ravan (not signed) said:
I seriously think pat o brien was the best thing that happened to the band. With other guitarists, sorry but this band is getting all thrashy. Something they were not for a while. I used to like them as I like Meshuggah. The Nevermore drummer is incredible and he could harness his skills if he plays some offbeat shit instead of the usual thrashy beats.
You could give it a try and listen to his groovy ride parts, more often!
i find his playing -especially double bass and ride- everything, except usual. What about The Psalm of Lydia?
The beginning part contains subtle changes on the accents, those kind of skills are tricky and subtle, i like that. This Godless Endeavor, especially @ 5:30 min and so on, that rocks balls! I don't know what kind of listener you are, but it's in the way he puts his accents that does the trick to me.
It may sound like the 'usual' to you but VW does play with the measures.
No harness skilled 'sittinglikeabagofsalt' drumming, all to make it sound technical and suit the band. In Meshuggah it's mostly the guitars that do the offbeat parts, it's the drummer who may pack 'n play!
Thomas Haake may stuff it all, it's the guitars that take the leading parts.
That can become very technical and complex but leave that to Meshuggah!!!
No clones! Textures <from Holland> is enough already!
Drummers need to work their ass off.
Two limbs on the lead and the other two, pull the pack together.
It's like question and answering, Terry Bozzio does that a lot too.
That's what makes a drummer " The Working Man " .
Or in Van's case: The Man with the Triplet Plan
He's no Thomas Haake and i'm very happy Nevermore doesn't sound like Meshuggah!
@ DeadFetus: A big hell yeah! goes out to photographers who know how to get the drummer in their lens! There are too less drummer pics on the net.