Matthew McDonough

Birth name: Matthew McDonough
Also known as: sPaG; Spüg; MjDawn
Origin: Peoria, Illinois
Genre(s): Heavy metal, progressive metal
Occupation(s): Drummer
Instrument(s): Drums
Years active: 1996–present
Label(s) : Epic Records
Associated acts: Mudvayne
Website www.mudvayne.com

Matthew McDonough is the drummer for American heavy metal band Mudvayne. McDonough is the band's original drummer and has appeared and performed on every release by Mudvayne. He is also the one known for dubbing Mudvayne as "math metal".

He has a tattoo on his chest, symbolizing a Hermetic order.

Matthew is lesser known for composing the ambient electronic effects on both L.D. 50 and The End of All Things to Come. Matthew released his first solo album under the alias "MjDawn", called Frequency Response in 2008. In the album, he is experimenting with acoustic drumming and Electronica.

Matthew started playing drums in Daed Kcis, a Bahaus-type band from the Peoria area, circa 1986.

Mudvayne time guys..

Mudvayne formed in 1996 with Chad Gray, Greg Tribbet, Matthew McDonough, and Shawn Barclay, releasing their demo, Kill, I Oughtta. In 1998, then bassist Shawn Barclay was replaced by current bassist Ryan Martinie.

Signing with Epic (1998)
A critical turning point for the band occurred in April 1998 when local promoter Steve Soderstrom hosted Soda Pop Production's "Original Hard Rock Music Showcase" at the now defunct Hub Ballroom in Edelstein, Illinois. Mudvayne along with fifty seven other Peoria bands answered the radio ad and was one of the twelve bands chosen to perform live on two stages. Soda Pop Productions followed the show up with "Shredfest" on the Peoria riverfront stage which Mudvayne also played. Steve Soderstrom contacted longtime friend and renown band manager Chuck Toler, in Madison, Wisconsin, who came down to a third show at the American Legion Hall in Washington, Illinois to see the band perform live. As a result Chuck Toler began managing the band and secured a recording contract with Epic Records. more

Travis barker's gear set

Birth name: Travis Landon Barker
Born: November 14, 1975 (1975-11-14) (age 33)
Origin: Fontana, California,USA
Genre(s): Punk rock, pop punk, ska punk, alternative rock, hip hop, rap rock
Occupation(s):Musician, drummer, songwriter, producer, reality television celebrity, fashion designer
Instrument(s): drums, keyboards, guitar, piano
Years active: 1994–present
Label(s): Interscope, LaSalle/Atlantic, Geffen, Hellcat, MCA, Golden Voice
Associated acts: Blink-182, +44, Expensive Taste, Transplants, Box Car Racer, The Aquabats
Website : TravisBarker.com

Travis Barker is quickly becoming one of the more influential musicians on the Rock scene today. Travis began studying drums and taking lessons at the age of four. He studied with a jazz teacher and was exposed to many different styles of music. While in High School, Travis played in the jazz ensemble and marching band. He subsequently gained much experience performing at regional competitions and festivals. His senior year, Travis passed up drum corps tryouts for touring with a rock band. He gained more experience as a rock drummer in a few early bands such as Feeble, The Suicide Machines, and The Aquabats.

In 1998, Travis replaced Blink 182's first drummer and came to the band’s rescue at one show by learning over twenty songs in just a few hours and performing with them later that evening. Travis quickly became a much respected and popular member of the band and solidified his position as the timekeeper with his professional attitude, rhythmic skills and talent.

Travis gear set
Barker is now sponsored by Orange County Drum and Percussion and Zildjian.
Latest drum kit (2008–2009)

* Drums - Black Acrylic w/50% offset Lugs
o 10x8" Tom
o 12x10" Tom
o 16x14" Floor Tom
o 18x16" Floor Tom
o 24x24" Bass drum
o 14x6.5" Orange County Stainless steel/nickle snare

* Cymbals - Zildjian
o 14" A custom matersound Hi-hats
o 22" zildjian A custom ride
o 21" Aveidus crash/ride
o 10" A custom splash
o 20" K custom crash
o 19" A custom projection crash

Barker uses DW 9000 Series Hardware, Remo Emperor X Snare Heads and Remo weather king emporer Heads on his toms, Roland Electronics and his signature Zildjian sticks.

and drummerworld says he use this set :

and finally,, when i talk about modern punk rock drummer,, it's refer to travis :)

information taken from any source

Neil Peart

Neil Peart is the most popular drummer today. When it comes to voting in Modern Drummer or Drummerworld - Neil Peart is always the No. 1.

Neil Peart (pronounced "Peert" not "Pert"), born September 12, 1952, near Hagersville, Ontario, is the drummer and lyricist for the Canadian rock band Rush. Rush is the most successful band from Canada, having played together for over 30 years, and selling over 24.5 million records (U.S.). Over the years, Rush has developed their own style of Progressive Rock, weaving together heavy metal, art rock, reggae, new wave, pop, grunge, and classical styles with thoughtful lyrics. The result has been 23 diverse albums, successful tours, and a loyal fan base.

Peart is known for his creative and intricate drum parts and extensive drum solos that delight both drummers and non-drummers alike. He's won many reader's poll awards from Modern Drummer, including 12 consecutive "best recorded performance" awards. In 1996, Peart became an Officer of The Order of Canada, the highest civilian decoration in Canada.

