The 55 Best Metal Drummers of All Time

December 15, 2023

It is hard to find the best metal drummers in the world of skilful drummers that we have today. 

From my point of view, music isn’t a competition, so I choose my favorite metal drummers in the world right now. 

Here is a few attributes I considered while making this list:

  • Technique
  • Musicality
  • Uniqueness
  • Groove

Each drummer from this list has all these attributes. They are not just drummers that the audience likes but also that drummers like. These guys are in the spotlight of every young drummer trying to play their songs, beats, chops. 

Their technique is pretty much advanced, and some of their performances are legendary. That said, they well deserved a place on this list. 

 

55 Best Metal Drummers

  1. Dave Lombardo
  2. Mike Portnoy
  3. Eloy Casagrande
  4. Mike Mangini
  5. Ray Luzier
  6. Tomas Haake
  7. Matt Garstka
  8. Matt Halpern
  9. George Kollias
  10. Joey Jordison
  11. Flo Mounier
  12. Aquiles Priester
  13. Danney Carey
  14. Nicko McBrain
  15. Mario Duplantier
  16. Chris Adler
  17. John Dolmayan
  18. Igor Cavalera
  19. Vinnie Paul 
  20. Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan
  21. Adam Gray
  22. Matt Greiner
  23. Billy Ward
  24. Jay Weinberg
  25. Bobby Jarzombek
  26. Charlie Benante
  27. Gene Hoglan
  28. Vinny Appice
  29. Lars Ulrich
  30. Paul Bostaph
  31. Jason Bittner
  32. Mike Terrana
  33. David Silveria
  34. Art Cruz
  35. El Estepario Siberiano
  36. Jeremy Spencer
  37. Milos Meier
  38. Jon Rice
  39. Francesco Paoli
  40. Zbigniew Robert Promiński aka “Inferno”
  41. Matt Thompson
  42. Dirk Verbeuren
  43.  Daniel Erlandsso
  44. Nils “Dominator” Fjellström
  45. Alex Rudinger
  46. Pete Webber
  47. Morgan Rose
  48. Mickey Dee
  49. Sean Reinhart
  50. Tommy Aldridge
  51. Jocke Wallgren
  52. Peter Wildoer 
  53. Jason Rullo
  54. Guido Wyss
  55. Alex Bent 

 

best death metal drummers

#1 Dave Lombardo (Slayer, Testament, Apocalyptica, Suicidal Tendencies)

A true giant when it comes to his impact on a young generation of metalheads. The first time I heard about Lombardo was when I read an Interview with Lars Urlich from Metallica, where he stated that his favorite drummer is Lombardo. 

He recorded their famous metal album Reign in blood in 1986 and the world-known metal anthem Raining Blood. Strong, punching double bass grooves and his unique playing took Slayer to another level. 

This album wrote the history of Slayer by making them one of the most famous metal bands in the world. The main factor of his departure from Slayer were financial issues. As he says, the amount the band members earn was not proportional. 

For many, Dave is the best metal drummer of all time.

After quitting Slayer, he was a well-established metal drummer, so it was easy to get some gigs like Testament, Apocalyptica, and Suicidal Tendencies.

best extreme metal drummers

#2 Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater, Sons of Apollo, Winery Dogs)

The man behind Dream Theater magic and the king of odd time signatures and musicality. The first time hearing Mike Portnoy is a magical experience for every young metal drummer. 

For a person new to drums, it is beyond reasonable that someone can change 108 time signatures in one song, such as Dance of eternity. In 2010 Portnoy decided to go separate ways and quit Dream theater. 

The reason for that is burn out as he said. His signature licks like four on the snare, two on the feet are spread widely across the entire metal universe of young bands and drummers. 

Known for his charisma, dexterity, and famous head hit move, he belongs in the Modern Drummer hall of fame… His Impact on progressive drumming is enormous.

Tama makes Portnoy signature snare drum Melody master named after his daughter. He also endorses Sabian cymbals, Remo drumheads, and Pro-Mark drumsticks. An interesting fact is that his son Max also plays drums, and he is quite good; hopefully, he will beat Mike one day.

#3 Eloy Casagrande (Sepultura)

best metal drummers of all time

The monster behind the Sepultura force. His drumming can be described as the overuse of force mixed with aggressive percussion rhythms. When you hear Eloy for the first time, you get the kind of a “what the fuck just happened” feel. 

He started playing drums when he was seven years old and won a Batuka International Drummer Fest at the age of 13 and Modern Drummer’s Undiscovered Drummer Contest at the age of 14. In 2011 he joined Sepultura, and the drumming community went crazy about him. 

It sounds almost impossible that someone is playing that fast with that much power. This differentiates Eloy and his playing from many metal drummers today.

At 29 years of age, he is one of the best metal drummers of today that comes from Brazil. At the same time, he is the youngest drummer to play in Sepultura.

best drummers in metal

#4 Mike Mangini (Extreme, Annihilator, Steve Vai, Dream Theater)

Before he inherited Mike Portnoy in Dream Theater, he was known as the drummer for Steve Vai, Extreme, Annihilator. As far as the drumming community, he was and still is one of the technically most advanced drummers in the word. 

He can play things with just one hand that many drummers can’t play with both. The well-known fact is that he holds five world records for the fastest drummer. Even Discovery’s Time Warp show dissected his playing with speed cameras.

It is barely impossible to analyze his playing without slow motion anyways. He played on two studios and one live album by Steve Vai. Also, before that, he made a strong impression playing with Annihilator and Extreme.

In 2005 he became a full-time teacher at Berklee College of Music, but he resigned when he joined Dream Theater.

He joined Dream Theater in 2011 after auditioning with a couple of world’s most technically advanced drummers like Thomas lang and Virgil Donati. Before the audition, he played on three solo albums of Jamies Labrie, the Dream Theater singer.

#5 Ray Luzier (Korn, David Lee Roth)

Best known as a drummer for Korn and successor of David Silveria. In 2007 he auditioned for Korn and ripped. Their initial plan was to have him on the road for the upcoming tour, but he ended as a full-time member. 

