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.
Kaspar Rast
The versatile Kaspar Rast was born in Zurich, Switzerland in 1972, and has been playing drums since he was six years old. Rast trained at the famed JMS school in Zurich and at the Drummers Collective in New York City.…
Athena Kottak
Kottak’s Athena is a very funny, tell-it-like-it-is, beautiful woman who kicks ass behind the drumkit. Born a few years after her famous sibling—Mötley Crüe’s Tommy Lee—Athena is a cancer survivor, a mom, and the wife of Jimmy Ratchitt. Athena says…
Joe Tomino of Dub Trio
“Even though dub is at the bottom of every song you hear,” says Dub Trio drummer Joe Tomino, “we’ve never put any boundaries on it.” Indeed, the Brooklyn band’s recent LP, New Heavy, expands on its reggae-rich 2004 debut, Exploring…
Joel Stevenett
Joel Stevenett loves the variety of work he does as a drummer. One of his favorite gigs is playing drums on the soundtracks to videogames for Xbox and PlayStation. “It’s a big industry, and it’s a lot of fun,” Stevenett…
Travis Smith: The Sickest Feet in Metal
by Waleed Rashidi Trivium drummer Travis Smith’s career launched with a slightly rocky start. As a pre-teen growing up in Florida, Smith recalls having to be coaxed out of playtime with neighborhood friends by his father to attend his regular…
The Who's Zak Starkey: Channeling Keith-And More
by Ken Micallef “I am not a rock ’n’ roll star,” insists Zak Starkey. “I’m not famous, I suppose. But I am a very successful musician.” Deadpan, funny, and self-deprecating, as this quote shows, Zak Starkey is famous by both…
Black Stone Cherry Drummer John Fred Young
Black Stone Cherry drummer John Fred Young is quick to cite his uncle, Kentucky HeadHunters drummer Fred Young, as his biggest inspiration. But John Fred nearly blew it one day when he was young. “I went upstairs in The HeadHunters’…
Aaron Montgomery of Trapt
“I compare drumming to various spices. If the groove has too much salt or too much pepper, then you’re going to be all savored out.” So says Aaron Montgomery, the “chef” in Trapt’s kitchen. His style, his groove, and his…
Thomas Pridgen
Just one listen to trumpeter Christian Scott’s debut album, Rewind That (Concord Records), and you’ll be looking to see who the drummer is. Although the name Thomas Pridgen may not be familiar to everyone yet, his deep feel and exceptional…
Xavier Muriel
By Billy Amendola How many rock bands can take a break for three years and come back stronger than ever? Nothing against the former members of Buckcherry, but the current lineup—which features original lead singer Josh Todd and founding guitarist…
Abe Fogle
Since the spring of 2005, Abe Fogle has been working with Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty fame. Fogle had been working with Ronny Jordan and Alex Bugnon when he got the call to join Thomas. Immediately the drummer set about…
Trevor Friedrich of Eighteen Visions
Trevor Friedrich’s band Eighteen Visions (Epic) has just released their self-titled sophomore opus, a mishmash of heavy meets melodic, which then meets metal. Friedrich’s drum sounds are Bonham-esque, spastic, and fresh. But what sounds like a drench of reverb throughout…
Stephen Perkins: A Drummer's Life Less Ordinary
by Ken Micallef With several projects going at the moment–including two bands, a performance DVD, and several clinic appearances–it’s clear that no one is more committed to drumming than Stephen Perkins. An enchanted sprite flailing the drums like a demented…
Jeff Hamilton: Swinging to Success
by Robyn Flans Few jazz drummers have had careers as rewarding and successful as Jeff Hamilton’s. And with several new releases and projects in the works–and an MD Readers Poll win–2006 may be one of his finest years yet. The…