In 1997, following the death of his only daughter, Selena, and then his wife of 22 years Jackie Taylor (1998), Peart and Rush took a five-year hiatus. After he re-married in September 2000, Neil returned to Rush, and the band produced the critically-acclaimed Vapor Trails CD and subsequent tour, taking them to Mexico and South America for the first time. The final show in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, became the multi-platinum DVD Rush in Rio. Rush toured again in 2004 as part of their 30th Anniversary celebration, and released a CD of Sixties cover songs, Feedback, to mark the occasion. After the tour, they released Rush - R30 - 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition, a live concert from Frankfurt Germany.

On May 1, 2007, Rush released their twenty-third album Snakes & Arrows.

In addition to his job as a musician, Peart has written four non-fiction books, The Masked Rider, Ghost Rider, Traveling Music: The Soundtrack to My Life and Times, and Roadshow : Landscape With Drums: A Concert Tour by Motorcycle. Ghost Rider was nominated for a Canadian Literary award in 2003. He has also written many articles for Modern Drummer and other magazines. In all, his books have sold over 100,000 copies.

In his spare time, Peart rides BMW motorcycles, drives fast cars, snowshoes, bird watches, and hikes. His favorite drink after a concert or a long day on the road is The Macallan.

Peart currently lives in Santa Barbara, California, with his wife, Carrie Nuttall.

Peart's nicknames are "Pratt" and "The Professor."

Essential Rush recordings include: Fly by Night (1974), 2112 (1976), Permanent Waves (1980), Moving Pictures (1981), Exit... Stage Left (1982), Grace Under Pressure (1984), Power Windows (1985), Roll the Bones (1991), Counterparts (1993), and Vapor Trails (2002).

courtesy: drummerworld

Matt Sorum

Matt Sorum joined Guns N' Roses in 1991, after Steven Adler was fired. Matt's first gig was "Rock in Rio II" in Brazil -91.Which he exclaims was a very nerve racking moment for him; playing with GNR for the first time in front of thousands.

After Adler was fired a replacement was not immediately apparent: Adam Maples from Sea Hags had already filled in temporarely, while Martin Chamers from Britain's Pretenders was briefly considered. The permanent answer to their prayer, however, was to be found in the shape of Matt Sorum, American drummer with another British group named The Cult. Slash had been down to the local Universal Amphitheater venue to see the band, which the Gunners had once supported, and was impressed enough by their sticksman to put in a transfer bid. Who could refuse the call? "They liked me for what I was doing - rock solid drumming," commented the newcomer before revealing a trade secret. "When I was recording with Guns, Slash would get me to play quicker... they like me up-beat, aggressive and energized." As for Axl, "The fact that Matt could play and fit in is what saved us. If we hadn't found somebody it would ultimately have been the demise of the band. Matt's been capable of keeping up with it, if not enhancing it totally, and bringing new stuff to it."

Matt also enjoys GN'R's unique way of keeping their live shows fresh. "We don't have a set list," he explained. "Rather we have a pick list. Sometimes it'll be 30 seconds before we go on-stage when Axl calls out whatever he thinks he can sing first. The second number is set because I go into it - "Mr Brownstone" - I play timpani. I hated this was of working at first", he admitted, "but I love it now 'cos it's fresh, especially when you're on a two-year tour. And we're so at ease with playing on big stages now. So if Axl throws out a song we haven't played for six months it might be a little shaky, but we're not freaking out about it. There's an andrenalin rush every night."

Source: bzzt.com/gnrbar/biography/mattbio.htm

In 1988, Matt Sorum played in a band called "Y Kant with Tori Reed". Later, Slash saw Matt at a The Cult concert (group that GNR had opened for earlier) and recruited Matt. Matt was part of Guns n' Roses from 1990 to replace Steven up to 1994. Matt Sorum has since re-joined The Cult.

Chad Smith

Chad Smith is the powerhouse behind the US super group Red Hot Chili Peppers. Chad pulls off effortlessly one of the most difficult challenges facing drummers, the ability to blend high powered rock with blistering funk grooves. With a personality as big as his drum sound, Chad remains a firm favourite with drummers all over the world. Chad is one of the few drummers to have appeared on the 'Simpson's', Aerosmith's Joey Kramer is another.

Source: freddiegee.com/static/indexsite.htm

1999 saw the release of the Red Hot Chili Peppers' Californication and driving those tracks to the top of the charts was the tremendous fun force that is Chad Smith.

Whether it was his performance at Woodstock 99 wearing a giant light bulb on his head or in a witch doctor outfit on the cover of Modern Drummer's August 99 issue you remember first, it's hard to forget the infectious beats on such tunes as Give It Away, Higher Ground, Under The Bridge, and most recently Lonely View. Highlighting their contribution to the music video genre, the band was presented The Video Vanguard Award at The 2000 MTV Music Awards and followed up with a blistering performance.

With numerous platinum recordings under his belt with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Chad Smith has gained the recognition he has long deserved by cranking out one hit groove after another.

Igor Graziano Cavalera

Birth name Igor Graziano Cavalera
Born September 4, 1970 (1970-09-04) (age 38)
Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Genre(s) Heavy metal
Electronic music
Occupation(s) Musician
Instrument(s) Drums
Associated acts Sepultura
Cavalera Conspiracy
Nailbomb
Mixhell

He, along with older brother Max were the founding members of the Brazilian thrash metal band Sepultura. Igor is now the drummer for Cavalera Conspiracy.

He is the younger brother of Max Cavalera. He played in bands besides Sepultura as well, including Nailbomb, Strife, and Titãs. As his hip-hop influences grew stronger he began to DJ. Cavalera is one half of DJ duo Mixhell, a project he founded with his wife, Laima Leyton.

