Talk a little about how you got started and what lead to you being the drummer you are now.

– I started out as a rock drummer(8yrs old), then was eventually hipped to Rush, King Crimson, Chick Corea, Mahavishnu Orchestra and other jazzy/fusiony/progressive bands. I extracted my groove from Latin and R&B styles, used the technical facility from jazz fusion and put them in an aggressive metal context. In short thats what lead me to where I am now.

Who in your mind are some of the best drummers in metal – and music in general – today and why?

– I wouldn’t limit my influences to one style. I prefer to take a little something from anyone I can.

What’s the one kit piece you’d be stumped without? And you can’t say the double-pedal!

– The one piece I would be stumped without would be the snare.

You are an avid e-drummer. Give us a rundown of your setup.

– I prefer the silicon pads from yamaha DTX kits. They have the most realistic feel in my opinion. But I use a Roland KT-10 for a kick trigger. As far as sounds go, I usually use it as a pad kit when practicing but when I record an idea with it I use superior drummer. Usually the avatar kit.