Stone Sour's Roy Mayorga

Stone Sour's latest C.D. , is in my opinion, is their best to date. This band seems to get heavier as time goes on. Now that Slipknot has been on hiatus since Paul Gray's death, Stone Sour has had more time to write, record and perfect their sound and style.
Drummer Roy Mayorga is currently playing on a DW Collector's Custom Maple Kit with Vertical Low Timbre in Black Ice FinishPly finish with Satin Chrome Hardware. The drums sound great, not overpowering but they're not some wimpy child's play either. Personally a little compressed, but, overall they sound really good.
Roy definitely knows when to play for the song, but he also knows when to throw in some cool fills and double bass parts. I particularly like how they go from a song like The Travelers, which is heavy, and then go to a track like Tired, which starts out acoustic and then brings in guitars and string instruments and displays Corey's softer, deeper side.
And then you got RU486  that starts out punching you right in the face and won't stop!! This sounds like it could be a Slipknot song, although I'm sure people will disagree with me. However I can hear this song on the next Slipknot c.d. It sounds like Corey is bringing out his inner KNOT if you will.

Last Of The Real  should be their next single. This song just flat out rocks!
Going Sovereign/Absolute Zero go together perfectly. I love how they put the 2 songs together and made it 1 single for the radio. The first song is fast and heavy and then they bring it back a notch and  and drop a fat, heavy groove in your lap.
The album is really a good example of what a hard rock album should sound like – in sharp contrast to a lot of popular music that gets passed off as hard rock on the radio. The songs have hooks but they aren't over-dominated by the hooks; they just have their proper place in the song. Big choruses in several of the songs, a few heavier songs that go into the realm of metal and a few slower quieter songs mixed in. Fans of Stone Sour will not be disappointed.

Victor Ribas ...New HURT drummer

Evan Johns, Louie Sciancalepore, and now Victor Ribas tries to due the job of playing drum's for HURT.
Who is Victor Ribas?  Well he's the newest drummer for HURT. And hopefully the last, I seriously hope this band doesn't have the Spinal Tap disease!!
After multiple line-up changes they have produced their new album The Crux. In my opinion not their best, although it is better than their last one Goodbye To The Machine, which was a little to poppy for my taste. J. Loren and the crew are back with a much heavier cd. It sounds more like Vol.1, which I really liked. This one has some heavy, melodic and dynamic songs, and he finally broke out his signature violin again, which seemed to all but disappear on the last album.

Victor Manuel Ribas, the newest drummer for the band, grew up in Seattle, WA. His first musical encounter was at the age of 5, beginning private piano lessons with local instructors. He continued to study piano until picking up his first set of drum sticks at the age of 13 and continued performing both Jazz and Marching music all the way through college. Ribas cites Dave Weckl, Steve Gadd, Danny Carey (Tool), Jon Theodore (The Mars Volta), Matt McDunough (Mudvayne), and Nick Mason (Pink Floyd) as some of his biggest musical inspirations. Although you wouldn't notice it on this record where he plays for the music and not himself.
So how did he get the gig?
Living in Seattle, Victor played in numerous bands while working in various local studios in the Washington and Oregon area. In 2010, he heard that the band Hurt was auditioning drummers. Ribas contacted the band and was flown from Seattle, WA for an audition. Soon after he was announced as HURT's new drummer. Simple as that. Luck? I don't know. But he certainly helps the band sound like it used too.
Here are some of the tracks I enjoyed:

"Caught In The Rain" is 1 of my favorite tracks. This song is classic HURT! It starts out nice and soft, with the piano and violin playing oh so sweetly. Then the verse picks up a bit and then they come storming into the chorus where Victor kicks it up a notch with the guitars cranking it up to 11, and really lay it down.
"So When" shows the band's maturity in song writing. It has some nice layers to it and I love how the drums fit the song perfectly. Victor seems to know his place in the song, which is rare these days where everybody wants to show off their chops and over do it. It seems Victor is confident in his drumming abilities.
"Numbers" is a good one with a cool time signature. It's got a nice heavy groove all the way through.
"Links &Waves" is the direction the band has been heading in for some time now. It sounds like it was from the last c.d. Personally I don't care for this style too much, but that's just me.
"Sally Slips" is what I'm talking about. Soft and slow in the verse and heavy in the chorus. Really, this is what I believe HURT fans want to hear. These songs really get my heart pounding, and when they play them live you can see the intensity in J. Loren's face.
"When It's Cold"  and "How We End Up Alone" are some of their best songs on this c.d.
This is the stuff that's gonna propel them to the next level. And if they keep on this track (and keep the band together) they will be in the top tier soon enough.
That being said, I enjoy Victor Ribas on the drums for this band, and most of the songs on this c.d.
 I didn't like it much at first listen, however after giving a few more tries it grew on me and I now keep it close to c.d. player. Give it a try and see for yourself what HURT is all about!