Igor started playing drums at a very early age. When Sepultura was formed, Iggor was the youngest member at the age of 13. Sepultura was a pretty big success and gave Iggor an early start. On April 21, 1984, Iggor played, for the first time, on a real drum kit, which was borrowed from Helinho of the band Overdose, that also played that night.

In the first albums his drum playing was chaotic following the thrash norms of the 80s. This style he had mastered by 1988-1991 (in the Beneath the Remains and Arise albums). However, the era when he created a new school of drumming began after 1993. His innovative style in the album Chaos AD brought tribal elements into the songs. One classic example of his contribution to extreme music is the introduction of the song "Territory" (1993, Chaos AD). He went on to take this style to a new level in the 1996 Roots album, adding more tribal elements to Sepultura's music. Through all his career, though, Cavalera has been widely recognized as a notoriously hard-hitting drummer (acknowledged by producer Scott Burns during the recording of Beneath the Remains). In later years, Cavalera adopted a drumset conformation with almost no cymbals and upright toms, as seen in Live in São Paulo.

After the band split with his brother Max (lead vocals/rhythm guitar) in 1996 their relationship underwent a crisis. In recent times their relationship has improved, with Max stating in an interview that a reunion with Sepultura was possible. Iggor even joined Max's current band Soulfly on stage at the 2006 tenth annual D-Low Memorial Show, to play the Sepultura classics "Roots Bloody Roots" and "Attitude". It was the first time the brothers had played together in ten years.

In 2006 with the release of Dante XXI, he began spelling his name "Iggor", saying there is no special meaning to this, he just prefers the way it looks. However, this could be to avoid confusion with his nephew Igor, also a drummer, and who has also played onstage with Cavalera Conspiracy.

On 13 January 2006, it was announced that Iggor was taking a break due to his becoming a father for the fourth time. He left the ranks of Sepultura temporarily. On 12 June 2006 with the release of Dante XXI, Iggor announced that he was quitting Sepultura due to "artistic incompatibility."

Iggor was scheduled to collaborate with Underground Hip Hop artist Necro, on a project described by Necro as "old-school '80s thrash/death metal type of shit".[1] However, Necro mentioned later that the project will not go ahead. In 2008 he released an album called Inflikted together with his brother Max in a project named Cavalera Conspiracy. In 2009, he appeared on Violent J's The Shining on a track called "Fight Club", also featuring Necro.

He is also credited as having made a guest appearance on Biohazard's 2001 release "Uncivilization" on the track "Gone".

Vinnie Paul

Vincent Paul "Vinnie" Abbott (born on March 11, 1964 in Dallas, Texas, U.S.) is a heavy metal drummer and producer who is currently a member of supergroup Hellyeah, but is best known for being a member, and co-founder, of the heavy metal band Pantera. He also co-founded the heavy metal band Damageplan in 2003 with his late brother, Dimebag Darrell.

Birth name Vincent Paul Abbott
Born March 11, 1964 (1964-03-11) (age 45)
Origin Dallas, Texas, U.S.A.
Genre(s) Heavy metal, groove metal
Occupation(s) Musician, songwriter, producer
Instrument(s) Drums
Years active 1981-present
Label(s) Big Vin Records
Associated acts Pantera, Rebel Meets Rebel, Damageplan, Hellyeah

Life and career

Vinnie Paul is the son of Carolyn and Jerry Abbott, a metal music songwriter and producer. He played in Pantera, Damageplan, and Rebel Meets Rebel with his brother, late guitarist Dimebag Darrell. His professional musical relationship with his brother often earned them comparisons to fellow guitar/drum duo Eddie and Alex Van Halen.

Vinnie Paul is well-known for his extremely powerful drumming and especially for his "thundering" double bass drum playing, as a Sabian article named it. Some good examples of this style of playing can be heard in "Domination" off the Cowboys from Hell album and "Becoming", off the Far Beyond Driven album. As a trustworthy reference for his individual style and advanced drumming skills, Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy has mentioned Vinnie as one of his important influences

Drums

Vinnie Paul plays on a Pearl MRX Masters Series: In snake skin finish (Vinnie Paul Custom Wrap)

* 24x20 bass drum x 2
* 14x14 tom
* 15x15 tom
* 18x16 floor tom
* 14x8 Vinnie Paul Signature snare drum

Recently, Vinnie Paul has switched to ddrum drums.[3] His new DDRUM signature drumset [4] includes the following:

* 24x24 bass drum x2
* 14x14 tom
* 15x15 tom
* 16x16 floor tom
* 14x8 signature snare drum

Sabian Cymbals

* 14" AA Rock Hi-Hats
* 18" AA Rock Crash
* 20" AA Chinese
* 18" Hand Hammered Rock Crash x 2
* 22" Hand Hammered Power Bell Ride
* 20" AA Chinese
* 14" AA Rock Hi-Hats
* 18" AA Rock Crash
* 12" Sabian Ice bell
* 6" Alabama white Snake

Vic Firth Sticks
American Classic Rock. American Classic Metal Vinnie Paul signature (2B) Is usually witnessed playing his sticks backwards, striking the drums with the butt-ends.

