Speaking of stacked, the lineup was pretty damn handy too!
In collaboration with The Artist Centre and Tama Drums, prolific Australian drummers Nic Pettersen, Jesse Beahler, and Chas Levi of the bands Northlane, Thy Art is Murder, and Justice for the Damned, came together at Studios 301 in Sydney to jam and show off the latest from Tama Drums.
Read all the latest features, columns and more here.
The performance was completely improvised, with each drummer playing off one another while adding their own characteristics to the performance. Following each other for the main groove while giving allowing space to jam and improvise over the top.
Although each drummer hails from acts in Australia’s thriving metal community, they each have contrasting styles that compliment each other and add variety to the jam.
Nic Pettersen of Northlane brings a classic rock styling to the rhythm, employing the use of tight snare and cymbal work and focusing more on the groove rather than overly technical playing. Throughout the video, Pettersen can be seen using the 2022 Tama Star Bubinga Kit, with a 22” kick drum, 16” and 14” floor toms, a 12” rack tom, and a 14” Soundworks Steel snare.
The high density of the bubinga wood adds a thick low end and an overall deeper and darker sound to the kit, while the thinner shells of the drums increase vibrations and improve resonance. The Soundworks steel snare offers a tight yet powerful sound that is excellent for live performances.
(Nic Petterson. Supplied)
Thy Art is Murder drummer Jesse Beahler employs a more black/death metal inspired style of drumming, with lighting fast double kicks and tight blast beats, highlighting his speed and technical ability. For the performance, Beahler can be seen using the 2022 Tama Starclassic Performer kit with a 22” kick, 16” and 14” floor toms, 12” and 10” rack toms and a 14” Starphonic brass snare.
The maple and birch build of the Starclassic Performer combines the warmth of the maple wood with the clarity of birch to provide a nice clear tone that pushes through the mix. The Starphonic brass snare gives a clean, snappy sound, perfect for the abundance of snare work within the blast beats and quick snare rolls.
(Jesse Beahler. Supplied)
Finally is Justice for the Damned drummer Chas Levi. Levi proves to be a nice middle ground between the two other styles, with punk rock and thrash metal influences. Levi’s tight snare and hat work compliments his aggression and speed to create a driving, high energy rhythm section. In the jam, Levi can also be seen playing the 2022 Tama Starclassic Performer kit. This time with a 22” kick drum, 16” and 12” floor and rack toms, and the 14” Star Bubinga snare.
The Starclassic Performer again gives the sound a nice clear and balanced sound, with plenty of depth without sacrificing clarity. The Star Bubinga snare provides a bright, snappy, and dry sound. The bubinga wood gives the snare a rich resonance which helps stand out from the rest of the kit.
(Chas Levi. Supplied)
While at Studios 301, Nic Pettersen also demonstrated the new Starclassic walnut/birch drum kit from Tama drums. In the video, Pettersen is using the new limited edition gold hardware kit with the full set up of two rack toms, two floor toms, a kick drum and snare.
“Playing it was smooth!” Pettersen states, “these toms absolutely sing, the kick is thumping and [the snare] can be tuned from both low to high ranges. It all compliments each other so nicely!”
Head to Tama Drums for all the latest. For local enquiries, reach out to Australis Music.
