means that I've heard his previous collaborations with Loomis. Still, the prospect of getting to listen to a full album featuring two of modern metal's most tasteful and creative riffers was enough for me to put my work aside and plug in.

Singling out a particular track or two to feature here (and then verifying its availability on YouTube) was no easy task. This album is as tightly-written as they come, chock full of interesting riff lines and adorned nicely by Alex Rudinger's solid drumming. Each track has its own 'feature': check out, for example, Rudinger's subdivisions of the main motif in the first 30 or so seconds of "Inexhaustible Savagery" (clip above). This is undoubtedly straight-up metal drumming, blast beats, double-pedaling and all, but it is presented in a way that appeals as much to the music geek as to the headbanger. 

A similar concept can be heard in the opening riff of "Autarch", only that here, the band is working around a triplet feel (as compared to the straight 4/4 in "Inexhaustible Savagery"). Often, guitarists working with more than six strings fall too deeply in love with the extended range and end up producing muddy, unimaginative chugs as excuses for riffing ideas. This is, thankfully, never the case here - Loomis and Merrow, perhaps unsurprisingly, make good use of the full range of their instruments in creating highly listenable hooks and riffs.

The lead work, as has come to be expected from Loomis, is edgy and blazing quick. What is surprising about it, however, is that it takes up a significantly smaller proportion of the total airtime than Loomis has always had with his solo work. I was still iffy about this state of affairs after the first couple of listens, but have slowly come to appreciate how this affords space for Merrow's own melodic passages and Rudinger's frenetic drumbeats without taking away from the fact that Loomis is the de facto lead player.

My only definite gripe with this album is that Webster's insane bass-playing isn't featured as much as I would have liked it to be. Perhaps that was not what the band had set out to do, but ... it's Alex Webster! Imagine buying a Ferrari and only ever using it to perform the mundane task of driving to work! Having said that, though, this is ultimately only a minor issue in light of all the other excellent things the band does in this work. Production is good, songs are captivating, the band sounds like an actual unit instead of a hastily-assembled bunch of musos and Keith Merrow finally gets his due time playing for a wider audience. 

Here's hoping Conquering Dystopia produce more stuff.

★★★★☆

PSMS (Portnoy, Sheehan, Macalpine, Sherinian) Live In Singapore

The four American rockers performed, courtesy of Inokii, at TAB Orchard Hotel last night in front of a crowd of about 200 people.

Satthia and I started queuing outside TAB at around 5.30 pm (doors were at 7 pm, according to the tickets); we were something like third in line. By around 6.30, the line had lengthened to over a hundred long. What, then, did the organisers do? Let us in early? No, they saw it as a chance to flog off merch. However, in a rather comic sequence of events, the guy and girl trying to sell posters couldn't even get a single customer amongst the hundred-odd-strong crowd.

What did the organisers do next then? Well, as has always been standard procedure, they conducted bag checks on everyone in the queue (funnily enough, they would do a second round of bag checks as we streamed into the venue). Way to hold us up outside, fools!

Anyway, after all that shambles, we got into TAB and took some time to check out the available merchandise. There was, disappointingly, very little purely PSMS-related material; rather, each individual performer's solo material was on sale. Satthia and I decided to pass on the merch and instead grab drinks and head over to the standing area. We managed to get spots right at the foot of the part of the stage where Derek Sherinian's keyboard rig stood.

The crowd (which by then - around 7.10pm - had ballooned to a couple of hundred people) initially stood and waited in anticipation, but soon got bored after having to wait through around half an hour of random music filtering out of the speaker systems, with not a single performer in sight.

Suddenly, at 7.45pm, the music stopped and was replaced by one of those tension-building, bass-heavy tracks. Smoke started rising from the back of the stage. The crowd went wild; their heroes were arriving. One by one, Tony Macalpine, Billy Sheehan, Derek Sherinian and finally Mike Portnoy took to the stage and immediately broke into song.