Travis Barker

Travis Barker is quickly becoming one of the more influential musicians on the Rock scene today. Travis began studying drums and taking lessons at the age of four. He studied with a jazz teacher and was exposed to many different styles of music. While in High School, Travis played in the jazz ensemble and marching band. He subsequently gained much experience performing at regional competitions and festivals. His senior year, Travis passed up drum corps tryouts for touring with a rock band. He gained more experience as a rock drummer in a few early bands such as Feeble, The Suicide Machines, and The Aquabats.

In 1998, Travis replaced Blink 182's first drummer and came to the band’s rescue at one show by learning over twenty songs in just a few hours and performing with them later that evening. Travis quickly became a much respected and popular member of the band and solidified his position as the timekeeper with his professional attitude, rhythmic skills and talent.

Blink-182 won a Teen Choice Award, a Blockbuster Music Award, and appeared on the MTV Awards 2000 where they performed "All The Small Things" and won Best Group Video. In Europe, they received an MTV Europe Award for Best New Act. They have performed on Saturday Night Live and the Tonight Show (twice), appeared in the hit movie American Pie and opened the Billboard Music Awards. The band has also graced the covers of Rolling Stone, Alternative Press (twice) and Teen People. At this point, Blink-182 is a worldwide phenomenon, with their recordings reaping multi-platinum status and their concert tours selling out everywhere. The band's popularity has only increased since their formation in '93. In 1994 they released their first full-length album, Cheshire Cat, on Grilled Cheese (a division of Cargo Music). In 1996, they signed a joint-venture record deal with Cargo Music and MCA Records, with their first MCA release Dude Ranch (1997) setting the stage for their current success. By the end of 1998, they had emerged as one of the most popular pop-punk bands of the year.

Worldwide sales of Enema of the State are now over seven million copies, not to mention the fact that the album has been on Billboard's Top 200 for over a year. The album's three singles, "What's My Age Again," "All The Small Things" and "Adam's Song" have dominated MTV, alternative, rock and Top-40 radio. Travis will be on tour in support of Blink’s latest release and follow-up to "Enema of The State", "Take Off Your Pants And Jacket".

Box Car Racer, Barker's collaboration with Blink bandmate Tom DeLonge, David Kennedy and Anthony Celestino, filmed their second video recently with director Alexander Kostas (Filter, Andrew W.K.).


April 7, 2005
Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker of Blink 182 have started a new group named Plus 44, which features vocals from Carol Heller of Get The Girl.

The band are aiming to have a record released this year, with Hoppus telling MTV: "It's very exciting, like a breath of fresh air. It's all very electronic right now. We have a girl singing - she and I are trading off vocals.”

Barker also commented: "If Blink was the daytime, Plus 44 is the night time. It's such a departure from Blink, but it's amazing. I play all the drums, but they're electronic drums, plus I play piano and keyboard on it. And I've been making beats for it... I am just going to keep working on stuff. Everything's A-plus."

Blink 182 announced that they were to go on indefinite hiatus in February, citing a desire to spend more time with their families, however rumours surfaced that the trio had in fact fallen out.

September 2008:
Travis was hospitalized following a plane crash on September 19. Four others died in the crash. Barker was admitted to a Georgia burn center to treat third-degree burns to his lower body and returned home ten days later.



courtesy: drummerworld

Dave Lombardo

performed with:

Slayer
Andy Wallace
John Zorn
Bill Metoyer
Grip Inc.
Vivaldi
Testament
Fantomas
.. and more

When I was in 3rd. grade my class had show and tell day, bashful as I was I brought a set of bongos and a Santana record and played along to a song. My parents put me in a Catholic private school where we lived in Southgate California. They had a school band, I was in that class only for a year, marching drum was not what I wanted but I enjoyed it very much. At age 10 my dad saw my persistent interest in drums and agreed to buy me a 5 piece Maxwin by Pearl drumset for $350.I was a KISS fan at the time and the first record I ever bought was KISS Alive, I taught myself to play "100,000 years". I remember being the talk of the town for knowing that solo. Some guy I knew during that time asked me if I knew the drum solo in the song "Moby Dick". I was very aware of Led Zeppelin but exposing myself to the record Led Zeppelin II showed me a side of music that I wasn't too familiar with, The Blues. An amazing amount of feeling was what this band had, and not only as a whole but the drummer John Bonham played with soo much emotion that I felt I learned that element and took it with me through my career. Later I learned this was Crescendo's and Decrescendo's.

I would listen to the radio often I would tune into a show called The King Biscuit Flower Hour, and hear pre-recorded broadcast's of live show's. I'd go to the local record store and buy 45's (records containing one song on each side.) of songs that I would hear on the radio and play along to them. I feel this was a learning period for me. I asked my parents to let me take drum lesson's. That lasted a week, I got extremely bored with LRLLRLRR.I went back to listening and playing along to records. From 10 to 12 years old all I liked was Rock music, but Something strange was happening to me and it wasn't just puberty. I was again exposed to new music. A good majority of my friends if not all were listening to DISCO. And I got into it. It was fun I went to allot of dances and parties was even a DJ for a mobile Disc Jockey called "A Touch of Class" those were great times. I would come home at 4AM And my parents would be pissed and threatened to put me in a military school. Underneath the no collar shirt, pleated pants and stacy adam shoes was a still devoted rock fan. The music I was exposed to at that time showed me the effects of rhythm on the body. The difference of Disco and Rock were so great that it intrigued me and I found that playing along to this music showed me groove. I felt this energy and it was amazing, it made people dance and not just listen, like what rock music was about.

