Pretty much every drummer worth their salt knows who Neil Peart is, the drummer of Rush has topped musician polls for over 2 decades now. I’ve been into Neil Peart’s drumming and Rush for a while now, but recently I picked up a vinyl copy of their classic “Moving Pictures” album and it stands out even more to me now.

I don’t know if it’s because I have a really nice turntable and speakers, but his drumming and drum sound is pretty much perfect on this album, at least to my ears. Now, maybe a lot of other drummers out there are thinking “duh” but I’m a younger guy and didn’t have the chance to get into the album when it was first released (as I was one year away from being born).

I’ve heard almost every Rush release, and while they all have something unique to offer, I’d consider their best work to be either “Moving Pictures” or “2112″. It’s a hard decision to make, but I’m going to go out on a limb and put my vote in for “Moving Pictures” just because of the strength and hooks so many of the songs possess. I did some digging around online and found a great picture of the band in the studio from this era (above). If anyone reading this knows, around what era did Neil Peart start using roland drums? I know he is a roland drums endorser and used Simmons early on.

Sabian cymbals will be releasing new Vault series 13inch hi-hats. These cymbals were partly inspired by famed drummer JoJo Mayer, who I posted about just two days ago, (see: JoJo).

“The hats’ attack is very aggressive with a low bite, which means they are punchy and cutting, yet not metallic sounding. This is more about music than metal,” Love said. “Sticking is always precise, and the pedal ‘chick’ is strong and articulate. Jojo’s Fierce Ride and Crash created such a positive stir, and with so many people commenting about the cymbals on his ‘Weapons for the Modern Drummer’ DVD, introducing the Fierce Hats was a natural progression.”

Mayer said: “We’ve got a very unique sound with these Fierce Hats. There’s a raw aspect and a complex darkness that works well in live and recorded contexts. I’ve been playing prototypes for about eight years, and wherever I go people ask me, ‘What are those hats?’ Similar to my Fierce Ride and Crash, they’re very complex, but great for almost any music. It’s great to be part of the adventure of creating these sounds with SABIAN.”

If you’ve ever heard Mayer’s drumming, particularly his tight and defined hi-hat sound, you’ll definitely be interested in these cymbals.

Source.