At this point, I have to confess; I had done very little research on PSMS before attending their gig - I was there precisely because I have long been a fan of each individual musician's work, rather than their collective production. Still, I was hugely impressed by what I was seeing and hearing; the four guys were obviously taking it easy and having fun, yet still playing out of their minds and driving the crowd wild with their complex lines and mindblowing solos.

The character dynamics of the four musicians were plain to see; Sheehan and Portnoy, the most outspoken members of the group, were taking turns to mock-'stage hog', what with Portnoy's liberal use of stick tricks and contorted facial expressions and Sheehan, all six-foot-something of him, taking up dozens of different rock-star poses with his bass and always shifting to the front of the stage to engage the crowd. Sherinian, the group's serious one, always had this intense glare on his face as he pulled out riff after riff, counterpoint after counterpoint and solo after solo on his rig. Macalpine was just chilling in the centre of the stage, dishing out blistering solos while wearing the expression of a contented retiree relaxing on a beach, lemonade in one hand and novel in the other.

It was obvious that the four guys genuinely enjoyed playing with each other (as well as with the audience) and weren't just there to show off or rake in quick cash.

Tunes like Planet X's 'Apocalypse 1470 BC', Dream Theater's 'A Change of Seasons' and 'Lines in the Sand' and Tony Macalpine's 'Edge of Insanity' were gleefully lapped up by the audience, most of whom were, refreshingly to see, pretty familiar with the work of at least one out of the four musicians.

Of course, one does not go to a gig like this without mentioning the solo segments of each artist. Billy Sheehan's bass solo - performed with all the other members offstage taking a break - was, for me, the best among the four. On top of his usual frenetic shredding, Sheehan added in sprinkles from tunes like the ever-beloved 'To Be With You' and displayed his trademark showmanship and style.

Overall, the gig was a joy to behold, both musically and in terms of performances. There were a few minor letdowns along the way: firstly, standing so close to Sherinian's rig meant that at times we couldn't quite hear Sheehan's bass and especially Macalpine's guitar; secondly, the sound tech kept screwing with Sherinian's levels (to the point where midway through the gig, his default expression was a death-stare towards the general direction of the sound board); thirdly, the number of monkeys waving their iPods, iPads and whatever with no consideration for the viewing pleasure of others was way too high and finally, the bouncers and security crew kept being wet blankets and discouraging us from staying close to the stage (the whole crowd just ignored them after a while).

However, that's not to say that any of the abovementioned incidents was able to take away from what was a truly marvelous and worthwhile performance. If, as expected, PSMS release a DVD of their set, I will hunt it down.

When Metal Drummers Collide (Grand Final)

Here it is - the Grand Final of the Metal Drummers series! Twenty of metal music's best percussionists got together and pitted their skills against one another and out of these twenty only two remain: Meshuggah's Tomas Haake and Dream Theater's Mike Mangini.

Who among the two has the better combination of speed, technique, musicality, endurance and accuracy though? Let's find out.

THE GRAND FINAL [MANGINI vs. HAAKE]

(a) Solo Work

MANGINI


Mike Mangini is, even to the untrained eye/ear, a fabulous technician. That explains how he has always been one of the world's most sought-after drummers, whether for live performances on tight schedules or for studio recordings. His solo work, however, tends to be a tad mechanical at times. His full repertoire of skills is on display, yet his solos do not quite have that gripping quality about them that makes the listener want more.

HAAKE 

Haake possesses neither the sheer linear speed nor the incredible multi-genre knowledge of Mangini, but manages to extract far more musical value out of his solos. A first-class technician in his own right, Haake thrives in solo/duo situations that allow him to show off his chops which, as can be seen and heard in the video, extend far beyond metal playing.

Advantage: Haake

(b) Band Work

MANGINI

Despite being such an accomplished musician, Mangini has not really made his mark with one particular band (though he may well do so with Dream Theater soon). His work with James LaBrie, Steve Vai and Extreme has generally been done on the fly; Mangini's strongest selling point is that he can come in, learn things in a very short time, and play them perfectly on gig day. However, he loses some points for the fact that he never has consistently shown off his incredible skills in any given band setting thus far.

