Latest Drumming News
Article by Jon Hadusek for Yahoo: HERE
Tool are known for their mathematically complex progressive metal. The songs demand physical proficiency, especially from drummer Danny Carey, and now he’s revealed the hardest Tool songs to play on the kit — three to be exact.
The most difficult endurance-wise? Carey said it’s the 2001 Lateralus track “The Grudge.” The song boasts irregular time signatures, copious fills, and myriad drum patterns across its nearly nine-minute duration.
“For endurance, it’s ‘The Grudge’ because if we’re not in tour shape my hands almost cramp up because of all the Swiss triplets,” Carey told his drum tech Joe Slaby in an Instagram video (watch below). “It’s just a real physical song overall, there’s some double-kick stuff in it.”
Overall, familiarity with the song plays a major factor for Carey, who then cited a pair of tracks from 2019’s Fear Inoculum among the most demanding.
“The trickiest ones might be ‘Invincible’ or ‘7empest,’ the newer ones,” he said. “Just ’cause I’m not used to them.”
“The Grudge” remains a staple in Tool’s setlist, while “Invincible” has acted as a the closing encore number since Fear Inoculum was released. The band played both songs during its recent festival slots at Welcome to Rockville and Sonic Temple, and “7empest” was played occasionally on tour in 2022.
