these guys certainly know how to lay
down a heavy beat welcome to
watchmojo.com and today we’re counting
down our picks for the top ten hard rock
and heavy metal drummers
this list we picked drummers from hard
rock and heavy metal bands only
we’ve excluded Led Zeppelin and others
like them because we’re defining them
more as plastic hard rock at number 10
Vinnie Paul Pantera damageplan and hell
yeah playing in a band like Pantera
makes it virtually impossible to not end
up on this list
of course being one hell of a bad ass
drummer certainly helps too
Vinnie Paul doesn’t have a lot of flash
but he knows how to lay down a heavy
hitting beat his grooves are all about
high impact and you can really feel the
power he lays into the drums
we almost feel sorry for his drum heads
almost
number nine Joey Jordison
Slipknot’s
cool masks blindingly fast double bass
blast beats
clever drum fills and making it all look
so easy
all these things are associated with
Slipknot drummer Joey Jordison part of
the anticipation that came with each new
Slipknot album was what Joey was gonna
bring to the table
although he was recently kicked out of
the band Joey will always be remembered
for the pure awesomeness that he brought
to Slipknot number eight
Danny Carey tool
if there ever was a drummer that made
you a question what you just heard it
would be tools Danny Carrey
musical enthusiasts and fans alike
listen and wonder at the technicality of
his drumming his drumbeats often
involved time signatures that aren’t
straightforward
Karry is seen by many as the master of
the polyrhythm which is a beat that
involves two or more conflicting rhythms
studying his work definitely feels more
like a math class than a drum lesson in
a good way
number seven Jimmy the Rev Sullivan
avenged sevenfold
when it comes to flash and making
drumming look good look no further than
the work of Jimmy the Rev Sullivan when
Avenged Sevenfold changed their sound
with 2005 city of evil
Sullivan’s drumming was really allowed
to shine
combining the musical influences of
old-school thrash with modern hard rock
his drumming was a sight to behold
though he unfortunately passed away in
2009 at the young age of 28 he had
already cemented a legacy that will be
remembered by metal fans for quite some
time
number six Alex Van Halen Van Halen
the drummer of one of the biggest bands
in history deserves a spot on this list
though van Halen might not be considered
metal by today’s standards they were a
little heavier than most of the rock
bands in their day Alex Van Halen is the
ultimate rock drummer combining
traditional rock beats with some of the
best solos in the business
he had all the skills needed to keep up
with his brother who we all know was
pretty good at his instrument of choice
as well
number five Mike Portnoy Dream Theater
an enormous drum kit that would give
Neil Pierre to run for his money Mike
Portnoy doesn’t hold back when deciding
what pieces to bring with him on stage
analyzing and studying his drumbeats
will take any aspiring drummer to school
though he no longer plays with Dream
Theater that hasn’t stopped him from
joining other projects and Ben
you don’t even have to be a drummer to
appreciate his awesome drum solos
number four Nicko McBrain iron me
can’t spell classic metal without the
words iron and mate
Nicko McBrain on top of having one of
the coolest names in the history of
music is the very definition of
old-school metal
his beats were more about getting the
job done than showboating and being
flashy that being said Nico’s drumming
is not without some Flair incorporating
a little swing and elegance into his
beat
number three Lars Ulrich Metallica
Lars Ulrich is more than just an amazing
drummer sure it’s important to have
technical skill or play difficult beats
at high tempo but Lars brings much more
than that to the table
and
throughout the years he’s shown that
he’s adaptable and versatile by varying
his style in accordance with the band’s
musical evolution and knows exactly how
to keep in time with James Hetfield’s
rhythm guitar
watching him play you can really see how
he draws the crowd in and provokes
audience participation
Metallica mostly plays arena sized shows
but no matter how large the venue every
show feels personal and every fan feels
like more than just someone in the crowd
and that’s what metal is all about
number two Bill Ward Black Sabbath metal
as it is today just wouldn’t be the same
without the originators of heavy Black
Sabbath
Bill Ward did for heavy metal what John
Bonham did for rock and roll
he also backed up Tony Iommi’s guitar
wizardry with hard-hitting grooves and
masterful drum work
ward wasn’t just the guy in the
background banging out a few beats he
was showing the world what metal
drumming was and would eventually become
before we unveil our top pick here are a
few honorable mentions
number one Dave Lombardo Slayer
it should be no surprise to see Dave
Lombardo at the top of this list as he
drifted in and out of Slayer
he helped revolutionize the thrash and
speed metal genres
his drumming is chock-full of attitude
and unrelenting rhythm if you look up
Lombardo in the dictionary you would
find that he is the exact definition of
heavy metal drum
he set the standard for the genre and
showed later drummers what it meant to
play hard and fast
do you agree with our list who is your
favorite hard rock or heavy metal
drummer
for more heavy-hitting top 10s published
every day be sure to subscribe to
watchmojo.com