HAAKE


When people think of Meshuggah, they do not think of Thordendal or Hagstrom as quickly as they think of Haake. This is where Tomas holds a significant advantage over Mangini when comparing the two drummers' band work. Meshuggah, as most metal fans would know, are a tech/death/jazz-fusion monstrosity of a band that puts out track after genre-defying track; central to whatever they do is the steady drumming of Haake.

Major Advantage: Haake

(c) Gimmicks

MANGINI
The man has held various hand and foot speed world drumming records and is still, even at his relatively advanced age, an incredible speed and endurance drummer.

HAAKE
Tomas' biggest gimmick is probably his liberal use of polyrhythmic beats in Meshuggah's music. Other than that, though, there is not much in the way of flash in his playing.

Advantage: Mangini

(d) Live Performance

MANGINI
Whether for Steve Vai, the G3 tour, Extreme or Tribe of Judah, Mangini will come in, put in his hours of practice, and bust out whatever is needed come performance time. A consummate professional and a startlingly accurate live performer, Mangini is always a treat to see in the flesh.

HAAKE
Haake is himself no slouch live; while some of his contemporaries have resorted to using drum machines in studio or omitting certain songs from their live gigs, Meshuggah and Haake have done everything the old-fashioned, organic way. Haake is terrifyingly accurate whether in studio or live, and while he may not be as bubbly a showman as Mangini, he more than compensates for that with the fact that he always jazzes things up live.

Tiny Advantage: Mangini

The Verdict: Each drummer has his advantages over the other; both are, when all is said and done, truly fantastic musicians. Mangini is the superior live performer due to his versatility and infectious personality, but Haake would have to be my pick for superior drummer because he makes the most of his considerable skill and knowledge in creating his music and crafting his solos.

Winner: Tomas Haake (Meshuggah/Sweden)

When Metal Drummers Collide (Final Eight)

Here's the moment that you - all three of you - have been waiting for: the Final Eight of the Metal Drummers series!

Here they are, in the order that they were 'promoted' from their groups: Marco Minnemann, Gene Hoglan, Flo Mounier, Neil Peart, Mike Mangini, Tomas Haake, Tim Alexander and Peter Wildoer. These eight elite musicians will battle it out in groups of four, and from each group of four one drummer will be selected to compete in the Grand Final.

The groups are as follows:

GROUP A: Neil Peart, Gene Hoglan, Mike Mangini and Flo Mounier
GROUP B: Marco Minnemann, Tomas Haake, Tim Alexander and Peter Wildoer

GROUP A [PEART, HOGLAN, MANGINI & MOUNIER]

1. Neil Peart


Kicking off the action is the grizzled veteran Peart. In this clip (taken from a 2011 edition of the Letterman Show), Peart sends out the message that he isn't just here to run along with the young ones; he's here to grab them by the collars and show them a thing or two. Peart's timeless musicianship and excellent phrasing are on full show here, which is a testament to his professionalism as well - playing five-minute-long drum solos on Letterman is much like reading Hamlet to a bunch of four-year-olds; the target audience just doesn't quite get what they are seeing and hearing.

2. Gene Hoglan

The Atomic Clock enters the fray next, and this time we see an excerpt off his DVD titled - you guessed it - 'The Atomic Clock'. Gene's trademark precision is there for all to see - he even breaks it all down into little digestible bits for lesser musicians like ourselves. The bass work here is pretty neat, as are the subtle shifts in time signature and sticking patterns.

3. Mike Mangini


Quick analogy: if we were to take all the history's elite swimmers and make them race the 100m freestyle, would that be fair? Logic says no, since different swimmers excel at different strokes and distances. Similarly, not very many drummers are as comfortable as Mangini in 'contests' of this format. Mangini's drum solos are always a treat: fast, energetic, technically impressive and powerful. Again, there is nothing that this dude cannot play.

