Taken during a recent shoot of a ProLite video, this performance features SONOR artist Gavin Harrison from PORCUPINE TREE doing his thing. Watch below as Gavin tries out a ProLite Red Tribal Drumkit consisting of a 22×19.5″ Bass Drum, 8×7″ Tom Tom, 10×7″ Tom Tom, 12×8″ Tom Tom, 14×12″ Floor Tom, 16×14″ Floor Tom, 14×6″ Snare Drum:

MASTODON have revealed a live performance video of ‘Dry Bone Valley‘ from Brixton Academy when they played there earlier this year. It’s a killer video and you can check it out below:

Pick up a copy of MASTODON’s latest album ‘The Hunter’ by clicking here.

MetalSucks.net have put together their Top 25 Modern Metal Drummers and the top 10 in the list consists of GOJIRA‘s Mario Duplaniet, MASTODON‘s Brann Dailor and LAMB OF GOD‘s Chris Adler – check out the top 10 below:

#1: SCOTT HULL (AGORAPHOBIC NOSEBLEED)

#2: MARIO DUPLANTIER (GOJIRA):
It can’t be easy being the drummer of one of the heaviest, best and critically acclaimed metal bands on Planet Earth. Especially not when your brother is the frontman and guitarist, two roles that usually attract more attention from the masses than drummers do. But perhaps there’s nothing like a good old fashioned case of sibling rivalry to motivate a fire under one’s ass; not only has Mario Duplantier managed to make his presence in the band felt in an incredibly tangible way, but he’s become a bonafide standout superstar within Gojira’s ranks and he’s absolutely, without question, one of the greatest drummers in modern metal. #3: Danny Walker (Intronaut, Exhumed, Jesu, etc)

#4: BRANN DAILOR (MASTODON):
From around the twenty-five second mark in “March of the Fire Ants” (off of 2002′s Remission), it becomes very clear that we are dealing with a different approach to drum chops.

In anticipation of his forthcoming solo album ‘Apocalyptic Love‘ due May 21st, the UK’s biggest radio network BBC Radio 2 goes rock for six weeks with one of the most iconic guitarists of all time, SLASH.

From April 12th, rock music legend, solo artist and former Guns N’ Roses guitarist SLASH presents six episodes of the music that changed his life and inspired him to pick up a Les Paul.

From AC/DC and Aerosmith to Metallica and Motorhead, SLASH presents an hour of heavy riffs, screaming solos, crunching guitars, soaring vocals and some of the most essential hard rock ever recorded. Interspersed with stories of rock n’ roll decadence, anecdotes from the back of the tour bus and an infectious genuine love of the genre, SLASH explains how these artists and songs changed his life and fuelled the soundtrack to his world. Expect to hear classic and rare tracks from Led Zeppelin, Rose Tattoo, Deep Purple, Rainbow, Iron Maiden, Queen, Megadeth, Rage Against The Machine, tracks from his solo projects, including the first single from his new album and much, much more.

This is SLASH‘s second stint behind the microphone for BBC Radio 2, having presented a two-hour rock special for the network as part of it’s Christmas schedule in 2010, called ‘Slash’s Guitar Heroes’.

In this new series SLASH picks up where he left off, returning to bring the rock back to Radio 2.

Not for the faint hearted, this show is loud and heavy!

The series runs as follows:

12th April 2012 @ 10:03pm – 11pm
19th April 2012 @ 10:03pm – 11pm
26th April 2012 @ 10:03pm – 11pm
3rd May 2012 @ 10:03pm – 11pm
10th May 2012 @ 10:03pm – 11pm
17th May 2012 @ 10:03pm – 11pm

Listen in throughout the UK on 88 – 91 FM, on SKY (0102), DAB (12B), Freeview (702), Freesat (702), Virgin Media (902), Talk Talk TV (602), UPC Ireland (908) or globally online at www.bbc.co.uk/radio2.

You can also ‘listen again’ to the shows on the BBC’s website for up to 7 days after each broadcast.

Click here to keep up to date with all things SLASH.

Amazon are currently running an ‘Alternative‘ albums campaign and you can pick up the following digital albums for a modest

SLIPKNOT‘s Clown has put together a trailer for the 2012 Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival featuring SLIPKNOT, Slayer, Motorhead, Anthrax, THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA and more. Check it out below:

We wish the Mayhem festival stopped by the UK!

