December 2024 – Volume 48 • Number 12
On 01st Dec 2024
Articles in December 2024
Out Now: Books
In Modern Drummer’s monthly Out Now column we review the best and latest drumming instructional books. Most recently we have also been reviewing the many books written about drummers’ lives. So many drummers have interesting stories to tell, and Modern…
Our Favorite quotes from 2024
Every month we get to go through all the words in Modern Drummer and pull out our favorite drummer quotes. The musicians say it best, here are our favorite quotes from 2024. Jeff Porcaro explained it to me, saying, “Look,…
Out Now: Recordings
Modern Drummer always enjoys spotlighting new recordings that have the drums at the center of their sound. These recordings in all styles might be drummer-led, or just include a high-quality, special, or unique drumming and musical performances from the drummer…
Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs” drummer, Bill Ward
This month, in honor of the legendary Bill Ward, I’ve transcribed the classic song “War Pigs” from Black Sabbath’s iconic second album, Paranoid. This song showcases Ward as a true pioneer of metal drumming. From beginning to end, it’s a powerhouse…
The 12 Week Year
There’s one problem with setting annual goals, a year is too long. How many people get fired up over their New Year’s resolutions, only to forget about them a couple weeks later? Have you ever set a goal and thought,…
2024: In Memoriam
The drumming community is a close one, our many shared experiences in drumming, our sacrifices for our artform, and our love of drumming establishes a bond that unites us all. When we lose a beloved member of our community, we…
ROLAND VQD106
The Quietest Electronic Set I’ve Ever Played In October of 2024, Roland announced an all-new addition to their V-Drum product line. The VQD106 Quiet Design kit claims to be the lowest playing noise set in V-Drum history. It comes ready…
2024 Modern Drummer Hall of Fame: Bill Ward
Bill Ward created a style of drumming within the music of Black Sabbath. We’re not going to get into the musical differences between heavy metal and hard rock in this article. Call it what you want… but that slow, sludgy,…
Neil Peart Spirit of Drumming Scholarship Recipient Announcement
The Neil Peart Spirit of Drumming Scholarship, presented by Modern Drummer, is a tribute to the extraordinary legacy of Neil Peart, the legendary drummer of the iconic band Rush. Renowned for his technical precision, creative expression, profound lyrics, and long-lasting impact…
The Rhythm of One’s Life
Walking from one end of Milano Malpensa to the other, the sheer size of the airport terminal is as impressive as it is daunting. My Apple Watch tells me that I’ve already met my exercise goal for the day and…
2024 Modern Drummer Readers Poll Results.
Another exciting year of drumming has passed, and it’s time for the 2024 Modern Drummer Readers Poll. Congratulations to all of the winners! Thank you for your drumming and contributions towards the history and evolution of modern drumming. Your recordings,…
New and Notable December 2024
DW LIMITED EDITION PERFORMANCE BIRCH, ALESIS SETS AND AMPS, LATIN PERCUSSION SIGNATURE 8” COWBELL, SABIAN STRATUS CYMBALS, PROMARK HYBRID HOT RODS, ON-STAGE STUDENT PERCUSSION PACK, BOPWORKS’ STICK STATION Drum Workshop Limited Edition Birch Set and Snare The Drum Workshop, Inc. (DW)…
Frank Zummo’s Sum 41 Touring Kit
Photos by Jason Mehler Drums: SJC Custom Design: Sum 41 Heaven/Hell Maple Shells; 6.5x14 Mahogany Black on Black Snare w/Maple Re-rings, 6.5x14 SJC Goliath Bell Brass (backup,) 8x12 Rack Tom, 13x16, 14x18 Floor Toms, 4x20 UFO/Gong: Drum, 18x22, 18x22 Bass…
Encyclopedia of Double Bass Drumming: Five and Six Note Linear Cross Rhythms
In the new and revised edition of the Encyclopedia of Double Bass Drumming, Bobby includes nine new double bass drumming chapters. The new and expanded edition covers contemporary techniques such as bass drum double strokes, feet-only exercises, binary and ternary…
Bringing an Eames Kit Back to Life
This month’s Kit of the Month comes to us from Chris Lauzon. His kit is a 1986 Eames “Natural Tone” drum kit, which are 100% birch shells made by legendary craftsman Joe MacSweeney. The sizes of this set-up are a 9x10…
Master Studies: Ostinato Studies
This month we will conclude our exploration of Joe Morello’s legendary Master Studies book. We started a few years ago with his application of the Stone Killer, and have traversed all his Master Studies concepts and excercises to develop control…
Mighty Bright NuFlex, BrightFlex, DuoFlex, and Encore Musician’s Lights.
Mighty Bright Lights have been around for a while, and any musician or performer that works in a darker environment has probably used them, I have had one in my stick bag for years (just in case.) But Mighty Bright…
Hand-Picked Vinyl December 2024
As the music world continues to see a resurgence in Vinyl (LP’s,) Vinyl Me Please (VMP) is curating and producing some of the best vinyl remasters and pressings around. They are scouring the history of recorded music for forgotten gems…
A Year in Reviews
2024 was a wild ride for gear reviews! From acoustic and electronic drum products and accessories to pro audio and software, I’ve learned a ton, and hopefully managed to share my insights in a way that was equal parts fun,…