He is known to be a hard worker, so for his first audition instead of learning five songs, he learned 30. Ray spent eight years playing for David Lee Roth and recorded two studio albums with him. There he met Billy Sheehan, the famous rock bass player. He recorded two albums for him also.

What makes his drum set unique is china cymbal in the middle. Among drummers, china is mainly positioned on the right or left side of the setup. 

This opens up the opportunity to play china with both hands, and if you think about it makes perfect sense. His powerful style and double bass fills perfectly fit Korn music. 

As far as the drumming community, he was known long before Korn. The chops he plays are very simple to learn and useful as well.

dead metal drummer

#6 Tomas Haake (Meshuggah)

This guy may be the most advanced metal drummer Although most drum parts in metal music sound hard to play, the fact is that they are not. 

The pieces are fast for sure, but that is the thing with metal drummers, they don’t pay attention to the sound but only speed.While on the other hand, if you dive deeper into Tomas Haake drum parts, you will realize that his approach is so musical and complex. 

Playing that kind of polyrhythms with double bass power and precision is hard, even for some professional drummers. He is a full-time member of Meshuggah. In 2008 he was voted as the best metal drummer by the readers of Modern Drummer Magazine

Many of his drum influences come from a world of jazz, which makes perfect sense when you hear his playing. The song Bleed set the drumming community on fire with his three over four polyrhythm. The fun fact is that he writes most of the Meshuggah lyrics.

best metal drummer

#7 Matt Garstka (Animals As Leaders)

Probably most drummers will hate you if you compare somebody with Vinnie Colaiuta, but if there is an inheritor of Vinnie’s drum madness, that is definitely Matt Garstka. 

It would be even safe to say that he is one of the best metal drummers of today, but I try not to be subjective, and as I said, drumming isn’t a competition. The stuff he plays is untouchable for most of the drummers. It is complex on so many levels. 

It is hard even to figure out, and then when you sit down to practice, you realize his creativity and madness.He is a full-time member of very creative and one of its kind Animals As Leaders. His education comes from Berklee College of Music. 

In 2011 Matt made an appearance on Gospel Chops video and became known to a much larger audience. At the age of 30, there is a lot of great things ahead of him, and with his style, the future is bright. I am sure that he is the guy who will dictate the trends.

Matt endorses Meinl cymbals, Tama drums, Promark drum sticks. Remo drumheads.

metal drummer

#8 Matt Halpern (Periphery)

Next to Matt Garstka, Halpern is one of the most creative drummers in the world right now. His strange drumset sometimes without toms and his grooves are very distinct. 

But exactly those things make him unique as a drummer. He started drumming at three years old. He currently plays with a band called Periphery. Also, he is a very active drum instructor. 

What a lot of people may not know is that Matt is a co-founder of getgooddrums.com. It is not just a website but also a software company that produces drum sample libraries. 

Also, the exciting fact is that Mat Halpern played in Animals as Leaders before Matt Garstka. Modern Drummer Magazine voted Matt for the best metal drummer.

fastest metal drummer

#9 George Kollias (Nile, Nightfall)

He originally comes from Greek. George is one of the best drummers of death metal and a full-time member of band Nile… The role model of many death metal drummers. 

His speed and technique is astonishing. The most astonishing thing about his playing is his foot technique. The technique he uses is unique, and he calls it the swivel technique. 

On faster tempos, his feet are going from up and down to the side to side movement. When he reaches a certain speed, the movement gets smaller.He played the first show after just three months of playing drums in his brother highschool. 

Man, who helped George a lot in his education, is Yannis Stavropoulos. In 2008 he released an instructional dvd called Intense Metal Drumming. His two bands before the Nile were Sickening Horror and Nightfall.

heavy metal drummer

#10 Joey Jordison (Slipknot, Vimic)

He is one of the most influential metal drummers of the last decade. He joined the band The Pale Ones in 1995, which later changed its name to Slipknot. He played on four studio and one live album. 

Also, he played on many metal sessions over the years. The actual reason behind his departure from Slipknot was revealed a couple of years later. As the main reason, Joe mentioned transverse myelitis, a neurological illness. Jordison played guitar in a band called Murderdolls. 

Later on, in 2004, he added a musical production to his versatile career. The proof of his great talent are many awards he received over the years, such as The best drummer of the previous 25 years by Rhythm Magazine, World’s greatest metal drummer by Loudwire, The Golden God Award by Metal Hammer. 

Since he quit in Slipknot, he has been to Metallica first pick when Lars Urlich was hospitalized in 2004. Afterward, he got a call from Korn to replace David Silveria for the upcoming tour.

flo mounier

#11 Flo Mounier (Vltimas, Cryptopsy)

One of the more recognized drummers in the metal scene is Flo Mounier, the drummer of the metal band Cryptopsy. 

He is not only a studio/live drummer but also a clinician. He has toured worldwide.

Flo is sponsored by numerous drum companies such as Sabian, Evans, Shure, Vic Firth, and Pearl. 

Mounier also has associations and collaborations with other popular names from the music industry, such as Nader Sadek, an Egyptian-American artist known for his death metal projects.

He also collaborated with death metal supergroup VLTIMAS which was announced in October 2018.

Mounier’s combined record sales reached over 300,000 copies to this date, which is very impressive for a metal band drummer.

 

aquiles priester

#12 Aquiles Priester (Hangar, Angra, W.A.S.P. Noturnall)

Aquiles Priester is a Brazilian drummer and is currently a member of the Brazilian power metal band Hangar, Midas Fate, and Noturnall. 

He has played with Paul Di’Anno, Vinnie Moore, Tony Macalpine, DragonForce, and WASP.

Born in South Africa in a town called Otjo.

At the age of four, he saw a jazz drummer on a TV show, and that was his only contact with this instrument for many years.

At the age of 6, he fell in love with soccer and had aspirations to become a professional player one day. 

In 1985 after the recurring music festival “Rock in Rio,” something in him changed, and the drummer he had seen on a TV show started making more sense.

Since then, he has successfully pursued his musical career and is recognized as one of the 50 best metal and rock drummers.

danney carey

#13 Danney Carey (Tool, Green Jellÿ, Pigmy Love Circus)

Danny Carey, also called “Demon on drums,” is an American musician and songwriter. He is best known for being the drummer for the rock band Tool.

