Shadows Fall drummer Jason Bittner joined Exodus on stage last night at the Upstate Concert Hall in New York to perform the band's classic, "The Toxic Waltz."
"Last night I had the honor of stepping onstage to jam with the mighty Exodus (featuring one of my favorite metal guitar players ever – Gary Holt)," Bittner said. "It was dark as hell and I had to play a backwards kit, but it was hella fun!! To quote the Bay Area guys!!"
You can catch Bittner's performance with Exodus in the clip below:
Now that he has been banned from competing, disgraced cycling champion Lance Armstrong has turned his attention to other passions, like playing drums in a reggae band.
No kidding – Armstrong turned up at the Austin Reggae Festival last Saturday and wound up on stage in front of 10,000 people jamming with Lance Herbstrong on four songs, including the pot-smoker’s paean “Pass The Dutchie,” originally made famous by Musical Youth in 1982.
Armstrong later tweeted, “Helluva good time sitting in with @LanceHerbstrong 2night @AustinReggae.”
Grammy award-winning drummer Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez, whose resume includes working with names like Carlos Santana, John Petitucci Quartet, Tito Puente and the Afro-Cuban All Stars, permanenty cemented his place in history earlier this month. The legendary drummer donated his late 90's Pearl drum set to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in celebration of the museum's 12th annual Jazz Appreciation Month.
"My drums are going to be in a place and in the company of artifacts and memories of people that I always dreamed to be with since the day I was born," Hernandez said.
Before signing over his kit, he was given the opportunity to lay down one final groove. Check out the short clip below:
A former member of Periphery and Sky Eats Airplane, drummer Travis Orbin will now be joining melodic death metalheads Darkest Hour as the band's new basher. Orbin has been working with the guys on with the band's eighth album, slated for a late 2013 release.
In regards to joining Darkest Hour, Orbin says, "I’ve been jamming and writing the new record with the guys for over a year. It’s been especially rewarding in that everything was composed in a room together, a wholly organic process that I haven’t experienced in a long while. I’m excited about the tunes, signing on as a full-time member, and can’t wait to hit the road!"
Singer John Henry adds: “This is a very exciting time in the history of the band. Travis is hands down one of the best drummers I have ever seen, and is bringing to the table an incredible and inspiring amount of talent and musical ability. This marks the beginning of a new era for Darkest Hour, one you will have to hear and see to believe!”
Last week the longtime Saturday Night Live drummer donated one of the kits he played on the show to his alma mater, the Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. Pelton earned a Bachelor’s Degree and Performer’s Certificate from the school’s Jacobs School Of Music in 1985, where he studied with Kenny Aronoff, among others.
According to wthr.com, Pelton – who played with many of the top names in music, including Johnny Cash, Elton John, Sheryl Crow, Billy Joel, Van Morrison, Rod Stewart, Pink and Kelly Clarkson – says the Jacobs percussion faculty “is a real dream team that offers everything for an aspiring performer.
