67 Best Metal Drummers

Charlie Engen

Charlie Engen is the current drummer for Five Finger Death Punch. He was a relatively unknown drummer before joining the band, but he skyrocketed in popularity after.

I’ve been following his YouTube channel for years, and it’s always incredible to see how good he is at playing the drums. He’s all speed, finesse, technical skill, and he has plenty of style when playing.

Art Cruz

Art Cruz became the drummer for Lamb of God after Chris Adler left the band in 2018. Before that, he played for Prong and Winds of Plague.

Art is one of the few drummers to somehow maintain a band’s sound after joining when a longtime drummer left. Even though his drumming style is a bit different, Lamb of God sounds the same as they always have after having Chris Adler leave the group.

Mike Terrana

Mike Terrana has an incredible career behind him. He’s recorded albums with over a dozen different artists, and his solo project, Terrana, is a really interesting one.

In his solo project, he combines a lot of elements of classical music with rock and metal. This creates a fantastic cinematic sound which is great to listen to.

Jeremy Spencer

Jeremey Spencer was the original drummer for Five Finger Death Punch. He took a break from touring with the band to have back surgery, but he later left the band due to constant struggles with his back.

He doesn’t drum as often anymore, shifting more into a career in film. However, his work with Five Finger Death Punch will live on forever, and his career as a metal drummer firmly places him on this list.

Matt Thompson

Matt Thompson has been the drummer for King Diamond since the year 2000. He’s won a Grammy with the band, and he’s been an integral member ever since he joined.

One thing I really enjoy about Matt Thompson’s drumming is that he’s clearly been classically trained. His playing is very tight and structured, and it lends very well to King Diamond’s music.

Pete Webber

Pete Webber is the drummer for Havok, which is a relatively popular metal band. While Pete doesn’t necessarily hold the same level of fame as many of the other drummers on this list, I think his drumming abilities are fantastic.

He still has decades left of his career, but he’s already made himself known as one of the best metal drummers out there with the way he moves around the kit.

Sean Reinhart

Sean Reinhart was a huge influence on the metal drumming industry, with guys like Gene Hoglan and Brann Dailor mentioning him as a big inspiration on their playing.

He sadly died in 2020 due to a heart issue, and it left a huge impact on the metal industry.

Sean mainly played drums for the band Cynic, but he tracked albums with a few other big metal bands throughout the years.

Tommy Aldridge

Tommy Aldridge is a living legend, and he was my dad’s favorite drummer when he was a young adult who loved metal music.

Aldridge has played with several legendary artists, including Thin Lizzy, Ozzy Osbourne, Vinnie Moore, and Ted Nugent.

He’s yet another drummer who can be credited for heavily influencing the early metal scene. Drummers like Mike Mangini and Mike Portnoy wouldn’t be where they are if it wasn’t for drummers like Tommy.

Jason Rullo

Jason Rullo is a progressive metal drummer who plays in the band Symphony X. He’s one of the original members, and he hasn’t been part of too many other projects apart from the band.

He now primarily works as a drum educator, teaching people how to play metal on the drums.

Shannon Larkin

Shannon Larkin plays drums for Godsmack. While he wasn’t an original member, he’s been with the band for over two decades.

He played with a few groups before Godsmack, including Amen, Souls at Zero, and Candlebox.

I really appreciate how he performs behind the kit. He does big arm movements and pulls plenty of faces to entertain anyone watching him.

Marco Minneman

Marco Minneman has been one of my favorite drummers for years. I actually think he’s underrated, as he doesn’t get as much attention as drummers like Matt Garstka, but he’s just as good when it comes to progressive drumming.

He’s an expert at playing odd time signatures and hitting really high speeds with all of his limbs.

He’s released over a dozen solo albums, but he’s also been part of other projects and tracked drums with bands like Illegal Aliens, Normalizer 2, and The Sea Within.