After he got accused of being a bit satanic in one of the magazines, Carey replied:

He first encountered the drums when he was 10 years old.

When he was away from Tool, Danny collaborated with many other bands, such as the Fusion band Volto, Pigmy Love Circus, Electronica, and many more.

Among drummers Danny is known for his advanced polyrhythmic skills and odd time signature grooves.

 

Nicko McBrain (Iron Maiden)

#14 Nicko McBrain (Iron Maiden)

As a drummer for Iron Maiden, Nicko is more famous than any drummer has a right to be.

It is not so easy to imagine how Iron Maiden masterpieces like ‘Where Eagles Dare,’ ‘2 Minutes To Midnight,’ ‘Can I Play With Madness,’ ‘Be Quick Or Be Dead,’ or ‘Man On The Edge’ would have sounded like without his flawlessly thundering drums. 

Among drummers, Nicko  is known for  great  right  foot  technique  and distinctive  sound  on the ride cymbal.

Is also known for being  kind of invisible behind the kit  due to a fact  his sets  lower  than most of the drummers.

Mario Duplantier (Gojira)

#15 Mario Duplantier (Gojira)

Mario is a French-American musician who has established himself as a technically flawless drummer. He is best known to be a drummer for the progressive death metal band Gojira.

He started developing an interest in music and drumming when he was 11 years old. He was initially inspired by his brother, who used to play the guitar. Then, he gradually moved to more extreme metal and became a death metal drummer. 

We need to understand that Mario was a perfectionist, and he aimed for the greatest performance and flawlessness all the time. 

Since Mario’s family has always been into different arts, Mario has developed drawings representing his tour experiences. His drawings are an expression of freedom and creativity.

 

#16 Chris Adler (Lamb Of God, Megadeth, Nitro)

Chris was interested in recurring sounds and started playing with broken sticks on his parent’s coffee cans as a toddler.

His mother was also in the musical industry and taught him how to play the piano. Throughout his youth, Chris performed in multiple bands and recording projects.

After not becoming a band member in high school, he decided to put the bass guitar back in the case and devote himself more to school and drums. 

After that, he would experience big success and join numerous groups such as Lamb of God, Nitro, Megadeth, and Blotted Science.

 

John Dolmayan (System of a Down)

#17 John Dolmayan (System of a Down)

John is known to all of us for being the drummer of System of a Down. He was ranked 33 on Loudwire’s list of the top 200 hard rock + metal drummers of all time, which says a lot about his quality. 

He got first interested in drums when he was only 2 years old, and when his mother would take him to watch his father play saxophone, he would always mimic the drummer from his father’s band.

His biggest influence was Keith Moon, a drummer of the English rock band The Who.

Besides this, he was also influenced by Led Zeppelin’s John Bonham, who was mentioned earlier in this article, Stewart Copeland from The Police, and Rush’s Neil Peart.

These days Dolmayan is very politically active on his social media accounts, and the “frustrating” thing is he is politically opposed to his bandmate and brother-in-law Tankian.

Since he was always a comic book fan, he owns his comic book shop called Torpedo Comics in Las Vegas, Nevada.

igor cavalera

#18 Igor Cavalera (Sepultura, Cavalera Conspiracy)

Igor is best known as the formal drummer for the heavy metal band Sepultura. He co-founded the band with his brother Max in 1984. 

Cavalera would be the last one to leave the band. Since then, the brothers are finally together again in the band called Cavalera Conspiracy.

He started playing drums when he was around 7 years old, and he was really into samba music. I believe I read somewhere he was amazed by the Queen’s performance in 1981, and shortly after that, he started listening to rock music. 

Cavalera was majorly influenced by Bill Ward, Dave Lombardo, Mike Bordin, and Roger Taylor. He was a master of his innovative style, and he managed somehow to bring tribal elements into the songs, which is not-so-easy of a job.

He is known to have a lot of hobbies, one of them being Brazilian jiu-jitsu, a martial art based on controls and submissions.

 

vinnie paul hard rock drummer

#19 Vinnie Paul (Pantera, Hellyeah)

Vinnie Paul  was known for being  sledgehammer  in the band Pantera  that’s changed heavy metal music forever.  Pantera was known  for explosive   beats  and  and energetic riffs.  The guilty of that  are  Vinnie Paul and his brother Dimebag.

He was always about fun and made his entire life a mission to make the world a place where people would smile and enjoy more.

In the opinion of many, he was one of the greatest metal drummers ever to walk this Earth.

After Pantera disbanded  he continued to play  play with his brother in the band called Damageplan. He also collaborated with a Zakk Wylde in a music video for Black Label Society’s cover of “Ain’t No Sunshine..

 

The Rev (Avenged Sevenfold)

#20 Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan (Avenged Sevenfold)

James Owen Sullivan, known by his stage name “The Rev,” was a heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold member.

He got his first pair of drumsticks when he was only 5. Mike Portnoy and Vinnie Paul heavily influenced him.

Kicked from school, full of life, and ready to tour around the world, Rev was destined to be a great drummer and he was due to his talent.

Unfortunately, the year 2009, was the year of sorrow and the moment the world lost one of the greatest drummers ever.

He died from an overdose of various medicines and alcohol.

adam gray drummer

#21 Adam Gray (Texas in July)

Adam was gifted his first drum set when he was only 3 years old. He was well known to be a member an a cofounder of “Texas in July” before he decided to become independent.

The band came to life during his freshman years in high school.

Adam is probably one of the best drummers  of the metalcore genre. Is Ultra clean  beats and shops set him apart  from most of the drummers in metal music.

His performance in “Hook, Line and Sinner” by Texas in July is full display of his drummers skills and his approach to drums in general.

 

Matt Greiner (August Burns Red)

#22 Matt Greiner (August Burns Red)

Matt is an American metalcore drummer known as a founding member of August Burns Red’s band. He was homeschooled as a child. 

He is also a co-founder of the drum company Greiner&Kilmer alongside his fellow drummer Kaleb Kilmer.

Matt is actually a great friend with Adam Gray  that I mentioned above  and if you look at  closely  you’ll see how they’re drumming Style has similarities.

