“He was the leader of the band, he would write the setlist, he would deal with the fan clubs and the merchandise, co-produce the albums and co-write the music. He, to me, was a role model”: Which A-list metal drummer could Mike Portnoy be talking about?

Mike Portnoy has been talking about some of his influences, and whilst he lists some iconic drummers you’d expect to be in there, he included one that might raise an eyebrow.

The Dream Theater drummer was chatting to the Youtube sensation El Estepario Siberiano and after singing the praises of Ringo Starr, Keith Moon and Neil Peart, turned his attention to a figure who’s often sneered at by some sections of the drumming community.

“Lars Ulrich (of Metallica), believe it or not, was a big influence for me,” he explained. “And a lot of people give him a hard time over his technique and everything, but, to me, he was an influence for me because it was more than just drums.”

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“He was the leader of the band, he would write the setlist, he would deal with the fan clubs and the merchandise, and he was co-producing the albums and co-writing the music. He, to me, was a role model.

"And even to this day, he still is. More than just the drumming, his personality and his presence, he was so important for Metallica's success that, to me, that was the thing. And Neil Peart too - Neil wasn't just the drummer; he was the lyricist and he would oversee the artwork. So, it's drummers like that, that do more than just play the drums. Those are my role models."”

He went on to explain that it was also Ulrich’s style that has rubbed off on him: "(Lars) was a pioneer for the style of music that Metallica plays. When they came out in 1983, that was a game changer.

"They were inventing an entire style of music, and he was at the forefront of it. So, you've gotta give him credit for that. And those first four albums, his drumming was very progressive - very aggressive and progressive. It wasn't until the Black Album where he started to pull it back a little bit, but those first four albums I learned so much about metal drumming from those albums.”

To be fair, it’s not the first time Portnoy has given props to Ulrich. Back in 2015 he told Sticks For Stones that he “would rather watch somebody like Lars Ulrich on stage than one of these technical drummers that can do quadruple paradiddles at 240bpm. To me, that's boring. Who cares about that?"

And in 2017 he told Australia’s The Void: "I'll defend him (Ulrich) to the end. I'll tell you what: you don't have to be a great drummer to be the most important guy in the band. And that's what I learned from him."