Summer of 78 still a DJ and still drumming, I was meeting various musicians around town and they would come over and talk with me, and some would bring there guitars and we would jam in my bedroom. We would play songs by Jimi Hendriks like Purple Haze, Foxy Lady and one of my favorites,Fire.Graduating from the private school at 8th grade I went to a private high school called Pius 10th.High school. There were older students and more musicians. There I sign up to be in the talent show. I did a duet with a guitar player named Peter Fashing, we did our own rendition of Johnny B Goode complete with a drum solo. I'll never forget the dress rehearsal the night before. There was sarcasm from another band yelling from a distance calling me Buddy Rich. We brought the house down the following night. I'll never forget the roar of the crowd during the drum solo. The next day at school the word was out, my name was "David the drummer" and everybody knew who I was. Soon after that I formed a band called "Escape" we only had 2 guitar players and played AC/DC Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath songs In my garage. I had to change school's because I wasn't meeting grade expectations. I went to South Gate High School and found a singer to join the band and still no bass player we played a couple parties under the name Sabotage, nothing came of it. My parents noticed my withdrawal from everything except music I would stay in my room after school and play my drums and listen to music. They nagged me to get a job and quit the band. So I did.

I was threatened by the musicians. I was hearing they were out to "kick my ass"for leaving the group. They never did. One of the guitar players girlfriend, the so-called manager went as far as to write a poem about me leaving the band in the school news paper saying," we'll see who makes it to the top, lets place a bet". I should of made that bet.

Getting a job at the local pizza joint as a delivery boy shut my parents up for a while I was able to talk my dad into buying me a real drumset.And since I had a job I was able to pay him back the loan. I went to Guitar Center in Hollywood and found a TAMA Swingstar drumset and Paiste Rude cymbal package for $1100 I'll never forget the ride home from the store in the back of my dads truck with my drums.

One day I was doing a local delivery and I remembered one of the guys that use to come over telling me about this guitar player that lived 5 blocks away he also told me that he had all these guitars that his dad bought him. I drove by the house and he was outside watering the lawn, I introduced myself to him by saying "hey I heard you play guitar I play drums do you want to jam?" he said,"yeah, Do you want to come by later and check out my guitars?" I agreed and showed up that night, and shared music and bands that each of us liked. His name was Kerry King.

To be continued...........

Lars Urich

Besides being one of Metallica's founding members and main songwriters, drummer Lars Ulrich is also the band's spokesman. Born on December 26, 1963, in Gentofte, Denmark, Ulrich's father (Torbin Ulrich) was a nationally renowned tennis player, and it appeared as though Lars would follow in his father's footsteps, as the young Ulrich practiced hard on tennis skills. In 1973, his father took Lars to his first rock concert, to see the mighty Deep Purple in Copenhagen, which opened the youngster's eyes to hard rock and heavy metal. After he decided that the tennis life wasn't for him after all, Ulrich shifted his focus on music (namely the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement: Iron Maiden, Saxon, Diamond Head, Motorhead, Def Leppard, etc.), and took up the drums. His family relocated to California in the early '80s, as Lars promptly put an ad in the local music paper looking for other similarly minded musicians looking to start up a band (even though the NWOBHM had yet to make an impression stateside). One of the first replies he received was from guitarist James Hetfield, as the pair agreed that they should form a band that was a reaction against the glam metal that had infiltrated Los Angeles at the time. Soon after, Metallica was officially born.

Several other bandmembers came and went, until a lineup consisting of bassist Cliff Burton, lead guitarist Dave Mustaine, plus Ulrich and Hetfield (the latter also doubling on vocals by this time) moved to San Francisco, building up a solid fan base due to their shows and a heavily circulated demo tape, No Life 'Til Leather. Metallica was offered a record contract with the independent label Megaforce if they agreed to move to New York, which they did, replacing Mustaine with Kirk Hammett in the process. Over the course of three releases, 1983's Kill 'Em All, 1984's Ride the Lightning (which was the group's first to be issued by a major label, Elektra), and 1986's Master of Puppets, Metallica became one of heavy metal's most promising new bands, until Burton's tragic death nearly derailed the group. With massive success just around the corner, the remaining members decided to carry on with replacement member Jason Newsted, resulting in such blockbuster releases as 1988's And Justice for All and 1991's self-titled release, which established the group as one of the biggest rock bands on the planet. The '90s saw more sold-out stadium tours and further hit albums (1996's Load, 1997's Reload, etc.), before Newsted exited the band in early 2001.

Between Metallica tours throughout the '90s, Ulrich kept himself busy forming his own record label, Music Company (via Elektra/Asylum) and jet setting with other rock stars as well as movie actors. In the late '90s, Ulrich received criticism from rock fans when he publicly spoke out against the mp3 file sharing internet server Napster, attempting to lend a hand in closing down the server by prohibiting Napster from including any Metallica songs - going as far as giving a list of Metallica fans who had downloaded songs of the group (which resulted in the ban of nearly 300,000 users from the service).

perform with :
Metallica
Diamond Head
Mercyful Fate
James Hetfield
Kirk Hammett
Randy Staub
Bob Rock
Jason Newsted
Cliff Burton
Brian Dobbs
Mark Whitaker
Jeffrey Norman
Michael Kamen
Toby Wright
Mike Clink
S. Mark Wright
Paul Welcomer
David Teie
Anthony Striplen
Peter Shelton
Victor Romasevich

.....and many more

Source: artistdirect.com

David Silveria

David Silveria was born in Bakersfield, California, on September 21st 1972. David grew up in Bakersfield, where he learned how to play drums at the age of 9. "I think one of the reasons music became such an obsession for everyone in the band is that there just wasn't a whole lot to do where we lived."