Matt Cameron

Soundgarden is back.
"We've got such a good creative chemistry and it seemed like it was still there after all these years apart." Matt Cameron says in an interview with  NME online magazine.
The kings of grunge are back after 16 years with their new album "King Animal".
Many fans are happy to know that Matt is behind the kit on this album. Despite his gig with legendary grunge rockers Pearl Jam, and touring with them, he still has the time for the band that helped launch his drumming career.
In addition to Soundgarden and Pearl Jam, Cameron has a jazz trio with Bill Frisell and Herbie Hancock called Harrybu McCage. He has also played with Tone Dogs, Temple Of The Dog, Hater, The Smashing Pumpkins, Geddy Lee, Peter Frampton, Tony Iommi, and many others. To call this man a working drummer is a serious understatement!

The new disc is done in typical Cameron fashion. Odd times, great technique, and amazing beats.
He never disappoints me when I hear him play.
Some tracks that I like from the disc are:
Been Away Too Long- a great rock song that moves effortlessly throughout.
A Thousand Days Before -a somewhat softer song but with a great feel, and a smooth drum track. Nothing fancy on this one but it's easy to listen to and it's great to hear the band grow in their song writing.
Blood On The Valley Floor is a dirty, hard-edged, punch in the gut. I like the heaviness of this one. True grunge sound through and through.
Attrition-has this punkish feel to it and I didn't like it at first. After listening to it a few times, it's not that bad. It's a little different for the band, but that's just them showing off their new writing style.


I just can't say enough about Matt's style, it's his signature. He has created his own style and sound and that's a very rare thing in music these day's.
With this c.d. the band explores new territory and re-visits the old. It's good to see them back and better than ever. I don't know if they are planning on doing any more albums in the future, but we take what we can get. ENJOY!!

 

Brian Vodinh--10 years' drummer!!

I've heard of this band but I never really paid much attention to them. My loss! These guys have a great sound and style. Their new album "Minus The Machine" is what the hard rock scene has needed for some time. Talent and a willingness to create their own style. I enjoy this band and the new disc. But it's Brian Vodinh that I'm paying the most attention to. I dig this guys drumming style. It's not that he's extremely technical or outrageous. But rather he's got this element that he adds to each song. He doesn't play what's expected to be played. I like that. Especially on the song "Backlash". When I heard that song for the first time, it blew my mind. That drum track is fucking crazy!! How did he come up with that?! I still can't wrap my mind around it. The song starts out with this cool piano part and the drums roll in with this cool, fucked up beat. Then comes the chorus where Brian just slaps the shit outta those skins. Every time I hear this song I want to go break some shit!!! YA!! That's what I'm talking about. I like the intensity this band brings.

Lately I've been having a difficult time finding bands that get me pumped up and excited, however this band has done it. What a relief knowing that there are some bands out there that are willing to break the mold and find their own sound, and style.
"Backlash" is not the only song on this album, there are some other good songs on here.
"Dancing with the Dead" has some cool parts where the band is totally in sync with each other. The drums on "Sleeper" are, in my opinion, tastefully done. The cymbal crashes are in the right places and not too overdone. Towards the end of the song though, Brian seems to really get into the groove and let's loose on the kit. Throwing in some "Fuck-Ya!" double bass at the end to finish it off. Nice touch man.
 "Knives" is really cool too. Different in it's own right, but when the chorus kicks in, you'll find yourself nodding your head and then your body will start going back and forth on it's own. You can't control it so don't even try. It's just what this band does to you. Check them out, support them and if you can, go see them live. I can't wait to get the chance to see them.

Dave Grohl is back with QOTSA!!

After stepping aside for 2005's Lullabies to Paralyze and 2007's Era Vulgaris, the former Nirvana member and Foo Fighters main man will be back to spank the shit out of those skins on QOTSA's forthcoming, long-awaited sixth album, due out sometime next year. As Pitchfork reports, band mastermind Homme appeared on Zane Lowe's BBC Radio 1 show to announce that Joey Castillo has left the band, and Dave Grohl is back in. 
Source: SPIIN magazine.

Check out the photo leaked by QOTSA on twitter, notice Dave drums? 

