Who's the Best?

In the world of music many stars rise over the years, to be forever know as legends of what they do. Mozart, Bob Dylan, Eddie Van Halen, Elvis Presley, Neil Peart, all have been considered to be the greatest at what they do at one point in time. But in modern heavy metal music today, a great dispute is out as to who is the best drummer in the industry, with two of the top contenders being Lamb of God’s drummer Chris Adler, and Slipknot’s drummer Joey Jordison. I would argue that the answer is, without a doubt, Chris Adler.
There are many different qualities and characteristics that go into consideration when you’re deciding whom the better of two musicians are. Some of these include sound, performance, skill, technicality, style, and difficulty. With both Adler and Jordison having new albums come out within the last year, it has put a big spotlight on them, and made people wonder just who is better. Many would argue that Joey Jordison’s technical speed throughout Slipknot’s entire songs would make him the number one drummer in the world. It is undeniable, that Jordison does have some very difficult beats to play, due to their complexity and constant double bass drumming mixed with lightning speed. But Adler one-ups Jordison in the fact that, Adler’s drum fills, are near impossible to do. A drum fill is a transitional point in a song (like going from the verse to the chorus for instance) that is based around a drum change. The way that Adler arranges his fills are often beyond belief, throwing in insane patterns between his hands and feet at speeds that demand a second listen every time you hear the songs.
Also, Adler’s style is one that is hard to comprehend even after you see it. One of the biggest reasons that Adler has such a difficult style to match is because he is actually a left handed drummer, who plays on a right handed drum set, something that is rarely seen in the drumming world. Adler’s style truly shines during live performances with the band, in the sense that what you thought you heard on the cd, is actually so more complex than it seemed. It’s almost as if he’s just letting his arms explode from his body, and his feet are programmed to do their job flawlessly. His accuracy live is dead on, playing every beat as if it’s woven into his DNA, which assures you that what you hear on the cd’s is not product of fancy studio magic, it’s the real deal.
A third quality that sets Adler above and beyond many of the top heavy metal drummers of today, is his love for his fans and supporters. Many drummers who know that they’re famous, know they’re a big name musician, loose sight of the reason they became famous… their fans. But Adler never has. His humble personality keeps both his feet on the ground (and on his bass pedals) and his head where it should be. During any live show, if Adler gets a minute in between songs, he runs to the crowd, giving them high five’s and even a drumstick or two to some of the luckier audience members. This not only keeps him on excellent terms with his fans, but also makes the shows for the band he’s in much more interactive, which in turn keeps people wanting to always come back for more. It seems that Adler never turns down an interview, and always has a smile on his face. His personality makes people love him for more than his awesome drumming skills, which can be one of the most important qualities there is when it comes to being know as the “greatest” there is at something. And Adler’s combination of attributes set an even more promising future for him to become know as the best there is.
Every video you watch on YouTube, or on the television that has Adler in it, you get a feeling like you’re there, like you’ve know him all his life. And yet his skills never cease to amaze you as you watch him play. It doesn’t matter if it’s the first time you’ve heard the song, or the hundredth time, Chris Adler’s drumming style and presence has an uncanny effect of making you always want more, which is what makes him the best drummer there is in heavy metal.

Anthony Falcone