Drummer Spotlight | Matt Halpern | April 2023
Drummer Spotlight - Monthly featured drummers that are a continual inspiration to me and my playing
In 2019, after 5 or 6 years off from playing drums, I discovered Periphery which lead me onto other bands in the genre that isn’t a genre, Djent. It was great to hear drum styles that I favoured being used in metal. It was very inspirational to me. I had quit music because my anxiety got so bad I that couldn’t leave the house for 2 years without having a panic attack.
I only knew of Matt from his tour with Mike Johnston, so I started getting acquainted with this new (to me) style of playing. The Way The News Goes was the song that got me hooked. Weirdly, I couldn’t get into them until I watched the show where they had no vocals - I love Spencer’s vocals now.
There was a little studio round the corner from where I lived that I thought had been closed for years, when I found out it wasn’t I asked if I could play some drums sometime. They said they were closing in a week, but gave me the keys. I got a couple of days of playing in and decided to cover Marigold. My first ever drum cover. It’s very bad, it’s not what Matt plays, but it got me in a great Math Rock band which then got me a regular function type gig and many other opportunities.
Matt Halpern inspired me to start playing drums again, which pushed me to gig again. For that, I am forever grateful. Though my anxiety is not great again and I’ve had to leave a few bands, I’m still in one gigging band and I’m writing for another, which is set to go into rehearsals soon.
I recently discovered Matt is an advocate for mental health and trains BJJ. More in common than I thought. I hope we get to roll someday.
Thank you for everything.
Below is my bad cover of Marigold, Matt’s good playthrough of Marigold, as well as his most recent playthrough, which is of Dracul Gras, my favourite track from Periphery V: Djent Is Not a Genre.
