Drummer Biography

"Joey Jordison"

Joey Jordison was born Nathan Jonas “Joey” Jordison on April 26, 1975. He is a rock and heavy metal musician, best known as a drummer with the band Slipknot. He is also known for his speed while playing drums, a quality that has made him a star on the rise, and a hero especially for the young and hardcore lovers of rock. He has not only performed to platinum status with Slitknot, but has worked other big bands like Metallica and Korn.

Jordison was born in Des Moines, Iowa. He was the oldest of the three siblings he has. He went to Waukee High School in Waukee, Iowa. While at school, Jordison was a guitar player, but made a name for himself later as a drummer in the school jazz band. Later on, he played for a number of extreme metal bands while he worked at a gas station in Fresno, Iowa. These bands included Modifidious, The Rejects, now known as Murderdolls and Anal Blast.

Later on, in 1995, Jordinson joined Slipknot whose other members included DJ Sid Wilson, Paul Grey on bass, percussionists Chris Fehn and Shawn "Clown" Crahan, guitarist Mick Thompson, and lead vocalist Corey Taylorand. In 1996, they released their first album called Mate.Feed.Kill.Repeat. .The record didn’t make good sales nor did it create a notable impact. In fact, many fans ridiculed the group for their ‘bogus music’ and scary attire. Only 1000 copies were produced and sold worldwide, but this album soon caught the attention of some promoters and label companies. After this slow start, Roadrunner Records label agreed to release their second album.

Their self named second album is considered as their official launching pad. Soon after it was released, it was able to sneak its to way to number 51 on the billboard charts. The group was now able to build a larger pool of fans around the world. The also took part in the summer Ozzfest package tour. Their live performances were a talked about topic among heavy metal lovers. They were now able to make crowds go wild with their performances.

Their third album was quite a thunder. It was named Iowa. Many industry observers had predicted that it would debut at number one on world charts; but stiff competition for the top slot that week made the album to come in at number three. Nevertheless, the album debuted in at number 1 in the US Billboard charts and number 1 in both the United Kingdom and Canada's national charts. This album sailed the group to super stardom in no time. The band later had heavy tour schedules including participation in 2001 summer Ozzfest. After the tour, they went on hiatus.

When the group was on hiatus, Jordison did other side projects for various artists and bands. He remixed "Fight Song" for Marilyn Manson and was also featured in Manson's "Tainted Love" video. In 2002, Jordison joined another popular band, Murderdolls. The band also featured, Wednesday 13 and Tripp Eisen. With this band, he was a guitarist and not a drummer, which shows how talented Jordison is. He did not wear a mask while performing with the Murderdolls as was his trade mark while with Slipknot. The group, which was initially known as The Rejects, produced an album named "Beyond the Valley of the Murderdolls". By the time the group went on hiatus they had become very popular especially in the United Kingdom and Japan. Though some think the group is split, Wednesday 13 still insist that they went on hiatus just to give Jordison a chance to go back to Slipknot and that they would come back together and record. Their last show together was on September 17, 2004 in Corona, California.

Jordison also played live with Rock & Metal bands such as Korn, Marilyn Manson, Emperor, Metallica, American Headcharge, Staind, Justice, Satyricon, and 3 Inches of Blood. In 2004, Metallica was to perform at the Download Festival, but they got stuck when their ace drummer fell ill. Jordison came to their aid and filled in as their drummer. He is therefore reputed as the one who saved the 2004 Download Festival. In 2006, he was the drummer for the industrial metal band Ministry. For the most of 2007, Jordison took over the drumming duties for the nu-metal band Korn. He toured with them for 5 months and he is also seen in their video for "Evolution" going back to the studio to work on Slipknot's fourth studio album. Jordison is also a talented songwriter. He has also now begun producing albums, with Fire up the Blades by the band 3 Inches of Blood, being the first.

Drummer Biography

"The Reverend"

The Rev (born James “Jimmy” Owen Sullivan on February 9 1981- December 28 2009), short for The Reverend Tholomew Plague was the drummer of Avenged Sevenfold, a heavy metal band.

At the age of 3 The Rev got his own drum set. The Rev attended a Catholic school with A7X lead singer M. Shadows, but was expelled in the 3rd grade. The Rev spent a lot of time as a teen living in a laundromat and was in and out of homes. His first record was released at the age of 18. He maintains a presence in the side project Pinkly Smooth with fellow Avenged Sevenfold guitarist Synyster Gates, as well as parts of surf-punk band Ballistico. He has also played piano for the band on “Warmness On The Soul”.

