Grindcore…old school death metal’s bastard cousin. It's supposed to be loud, fast and to the point. There’s no room in the genre for egos, theatricality, or clean laundry in some cases. Either way, the oft-considered “simplest” genre of the extreme metal family tree actually features some of the wildest drummers on the planet. Mixing death metal’s rapid tempos with hardcore punk’s ferocity, the players on this list all bash their drums nice and loud, and at breakneck speeds. This list isn’t a definitive ranking or scientific survey of BPMs, but rather a small tribute to some of the finest drummers in grindcore today.
Danny Walker
[youtube]https://youtu.be/t_YVkhb4qgQ[/youtube]
Renowned for his genre-bending percussion in Intronaut, Danny Walker is also one of the most lethal grinders in the business. He’s spent years perfecting his blasts as a hired gun for the likes of Phobia and Exhumed and most recently in his own death-grind super group, Murder Construct. With blindingly fast hands and an undeniable creative flair, Danny Walker remains one of the most promising drummers in the extreme metal underworld. As Intronaut continues to explore trippy new sonic terrain with each release, you can always count on Walker to continue grinding his heart out in the trenches.
Chris Moore
[youtube]https://youtu.be/ovBcWBtkc48[/youtube]
Old school, punkified ferocity and a seemingly inexhaustible source of energy, lands ex-Magrudergrind and current Coke Bust/Repulsion skin basher, Chris Moore on the list. Moore’s knack for single foot [nay…entire leg] blasts and maniacal use of his ride cymbal cuts through the wonderful racket his bandmates conjure onstage. Moore’s playing is more akin to a full body assault on the drums…and he seems to be having a ball while doing it.
Joshua Cohen
[youtube]https://youtu.be/8Wjt0WUBVQc[/youtube]
From out of nowhere, Joshua Cohen and his phenomenal drumming on Die Choking’s debut full length album have all but reshaped the grindcore landscape in a big way. Cohen isn’t reinventing the wheel with his blast first and ask questions later approach to playing, but his blistering performance has injected some serious passion into the genre. Really, try to sit through a Die Choking song without spazzing out like a legit choking victim. Cohen’s punishing one foot blasts and barrage of odd fills might just leave you gasping for air.
Bryan Fajardo
[youtube]https://youtu.be/CYLs3NUhAxo[/youtube]
With his speed, power, ungodly fills and otherworldly patterns, Bryan Fajardo is easily one of the most criminally underrated drummers in extreme metal today. His resume boasts a who’s who of grindcore elites, ranging from Phobia, Kill The Client, Gridlink, Noisear and more, while his YouTube channel is a thing of blast beat laden beauty. Whether he’s cruising alongside an oldschool d-beat or moving along his toms like an octopus, Mr. Fajardo demonstrates a complete mastery of the grindcore genre.
Adam Jarvis
[youtube]https://youtu.be/oZuBXnQhFXg[/youtube]
The cyborg himself, Adam Jarvis is one of the fastest and hardest hitting drummers in any genre, period. The man spent most of the 2000’s melting drums pedals in Misery Index, achieving ludicrous bpms that would make Nile fans salivate; before joining Pig Destroyer in 2011 and adding another notch in his grindcore championship belt. With his inhuman speed and endurance, penchant for beating drum heads into submission, not to mention those kind of scary serial killer-esque drum face he makes behind the kit, Adam Jarvis is undoubtedly the premiere grind drummer in the game right now.
Here's another clip of Jarvis killing it with Misery Index:
[youtube]https://youtu.be/2QyifJgSQuM[/youtube]
Bonus Video: THIS GUY
So what do you think? Who are some of your favorite grindcore drummers? Who would you like to see on the next installment? Let us know in the comments below!
