There has been a heavy amount of discussion about Rob's drumming on THP and how technical, talented, and central it is on most of the album's songs. So my question to you is which song do you think features the BEST drumming? And why? I went with GATS because the drumming is just insane. Rob even blew his back out recording it and I think it took him quite a few weeks to figure out. All drumming on THP is fantastic, but I think GATS is the song that really showcases Rob's talent.
It's VERY tough to pick one song, but I think I'll go with Keys to the Kingdom, with Mark the Graves, Rebellion, and GATS all as legitimate contenders as well. KTTK has a lot of stuff in it that can slip right past you without you noticing it, but when you finally pick up on it after playing the song enough times, you realize that Rob is doing some downright filthy stuff on that track. The change in rhythm during the last 2 bars of the intro is something that would throw a lot of drummers for a loop, and it's not like Rob's doing it with an easy beat either. There's also a fill near the end of the song (3:23-3:24) that's so nuts that I couldn't do anything other than laugh and rewind the last 10 seconds of the track when I noticed it. I think Rob consistently uses the double kick on that song more than any other on the record too.
^This. I also love the drums on KTTK. I had to vote for ALITS, I don't know, maybe it's just cause it's hardcore, and it has a major punk vibe through the chorus, it's just my opinion of it though, I know that a lot of people don't like it, (most likely because of the rawness and Chester's voice buried under the wall of guitars) but I love it. I love the drums on War too, Rob has done a fantastic job on every track Also, I'd just like to add, I love the fact they recorded certain songs to tape, I love that, the rawness of it is superb, but a part of me wishes that it was recorded normally, because I would like to hear everything properly balanced and Chester's Vocals more, anyway, I'm still more than happy with the album, I get why they did it, nobody could pull it off like LP in my opinion.
Mark The Graves for me. I don't think it's technically as impressive as songs like GATS or KTTK, but the drums just sound so clear on this track and they really feel like they're the main point of it. I've also never really heard Rob play in the way he does on MTG, just an all round fantastic song.
I absolutely love the drums from KTTK. As Astat said, there's a lot of double kick throughout, especially prominent in the bridge, and I absolutely love how Rob does that.
KTTK, the drums in the last chorus bring so much energy. The fill at the end is also one of my fav moments on the album.
I voted ALITS because sounds like Rob never stops. MTG because it sounds like nothing Rob has done before. KTTK because of those unexpected beats Astat has mentioned. GATS because of those crunchy single strokes. Rebellion because of those parts when Rob hits the ride,make me wanna squeal. War because it took one single take for him to accomplish his recording part.
IIRC they actually recorded ALL of the drums on THP to tape, along with some of the other "basic" tracks (like in the making of GATS clip where Rob's playing drums and Mike's playing guitar, that initial guitar track was probably put on tape with the drums and then they added everything else later).
This post sums up pretty well why THP is such a beast record when it comes to the drumming performance!
Best drumming? There is only one "drumming" on this album, Rob's drumming, and it is great. The title confuses me.
But seriously, it's either "best drum performance" or "best composed drums". This makes no sense. Screw y'all. Yes, the quality of the drumming on THP is on a steady level. It doesn't change. In order to pick out the best "drumming", you'd have to have multiple "drummings"... the title of the thread is just god damn weird.
Come on, Robert, what are you trying to prove? You understand full well what the title intends to mean... Language is nothing but a means of communicating with people. Why does it tick you off so much?