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  1. Artists
  2. Drummers

Essential drum tracks: Dillinger Escape Plan's Billy Rymer

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By Rhythm magazine published 12 November 2012

The hardcore band's drummer picks his essential tunes

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The track that I first learnt to play...

The track that I first learnt to play...

“This is the first song I remember really trying to get in depth and learn note for note. I was about 12 at the time. Carl Palmer’s an amazing drummer and a great inspiration. I used to practise with this song constantly. It still stands to be one of the most progressive pieces ever written in rock’n’roll history.”

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Page 1 of 8
Page 1 of 8
The track that I love right now...

The track that I love right now...

“I love the Latin vibe and the dynamic touch on the drums. Her voice is beautiful, and that hook in the chorus can stick with you for days. I am a big fan of using dynamics expressively, and this song gives a great illustration of how to do so.”

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Page 2 of 8
Page 2 of 8
The track that I could never get sick of...

The track that I could never get sick of...

“Demonstrates the imperativeness of minimalistic perfection and rhythmic orchestration. A brilliant example of how to play the rests, how to play open spaces and make it tasteful and interesting. All concepts that are very important for drummers to utilise, especially when collaborating on writing.”

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Page 3 of 8
Page 3 of 8
The track that I'm proudest of...

The track that I'm proudest of...

“This was the first song I ever experimented with linear chops to serve as a theme. The opening cadence is a gospel chop that sweeps across the toms starting with the snare. It’s as technical as it is punk. It is also in my opinion the most challenging and physically demanding song to play on the record.”

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Page 4 of 8
Page 4 of 8
The track that I love playing live...

The track that I love playing live...

“This one has everything a drummer like me needs: crazy chaotic rhythms and changes in the first two minutes of the song, a solid groove with double bass at the end, and a mid-section that allows me to go off and be expressive. It was a pleasure to have Mike Patton come on stage in San Francisco to accompany us on this song this past tour with Mastodon.”

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Page 5 of 8
Page 5 of 8
The track that I wish I'd played on...

The track that I wish I'd played on...

“This is one of my favourite drum beats ever written and my favourite to soundcheck with because it uses pretty much my entire drumset to play.”

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Page 6 of 8
Page 6 of 8
The track that has a crazy drum beat...

The track that has a crazy drum beat...

“The beat in the verses is insanely technical and groovy. I’ve never seen anyone bring the fire like Thomas Pridgen. That dude is a pure beast, enough said.”

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Page 7 of 8
Page 7 of 8
The track that has an amazing drum sound...

The track that has an amazing drum sound...

“I love every song by this band. I really love when a drummer can use his kit to dictate a melody which is very uncommon in popular music. Danny Carey is a perfect and unique example of how a drummer should have a clear and present voice in the mix.”

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Subscribe to Rhythm Magazine to read interviews with the world’s top drummers each month.

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Page 8 of 8
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Drums
Rhythm magazine
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