http://www.spin.com/articles/dave-grohl-queens-of-the-stone-age-new-album

Joe Rickard--RED drummer

Joe Rickard (named one of 2010’s up and coming drummers” by Modern Drummer magazine) on his Spaun  drum set  in the latest RED c.d. "Until We Have Faces".
“We had the title before anything else,” says RED bassist Randy Armstrong. “And we didn’t set out to make a concept record. But as I sat and listened back to the final record, it’s amazing how much of the content, pretty much unintentionally, deals directly with the title of the record. From start to finish, it’s about all the emotions people go through trying to find their identity.” http://redmusiconline.com/home
 After listening to this disc I understand where they're coming from. Most of the songs have a lot of emotion intertwined in them.  "Watch You Crawl" starts out with a nice heavy, guitar crunch and heavy drums and then leads into a half-time melodic rhythm and continues going back and forth until the end. You can definitely hear the emotion in singers Michael Barnes' vocals.
"The Outside"  shows off  the bands heavier side and showcases Joe's ability to dig deep into his back packet and pull out the big sticks.
The track "Who We Are" has this awesome 4 on the floor beat that you don't hear too often. The songs moves effortlessly with the straight forward tempo. With a cool breakdown in the middle, it cut's the song up nicely going into the bridge where Joe gives the toms a healthy beating.
"Best Is Yet To Come" gives a little glimpse of they're softer, more melodic sound.
The drums are tastefully done on every track on the disc, and doesn't disappointment.
I believe the band is moving in the right direction and definitely have created their own sound.
Don't miss them on tour this winter on the "Winter Jam 2013" Tour.

rocktunez.com

sodahead.com

Brad Park-- Big Wreck...Albaross

Another update: Christopher Henry was the drummer on the record. Brad toured live for a time and definitely added some kick to the live show.

It has been brought to my attention that Brad Park is no longer with the band. As of right now I do not know who is on the drums for the remainder of the tour. If anyone has that info please pass it along.

The latest album from Big Wreck, "Albatross", is long overdue for fans. Their first c.d. since "The pleasure and the greed" from 2001. I was extremely excited to hear that they had a new album out and as soon as I got my hands it I realized they had a new drummer. Brad Park has taken over the reigns and seems to fit in just fine and adds a breath of fresh air to the new disc. I certainly enjoy the sound of his Pearl kit on the album. I can't say that anything strikes me as different, however, the sound fits perfectly with the Big Wreck classic, but not outdated, style. Big guitar sound and just the right amount of drums. Different than ex-drummer Forrest Williams' drum sound, which was really open, and airy, that had a great "live" sound to it, Brad's sound is more updated and refined and rounds out the new album perfectly. Big Wreck has somewhat polished it's sound on this disc to a cleaner version of it's predecessors, without totally losing that signature sound.
Some key tracks that I enjoyed are:  "Rest of the world", "Wolves", and title track "Albatross", which are classic BW style.
Songs like "Glass room", "Control", and "Time" are what this new c.d. offers, a newer style and somewhat updated sound. All in all it's a great album. I think new fans and old will enjoy this one and hopefully we won't have to wait 10 yrs. for the next one!

Jon Larsen, Volbeat drummer

Volbeat's latest album "Beyond hell/Above heaven" is one of the best I've heard this year. It debuted on Nov. 25 2011, and the band has been touring nonstop ever since to support it. It's a great hard rock album with a twist of metal. Drummer Jon Larsen put's his stamp on this album with some really nice double bass work on every song. It's not overdone or over the top, but rather, with a tasteful, almost playful approach. The sound is so fat, and punchy, and the cymbals really sound great in the mix. I love the bass drum work, I can't seem to stop tapping my fingers when I listen to the c.d. 
The track "Fallen", which was their first single, really launched the album and their music career to new heights. "Heaven nor Hell" is a great rock track with nice harmonica work in it. Solid, with a nice time change, this track should be a single that could match the popularity of "Fallen".
"Who they are" has this cool Metallica/Slayer feel to it, that seems to be an influence in  their writing.
"A better believer"  has a really cool time change that keeps the listener intrigued by it's push/pull feel.
The song "7 Shots (featuring Mille Petrozza)" has a "Ghost riders" sound to it that stands out in the crowd on this disc.
If you like a great, solid, straight-up hard rock c.d. with double bass and catchy melodies, put this in your Ipod and give it a shot. You shouldn't be disappointed.

http://sadmanstongue.com/

Trivium...new drummer Nick Augusto

 New drummer, Nick Augusto, sits down behind the kit on the new Trivium album, In Waves, and his most striking contributions come in the form of the occasional high tempo blast-beats peppered throughout the album. Augusto doesn’t seem to create as many memorable air-drum- inspiring fills and beats as previous drummer Travis Smith. Nonetheless, he is no doubt a consummate and solid player who knows when to sit in the pocket and when to stand in the spotlight. I think he's a great fit for the band and wish them continued success.

 After listening to In Waves, I've come to the decision that they are becoming one of my favorite metal bands.There were a few tracks on the new c.d. that got my attention, such as Inception of the end, Black, which is your basic smash-your-head-against-the-wall track, also contains some great melodies. 
 Caustic are the ties that bind has a great feel to it. It's heavy with bits of melodic moments mixed in.
Chaos Remains is one of my favorite tracks, it has a great metal feel and sound. It has some pretty cool double bass beats in there. Shattering the skies above is a great track from a drummer's view point.
I have to admit, Nick Augusto laid down some pretty cool shit on this c.d., I'm interested in hearing what the band brings on their next album.