November 2018 Issue – Volume 42 • Number 11

Sticking Patterns for Odd Groupings

Getting Comfortable with Fives and Sevens

8 Reasons to Love Whitesnake

(Above: When Deep Purple went on hiatus in 1979, drummer Ian Paice helped Whitesnake achieve mass popularity.) Whitesnake formed soon after the dissolution of the Mark IV lineup of Deep Purple, when singer David Coverdale combined his love of blues, rock,…

Drums of the Tombs

The musician, composer, and producer Tom Holkenborg, who performs under the stage name Junkie XL, custom ordered this month’s featured kit to use while creating the score to the 2018 action film Tomb Raider. To match the movie’s Pacific-island setting,…

New Releases From Jojo Mayer's Nerve, Finally George with Todd Sucherman, and more

RECORDINGS Photo by Ben O’Brien Nerve After the Flare JOJO MAYER returns to the acoustic jazz format he cut his teeth on. Nerve, Jojo Mayer’s drum ’n’ bass ’n’ everything else collective, has been pushing the boundaries of electronic music for…

Jan Delay’s Jost Nickel

Just when you think there’s nothing new under the drumming sun, someone like this veteran German player comes along and sheds new light on the craft. The fact that he plays with such blistering technique and sophisticated musicality only makes him that much more compelling.

Legado Cymbals - Heritage, 79V, Luxo Raw, and Caspian Series

A newcomer in the handmade-cymbal market keeps a keen eye on the tastes and budgets of everyday working drummers.

Nick Mason

Pink Floyd’s drummer surprises onstage and on record by revisiting the past but keeping an ear to the future.

November 2018 Issue – Volume 42 • Number 11

Dean Butterworth on Good Charlotte’s Generation Rx

The pop-punk mainstays deliver again with powerful hooks and purposeful songs charged by their versatile ace behind the skins.

Fear, Ego, and Overplaying

The Driving Forces Behind Forcing Chops

Angel Olsen’s Josh Jaeger

After five years of steady touring and recording with the indie-folk singer-songwriter Angel Olsen—including a fifteen-month tour cycle behind 2016’s My Woman—Josh Jaeger is shifting gears. With Olsen using 2018 to focus on solo shows and writing for a new…

Latin Jazz Drumming Part 2: Mambo Bell Variations

Part 2: Mambo Bell Variations

Who's Playing What, Beat Hunger Benefit, and More

Richie Gajate-Garcia Receives Honorary Doctorate from Lincoln College This past May 5, the percussionist, educator, and author Richie Gajate-Garcia received an honorary doctorate of fine arts from Lincoln College in Lincoln, Illinois, in recognition of his contributions to the areas…

Sam Lay

The legendary drummer with Little Walter, Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Willie Dixon, and Paul Butterfield has been inducted into the Blues and Jazz Halls of Fame, was present for two of the most important chapters in Bob…

Jason Bowld with Bullet for My Valentine

The British rock and session veteran joins the seasoned heavy-metal aces on their defining new album and supporting worldwide trek.

Keith Urban’s Seth Rausch

Seth Rausch, who’s currently touring with country superstar Keith Urban, met with MD to talk about his extensive setup that includes custom pieces, a bespoke snare, and a secondary electronic cocktail kit. The multitude of components was ideal for Urban’s…

ToneAlly - Percussion Teaching Tool

Sharpen your stick heights and angles with this unique tactile practice device.

Jake Morris

Thirty years after he cofounded the influential and inscrutable indie-rock band Pavement, Stephen Malkmus is among the most confident and compelling bandleader/songwriters of his generation. And in this drummer, he has a musician who only accentuates his greatest assets.

Jay-Z’s Eric “Boots” Greene

He’s developed some of the nastiest funk and fusion chops. And he thinks and plays like a producer. So it’s no wonder that he flourishes on the world’s biggest stages—and in the modern studio environment.