Matt is actually a great friend with Adam Gray  that I mentioned above  and if you look at  closely  you’ll see how they’re drumming Style has similarities.

 

Billy Ward (Black Sabbath)

#23 Billy Ward (Black Sabbath)

Billy is a Grammy awarded drummer, recording engineer, music educator, and producer, best known for being a member of Black Sabbath. His first teacher was Jack Volk, who taught him for 6 years.

Ward has recorded and toured with B.B King, Bill Champlin, Richard Marx, Jim beard, Robbie Robertson, etc.

Billy is known for his two instructional DVDs, Voices In My Head and Big Time. These DVDs won over the critics, and drummers were grateful for his offering of world skills.

When he was 17, he had a five-hour lesson with Elvin Jones, and this is what he had to say years later:

“Elvin’s generosity to me is paid back in part every time I perform a teaching event or share my concepts with students. Elvin was a kind soul that has influenced me tremendously.”

He is also an author of “Inside Out – The Mental Aspects of Drumming,” a book that aims to clarify and offer solutions to musicians facing adversity and different challenges.

Jay Weinberg (Slipknot)

#24 Jay Weinberg (Slipknot)

Jay spent his formative years exploring New York’s creative scenes and began creating art and playing music when he was 14.

He is best known to be a member of the heavy metal band Slipknot which he originally joined back in 2013.

He has proved that he believes in good with his decision to start working for a nonprofit organization, “Best Buddies Tennessee.”

He has been voted for “Drummer of the Year” by the Loundwire Music Awards and one of the “Top Drummers Who Made a Difference in 2015” by DRUM! Magazine.

 

Bobby Jarzombek (Fates Warning)

#25 Bobby Jarzombek (Fates Warning)

Raised in San Antonio, Bobby grew up in a very musical family. He picked up drums for the first time when he was 10 years old. Soon he started playing with his two brothers, Ralph and Ronnie. 

He made his first official recording debut with Juggernaut. His success became more evident after joining Fates Warning in 2007.

He also added that he flew up to Stamford, CT, to record the drums at The Carriage House, which turned out great.

His DVD School  “Performance and Technique” was highly popular among the young metal drummers back in the days.

 

Charlie Benante

#26 Charlie Benante (Anthrax, Stormtroopers of Death)

Charlie doesn’t get the credit he deserves since he is one of the first drummers to perfect the double-bass style.

There are some theories he might be a creator of the common “blast beat” technique. Charlie is best known as the drummer for Anthrax and Stormtroopers of Death.

In 2022 he toured  with legends like Zakk Wylde and Phil Anselmo  on their Pantera tour. It’s free to say  that Charlie  is a metal drummer for big arenas and stadiums.

He is also a vivid Star Wars fan and has a life-size Han Solo in carbonite that Boba Fett signed. 

Gene Hoglan (Dark Angel, Fear Factory, Testament)

#27 Gene Hoglan (Dark Angel, Fear Factory, Testament)

Gene had high accuracy at extreme tempos, and that’s why he earned the names “The Atomic Clock” and “Human Drum Machine.”

Although he was a member of different bands, he is best known for his work with Testament, Dethklok, Devin Townsend, Fear Factory, Death, Strapping Young Lad, and Dark Angel.

When he was 13 years old, he got his first drum kit and was completely self-taught. 

Hoglan also released an art collection in 2017. It consisted of long-exposure photography of him playing with drumsticks.

 

Vinny Appice (Dio, Black Sabbath, Heaven & Hell)

#28 Vinny Appice (Dio, Black Sabbath, Heaven & Hell)

Vinny is a Brooklyn talent who started playing drums when he was 9 years old. He had the same teacher as his brother Carmine.

Vinny and John Lennon knew each other, and they collaborated on a few projects that John was producing at the time.

Vinny is best known to be a Dio, Black Sabbath, and Heaven & Hell member. In 1980 he joined Black Sabbath, and together they recorded “Mob Rules” and “Live Evil.”

In 2021 when Covid broke through and when the whole world was collapsing.

 

lars cymbals

#29 Lars Ulrich (Metallica)

Lars Ulrich, known as the heartbeat behind Metallica, needs no introduction. A drumming legend in his own right, Lars once aspired to follow in his father’s footsteps as a tennis player.

He journeyed to LA to sharpen his skills, but found a new passion for drumming and met James Hetfield, leading to the formation of Metallica.

Metallica is revered for their contributions to the evolution of metal, with some crediting them for shaping the sound of Thrash Metal. 

Lars Ulrich played a pivotal role with his innovative beats, such as the skank beats on their debut album “Kill ’em all” and the powerful double bass beats on “Ride the Lightning.”

His most notable contribution can be heard on the hit track “One” from “And Justice for All…”.

Lars’ drumming style evolved with time, becoming more influenced by hard rock on their fifth album “The Black Album.” Despite criticism from modern drummers, Lars remains a highly influential figure in Thrash Metal and the metal music community.

Slayer drummer

#30 Paul Bostaph (Slayer)

As a thrash metal drummer, Paul Bostaph has played with several notable bands. 

Known best for his time with Slayer, which he joined in 1992 and played with until 2001, and then again from 2013 to 2019. Bostaph has also played with Exodus, Testament, Forbidden, Systematic, and BlackGates.

Bostaph is known for his precise and powerful drumming style, which has helped him stand out in the competitive world of heavy metal music. 

He has contributed to the success of many of the bands he has played with and is highly respected by his peers and fans. 

In addition to his work as a drummer, Bostaph has also released several solo albums, including “The Art of Peace” and “The Art of War.” 

He has been honored with numerous awards and accolades for his contributions to the music industry and continues to be a highly sought-after performer.

Despite his many accomplishments, Bostaph remains humble and down-to-earth and is known for his dedication to his craft. 

Paul inspires aspiring musicians everywhere and continues to be a driving force in the world of thrash metal.

jasson bittner drummer shadows fall

#31 Jason Bittner (Shadows Fall)

Jason Bittner is an American drummer best known for his work as the drummer for the metal band Shadows Fall. 