down a heavy beat welcome to
watchmojo.com and today we’re counting
down our picks for the top ten hard rock
and heavy metal drummers
this list we picked drummers from hard
rock and heavy metal bands only
we’ve excluded Led Zeppelin and others
like them because we’re defining them
more as plastic hard rock at number 10
Vinnie Paul Pantera damageplan and hell
yeah playing in a band like Pantera
makes it virtually impossible to not end
up on this list
of course being one hell of a bad ass
drummer certainly helps too
Vinnie Paul doesn’t have a lot of flash
but he knows how to lay down a heavy
hitting beat his grooves are all about
high impact and you can really feel the
power he lays into the drums
we almost feel sorry for his drum heads
almost
number nine Joey Jordison
Slipknot’s
cool masks blindingly fast double bass
blast beats
clever drum fills and making it all look
so easy
all these things are associated with
Slipknot drummer Joey Jordison part of
the anticipation that came with each new
Slipknot album was what Joey was gonna
bring to the table
although he was recently kicked out of
the band Joey will always be remembered
for the pure awesomeness that he brought
to Slipknot number eight
Danny Carey tool
if there ever was a drummer that made
you a question what you just heard it
would be tools Danny Carrey
musical enthusiasts and fans alike
listen and wonder at the technicality of
his drumming his drumbeats often
involved time signatures that aren’t
straightforward
Karry is seen by many as the master of
the polyrhythm which is a beat that
involves two or more conflicting rhythms
studying his work definitely feels more
like a math class than a drum lesson in
a good way
number seven Jimmy the Rev Sullivan
avenged sevenfold
when it comes to flash and making
drumming look good look no further than
the work of Jimmy the Rev Sullivan when
Avenged Sevenfold changed their sound
with 2005 city of evil
Sullivan’s drumming was really allowed
to shine
combining the musical influences of
old-school thrash with modern hard rock
his drumming was a sight to behold
though he unfortunately passed away in
2009 at the young age of 28 he had
already cemented a legacy that will be
remembered by metal fans for quite some
time
number six Alex Van Halen Van Halen
the drummer of one of the biggest bands
in history deserves a spot on this list
though van Halen might not be considered
metal by today’s standards they were a
little heavier than most of the rock
bands in their day Alex Van Halen is the
ultimate rock drummer combining
traditional rock beats with some of the
best solos in the business
he had all the skills needed to keep up
with his brother who we all know was
pretty good at his instrument of choice
as well
number five Mike Portnoy Dream Theater
an enormous drum kit that would give
Neil Pierre to run for his money Mike
Portnoy doesn’t hold back when deciding
what pieces to bring with him on stage
analyzing and studying his drumbeats
will take any aspiring drummer to school
though he no longer plays with Dream
Theater that hasn’t stopped him from
joining other projects and Ben
you don’t even have to be a drummer to
appreciate his awesome drum solos
number four Nicko McBrain iron me
can’t spell classic metal without the
words iron and mate
Nicko McBrain on top of having one of
the coolest names in the history of
music is the very definition of
old-school metal
his beats were more about getting the
job done than showboating and being
flashy that being said Nico’s drumming
is not without some Flair incorporating
a little swing and elegance into his
beat
number three Lars Ulrich Metallica
Lars Ulrich is more than just an amazing
drummer sure it’s important to have
technical skill or play difficult beats
at high tempo but Lars brings much more
than that to the table
and
throughout the years he’s shown that
he’s adaptable and versatile by varying
his style in accordance with the band’s
musical evolution and knows exactly how
to keep in time with James Hetfield’s
rhythm guitar
watching him play you can really see how
he draws the crowd in and provokes
audience participation
Metallica mostly plays arena sized shows
but no matter how large the venue every
show feels personal and every fan feels
like more than just someone in the crowd
and that’s what metal is all about
number two Bill Ward Black Sabbath metal
as it is today just wouldn’t be the same
without the originators of heavy Black
Sabbath
Bill Ward did for heavy metal what John
Bonham did for rock and roll
he also backed up Tony Iommi’s guitar
wizardry with hard-hitting grooves and
masterful drum work
ward wasn’t just the guy in the
background banging out a few beats he
was showing the world what metal
drumming was and would eventually become
before we unveil our top pick here are a
few honorable mentions
number one Dave Lombardo Slayer
it should be no surprise to see Dave
Lombardo at the top of this list as he
drifted in and out of Slayer
he helped revolutionize the thrash and
speed metal genres
his drumming is chock-full of attitude
and unrelenting rhythm if you look up
Lombardo in the dictionary you would
find that he is the exact definition of
heavy metal drum
he set the standard for the genre and
showed later drummers what it meant to
play hard and fast
do you agree with our list who is your
favorite hard rock or heavy metal
drummer
for more heavy-hitting top 10s published
every day be sure to subscribe to
watchmojo.com
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