He was also formerly the drummer for third-wave ska band Suburban Legends, along with former Avenged Sevenfold bassist Justin Meacham (not associated with Anti-Flag).

On the new A7X DVD while discussing how each member got their stage names, it was stated that Sullivan attained his name via a shortened version of The Reverend Tholomew Plague. The decision was seemingly random, as there were no specific reasons stated as to the inspiration for the name. He had a tendency to wear eccentric outfits such as outrageously colored kimonos.

Some of his favorite bands are Rancid, The Transplants and Slayer. Sullivan cites his influences as being Vinnie Paul of Pantera, Dave Lombardo and Paul Bostaph of Slayer, and Mike Portnoy of Dream Theater.

Sullivan uses and is sponsored by DW Drums, although he appears in advertisements for DW’s budget company, PDP. He is also sponsored by Sabian cymbals, Pro-Mark sticks and Evans drum heads.

Recognized for vocals in side project Pinkly Smooth, Sullivan is utilized as a back-up vocalist in Avenged Sevenfold, primarily for live screams in songs such as Eternal Rest. The upcoming single from the band’s upcoming eponymous album, Critical Acclaim features Sullivan at lead vocals during the chorus of the song, both singing and screaming. He also use his vocals in another songs from the Avenged Sevenfold eponymous, mainly screaming.

The Rev is also featured in the song “A Little Piece of Heaven” (which was written by him) singing, laughing and screaming a little bit.

The Rev was found dead at his home in Huntington Beach, California Monday December 28, 2009 at 11:00 a.m. Orange County Coroners office are investigating Jimmy Sullivan’s passing.

Drummer Biography

"Jojo Mayer"

Jojo Mayer, a drummer based in New York, is known for his creative and innovative drumming techniques, which make him one of the best solo drummers in the world. Mayer was born on January 18, 1963 in Zurich, Switzerland. He grew with a lot of music influence around him. His father, Vali Mayer, was a bass player. When he was a child, he traveled extensively with his father, going as far as the Far East and throughout Europe. He got his first drum set at the age of 2, a set he made use of to perform for the public in Hong Kong when he was only 3 years old.

Mayer joined a professional band when he was eighteen. The Band was the Monty Alexander's group which embarked on a European tour soon after he joined. The band performed in all the major jazz-festivals including the North-Sea-Jazz Festival, Montreux, Nice, Antibes, Athens etc. While on these tours, Mayer got to meet jazz-greats like Dizzy Gillespie and Nina Simone who introduced him to the international arena.

Mayer is one of the most sought after drummers. His dexterity as a drummer and experience has led him to work with artists from various music genres. Some of these artists and bands include Jamaaladeen Tacuma, Meshell n'dege Occello, Vernon Reid's science project, DJ Spooky, Harry Pepl, Gerald Veasley, the Vienna Art Orchestra, Monty Alexander, John Zorn, James Blood Ulmer, Passport, Chico Freeman, John Medeski, Family of Percussion, The Screaming Headless Torsos, Hiram Bullock, Leni Stern, The intergalactic Maiden Ballet, Steve Coleman's 5 Elements, Wah Wah Watson, George Adams, among others.

Mayer’s reputation as a performer and instructor has soared, not only among his fans, but among his fellow musicians too. He has performed in some of the biggest and most famous drum festivals which include the Modern Drummer Festival (1998 and 2005), the Buddy Rich Memorial Scholarship NYC (95), the International Drummer-Meeting in Koblenz (89, 91, 95), PASIC (96), the Montreal Drum- Fest (96), the NAMM-Show's"Drums along the Hilton"(96), int. Slagwerkkrant Dag (96), int. Budapest Dob-Gala (94, 95), Manny's Drum-Mania NYC (98) and the "int. Musik Messe Frankfurt"(93, 97), where he played alongside world renowned drummers including Dave Weck, Terry Bozzio, Jack de Johnette and Billy Cobham, among others.

Mayer moved to the United States in 1991. He is busy studio recording for various artists. He is also involved with various live performances featuring some of the notable bands and musicians. Mayer is a resident of New York city, but spends a lot of time on international tours which have so far taken him to Europe, the US, South America, The Far East and Africa. Mayer is also an established writer and producer besides being a world class drummer with many projects on the cards.

