67 Best Metal Drummers

Mike Mangini

I’ll say with confidence that Mike Mangini is one of the most technically proficient drummers in the world. He’s won several hand speed competitions, and he was a main member of Dream Theater for a decade after Mike Portnoy parted with the band.

One of the best things to do is watch Mike play extended drum solos. He pulls out so many technical ideas that just make you wonder how he possibly gets his limbs to do that.

He’s also an incredible teacher, as he was a main faculty member at Berklee before joining Dream Theater.

Mike Portnoy rejoined Dream Theater in 2023, so no one’s certain where Mangini will go next with his career. With that said, he definitely holds a top spot as being one of the best metal drummers in the world.

Mario Duplantier

Mario Duplantier has been the drummer for Gojira for the entirety of the band’s lifespan. He and his brother started the band as Godzilla, but it changed to Gojira in the early 2000s.

Duplantier’s drumming style mixes power and technical prowess, and he’s yet another drummer on this list that thrives when playing odd time signatures and polyrhythms. 

John Dolmayan

John Dolmayan is the drummer for System of a Down. He wasn’t the original drummer of the band, but he joined shortly after the band was formed, and he was the main drummer as the band gained worldwide popularity.

His drumming style perfectly fits the eclectic songwriting of the band. A fun fact about him is that he owns a comic book store, which I think is very cool!

Eloy Casagrande

Eloy Casagrande is the perfect example of a modern metal legend. He’s gained major popularity over the last few years, as everyone has realized what an incredible drummer he is.

He’s a main member of the band Sepultura, and his drumming style is quite unique. He blends his Brazilian background with classic metal drumming to create a very rhythmically interesting character.

He’s one of the hardest hitters I’ve ever seen play the drums, but he somehow never seems to miss a beat.

Like most drummers on this list, he has incredible double pedal speed, but it’s mainly the force with which he plays that most people find impressive.

Jan Axel Blomberg

Jan Axel Blomberg is also known as Hallhammer. He’s a Norwegian metal drummer that primarily plays in the black metal music scene.

His drumming style is incredibly quick, with him effortlessly putting out blast beats and incredibly high tempos.

He’s also one of the biggest drummers in the Norwegian metal scene, tracking drums on several albums for different bands.

Danny Carey

Danny Carey is arguably one of the most recognizable names on this list. He’s regularly referred to as one of the best drummers of all time, even when considering players from all kinds of music styles.

He’s been a main member of Tool for decades, which is a band that perfectly fits the style of drumming he constantly displays.

He has immense control over dynamics and creativity, and most of Tool’s songs switch through time signatures and themes.

Danny Carey pulls a lot of percussion instruments into his setup, allowing him to create diverse drum parts to fit the music he plays.

While he could likely play as fast and as hard as every other drummer on this list, I think it’s his creative genius behind the kit that makes him so well loved.

Ray Luzier

Ray Luzier is a powerhouse drummer that took up the drum throne for Korn in 2009. While he wasn’t an original member of the band, he’s been a mainstay for over a decade, contributing plenty to the band’s musical success.

I’m also a big fan of Ray Luzier as a teacher. I’ve watched several educational videos of his over the years that have inspired me and given me plenty of ideas to try out on the kit.

There’s a bit of a divide among the Korn fanbase regarding his drumming. He’s a much better drummer than Korn’s original David Silveria, as he has more technical skill and ability. However, many fans preferred the more simplistic drum parts that Silveria recorded.

I’ll always be a huge fan of Ray, though, so I love his drumming in Korn.

Vinnie Paul

Vinnie Paul is another drummer who everyone expects to see on a list like this. He was a main member of Pantera for years before the band split up in the early 2000s.

One of the key things about Vinnie’s playing was his use of triggers. He was a big endorser of ddrum, and he made good use of hybrid technology to refine his sound.

He sadly died in 2018, but he remains one of the biggest influences in metal drumming, especially to drummers who enjoy using hybrid setups.

Tomas Haake

Everyone knows Tomas Haake for the famous herta double bass drum groove that he plays Bleed, but there’s a lot more to say about Meshuggah’s drummer than just that.

Like Danny Carey, he has an amazing ability to have complete control over his drumming when playing complicated polyrhythms and polymeters.

He’s often been referred to as one of the best modern metal drummers performing right now, and you can completely understand why when you watch him play.

There’s a funny voice clip of comedian Bill Burr describing Haake’s playing. He calls him a freak of nature, which is right on the money when considering his drumming ability.

Matt Greiner

Matt Greiner is one of the original members of August Burns Red. He’s had a massive impact on the band throughout all their years of making music, and he provides backing vocals for a few songs as well.

He’s another drummer that I’d consider to be technically brilliant. When watching him play, you can easily see how impeccable his technique is.

He’s also a fantastic educator, running his own website where he provides drum lessons to members. If you want to learn how to play metal drums well, Greiner’s site is a great place to be.

Jason Bittner

Jason Bittner has been a popular name in the metal world for years, playing with various metalcore and thrash metal bands. He currently plays for Overkill, but he was an important member of Shadowns Fall and Toxik for a while.

He’s a great teacher, often hosting drum clinics to break down his mastery over double bass techniques.