4. Flo Mounier


At speeds like those reached in this video, many drummers tend to play out of control and let pure muscle memory take over. Not Flo. The man is in control of whatever he does; he makes playing at over 200bpm for minutes on end look like taking a nap. His fill-work in this song (and pretty much the majority of his discography) is, while fast, much more creative and refreshing than is typical for his genre. Flo is a spectacular drummer and musician who combines speed and technique with taste and substance.

GROUP B [MINNEMANN, HAAKE, ALEXANDER, WILDOER]

1. Marco Minnemann


Minnemann starts off Group B with some extremely high-level stuff which is at once rapid, creative, groovy and entertaining. The last quality is Minnemann's biggest draw: rarely will you find someone who gets bored listening to the man. Hell, he could be counting out 4/4 on his ride cymbal, and even that would sound interesting. Minnemann plays with such feel and musicality and genuinely establishes himself as the man to beat in this group from the get-go.

2. Tomas Haake


And boom. Right after Minnemann comes his evil twin, Tomas Haake of Meshuggah. Haake, like Minnemann, is powerful and fast, but at the same time musically diverse and creative. In this video, we don't see much of Haake's signature rapidfire polyrhythms; we see a groovier, funkier side of his playing that is perhaps even more entertaining and intriguing. This is getting real hot.

3. Tim Alexander


The above clip is an excerpt off the Primus song 'Jellikit'. Herb is in good form here, showing off some exceptional stick work and incredible timing, tightness and accuracy in a live setting. Herb hails from the old school of fundamental drumming (think dynamics, timing and rudiments over mind-blowing speed and fancy tricks) and it clearly shows in his playing. No surprise at all that a certain Neil Peart is one of Herb's biggest influences.

4. Peter Wildoer


The second Swede in this group of four rounds things off with some blazingly accurate and powerful metal stuff. More known for his progressive drumming, Wildoer shows everyone that he is equally at home in a more 'traditional' metal setting, displaying his full array of blast beats, double kick patterns, fills and flams. Will that be enough to haul him into the Grand Final?

Verdict

Group A: For sheer speed, versatility and diversity, Mike Mangini makes it into the Grand Final.
Group B: A tougher bunch to pick from. Marco Minnemann would have won pretty much any other group, but is edged out by the wonderful Tomas Haake. I feel empty having to eliminate one of these guys.

When Metal Drummers Collide (Part Four)

For those of you who haven't been following this series thus far, a list of twenty famous/skilled/influential/popular drummers from various metal sub-genres was drawn and the drummers 'pitted' against each other in groups of five, with the top two in each group advancing to the Final Eight. Three groups' worth of action has passed so far: the six who have already made it to the Final Eight are: Marco Minnemann and Gene Hoglan (Group One), Flo Mounier and Neil Peart (Group Two) and Mike Mangini and Tomas Haake (Group Three).

On now to the final group, Group Four.

GROUP FOUR [DRUMMERS SIXTEEN THROUGH TWENTY]

16. Tim Alexander

 Opening Group Four is 'Herb' Alexander, who gained mainstream recognition with Primus. Primus, for the uninitiated, is fronted by eccentric bassist Les Claypool, who happens to be a close friend of one of music's most wacko people, Buckethead. That gives you an idea of what Herb gained fame playing: complex, irreverent yet musically challenging stuff. In the video (as well as in every other bit of footage you can find), Herb plays with unparalleled precision and a solid sense of groove and timing. A strong start to Group Four.

17. John Bonham


Bonham, by virtue of his sheer fame at the peak of his career as well as his 'pioneer' status, simply had to be included in the discussion. Anyway, around 1:01 into the above video, Bonham launches into his trademark 'Moby Dick' solo. Nothing too technically fancy compared to modern music, but bear in mind that Bonham was doing this stuff four decades ago. 'Bonzo' was truly way ahead of his time, from a technical and musical standpoint.