James, Brian and Fieldy were looking for a drummer for their band. Fieldy says "I get a message on my answer machine from this kid. David's like 13... 'hey you guys looking for a drummer'. So we called him up, tried him out...he was good, man"

"David was like, so young, he used to have to get his mom to drop him off at practice" says Munky. "They called me up. And I loaded up my drum kit into the car, and took it down to the studio, and it's been there ever since" says David.


David married Shannon Bellino in April, 1997, and tattooed her first name on his back. They have a son, David Jr., born on August 22, 1997. Along with the aforementioned tattoo of his wife's name, David has three more tattoos: a Cheshire cat, a guy sticking out his tongue that has a drumstick through it, and the Korn logo. He is described as the shy member of the band.

David has a lucrative side job as a model. He has already completed a modeling assignment for skate punk clothing company 26 Red. He proved such a hit that 26 Red's biggest rivals, Grind, have now also contracted Silveria to do a series of ads for them.

Of David's influences he says "There's music that I like to listen to, but when it comes to writing our music, I don't really get influenced by anyone else's music. I get influenced as we write our music. The part comes up and it influences me to think a certain way about the part and about how to go about writing to it."

Source: kornkids.com

Alexander Arthur Van Halen was born to Jan and Eugenia van Halen in Amsterdam, The Netherlands on May 8, 1953. Shortly after Edward was born, the van Halen family moved to Nijmegen.

On February 22, 1962, the van Halen family left Holland, after receiving several letters from relatives describing the wonders of California. In their possession were a few suitcases, 75 guilders and a piano. The trip took nine days by boat to New York, followed by another four days by train to California. Some time after their arrival in the United States, they changed their last name from van Halen, to Van Halen.

Alex developed an interest in music as a young boy, and as a grade-schooler in Pasadena, CA, began taking flamenco guitar lessons. At around the same time, Edward had begun playing the drums. But, as fate would have it, Alex lost interest in the guitar and spent more time pounding out the Surfaris' "Wipe Out" on Edward's $125 Japanese-made St. George kit while his younger brother was out delivering newspapers to pay for it, and they soon switched instruments permanently.

Alex graduated from Pasadena High School in 1971 and attended Pasadena City College for a brief period of time, where some of his classes included music theory and scoring and arranging.

Some of Al's early bands, all of which included Edward in the mix, were The Broken Combs (who performed lunchtime concerts at Hamilton Elementary School and featured Alex on saxophone), The Trojan Rubber Company, Genesis, and The Space Brothers. Among his influences are Buddy Rich, Keith Moon, John Bonham and Ginger Baker.

In 1972, Mammoth was formed and featured Alex on drums, Edward on lead vocals and guitar and Mark Stone on bass. By 1974, Mammoth became Van Halen; Stone had been replaced by Michael Anthony and David Lee Roth had taken over as the lead mouthpiece. From here, the quartet paid their dues on the Southern California club circuit, pounding out five sets a night everywhere they could. Be it Gazzari's (the first club to give them a break), the Starwood, the Whisky a GoGo, or Walter Mitty's Rock & Roll Emporium, Van Halen were everywhere, with Al often handling managerial duties, booking gigs and whatnot.

Shortly before the band was signed to Warner Bros. Records in 1977, Alex nearly lost a finger in a machine shop accident.

On February 8, 1978, "Van Halen," was released amid a flourishing disco and punk scene. This watershed album almost single-handedly brought rock and roll back into the forefront and to this day, remains one of the greatest and most powerful recordings of the 20th century to fans, musicians and critics worldwide. 20 years and twelve albums later, Van Halen are still doing things their way. There are no rules and what's trendy doesn't apply. It's music straight from the heart. Always has been, always will be.

Alex's powerful and dynamic drumming style and voice are as unique and instantly recognizable as Edward's guitar sound. The term "brown sound," which is universally linked with Edward's tone was actually coined by Alex and refers to the warmth of his own snare drum sound. But, don't overlook the finesse and sensitivity. He plays what's right for the song. Not to grandstand or just to draw attention to himself. He will however, let loose live in his unaccompanied drum solo. In this instance you've got to expect the unexpected. From lighting his kit on fire during the Van Halen II tour, to the Latinesque version of " Outta Love Again," complete with congas and horns on the III tour, you're always in for a treat.

In addition to the drums, Alex is also an accomplished pianist. The instrumental "Respect the Wind" from the Twister soundtrack features Alex on keys and marks his first and only appearance on a record outside of Van Halen. The piece has a melancholy, classical flavor to it, which isn't surprising due to the fact that Alex had several years of classical piano training as a young boy.

Though he appears ominous, silent and brooding to many (which is further enhanced by his usual all-black garb), Alex has a rapier-sharp wit and a love of practical jokes. In 1986, he shaved his head completely bald as a part of a bet, even appearing on an episode of Night Tracks and in the Hank Williams, Jr. video for "My Name is Bocephus" with his newly shorn dome. A word to the wise: don't ever leave your shoes unattended in his presence. Otherwise you may return to find them nailed to the floor.