He is known for his technical proficiency and versatility as a drummer, incorporating thrash, groove, and blast beat elements into his playing style. 

He is also a highly sought-after drum instructor and has given clinics and drum lessons worldwide. 

In addition to his work with Shadows Fall, Bittner has also played with other notable metal bands such as Flotsam and Jetsam, Overkill, and The Acacia Strain. 

He is known for his energetic and powerful live performances and has become a fan favorite at metal concerts and festivals around the globe.

An interesting fact about him is that he is right-handed but leads with his left foot while playing double bass. 

Jason was a guest on Drumeo, where he shared his drum knowledge and talked about mixing other genres with metal. For example, rumba, samba, and Latino music. 

Mike Terrana

#32 Mike Terrana (Rage, Tarha Turunen, Yngwie Malmsteen)

Drummer and percussionist known for his work in heavy metal. He has played with numerous bands and artists, including Yngwie Malmsteen, Tarja Turunen, Masterplan, Rage, Tony MacAlpine, and many others.

Terrana has released several solo albums, demonstrating his ability as a composer and musician. 

Terrana has a lot of technical proficiency and versatility as a drummer, incorporating elements of jazz, classical, and various world music styles into his playing.

He is also known for his ability to switch seamlessly between different drumming styles, allowing him to quickly adapt to different music genres. He is known for having a great sense of groove and his ability to play complex rhythm patterns with precision and accuracy.

He also often performs live with orchestras, playing classical music pieces and some of his own compositions. 

He has also been an active clinician, performing and giving drum clinics worldwide in many countries.

Terrana is also respected and highly considered one of the best drummers in the world and is regularly included on many “greatest drummer” lists. He continues to tour and perform with various bands and artists.

best nu metal drummers

#33 David Silveria (Korn, Innatura)

The original drummer for the nu-metal band Korn. 

David was an integral member of the band, playing on all of their first six studio albums and touring extensively during the 1990s and early 2000s.

Silveria is known for his aggressive and assertive drumming style, which helped to define the sound of Korn’s early music. 

He is known for incorporating funk, hip-hop, and alternative music elements into his drumming and has been credited with helping to popularize the “nu metal” genre. 

He was also known for using electronic drums and incorporating electronic elements into his drumming.

Silveria left the band in 2006, citing a desire to focus on his family and personal life. 

After leaving the band, he took a hiatus from the music industry, but he has since returned and played in various bands, including INNATURA. 

Overall, David Silveria has had a significant impact on the development of the Nu-Metal scene and is recognized as one of the genre’s most distinctive and innovative drummers. 

His style and technique continue to inspire drummers and musicians worldwide.

Art Cruz drummer

#34 Art Cruz (Lamb of God)

Art Cruz is known for his work in heavy metal and rock music. He has played with several well-known bands and musicians throughout his career and has gained a reputation as a skilled and versatile drummer. 

Art Cruz began his drumming career in his early teens and quickly became a sought-after session musician. 

He has played with various artists across multiple genres, but he is widely recognized for his long-time membership in the band Lamb of God. 

He also appeared in various tours and albums with the band during this period, gaining recognition and fame.

In addition to his work as a performer, Art Cruz is also a respected drum instructor and clinician. He regularly gives clinics and masterclasses on drumming, focusing on technique, style, and creativity. 

He’s known for his energetic and dynamic style, influenced by various musical styles, including metal, funk, and jazz. 

Cruz is also admired for his ability to push the boundaries of what’s possible with a drum set, often using extended techniques and unconventional sounds to create a unique and powerful performance.

Overall, Art Cruz has established himself as a highly respected and accomplished musician known for his technical skill, musicality, and passion for drumming. He continues to tour, play and record with various bands.

best metal drummer on Instagram

#35 El Estepario Siberiano (Saratoga)

Some call him the fastest-growing drum influencer and the best drummer “online,” but only one word describes El Estepario Siberiano, CHAOS. The real name Jorge Garrido “El Estepario Siberiano,” is a drummer from Valencia, Spain.

His chops allow him to create mind-blowing fills and beats. And he took online drumming to the next level. 

He started to show interest in drumming as a 10-year-old boy when he saw a DVD called “Bullet in a Bible.” It was a compilation that came in a particular format. 

American Idiot had just come out as a live show when Green Day played in the UK, which gave a lot of prominence to Tré Cool, the drummer. 

His fame began when he left his job and started sharing videos. Jorge believes that his success is due to the pandemic, when everyone was locked up at home, forcing themselves to consume the material because they didn’t, they had anything better to do. 

Because of Jorge, many musicians became familiar with the term “chops.” El Estepario Siberiano focused mainly on Youtube, where he shared exciting videos, for example, playing Dream Theater songs with only one foot. 

At the same time, the original drummer Mike Portnoy used both feet. These days, Jorge is blowing up on TikTok, still recording and sharing videos, and growing on social media.

metal drummers recommendation for headphones for listening to music

#36 Jeremy Spencer (Five Finger Death Punch)

Jeremy Spencer is a musician best known for his work as the drummer and a founding member of the American metal band Five Finger Death Punch. 

He was born on July 8, 1981, in Denver, Colorado, and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he began playing drums at an early age.

He co-founded Five Finger Death Punch in 2005 with vocalist Ivan Moody and has been an integral part of the band’s sound, playing on all of their studio albums. 

Throughout the band’s career, they have achieved success in the US and in many other countries, with several of their albums debuting at number one on the Billboard charts, and several of their singles have become hits on active rock charts.

In addition to his work with Five Finger Death Punch, Spencer has also been involved in various other musical projects. He has released solo material under his name and collaborated with other musicians on multiple projects. 

He’s been seen as a powerful and technical drummer, his style inspired by various musical styles, including heavy metal, funk, and jazz. 

Spencer is also known for his energetic performances in live shows and his versatility and versatility in different music genres.

heavy metal greatest drummers of all time

#37 Milos Meier (BSP, Dymytry)

Miloš Meier is a Czeczh drummer. He comes from a musical family; his brother is also a drummer, his mother is a singer, and his father leads a brass orchestra where Meier also performed. 

Miloš expanded his musical knowledge at Prague Conservatory, and in that time, he experimented with jazz, fusion, and funk but joined a death metal band Tortharry shortly afterward. 

