# Best heavy metal drummer of the bands of today. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 26, 2004, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-heavy-metal-drummer-of-the-bands-of-today/266109 "2004-09-26T02:12:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bummerboy2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@bummerboy2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bummerboy2)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2004, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-heavy-metal-drummer-of-the-bands-of-today/266109/1 "2004-09-26T02:12:55Z")
Who, in the people’s opinion, are the best heavy metal drummers of the bands of today? ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2004, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-heavy-metal-drummer-of-the-bands-of-today/266109/2 "2004-09-26T02:32:54Z")
First rock, then rap, now… Heavy Metal? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![bummerboy2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@bummerboy2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bummerboy2)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2004, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-heavy-metal-drummer-of-the-bands-of-today/266109/3 "2004-09-26T03:19:23Z")
Yes, heavy metal. Slipknot, KoRn, Disturbed, God Forbid, Devil Driver, Bleeding Through, Darkest Hour, and the list goes on and on and on. ---
**Author:** ![Chairman\_Pow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/838e76/32.png) [@Chairman\_Pow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chairman_Pow)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2004, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-heavy-metal-drummer-of-the-bands-of-today/266109/4 "2004-09-26T03:23:34Z")
Ooh. #1 Pete “Commando” Sandoval of Morbid Angel fame. He might not have invented blast beats or the rolling kick drums and there are some faster guys, but no one comes close for his sense of orchestration. #2 the guy from Nile who actually does beat the Commando in speed (is there anyone faster?) and manages to have a decent sense of orchestration nonetheless. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2004, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-heavy-metal-drummer-of-the-bands-of-today/266109/5 "2004-09-26T04:28:24Z")
No nu metal drummer even comes close. Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater), Gene Hoglan (Death, Strapping Young Lad), and the guys from Dillinger Escape Plan and Black Dahlia Murder are all up there, but for my money, no one can touch Hellhammer (Winds, Kovenant, Mayhem, Arcturus). Go find a copy of Arcturus’ “Collapse Generation” (from _The Sham Mirrors_) if you don’t believe me. The man’s a god. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2004, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-heavy-metal-drummer-of-the-bands-of-today/266109/6 "2004-09-26T06:39:09Z")
Jean Paul Gaster of Clutch. He’s studied under Jazz drummers for years. Absolutely incredible live and in the studio. ---
**Author:** ![Rock-n-Rolga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/22d042/32.png) [@Rock-n-Rolga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rock-n-Rolga)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2004, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-heavy-metal-drummer-of-the-bands-of-today/266109/7 "2004-09-26T16:37:21Z")
Agree with all of the above Max Kolesne of Krisiun. The man’s a machine. Janne Saarenpaa of the Crown (now defunct, hope he finds another band stat!) Per Moller-Jensen of the Haunted/Konkhra/Invocator and of course Dave Lombardo of Slayer. ---
**Author:** ![z\_z\_z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b2d939/32.png) [@z\_z\_z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/z_z_z)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2004, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-heavy-metal-drummer-of-the-bands-of-today/266109/8 "2004-09-26T18:37:32Z")
I like Vinnie Paul from Pantera. ---
**Author:** ![rinni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f6c823/32.png) [@rinni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rinni)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2004, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-heavy-metal-drummer-of-the-bands-of-today/266109/9 "2004-09-26T23:13:16Z")
> [@ultrafilter](#): > > No nu metal drummer even comes close. Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater), Gene Hoglan (Death, Strapping Young Lad), and the guys from Dillinger Escape Plan and Black Dahlia Murder are all up there, but for my money, no one can touch Hellhammer (Winds, Kovenant, Mayhem, Arcturus). > > Go find a copy of Arcturus’ “Collapse Generation” (from _The Sham Mirrors_) if you don’t believe me. The man’s a god. 🙂 I was coming to this thread to sing the praises of Hellhammer, but it appears I have been raced. I will just add this: Seconded! The Sham Mirrors is one of my favourite albums… ever. EVERRR. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-heavy-metal-drummer-of-the-bands-of-today/266109/10 "2004-09-27T01:20:58Z")
Moving this from IMHO to Cafe Society. ---
**Author:** ![Cuckoorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Cuckoorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cuckoorex)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-heavy-metal-drummer-of-the-bands-of-today/266109/11 "2004-09-27T02:38:52Z")
I’ve been diggin’ Jason Bittner’s work for Shadows Fall. Back when I was a Christian, I was pretty taken with Jayson Sherlock from Mortification, Jim Chaffin from The Crucified, and Ted Kirkpatrick from Tourniquet.