Jojo Mayer has established a weekly party event in New York called Prohibited Beatz. The event is one of the most famous events in the city. Though the event is doing well and the attendance is at the top, Mayer takes time to venture into various avenues to promote it. Mayer has recently produced his first solo project called Nerve. He has adopted some the new styles, most of which of which have been created by him, in his new project. The styles include "Drum n’ Bass", "Nu-Skool Breaks", "Speed Garage" and employment of disc jockeys to remix the music. His two projects, Nerver and Prohibited Beatz have gained popularity, not only in New York, but beyond New York and are slowly forming as a new music culture across the world.

Jojo Mayer's has endorsed various music products and companies. He is also seen in the advertisements, catalogues and publication of those companies. The products he endorses includes Sonor drums, Sabian cymbals, Remo drumheads and Vic Firth drumsticks. Recently he is colaborating with Sabian, as designer and product developer (Jojo Mayer Signature "Fierce Ride" & "Fierce Crash" Models). He is also a consultant for Sonor's "Jungle Kit" and designer for Vic Firth drumsticks (Jojo Mayer Signature Model).

Drummer Biography

"Mike Portnoy"

Mike Portnoy (born April 20, 1967) is an American drummer. He is primarily known for his work with the progressive metal band Dream Theater.

Mike Portnoy was born and raised in Long Beach, New York, where his interest in music started at an early age. Although Portnoy taught himself how to play the drums, he did take music theory classes in high school. During that time he began playing in local bands Intruder, Rising Power and Inner Sanctum, the latter of which released their own album. He left the band after being awarded a scholarship to attend Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he met John Petrucci and John Myung and formed Dream Theater.

Portnoy says his biggest influences are Rush drummer Neil Peart and Frank Zappa. Other favorites include drummers Terry Bozzio, Vinnie Colaiuta, Simon Philips, John Bonham, Keith Moon, Ringo Starr and Bill Bruford and bands such as The Beatles, Queen, Yes, Rush, Pink Floyd, Metallica, Jellyfish, Iron Maiden, U2 and Jane's Addiction. In the late 1980s and early 1990s he was also a fan of rap music, but his interest has since waned.

Portnoy has won 19 awards from Modern Drummer magazine, including "Best recorded performance" (5 times) and "Best Progressive Rock Drummer" (10 times in a row), and has been added to their Rock Drummer Hall of Fame.

He has also been the catalyst for founding several other progressive rock groups: TransAtlantic, Liquid Tension Experiment, and O.S.I..

Portnoy has used several kits throughout the years, all of which were built by Tama except for the Awake/A Change Of Seasons era kit, which was a Mapex. To date, he has used the following drum sets:

When Dream and Day Unite/Images & Words Kit - This Tama kit was bought originally by MP himself through working three jobs. It was used until the end of the Images and Words tour when MP got signed by Sabian and Mapex. Also this was the kit he used when he was with the band Intruder. Noticably being upgraded since that era. It should be noted that Images and Words was recorded with an electronically triggered snare drum at producer David Prater's insistence.
Awake kit - This kit was used on the world tour supporting the album Awake. It had two kick drums, one snare, six toms, two small timbales, and four octobans.
The Purple Monster - This was a Tama Starclassic kit which marked Portnoy's signing with Tama in the late '90s after repeated problems with Mapex. Used for the recording of Scenes For A Memory and the North and South American tours, it is so named because of its striking purple/white/purple fade finish. There also exists a Green Monster (for use in Europe) and a Red Monster (for Japan). It is similar to the "Awake" kit but features many more cymbals and two more octobans with a slightly different layout. This kit featured a snare drum with a foot-operated snare strainer mechanism which allowed for different snare drum sounds without having to use his hands to adjust it.
Liquid Tension Experiment kit - A comparatively modest kit used in his supergroup project Liquid Tension Experiment. This kit was unique in that it used a pair of small timbales where the two smallest toms would normally be. It was otherwise a normal "seven piece" rock kit with three toms (five if you count the timbales), and a single kick drum with a double pedal. It marks the first time Portnoy uses a floor tom on either side of the kit, with a 14" floor tom on the left and an 18" floor tom on the right. It is also the first time Portnoy used his Max cymbal line in the studio. Portnoy notes in his Liquid Drum Theater instructional video that the reason behind the smaller kit is that when Liquid Tension Experiment went into the studio to record the first album, The Purple Monster kit was still being shipped back from some shows they had played immediately prior in Brazil.
TransAtlantic kit - The kit used to record and tour behind the first TransAtlantic album was the same as the Liquid Tension Experiment kit, but with five regular toms. When recording and touring behind the second TransAtlantic album, Portnoy added his new Melody Master snare drums for the first time and some different cymbals including a set of custom made 15" hi-hats. The smaller Melody Master displaced the 14" floor tom, which was moved back to the right of the kit for the TransAtlantic recordings.
The Siamese Monster - Mike Portnoy's current kit is an amalgamation of two individial kits. The left side of the kit is laid out similarly to the Liquid Tension Experiment kit, with a floor tom on each side and three rack toms. The right side is laid out as a normal five piece kit but with the two rack toms reversed and the ride cymbal in front of the hi hats, which allows him to share some of the cymbals and toms between the two kits. It has two stools, and while is not capable of being played in its entirety by one person, Portnoy often invites other drummers to sit in on the unplayed half during shows. It is a predominantly black kit with Majesty symbols around each individual drum. There are three identical versions of this kit for use when touring different continents, the North American kit being the "featured" kit with purple markings as was the case with the Colored Monsters. It was built by Tama for the recording of the Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence album and tour.
The OSI kit - Portnoy used the small (right) side of his Siamese Monster kit for the recording of the Office of Strategic Influence album.
Yellow Matter Custard kit - A specially designed set for use in Mike's Beatles tribute band, Yellow Matter Custard. It is modelled on Ringo Starr's kit, and is quite simple compared with his Dream Theater kits.
Hammer Of The Gods kit - A John Bonham-replica kit that was used in Mike's Led Zeppelin tribute band. It has a transparent amber finish, and is always played while wearing the obligatory bowler hat.