He is a member of the Czech supergroup BSP together with other famous Czech musicians: Michal Pavlíček, Kamil Střihavka, Vladimir Kulhánek, Roman Dragoun, and Jan Hrubý. 

Miloš was selected as a member in a survey of listeners and readers of Radio Beat and the magazine Rock & Pop. Meier is a skilled and technical drummer, but the best word to describe his performance is energetic.

Meier currently plays in a metalcore band called Dymytry, which he joined in 2009. He organizes drumming workshops called Drumming Syndrome. His website, social media, and merch are based on Drumming Syndrome.

jon rice drummer

#38 Jon Rice (Job for Cowboy, Scorpion Child)

Jon Rice is a drummer and percussionist known for his work in various genres of music, including rock, pop, and electronic. 

He has played and recorded with many well-known artists and bands and has gained a reputation as a skilled and versatile drummer.

Jon Rice started his drumming career in the early 2000s and quickly made a name for himself as a talented session musician. 

He has played with various bands and artists but is probably best known for his long-time association with “The Goo Goo Dolls.” 

He joined the band as a touring drummer and percussionist for over a decade and played in many tours and albums throughout this period. 

He even joined Behemoth in 2017 when their drummer Inferno had personal issues, which was challenging for Rice. 

In addition to his work as a performer, Jon Rice is also a respected drum and percussion instructor. 

He regularly teaches in drum and percussion workshops and clinics and is known for his innovative and dynamic drumming style, combining traditional techniques with electronic drum triggers and samples. 

Many noted him for his ability to blend acoustic and electronic sounds and his creativity in playing the drums.

best metal drummers ever

#39 Francesco Paoli (Fleshgod Apocalypse)

Francesco Paoli is an Italian musician, producer, and songwriter from Italy. 

He is best known as the drummer and co-founder of the death metal band Fleshgod Apocalypse.

Paoli is considered one of the fastest and most accomplished drummers in the melodic death metal genre, known for his technical proficiency, speed, and stamina. 

Fleshgod Apocalypse was formed in 2007, and Paoli has been in the band since and is featured on all of their studio albums. In addition to his work with Fleshgod Apocalypse.

Paoli is also a producer and has worked with other bands in the death metal and metalcore genres. He is also a member of Forgotten Tomb and has played with several other Italian metal bands. 

Paoli’s drumming is quite extreme, and he is known for his fast blast beats and double bass drumming. 

He has popularised double strokes on double bass pedal drumming to achieve super-fast tempos. 

In a recent interview with Eugene Ryabchenko, he also mentioned playing guitar. He is also involved in various side projects.

Zbigniew Robert Promiński aka "Inferno"

#40 Zbigniew Robert Promiński aka "Inferno" (Behemoth)

Born as Zbigniew Robert Promiński, Inferno is the stage name of the drummer for the Polish blackened death metal band Behemoth. 

He has been with the band since 1997 and has brought the word “Extreme” with him. 

Technicality, speed, stamina, and power are also connected to Inferno.

Inferno is known for his powerful and intense live performances and has been praised by fans and critics for his contributions to the band’s music. 

He is known for using double-bass drumming, blast beats, and intricate drum patterns, which have become a signature of the band’s sound. 

Inferno is dedicated to his craft and constantly desires to improve and push the boundaries of extreme metal drumming.

Inferno is also an accomplished session musician; he has played drums for other bands and artists, such as Azarath and Terrestrial Hospice, and also plays both guitar and drums for Witchmaster. 

Although he is an extreme metal drummer, in most of the interviews, he states that he is raised on old-school metal. The most extreme drummer in his influence book is Dave Lombardo.

Matt Thompson

#41 Matt Thompson (King Diamond)

Matt Thompson is a professional drummer and percussionist. He has been active in the music industry for decades and has played in various musical genres, including rock, metal, pop, and jazz. 

If we could count all the band’s Matt has been in, we wouldn’t stop that soon. 

He has also been a session drummer for many bands, but he is best known for being a drummer for King Diamond.

Thompson has also played with various bands and artists, such as Autumn Silence, Bat Castle, DeuxMonkey, and many more. 

He is also a regular contributor to multiple metal festivals and tours and has shared the stage with some of the biggest names in the genre. 

During the pandemic, Thompson joined a metal band called Metal Against Coronavirus and recorded a single with them.

Since he played for many different bands, he is often praised for his ability to adapt to different styles and genres. 

Therefore, Thompson is also a drum teacher and has given drum clinics and workshops to drummers of all skill levels. He is also a member of the band “The Matt Thompson Project,” where he plays drums and occasionally sings. 

Dirk Verbeuren

#42 Dirk Verbeuren (Megadeth)

Dirk Verbeuren is a Belgian-American drummer, best known as the drummer of Megadeth and the Swedish heavy metal band Soilwork. 

People mostly know him for inventing the “Dirk Blast,” a form of Blast Beat. Dirk recorded a video tutorial about the beat 10 years ago on his official channel.

Verbeuren is mainly influenced by thrash and death metal drummers who involved many technicalities in their songs, including Gene Hoglan and Sean Reinert. 

In addition to his work with Soilwork, Verbeuren is also a session musician and has played drums on various albums of other bands and artists. 

He has also worked as a producer and engineer and has produced albums for bands such as Scarve, Aborted, and The Devin Townsend Project.

After years spent in his flagship band, Soilwork, in 2016, Verbeuren received the call of a lifetime from Megadeth frontman and founder Dave Mustaine, and it is an opportunity one cannot decline. 

Verbeuren is endorsed by Tama drums and sticks, Meinl cymbals, and Evans drumheads.

Daniel Erlandsson drummer

#43 Daniel Erlandsson (Arch Enemy)

Daniel Erlandsson is a Swedish musician best known for his work as the Swedish melodic death metal band Arch Enemy drummer. 

Other notable bands he’s been in are: In Flames, Brujeria, Eucharist, Liers in Wait, Diabolique, and Armageddon. He even played drums with Carcass on their comeback in 2007.

Erlandsson joined Arch Enemy in 1996 and has been an integral part of the band’s sound, playing on all of their studio albums since then. 