Alex will be the first to tell you he's not a rock star. He's a musician. He'll be making music until the day he dies, in one form or another.


courtesy: drummerworld

Trent Reznor

Birth name Michael Trent Reznor
Born May 17, 1965 (1965-05-17) (age 43)
Mercer, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Genre(s)
Industrial
Industrial rock
Industrial metal
Alternative rock
Electronic

Occupation(s)
Musician
Singer-songwriter
Sound designer
Record producer

Instrument(s)
Vocals
Piano
Synthesizer
Keyboard instrument
Programming
Guitar
Bass guitar
Saxophone
Drums
Tuba
Sousaphone
Marimba
Pan flute

Years active 1982–present
Label(s) Independent
Associated acts Option 30 (1982–1984)
The Innocent (1985)
Exotic Birds (1986–1988)
Lucky Pierre (1988)
Nine Inch Nails (since 1988)
Pigface
Tapeworm
Revolting Cocks
David Bowie
Marilyn Manson
1000 Homo DJs
Saul Williams
QOTSA
Peter Lynch

Early life

Michael Trent Reznor was born in Mercer, Pennsylvania (halfway between Pittsburgh and Erie) to Michael Joseph Reznor and Nancy Lou Clark on May 17, 1965.[4] Reznor was referred to by his middle name to avoid confusion with his father. After his parents divorced, he lived with his grandparents, while his sister Tera lived with their mother.[5] Reznor has acknowledged that his sheltered life in Pennsylvania left him feeling isolated from the outside world. In a 1994 interview with Rolling Stone, he makes reference to his choices in the music industry, as well as elaborating on his early life, stating

I don't know why I want to do these things, other than my desire to escape from Small Town, U.S.A., to dismiss the boundaries, to explore. It isn't a bad place where I grew up, but there was nothing going on but the cornfields. My life experience came from watching movies, watching TV and reading books and looking at magazines. And when your fucking culture comes from watching TV every day, you're bombarded with images of things that seem cool, places that seem interesting, people who have jobs and careers and opportunities. None of that happened where I was. You're almost taught to realize it's not for you.

However, Reznor later said "I don't want to give the impression it was a miserable childhood".[7] At the Mercer Area Junior and Senior High Schools, Reznor learned to play the saxophone and tuba. He was a member of both the jazz and marching band. Former Mercer High School band director Dr. Hendley Hoge remembered Reznor as "very upbeat and friendly."[8] Reznor also became involved in theater while in high school. He was voted "Best in Drama" by classmates for his roles as Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar and Professor Harold Hill in The Music Man. Reznor graduated from this high school in 1983 and enrolled at Allegheny College, where he studied computer engineering

Early musical projects
Reznor (far right) on the cover of Option 30's self-titled album.

While still in high school in Mercer, Reznor was the keyboardist and one of the vocalists in a local band called The Klikz. Playing local clubs and quite a few high school dances throughout the area, The Klikz had a reputation as a talented and fun cover band. The repertoire consisted of the Pop and New Wave music hits of that period in the early 1980s. Playing a host of analog synthesizers, Reznor kept his primary keyboard on a stand he had constructed himself made from a work-mate table and a Lazy Susan that allowed him to rotate the keyboard along with his frenetic dancing and singing. The Klikz disbanded before Reznor went to college.

While he was enrolled in Allegheny College, Reznor joined local band Option 30, playing three shows a week with them. But after only a year of college, Reznor dropped out and moved to Cleveland, Ohio in order to pursue a career in music.[8] In 1985, he joined The Innocent as a keyboardist. They released one album, Livin' in the Street, but Reznor quit after just three months. In 1986, Reznor joined local band Exotic Birds. He also appeared with them as the fictional band "The Problems" in the 1987 film Light of Day.[10]

Reznor got a job at Right Track Studio (now known as Midtown Recording) as an assistant engineer and janitor.[11] Studio owner Bart Koster later commented that Reznor was "so focused in everything he [did]. When that guy waxed the floor, it looked great."[8] Reznor asked Koster for permission to record demos of his own songs for free during unused studio time. Koster agreed, remarking that it cost him "just a little wear on [his] tape heads".[8] While assembling these, the earliest NIN recordings, Reznor was unable to find a band that could articulate his songs as he wanted. Instead, inspired by Prince, he played all the instruments except drums himself.[12] This role remains Reznor's on most of the band's studio recordings, though he has occasionally involved other musicians and assistants. Several labels responded favorably to the demo material, and Reznor signed with TVT Records.[11] Nine selections from the Right Track demos were unofficially released in 1994 as Purest Feeling; many of these songs would appear in revised form on his 1989 debut studio album under the stage name Nine Inch Nails.

mudvayne time guys..

Mudvayne formed in 1996 with Chad Gray, Greg Tribbet, Matthew McDonough, and Shawn Barclay,[citation needed] releasing their demo, Kill, I Oughtta. In 1998, then bassist Shawn Barclay was replaced by current bassist Ryan Martinie.

Signing with Epic (1998)
A critical turning point for the band occurred in April 1998 when local promoter Steve Soderstrom hosted Soda Pop Production's "Original Hard Rock Music Showcase" at the now defunct Hub Ballroom in Edelstein, Illinois. Mudvayne along with fifty seven other Peoria bands answered the radio ad and was one of the twelve bands chosen to perform live on two stages. Soda Pop Productions followed the show up with "Shredfest" on the Peoria riverfront stage which Mudvayne also played. Steve Soderstrom contacted longtime friend and renown band manager Chuck Toler, in Madison, Wisconsin, who came down to a third show at the American Legion Hall in Washington, Illinois to see the band perform live. As a result Chuck Toler began managing the band and secured a recording contract with Epic Records.