Tama has marketed two different sized Mike Portnoy signature snare drums, known as "Melody Masters" (named after Melody, his daughter), since the late 1990s. The smaller of the two has a 12x5" steel shell and the larger has a 14x5.5" maple shell. Both snare models have a unique three way snare strainer mechanism.[1] (http://www.mikeportnoy.com/about/tama/?menu=about)

Sabian has marketed three different sized signature cymbal stacks, known as "Max Stax" (named after his son, Max). They consist of a hand hammered china kang-style cymbal on top of a splash (or crash) cymbal. Their sizes are 8/8", 10/10" and 12/14". Sabian also marketed 7, 9, and 11" "Max Splash" cymbals which have the same namesake.[2] (http://www.mikeportnoy.com/about/sabian/?menu=about)

Portnoy has endorsed Promark sticks since the early 1990s. His signature stick is the TX420N[3] (http://www.promark-stix.com/products/view.cfm?product_id=a2ec44af-233c-4175-9584-d27af4304f60). It is made of hickory with a white nylon tip and has purple print to match the Purple Monster's motif. The "420" in the model number, which is also printed on the sticks, is a reference to his birthday (and not a marijuana reference, as has been suggested). He holds his left stick upside down, presumably to get a louder sound out of the snare drum.

Mike and his wife Marlene live in Coopersburg, Pennsylvania with their daughter Melody Ruthandrea, son Max John, dog Bongo and cats E.T. and Cypress.

An avid collector of many things, Portnoy has a vast array of Dream Theater memorabilia including bootlegs, posters, clippings and everything else under the sun with the band's name on it. He is also responsible for capturing everything the band does on video tape and DAT (see YtseJam Records). His huge video collection includes favorite films such as 2001 - A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, Jacob's Ladder and The Wall along with episodes of The Simpsons and memorable boxing matches.

Mike Portnoy has won the following Modern Drummer magazine Reader's Poll awards:

1994: Best Up & Coming Talent
1995: Best Progressive Rock Drummer, Best Recorded Performance (Awake)
1996: Best Progressive Rock Drummer, Best Recorded Performance (A Change of Seasons)
1997: Best Progressive Rock Drummer
1998: Best Progressive Rock Drummer, Best Recorded Performance (Falling Into Infinity)
1999: Best Progressive Rock Drummer
2000: Best Progressive Rock Drummer, Best Recorded Performance (Metropolis, Pt. 2: Scenes From a Memory), Best Clinician, Best Educational Video/DVD
2001: Best Progressive Rock Drummer
2002: Best Progressive Rock Drummer, Best Recorded Performance (Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence), Best Clinician, Best Educational Video/DVD
2003: Best Progressive Rock Drummer
2004: Best Progressive Rock Drummer, Hall of Fame Inductee
2005: Best Progressive Rock Drummer

Drummer Biography

"Thomas Lang"

My name is Thomas Lang. I was born 05. 08. 1967 in Vienna, Austria and I started playing the drums at the age of 5.

