Michael Sarin
Texture shifts, quiet drive, and a finely honed melodic sense are the subtle tools this drummer uses to facilitate some of today’s most intriguing new jazz. “One thing I like to do is mute the snare with the brush, then…
Glenn Kotche
The lengths some people will go… Wilco’s compositionally minded drummer prepares his kit with a glorious array of mechanical and digital devices, each with a specific, meaningful effect—and its own set of performance demands. At one point in the middle…
TONY ESCAPA: In Constant Motion
Exemplifying the power of versatility and the perseverance of tradition, Ricky Martin’s main rhythm man is a juggernaut of sheer drumming muscle. If you could somehow merge the monster groove of Abe Laboriel Jr., the jazz skills and independence of…
CHAD SEXTON: A Free Spirit to the Corps
Chad Sexton and 311 have been riding a wave of good vibes for over twenty years. Since the band’s 1993 debut album, Music, which followed several independent releases, there have been no hiatuses, no lineup changes, and no periods of…
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News
Keep up to date with the drum world via news items, interviews, lists, and more
Gary John Burke April 9, 1948 – January 17, 2026
Gary John Burke died at home in Port Ewen, New York, on January 17, 2026, after a long illness with his wife by his side. He was 77. Born in Troy, New York, Gary built an accomplished five-decade career as…
Montreux Jazz Festival Miami Expands Festival, Adds Two Additional Nights of Music for 2026 Lineup, Celebrates Miles Davis Centennial
Miles Electric Band, Kind of Blue Acoustic Band (Feb 25) and Makaya McCraven (Feb 26) to Kick Off Festival at Miami Beach Bandshell PJ Morton, Tank (of Tank and the Bangas) & La Reezy to Join Jon Batiste & Trombone Shorty…
Chad Smith Walks In on Thirty Seconds to Mars’ Shannon Leto Playing Chili Peppers Hit on Drums: Watch
Drumeo’s “For the First Time” series has become a regular hit on YouTube, largely thanks to a viral edition featuring Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith taking on the challenge of playing Thirty Seconds to Mars’ “The Kill (Bury Me).”…
Who Is RUSH’s New Drummer Anika Nilles?
Anika Nilles has been announced as RUSH’s drummer for their upcoming reunion tour, which will mark the band’s first shows in 11 years, and first concerts since the passing of the legendary Neil Peart in 2020. Rather than tap a…
Tour Kit Rundowns
Your favorite drummers walk you through every detail of their drum setups.
Metal Sticks
Dedicated to interviewing iconic artists, educating drummers of all styles and genres, amplifying young talent, and showcasing Nicko McBrain’s archive of iconic gear & memorabilia, Metal Sticks aims to inspire all generations of heavy metal fans.
1984 Is When I Finally Got My Drum Sound #vanhalen #alexvanhalen
Legacy of the Beast Gong #metalsticks #ironmaiden
Gear
Detailed assessments of the latest drum kits and accessories
Snare Drums from the Northup Drum Museum
The snare drum originated from the medieval tabor, a rope-tensioned drum used for military signals, it became a distinct instrument with sharper, brighter, sounds through innovations like screw-tensioning gut and coiled metal snares. Throughout the Middle Ages it was used to…
VOXEL Percussion: 3D Printed Drums, Sound Art in Audio Visions
In the beginning there was wood. And then clay, metal, plastic, fiberglass, acrylic and even glass to name a few! Seems like folks have been making drums out of almost anything they can stretch a membrane on and create a…
Roland VAD516
Roland VAD516 V-Drums Kit If you‘ve followed Roland’s Acoustic Design lineup of V-Drums over the past few years, you already know the story: full size shells, premium hardware, and an e-kit that looks like it belongs in front of a large audience rather than in the…
Artstruments MR1 Drum Mounting Bracket
In a previous review of Artstruments products, I explored the full display experience of the 5PK-L Drum Mounting Kit with its multiple brackets and LED lighting designed to turn a drum set into an elaborate art installation. The reality is…
New Yamaha Recording Custom Snare Drums: Aluminum and Stainless Steel
In Modern Drummer’s first look at the new series of Recording Custom Snare Drums, we looked at the Birch and Brass shell models. This time we are going to look at a few more shell versions of this storied series.…
Roland V-Drums 3 and 5 Series, TR 1000 Rhythm Creator, and CR-78 Software Rhythm Composer, DW 3000 Hardware Series Hardware Packs, True-Cast Snare, PDP Concept Series Locking Thrones, Concept Acrylic Kit and Snare, Latin Percussion City Timbales, Limited Edition Cherry Congas and Bongos
Roland V-Drums 3 and 5 Series Roland was showcasing the V-Drums 3 and 5 Series, two all-new electronic drum kit lineups based around the powerful V31and V51sound modules during The NAMM Show 2026 (Room 202, Level 2). These next-generation modules are part of a unified ecosystem with…
Kit of the Month
Keeping the Volume Down!
This month’s Modern Drummer Kit of the Month comes to us from Alison Gibb. Alison started to play at the age of 50 and has been playing and taking lessons for four years.…
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Hall of Fame
A look back at the legendary drummers elected to Modern Drummer’s Hall of Fame
Keith Moon Elected to Hall of Fame in 1982
Excerpted from the September 2003 issue In his last interview, published posthumously in October 1978, Keith told International Musician and Recording World, “You can’t work out things too much. We do certain build-ups and things, but you can run into…
John Bonham Elected to Hall of Fame in 1981
Excerpted from the John Bonham tribute issue, July 1984 John Bonham played, for the most part, a very simple drumkit, consisting of a 14x26 bass drum, a 12x15 small tom—at first mounted on a snare stand and later on the…
Buddy Rich Elected to Hall of Fame in 1980
Excerpted from the January 1977 issue When it comes to interviewing Buddy, one must learn to expect the unexpected. You can end up with a first rate story, or no story at all. He’s a very intense human being, with…
Gene Krupa Elected to Hall of Fame in 1979
Excerpted from the October/November 1979 issue “I’m happy that I succeeded in doing two things: I made the drummer a highpriced guy, and I was able to draw more people to jazz.” The above quote of drum master Gene Krupa…
Charlie Benante - Pantera - Tour Kit Rundown
Modern Drummer Official 17.9K views January 12, 2026 10:01 AM