Drum heroes week: Billy Rymer on Carl Palmer

Dillinger Escape Plan sticksman Billy Rymer is a modern metal master, a king of odd time and a technical wizard. So it should come as little surprise that his drum hero is a prog icon.

"I grew up on '70s prog rock. As a child my favourite drummer was Carl Palmer, who is of course very technical, complex and had a huge drumset. Watching him play was like watching a fireworks show. For me, early on it had to be loud, fast, aggressive and powerful."

But, Palmer isn't Rymer's only drum hero, as he matures he admits that his love of groove has spawned some new idols.

"The older I'm getting, the more my taste is shifting towards groove and having appreciation for minimalist perfection and making the least amount of notes feel good. Questlove is a perfect example of that, Chad Smith as well amongst many others. It's like that old saying, you can play three chords for 3,000 people or 3,000 chords for three people."

Rich Chamberlain

Rich is a teacher, one time Rhythm staff writer and experienced freelance journalist who has interviewed countless revered musicians, engineers, producers and stars for the our world-leading music making portfolio, including such titles as Rhythm, Total Guitar, Guitarist, Guitar World, and MusicRadar. His victims include such luminaries as Ice T, Mark Guilani and Jamie Oliver (the drumming one).