Throughout his tenure with the band, Arch Enemy has achieved success and recognition in the international metal scene, with several albums charting in many countries and touring extensively. 

He is considered a powerful and technical drummer with a style that combines traditional metal drumming with more complex and progressive elements. His drum solos are powerful and unique, mixed with synth elements.

His older brother is Adrian Erlandsson, the drummer of At the Gates, The Haunted, Brujeria, Paradise Lost, Vallenfyre, and the former drummer of Cradle of Filth. 

Daniel is seen as one of the most prominent and skillful drummers in the melodic death metal genre, and his work with Arch Enemy and other bands continues to inspire many young drummers.

top power metal drummers

#44 Nils "Dominator" Fjellström (Dark Funeral)

Nils “Dominator” Fjellström is one of the black metal scene’s fastest and most technical drummers. He currently plays in a few bands, such as Nordjevel, Odium, and The Wretched End, but he is most known as the drummer for Dark Funeral, a band that he left in 2021. 

Dominator was born in Sweden on August 3rd, 1981, but most of his bands are from Norway, where the Black Metal scene originally began. 

He brought a lot of innovative drum patterns into the world of black metal drumming, such as fills on the hi-hat and doubles on tom fills, but he is most known for playing blast beats and double bass drumming on tempos over 250 bpm. 

Dominator was a recent guest at Martyn Jovanovic drum academy, where he shared his secrets about playing drums at high speed. 

Martyn stated that his most important secret is that he is constantly practicing singles and doubles on the drum pad. When they had a break from filming, Nils was playing on the pad, doing his thing. 

greatest metal drummers

#45 Alex Rudinger (Whitechapel)

Alex Rudinger is a professional drummer best known for his work in the deathcore band Whitechapel. 

He quickly established himself as one of the most sought-after drummers in the core/metal scene and has played and recorded with many well-known bands and musicians. 

Alex also has a youtube channel where he covers bands from “The Black Dahlia Murder” to “Nile.” 

Therefore he is also well-known for his collaborations and contributions to the YouTube drumming community, where he shares his drumming skills, knowledge, and experience. 

Alex’s drumming is powerful and technical, often characterized by its high-speed and precision, as well as his ability to blend different genres and playing styles. 

Many drummers like to draw a line between traditional Metal and extreme drumming, but Alex can say that he embraces both. 

He plays Metal. In a recent interview on drumeo, Alex spoke about drumming combined with emotions. 

Whether you are happy, sad, angry, or frustrated, you should involve those emotions in drumming.

top metal drummers

#46 Pete Webber (Havok)

Every metalhead who follows the present thrash metal scene knows about Pete Webber. Every thrash metal drummer draws influence from him, and every thrash metal band would love Pete to join them. 

Pete Webber is a highly respected and accomplished musician known for his technical skill, musicality, and passion for drumming. 

He began drumming at age five after listening to lots of music and growing fond of the drums. 

At age ten, he joined a Jazz band, and he was involved for eight years, all through middle and high school. In the meantime, he was also drumming for a heavy metal band. 

He joined Havok after college after the band posted an online ad. In addition to his performer work, Webber is a respected drum instructor and clinician. 

He regularly gives clinics and masterclasses on drumming, focusing on technique, style, and creativity. 

Webber is also well-known for his contributions to the drumming community, where he shares his drumming skills, knowledge, and experiences. 

He’s also been noted for his powerful and energetic performances in live shows. He is the modern version of Dave Lombardo. 

He is known for his fast skank beats, powerful 16th note fills, and powerful double bass drumming.

best hair metal drummers

#47 Morgan Rose (Sevendust)

Born as Morgan Jay Rose, Morgan is a professional musician and drummer, best known as the drummer and a founding member of the American heavy metal band Sevendust. 

Besides being a drummer, he also sings backing vocals and is a vice president of Imagen Records.

Rose co-founded Sevendust and is an integral part of the band’s sound, playing on all their studio albums. He attended the Musicians Institute but rarely went to class, so he is primarily self-taught for playing metal. 

His biggest drum hero is Terry Bozzio because his dad would play Zappa videos, which inspired him to become a musician. 

As a drummer,  he is pretty unique. Always mentally and physically prepared, he performs well and has a strong stage presence and energy. Even though he stated that he doesn’t like to practice drums.

In addition to his work with Sevendust, Rose has also been involved in various other musical projects, such as playing drums with Call Me No One and his side project with the band’s guitarist Clint Lowery. 

Most people remember Morgan when he filled in on drums in place of Tommy Lee, drummer of Mötley Crüe, and he did the same for Korn. 

He continues to tour and record with Sevendust and is highly respected and admired in the heavy metal community.

best metal drummers today

#48 Mickey Dee (Motorhead, Scorpions)

Mickey Dee is the stage name of the Swedish drummer and songwriter, Micael Kiriakos Delaoglou. 

God of Metal, Lemmy had been repeatedly asking Dee to join Motörhead since 1985. 

And in 1992,  Dee finally accepted the offer. He played in the most famous bands: Dokken, King Diamond, and Helloween, and is a current drummer for Scorpions. 

Mickey Dee has been praised for his technical skill and precision as a drummer. He is known for his fast and tight playing style and his ability to play complex rhythms. 

He is also known for his use of double bass drumming and his ability to combine it in a variety of different metal and hard rock styles. 

His double bass beats completely demolish in Motorhead’s song “Overkill”.

He remains one of the most iconic drummers in metal and rock music. His live drum solos are a huge part of the show of every band he’s been in. 

Mickey Dee’s drumming has been highly influential on many young drummers and he has been credited as one of the pioneers of modern metal drumming. 

top 10 best metal drummers

#49 Sean Reinhart (Death)

Sean Reinert was an American drummer and musician. 

He was the drummer for the rock band Æon Spoke and the drummer and founding member of the progressive metal band Cynic. 

The most significant impact he left was in the band Death, the godfathers of death metal.

He indeed was unique, implementing jazz drumming in death metal. One of the best examples is the song “Lack of Comprehension.” 

In the song’s intro, he executes jazz swings, while later, he starts playing double bass followed by skank beats. 