L.D. 50 and The Beginning of All Things to End (2000–2001)
The band first hit the mainstream in 2000, when they were featured on the second stage of the Tattoo the Earth Art and Music Festival Tour. They scored their first hit single with the song "Dig" from their debut album L.D. 50. For this song, the band won the first ever MTV2 Award at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2001. The popularity of the song paved the way for the highly successful album (certified gold, sold over 500,000 as of 2001) and was followed by singles "Death Blooms" and "Nothing to Gein".

In 2001, they released an extended version of the Kill, I Oughtta EP titled as The Beginning of All Things to End and continued their frequent touring.

The End of All Things to Come (2002–2003)
During the L.D. 50 era, the band was famous for wearing extravagant make-up, seen in both their music videos and live concerts, and using unusual stage names such as Kud, Gurrg, RyKnow, and sPaG. With their second album, 2002's The End of All Things to Come, the band changed make-up styles from multicolored face paint to dressing up as aliens and changing the stage names, now they were Chüd, Güüg, Rü-D, and Spüg. Mudvayne's reason for wearing such extravagant make-up was, according to the band, to add a visual aspect to their music and to set them apart from other run-of-the-mill metal bands. Mudvayne participated in the Summer Sanitarium Tour 2003, headlined by Metallica, and with the release of the 2003 single "World So Cold", Mudvayne abandoned their use of make-up entirely.

Lost and Found (2005–2006)
In 2005, their third album Lost and Found was released with the band members' real names and without any gimmicks.

In mid-2005, Mudvayne played on the main stage of Ozzfest. During this tour, Chad Gray wore a monkey suit without the head, had a fake, blood-spattered face with a mohawk, and carried a baseball bat around on stage with him while singing.[5] The other members of the band were also dressed in an unorthodox fashion. After this tour Mudvayne then started on a world tour which included Australia, North America and Europe. During their show in Sydney various Australian T.V personalities made an appearance such as Nikolas Crowfoot, Mitch Jones and Craig Welton. These concerts were a great success.

Mudvayne's 2005 singles have helped to increase their popularity further. "Determined" was included on the Need for Speed: Underground 2 soundtrack. "Happy?" was featured as the theme music of the WWE Vengeance pay-per-view for World Wrestling Entertainment in June 2005, and was also featured in MX vs. ATV: Untamed. The band was featured in an episode of The Sopranos. Their single "Forget to Remember" was featured in the film Saw II. This was the second Mudvayne song to be featured in a movie, after "Not Falling", the band's first single off The End of All Things to Come, the track Forget to Remember appeared on the Saw II soundtrack, and in the 2002 film Ghost Ship. Mudvayne have also contributed to the Masters Of Horror series soundtrack with a song called "Small Silhouette". About 2 million copies of the album were sold worldwide.

By the People, For the People (2007–2008)
By the People, For the People is a compilation of demo/live versions of previously released songs (chosen by the fans), 2 b-sides, and a few introductions to some songs, 1 new song, and a cover of The Police's "King of Pain".

By the People, for the People is the second compilation album, and fifth album release by Mudvayne. It was released on November 27, 2007 by Epic Records. The album features a track listing chosen entirely by the band's fans, with the band determining which version appears on the record (e.g. live, demo, acoustic), as well as two new songs, "Dull Boy" and a cover of The Police's song "King of Pain" (both produced by Dave Fortman).

By the People, for the People is presented in a format where each song is introduced through a short interlude generally no longer than 30 seconds long, where Chad Gray debriefs the listener on surrounding facts such as where the song was recorded or performed live, or distinguishing a demo from an album version (obviously limited to in the case of demos). The album debuted at number 51 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, selling about 22,000 copies in its first week.

The New Game & Untitled 5th album (2008 - To Present)
After the return of vocalist Chad Gray and guitarist Greg Tribbett from their touring commitments with side project Hellyeah, Mudvayne began the recording process for The New Game with producer Dave Fortman, who also produced their previous effort, Lost and Found. Fortman reported to MTV that the album will be followed six months later by a second full-length record. He also attested that while the album should please listeners, it will also incorporate a distinct rock and roll sound unheard on previous Mudvayne records. "It's heavy and has great hooks," said Fortman, "but it also has some moments that are a little more rock n' roll that are really cool. It's not anything drastic, but every now and then you'll catch a little hint of old-school rock. Also, the tones are a little more earthy sounding and somewhat warmer than Lost and Found.".

Mudvayne's 5th studio album,was produced by Mudvayne. The not yet titled album will be released this summer. The band self-produced the album with Engineer Jermey Parker who also worked on Lost and Found and The New Game while Dave Fortman was the executive producer. Mudvayne was free to do anything they wanted on this album. The album will come fully packaged with Mudvayne twists, time signature changes, and according to the band, it will be dark and will have some of the fastest and slowest songs Mudvayne has ever done. The band stated that the album will be quite different from The New Game. The album title has yet to be comfirmed. Mudvayne's website's say BIG ANNOUNCEMENT COMING SOON STAY TUNED WASTERS. Mudvayne will also be on tour this summer with Black Label Society and Static X.

Musical style and influences
Mudvayne is known for performing a technical style of music which they have referred to as "math rock". Mudvayne was influenced by performers such as Emperor, King Crimson and Porcupine Tree. Mudvayne's musical style incorporates elements of pop, country and blues, gangsta rap, classical, techno, death metal, speed metal, hardcore punk and progressive rock. Mudvayne's musical style has been described as alternative metal, extreme metal, heavy metal, neo-progressive rock, nu metal, progressive metal, shock rock and thrash metal.