18. Paul Bostaph

Bostaph enters this contest with his signature brand of death metal drumming. If the word that best describes Herb's drumming is 'feel', the best word to describe Bostaph's is 'intensity'. Disregard the poor sound of Paul's kit in this video and focus instead on how he never, at any point, lets up or slacks off. Certain drummers have 'cruise modes' where they just coast and let muscle memory take over; if Bostaph has this mode, he certainly chooses not to show it, instead always extracting as much value as he can out of each and every note. Traits like this have enabled him to garner significant success with bands like Slayer and Testament.

19. Peter Wildoer


When Peter Wildoer auditioned for Dream Theater right after Mike Portnoy left the band, his playing was so precise and polished it had the other DT members gushing about how they could have just held a gig right there and then with him. That's Peter in a nutshell - technically flawless, capable of handling the most complex of polyrhythms and grooves with consummate ease and blessed with tremendous work ethic.

20. Danny Carey


Danny Carey is a natural; he just makes drumming look like a walk in the park. Also, doesn't that kit of his sound absolutely gorgeous? The solo in this video is not one of his most technical ones, but it does show off Carey's more musical side. Some drummers play mere notes; Carey plays good, high-quality music.

Verdict: The sentimentalist's choice would obviously have been John Bonham, but all that has to be put aside in favour of objectivity. And objectivity says that Peter Wildoer and Tim Alexander make in through on the strength of their collective combination of technical proficiency and interpretative ability. Those two have drumming down to a science; then again, so does Danny Carey, who must be considered a major scalp here.

Ladies and gentlemen, your Final Eight:
1. Marco Minnemann (Germany)
2. Gene Hoglan (USA)
3. Flo Mounier (Canada)
4. Neil Peart (USA)
5. Mike Mangini (USA)
6. Tomas Haake (Sweden)
7. Tim Alexander (USA)
8. Peter Wildoer (Sweden)

When Metal Drummers Collide (Part Three)

Four of the Final Eight have already been determined - they are: Marco Minnemann, Gene Hoglan, Flo Mounier and Neil Peart.

Here come Groups Three and Four.

GROUP THREE [DRUMMERS ELEVEN THROUGH FIFTEEN]

11. Casey Grillo



The vibe that Kamelot's young drummer gives off is scarily reminiscent of Dave Lombardo, except with slightly less power and slightly more finesse. Grillo's standout traits are his solid fundamentals, machine-like consistency and remarkable endurance. Yup, sounds like Lombardo. The key difference: Grillo's penchant for pulling off stick-twirling stunts while belting out long double-kick passages.

12. Hannes Grossmann


The above clip in and of itself shows Grossmann to be a hugely accomplished jazz drummer capable of slapping up polyrhythms and swing beats while maintaining an understated yet extremely tangible groove. Now for some context: Grossmann was the drummer for freaking Necrophagist's Epitaph album. Now that's a mixture of skill and versatility. (Side note: The other German drummer to have been featured so far, Marco Minnemann, is primarily a jazz-fusion drummer but has also gigged for Necrophagist and is already in our Final Eight. Hmmmmm.)

13. Mike Mangini


Mangini is best known for two things: being an incredibly masterful technician and holding multiple world speed records for drumming. Dream Theater's incumbent drummer has been around the scene for a good three decades now and is showing absolutely no signs of slowing down or letting up. There is literally nothing this man cannot play.

14. Vinnie Paul Abbott


Vinnie's game isn't about showy five-minute-long solos or complicated time signatures; he'll be the first one to tell you that. Vinnie makes this vaunted twenty-strong list, however, on the basis of how much he brought to metal - he was one of the first few drummers to truly integrate catchy, listenable grooves into his band's music and still is one of the select few drummers who plays with incredible tone and power regardless of kit. A true legend, and always a blast live.

