November 2026 – Volume 50 • Number 11
Articles in November 2026
Musical Tricks and Treats
It’s (relatively) easy to recreate some of the ideas and vocabulary of the past or to lean on your natural strengths and musical assets when you are creating new music. And there is nothing wrong with either of these artistic…
Frank’s Fall Color Coordinated Roto-Tom Kit
Just in time for Fall, comes this month’s Modern Drummer Kit of the Month. This orange themed kit comes to us from Frank Campus. His kit is a color coordinated combination of orange RL Acrylic drums and Roto-Toms. Franks’ RL…
Autumn Leaves
Woodstock, New York, is best known for the music festival that bore its name in August 1969, it was a cultural, social, and political game changer if there ever was one. For many, the highlight was Michael Shrieve’s profound and…
New Yamaha Snare Drum and Cymbal Stands: Shaping the Way Drummers Play!
Yamaha has provided top quality hardware for decades and this new series of hardware certainly extends that already impressive lineup. Modern Drummer received a couple boxes packed full of the new line of snare drum and cymbal stands to see…
Yamaha EAD20 Drum Module
If you’ve been following along, this is my third trip into Yamaha’s Electronic Acoustic Drum world. In September 2024 I took a hands-on look at the EAD10, the little box that convinced a lot of us that a great drum…
NEW YAMAHA SNARE STANDS, AUDIO-TECHNICA REINTRODUCES THE ATM25, DW DESIGN SERIES GOES EXOTIC, ROLAND UPDATES V-DRUMS LINEUP
New Yamaha Snare Stands Yamaha is proud to introduce two new additions to its percussion hardware lineup, available now: the SS6H Concert Snare Stand and SS7HR Reversible Concert Snare Stand. Designed with the brand’s commitment on durability, stability, and ease of use,…
FLORIDA DRUM FEST, ROLAND CELEBRATES GRAND OPENING OF US FLAGSHIP STORE
2026 Florida Drum Fest Brings Florida’s Drum Community Together for Its Inaugural Event. The inaugural Florida Drum Fest brought drummers, percussion enthusiasts, industry professionals, educators and collectors together on Sunday, September 20, at the Lake County Fairgrounds Expo Hall in…
Charlie Benante: Busier than EVER!
Charlie Benante is entering a new phase of his life and career as a songwriter and a drummer. Anthrax has a new record out called Cursum Perficio, and it is one of their absolute best records yet. Benante is still…
Joe La Barbera: Playing for a Lifetime with Legends
Joe La Barbera comes from a legendary musical family and played his first gigs at five years old with the family band and over a 78-year lifetime in music, has become a jazz drumming legend in his own right. His…
Danny Wagner: Finding a New Rhythm with Greta Van Fleet
For Danny Wagner, the past few years have been about learning when to keep moving and when to stop and listen. After years of relentless touring with Greta Van Fleet, time away from the road gave Danny Wagner an opportunity…
WE PLAY. WE GIVE. WE ARE LOYAL
From building SJC Custom Drums to building the next generation of musicians, Mike Ciprari is rethinking what a drum company can be. Mike Ciprari knows what it takes to build a drum company. He co-founded SJC Custom Drums with his…
Filmmaker Sam Dunn and Neil Peart: No One’s Disciple
One of the hot topics of the drum universe and the documentary film world is the new documentary entitledNeil Peart: No One’s Disciple. It is a fantastic watch for Rush fans, Neil Peart fans, drummers, and music fans alike. In…
UZEB “Mr. Bill/Wake Up Call/Funkaleon,” from R3UNION Live, drummer Paul Brochu
This month, we’re heading north of the border, past Rush, taking a detour around The Guess Who and The Tragically Hip, cruising past Nickelback, and making our way to Montreal, Quebec. Our destination is the extraordinary Canadian funk-fusion band UZEB.…
We Are Stronger When We Drum TOGETHER
“We were made for each other.” Marcus Aurelius There’s no community like a tribe of drummers. We are stronger when we drum together! This is something special that only we know. Meet another drummer and you’ll know right away because…
Progressive Drumming Essentials: Polyrhythms, Groove Applications
Progressive Drumming Essentials is a collection of articles originally written for Modern Drummer magazine. They are exactly what the title says, PROGRESSIVE drumming essentials. This series of articles, and the book that contains them all, represent a great deal of…
Master Studies II: Adventures in Time in 5/4
As a follow-up to Joe Morello’s legendary Master Studies book, he released Master Studies II in 2006. Joe was a masterful teacher and helped many great drummers with their musicality, technique, and touch. Joe was also masterful at creating exercises,…
The New Breed: Composite Systems Part 3
Gary Chester’s groundbreaking book The New Breed is legendary. The book, and Gary’s teaching methods are deeply intertwined, it is a lifelong commitment of dedication, study, and development. Gary Chester’s Systems, Reading Exercises, Advanced Systems, Advanced Reading Exercises, Composite Systems,…
Listening Between the Lines Same Tune, Different Job: Art Blakey and Jimmy Cobb on “Moanin’”
If you listen to Art Blakey’s 1958 recording of “Moanin’” and then to Jimmy Cobb’s 1960 trio version, you’ll hear two different approaches to the same musical material. The composition is the same. Bobby Timmons, the composer of the piece,…
The Jason Sutter Collection
Jason Sutter knows how to get around! In 1995, he completed his master’s degree in music armed with intense chops honed at North Texas University. With a deep passion for rock’n’roll and the hustle of a native New Yorker, he…
Mötley Crüe: Too Fast for Love
45th Anniversary Deluxe Box Set (BMG) | Releasing October 30, 2026 Reviewed by David Frangioni Artist: Mötley Crüe | Label: BMG | Release Date: October 30, 2026 Essential Archival Release Rating: ★★★★★ The 45th Anniversary Deluxe Box Set, built around…
Out Now November 2026
This month’s Out Now is extra-long in honor of November’s Record Store Day on Nov 27. Because of that special day, we have also included a special section of audiophile LPs. Modern Drummer enjoys spotlighting new recordings that have the…
Charlie Engen’s Five Finger Death Punch Touring Drums
Drums: DW: Design Series Clear Acrylic: 7x8 rack tom, 8x10 rack tom, 9x12 rack tom, 12x14 floor tom, 14x16 floor tom, 16x18 floor tom, two 18x22 bass drums. Snares: DW: 6.5x14 Collector’s Series (main,) 8x14 Design Series Clear Acrylic (side.)…