NICKELBACK have premiered an awesome performance video for the track ‘This Means War‘ and you can check it out on their YouTube channel by clicking here or alternatively, you can watch it below:

I Like Music caught up with KO퐌¿N drummer Ray Luzier before the band’s show at Brixton Academy a few weeks ago and he told them about settling into one of the most established bands in the world, their non-stop creativity, learning to play dubstep live and the tough side of the music business. You can read an extract from the interview below:

“I Like Music because…it’s my way of life. I would die without it.” – Ray

ILM: You were at the BBC’s famous Maida Vale studios yesterday, how was that?

Ray: Unbelievable. That was breathtaking. To this day I still listen to the Zeppelin sessions, and so many legendary bands…the feel there, with the giant orchestra room…I had chills!

ILM: How have the shows been going so far?

Ray: Really good. It’s cool to see people sing the words to the new stuff. For the first couple of shows in the States it wasn’t out yet so people were still kind of grasping the concept that it was way different from what we normally play. But now they’re singing Narcissistic Cannibal as much as Freak On A Leash, so that’s a good sign.

ILM: It seems dubstep is the big story with the new album. When did you guys discover it?

Ray: Jon was the main source. Korn has always had an element of hip hop: rap, funk. People call it nu-metal but I just call it Korn. It’s hard to classify. It’s so identifiable. Jon Davis sings one note and you know it’s him. He told me the other day “I never even intended to be a singer. I played a bunch of instruments and I just happened to sing…” Maybe that’s why he’s so unique. But the dubstep thing: he always plays music. I played drums on his solo record, which we did about two and a half years ago, and it’s fricking amazing. I can’t wait for it to come out. I don’t know when that’ll be, cos of the timing of everything…

ILM: Is that the J Devil stuff?

Ray: No, completely different, Jon’s solo thing. It’s kind of like the JDSFA thing that came through, but even different to that. It’s like a Peter Gabriel meets Korn thing… It’s insane and intense, but he’s not on that page right now, he’s on this page. But he’s always playing us new stuff: “you got to check this out, you got to hear this, oh my god!” He’s so passionate about it. I love being in a band with people who are just crazy about music.

ILM: And he played you some dubstep?

Ray: Yeah, he played Get Up by Skrillex for the first time through the PA system. He was just like “you gotta hear this.” We were literally dumfounded, staring at the PA. Then he’s like “I’m gonna sing over this,” and I’m like “what are you going to sing?” He’s like “I dunno, but I’m just feeling so many ideas.” He came back with Get Up. To come up with all those melodies to that kind of stuff is really challenging.

ILM: How did it work from your point of view, as a drummer. The drums are typically programmed aren’t they?

Ray: Yeah. A lot of times I was the last one on the record. The drums are already programmed, and I respect that. A lot of drummers would be like “wait a minute, what about me?” But I’m a huge fan of Nine Inch Nails, and Marilyn Manson and Ministry – all those bands that program stuff – and I just wanted to make sure I was playing it live. Jon’s a drummer too, and he goes “I want you to play all this stuff live. We’re just gonna replace the snare drum and kick drum with electronic pads, trigger the sounds from the record and you’ll play it like that.”

ILM: What’s the most challenging part of Korn’s set as a drummer?

Ray: Ummmm… Well, we start the set with four songs that are very old school – for the die-hard fans – then we change it up a third of the way through and do five or six of the new ones before ending with the hits. I would say our new single, Chaos Lives In Everything, is the hardest bit. I’m trying to recreate what’s on the record, and to recreate a machine is a challenge. I like Way Too Far, because on the record I embellished the electronic sound with organic drums. There’s a floor tom that goes with the chorus part. So it’s chugging along with the electronic sound and all the rest of it – the cymbals and toms and everything – so that’s probably the most fun to play. Of the old stuff, I don’t know. They’re all kind of challenging in their own way. Maybe Good God. It’s a weird song. There’s a weird bounce thing on the drums and you’re finding your balance constantly. There’s a lot of stuff going on.

Read the full interview over on I Like Music by clicking here – it’s always a great read when Ray’s involved!

You can pick up a copy of KO퐌¿N’s latest album ‘The Path Of Totality’ by pointing your mouse in this direction.

ROYAL REPUBLIC were in Australia last month for Soundwave Festival and whilst there they were filmed performing a chilled acoustic set in the lobby of their hotel. Check out ‘I Must Be Out Of My Mind‘ below:

ROYAL REPUBLIC are heading to the UK this month with The Subways – click here to find dates and tickets on our tour page.