15. Tomas Haake


You knew this was coming. 'Bleed' is the one song most associated with Haake and his band Meshuggah. The scary thing about Haake is that during live performances, he matches the original recordings note for note and then some. Here, he piles on ghost note after ghost note on top of what has to be one of the most challenging pieces to play not just in metal but in all of music. Haake is a frighteningly talented drummer, a legitimate freak.

Verdict: This group is unquestionably the most diverse of the three thus far, with drummers of varying ages, genres, styles and techniques. All in all, Tomas Haake and Mike Mangini stood a cut above the rest this time (Hannes Grossmann has to be considered a huge casualty here and by huge I mean colossal, super-size, god damned huge).

When Metal Drummers Collide (Part Two)

In Part One, we saw Marco Minnemann and Gene Hoglan emerge from a tough group to claim spots in the final eight. On now to the second group.

GROUP TWO [DRUMMERS SIX THROUGH TEN]

6. Mike Portnoy

Kicking off the second batch of five is none other than former Dream Theater member Mike Portnoy. Equally notorious for his creativity and natural ability as his eccentricity and alleged lack of dedication, Portnoy has always been something of an enigma throughout his career (even starting his guffaw-worthy side project, Adrenaline Mob). In this particular clip, though, some of Portnoy's enduring strengths are seen, such as his peerless ability to improvise and innovate within a band context.

7. Charlie Benante

Ignore the sub-par sound quality; ignore, too, the fact that Anthrax (Benante's band) is unquestionably the least 'big' of the Big Four of thrash metal. Focus instead on Benante's speed, precision and fundamental soundness. Benante isn't the flashiest or most innovative drummer; rather, he's been astoundingly solid and consistent over his lengthy career and thus deservedly finds a spot in this group.

8. Flo Mounier


I like it when musicians push limits and test boundaries; I absolutely love it when Flo Mounier goes batshit crazy at around 0:58 in the video. Mounier is well known not just for his devastating speed, but also for his longevity (him and his band Cryptopsy have been around since 1988) and ability to create beats that are, on top of being blindingly fast, heavy as anything. The amazement factor goes up a notch when you consider that  the city that Mounier hails from is most famous for producing Celine Dion and Michael Buble.

9. Inferno


Holy shit. Another speedster! Just when you thought Flo was fast, in comes Inferno. Flo might be faster 'overall' (when factoring in hand speed, foot speed, ability to change rhythms and tempos and all that stuff), but for raw double-pedal rapidity, Inferno takes the cake all day. Nearing the end of the video (at around the 0:55 mark), we are treated to a machinegun-like flurry of beats (which is significantly faster than the earlier portion of the solo, which is already itself fast. Shiiiit.)
Side note: Inferno isn't the most unique drummer - there are a number of notable drummers in his mould (think George Kollias, Derek Roddy and their ilk). Still, he beats out the rest of them (themselves terrifyingly talented musicians) due to his superior combination of speed, power and precision in a live setting.

10. Neil Peart


Rounding off the group is Neil Peart who, stylistically and historically speaking, couldn't be more different from the drummer just before him in this list. To call Peart a 'drummer' is to call Michael Jackson (R.I.P.) a 'dancer'; they both do their respective labels more than enough justice, but have far more to their games than those labels suggest. In this video, Peart shows off his tremendous versatility and musicality, riffing on various percussion instruments and maintaining the feel of the solo through its entirety. Peart was truly way ahead of his time.

Verdict: Objectively speaking (and oddly since all these drummers represent the elite in their various genres), this group was slightly weaker than the first and therefore easier to come to a conclusion with; Neil Peart and  Flo Mounier advance into the final eight. As a Dream Theater fan, I've got to say this: I'm gutted, but truth hurts.

Stay tuned for parts three and four and the Final Eight!

- JE

When Metal Drummers Collide (Part One)

'When Metal Drummers Collide' is a multi-part series that imagines what it would be like if some of the world's leading metal drummers - on the strength of whatever solos/performances they have had captured on video or record - took each other on head-to-head to determine who comes out tops and claims the title of the most metal Metal Drummer.