On the album “Human” by Death, he showcased intense progressive writing blending within the structure of death metal.

He did some touring with Death, then returned to Cynic, a band he also left in 2015. 

Unfortunately, Reinert died on January 24, 2020, at 48, due to an aortic rupture. He will be missed in the world of drummers and the metal community.

best heavy metal drummers

#50 Tommy Aldridge (Whitesnake, Ozzy Osbourne)

Tommy Aldridge is an American heavy metal and hard rock drummer. 

He is best known for being the drummer for the British hard rock band Whitesnake. Starting to rock in the early 60s, Aldridge continues to play to this day.

Aldridge taught himself to play drums in the 1960s, building a kit piece by piece with money earned delivering newspapers. 

Self-taught, he embraced the style of many rock/hard rock drummers from his era. 

Being famous for adding double bass parts in already-written rock drum beats and for that, he is regarded as a double bass drum pioneer in rock music.

During the 1990s Aldridge recorded and toured with various artists including Motörhead, House of Lords, Yngwie Malmsteen, John Sykes, and Ted Nugent. 

But people mostly remember him as a curly, blonde drummer who played for Ozzy Osbourne.

heavy metal best drummers of all time

#51 Jocke Wallgren (Amon Amarth)

Wallgren was born in Chile, where he was adopted by Swedish parents, and raised in Stockholm, Sweden, where he resides. 

He started playing drums at age 15 and has played in various bands since then. Valkyrja, Vituperation, and October Tide were some bands he played with.

According to Jocke, since he didn’t find heavy/power metal bands to play with, he always ended up in a black or a death metal band, musical genres which were popular in Sweden back then. 

He joined Amon Amarth in 2016, and he is their newest member. 

Joining Amon Amarth brought him a lot of good brand endorsers, so Jocke is now endorsed by Pearl drums, Sabian cymbals, Vic Firth sticks, Evans, Roland, and Vratim.

In a recent interview with Drumtalk, he stated that his main goal in drumming is to play fast, hit hard, and stay tight to the click or with other musicians. 

He is a massive power metal fan, especially with double bass drumming, and that’s why double bass drumming is his biggest strength. 

best black metal drummers

#52 Peter Wildoer (Darkane, Arch Enemy)

Many know Peter Wildoer from his audition as Mike Portnoy’s replacement in Dream Theater, but he also played drums in Darkane and Grimmark. There is a whole variety of bands he’s been in. 

Peter Wildoer was born in September 1974. At the age of four, he got his first toy drum kit for Christmas, and four years later, he got his first genuine drum kit. 

When he was nine, he started to play the flute at music school. There he learned how to read notes, and one year later, he could begin to take drum lessons instead. 

After a temporary drummer position at Arch Enemy, he formed Darkane in 1998. 

He has also worked with PC14 artist Lalle Larsson on the insane “Electric Cartoon Music from Hell” project Electrocution 250. 

In 2010 Peter was asked to drum and sing harsh vocals for James LaBrie’s solo album Static Impulse. 

Apart from that, he’s also a drum and math teacher at Mega Musik high school in Helsingborg.

best modern metal drummers

#53 Jason Rullo (Symphony X)

Jason Rullo is an American drummer, and a founding member of Symphony X. Rullo’s drumming style is characterized by its precision, power, and speed. 

He is known for his fast and complex double bass drum patterns, precise snare drum work, and intricate cymbal and tom patterns.

As an energetic and inspiring performer, Jason has quickly developed a reputation as one of the best progressive metal drummers. 

He started his musical career with piano and guitar but switched to drums shortly afterward at 11. 

During high school, he played in jazz and marching bands and started an instrumental fusion band called Hectic Red.

Rullo’s drumming is also known for its versatility, as he can play different genres of music. 

This is evident in the band Symphony X’s music, which incorporates classical, progressive rock, and power metal elements. 

He is also a very active member of the band, contributing to the songwriting and arranging.

best thrash metal drummers

#54 Guido Wyss (Enigmatik)

Guido Wyss is a Swiss drummer and percussionist who has played with various artists in both the jazz and pop genres. 

He began his career in the 1990s and quickly established himself as a versatile and skilled musician, and Wyss has performed and recorded with several jazz musicians. 

He is the drummer for Engmatik and plays drums in Awaken the Misogynist. Guido’s interest in drums started through his grandfather, a drummer and piano player. 

From 1995 to 1999, he studied classical percussions and double bass at the Music Conservatory in Neuchatel. Guido founded his own Music School with his colleague Cyril Spischer in 1998.

Overall, Guido Wyss is an accomplished musician and a versatile drummer who has significantly contributed to jazz, funk, afro, electro, rock, and metal music. 

He is highly respected by his peers as a performer and educator, and he continues to be active in the music scene.

best death metal drummers

#55 Alex Bent (Trivium)

Alex is always amongst the youngest musicians in the room. Born in 1993, Alex asked his father to assemble his old drum kit so he could try to play. 

By age 21, he had already played in a few bands, such as Arkaik, Decrepit Birth, Hatriot, and Brain Drill. 

After teaching himself to perform percussion for over a year, he competed in drum competitions and auditioned for various musical ensembles. 

When Bent turned 15, he served in marching and a jazz band. As a teenager, he also participated in the Guitar Center Drum Off, making it to Regional Finals. 

He quickly swapped to metal and even filled for Gene Hoglan in Testament in 2015. In 2017, he joined Trivium. He has gained recognition for his skill and versatility in various musical genres. 

Alex is known for his powerful, energetic playing style and technical skill and precision, allowing him to easily play complex rhythms and patterns.

Denis Loncaric
Denis Loncaric

My name is Denis. I am a drummer, percussionist, music enthusiast, and blogger. Drums have been my passion for 15 years now. My idea is to write about the things I like and I am interested in. I want to share my drum passion with fellow musicians who walk, talk, and breathe drums.

3 Comments
Show all Most Helpful Highest Rating Lowest Rating Add your review
  1. Where is Mario Duplantier ?

  2. […] a proficient metal drummer requires dedication, discipline, and a commitment to continuous improvement. As the backbone of any […]

Leave a reply

Drum That
Logo