I grew up in a little town called Stockerau in Lower Austria, about 25 miles outside of Vienna.
My parents Kurt and Helga were very supportive of my early ambition to become a drummer and allowed me to attend the local music school for drum and piano lessons.

My first drum teacher was a gentleman named Johann Hengst who was a classical percussionist and played with Viennese orchestras. He taught me to play traditional grip and to read music. Although at the time it all seemed very boring and tedious, I really benefitted from his lessons in many ways.

I only had a snare drum for about a year when I started playing, but gradually, I increased the size of my kit over the years by requesting additional parts on every Christmas and birthday wish list.

I got into pop and rock music right away and Ringo Starr was a big influence in my early drumming days. I used to play along to 50’s and 60’s rock n’ roll tapes and early Beatles songs for a few years before I was first introduced to heavy rock by some local musicians I used to jam with.

We played Deep Purple, Black Sabbath and Free covers and after about two years started trying to get local gigs. We never succeeded, so my first gig was playing the bongos with the local choir where my mother was a member. I was 10 or 11 years old and I got a pair of sticks for my performance…it was great fun and very exciting.

After a few more years of jamming and gigging with local bands and studying with various teachers, I began attending the conservatory in Vienna where I studied with Walter Grassmann. There I was introduced to jazz and fusion and was trained to play in Big Band style and to read proper charts and lead sheets.

I was not able to really get into the style of music I had to study and play, so I left after about four years. During my time at the conservatory, I met a lot of other young, ambitious musicians and I started playing loads of regular club-gigs in and around Vienna. At that time I spent all my modest income on trips to drum and music schools in America, private lessons and on equipment.

My parents were also still supporting my various trips and endeavours morally and financially. Apart from providing me with a very comfortable rehearsal-space in the cellar of their house until I moved out, they have always been supportive of my pursuit to become a musician. Without them, and their constant constuctive criticism, I would not have learned from my many mistakes.

I started working with bigger acts and touring around Austria and Germany and one thing led to another. I slowly worked my way through the European pop, rock and jazz scene and was booked to work on increasingly popular productions. During this phase, I worked with up to 15 different bands and artists at the same time, squeezing as much work as possible into my schedule. I always tried to stick to my strict practice plan and I religiously followed a constantly evolving daily practice routine. I try to stick to this method of discovering and developing new ideas to this day.

In addition to practising, the growing amount of gigging and touring gave me a pretty good idea of what to work on and how to apply my experiences creatively. The recording work I was being hired for, formed a crucial part of my development and I learned a lot by listening to my own inefficient and clumsy playing.

I also came to realise that I needed international exposure, not just to get my name out there but to absorb international musicians’ influence. Having travelled to England throughout my youth, I knew that London had more musicians per capita than any other capital city in the world so off to London I went.
When I first moved to the U.K., I taught drums at the Musician’s Institute and the London school of Music from 1995 to 1996.

Now, my schedule does not allow me to pursue teaching anymore, but I still give private lessons occasionally because I believe there’s a lot to be learned from my colleagues’ and students’ different and interesting approaches. Unfortunately, I hardly find time to practice myself these days, so I keep the teaching to a minimum, but I have increased the number of master classes, clinics, seminars I give and have participated in more and more video productions to share my ideas.

Over the last ten years, I have recorded hundreds of albums and toured extensively with a host of bands and artists worldwide. I tried to always learn and grow as a man and musician and see opportunity and potential in everything I encounter along the way.

In 1995, I recorded my first solo-album entitled “Mediator”, and that same year, I recorded a two-part instructional video series complete with a booklet (“Ultimatives Schlagzeug”). It was the first instructional German language drum video ever produced and after being made available via the Internet for a few years, it is now sold in drum shops across the world!

I’m now producing not only my own CDs and videos, but I’m also co-writing for and co-producing various artists around Europe. I have been permanently based in London, England since 1995 and have a second home in Vienna, Austria.

About Me

Hi, my name is Fairuz Habibie, my friend called me Fairuz, I was born on 16 January 1997. I live in Gresik. I love the Jojo Mayer, Thomas Lang, Mike Portnoy, The Reverend