I selected the list of drummers based loosely on the following factors: their speed, technique, style, genre, longevity and lastly 'pioneer' factor, which cannot adequately be described, so I shall offer this analogy: there are tons of really good bedroom drummers out there capable of mashing up five straight minutes of 220 bpm double-pedal beats, but none have as much 'pioneer' factor as someone like Dave Lombardo, since he was one of the first few people to bring such a style into the mainstream consciousness.

Without further ado, the list:
1. Assaf Seewi
2. Marco Minnemann
3. Dave Lombardo
4. Gene Hoglan
5. Hellhammer
6. Mike Portnoy
7. Charlie Benante
8. Flo Mounier
9. Inferno
10. Neil Peart
11. Casey Grillo
12. Hannes Grossmann
13. Mike Mangini
14. Vinnie Paul Abbott
15. Tomas Haake
16. Tim Alexander
17. John Bonham
18. Paul Bostaph
19. Peter Wildoer
20. Danny Carey

This list (and the accompanying analysis) is quite obviously partial in the sense that I lean towards drummers whose music I have listened to extensively. That having been said, in all analysis I try to be objective and logical, and anyway this was all done in the spirit of fun and should not be taken overly seriously.

Anyhow, here goes the faceoff.

GROUP ONE [DRUMMERS ONE THROUGH FIVE]

1. Assaf Seewi


In checks British musician Assaf Seewi. Fairly rudimentary stuff, but his sense of groove and style is awesome in its understated way. The gimmicks on show like those at 0:11 and 0:27 in the video, however, are anything but understated, and take extreme dedication and practice to master. Minus points for economy, sure, but a huge plus for groove, timing and showmanship.

2. Marco Minnemann


Minnemann comes in and puts on a display of highly refined jazz-fusion drumming while extending a complementary nod towards his dabbles into the metal world with passages like the one around 1:00 into the video. The Jackhammer, as he is known in music circles, shows his remarkable ability to shift from style to style and tempo to tempo, all while indelibly leaving his signature on his music. An extremely worthy effort here.

3. Dave Lombardo


NO NO NO U CANT PUT A MERE SONG HERE WHEN DAVE HAS SO MANY SOLO WORKZ LOL. Actually, yes I can, seeing as this particular performance (note: performance, not song) encompasses all of Dave's trademark characteristics: his eye-popping speed, remarkable endurance, amazing accuracy in live performances and of course his famed double-pedal work. Dave Lombardo is part drummer, part percussionist and all musician. Hats off to the legend (it must be noted that this performance was taped in 2007 and that Dave has been playing this exact way, only progressively faster, since the eighties. Wow.)

4. Gene Hoglan


Though this clip does not even take up half a minute, it shows in a nutshell what Gene 'The Atomic Clock' Hoglan is about: power, precision, technical savvy and improvisational ability. Some critics have pigeonholed Gene into the 'double-pedal and not much else' stereotype, but this solo (and, really, much of Gene's body of work) dispels that notion instantly.

5. Hellhammer


Jan Axel Blomberg aka Hellhammer is perhaps best known for his sheer, unadulterated hand and foot speed.  Here, however, he shows off some jazzy chops (along with speed that's blazing, but not Hellhammer blazing - a testament to his high standards). Believe the word - Hellhammer is an all-rounded drummer, and he's scarily good.

Verdict: The first group contains a very diverse bunch of musicians and is already proving to be a headache to judge. If, however, we were being attacked by aliens and had to fend them off by impressing the hell out of them with drum solos, I would pick Gene Hoglan and Marco Minnemann. Honourable mentions go out to Hellhammer for his surprising versatility, Assaf for his eye-catching dexterity and Lombardo for, well, being Lombardo. So that concludes the first group of drummers; stay tuned to see Hoglan and Minnemann duke it out with their counterparts in subsequent editions.

- JE