Top 10 Best Progressive Metal Drummers

Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater)

Michael Portnoy is an American drummer, backing vocalist, and co-founder of the progressive metal and rock band Dream Theater. He left the band in 2010. Known for his technical skill, Portnoy has won 30 awards from Modern Drummer magazine. He's also performed with Liquid Tension Experiment, Flying Colors... read more

Best drummer in the world, indeed! No one can or will ever do it like he does!

Only beaten by Joey Jordison, one of the greatest drummers ever!

Best drummer in the history of mankind.

Danny Carey (Tool)

Daniel Edwin "Danny" Carey, born May 10, 1961, in Lawrence, Kansas, is an American drummer and instrumentalist best known for his work in the Grammy Award-winning progressive rock band Tool. He has also performed or recorded with artists such as Zaum, Green Jellÿ, Pigface, Skinny Puppy, Adrian Belew... read more

Danny Carey is not only the best progressive metal drummer in the world, he is one of the best drummers of the modern era. Without Carey, Tool doesn't exist, period. He is beautiful to watch on the drums as he effortlessly delivers some of the best sequences on the planet. The only frustration is that Tool hardly ever comes out with new material, but when they do, it's always a step above the previous sound.

Danny Carey is better, I'd say. Portnoy is also a legend but greatly overrated. Carey, on the other hand, is not as well-known as Portnoy, but I think Carey is technically better. Drumming is not just speeding up your double bass. Get it?

Mike Mangini (Dream Theater)

Mike Mangini is an American drummer known for his technical proficiency and teaching expertise. Since 2010, he's been the drummer for the progressive metal band Dream Theater, following the departure of founding member Mike Portnoy. Mangini also holds several world records in drum speed and has served... read more

I keep seeing this debate about Mangini vs. Portnoy. First of all, they are both two of the best drummers in the world. They are both off-the-charts amazing at what they do (in fact, anyone who can play every DT song is). Technically, Mangini kicks Portnoy's ass, that's a fact. Mangini can do a lot more and is much more technically advanced. But it's Portnoy's showmanship that everyone loves. Also, it's one thing to write the drums to a DT song (Portnoy) but another to be able to cover it note for note (Mangini). In my opinion, there is no better drummer - they are both amazing in their own way. Portnoy shouldn't have messed around with taking breaks, etc., and this wouldn't have happened anyway!

Thomas Haake (Meshuggah)

Martin Lopez (Opeth)

He is a monster! When he was in Opeth, he did something that will never be repeated. You should be a drummer and listen part by part to find out what he plays, especially in Ghost Reveries. Best in the history of prog metal, without a doubt...

Blackwater Park and Deliverance say it all. Definitely one of the best drummers on the planet.

Mario Duplantier (Gojira)

Mario Duplantier is a French musician and artist best known as the drummer of the technical death metal band Gojira. He is known for his powerful drumming style and artistic visual work, which he often shares through exhibitions and online. Duplantier formed Gojira with his brother Joe Duplantier in... read more

His blast beats aren't just spamming. They have rhythm. He can flow perfectly into any part of the song and solos better than anyone on this list.

Brann Dailor (Mastodon)

Brann Timothy Dailor is an American drummer and singer, best known as a member of the Atlanta, Georgia-based metal band Mastodon. In the band, he serves as the drummer, backing vocalist, lead vocalist on several songs, and primary lyricist. His drumming style is noted for its technical complexity and... read more

Jason Rullo (Symphony X)

Jason Rullo is the best prog drummer for me because his rudiments are better than any drummer here. Peace.

Blake Richardson (Between the Buried and Me)

Watch the Parallax drums video. He is so effortless in playing very complex parts, but not for the sake of complexity - it's for the groove or texture of a passage.

Blake's ability to play incredibly technical and complex rhythms while maintaining flawless technique and dynamics is simply mind-blowing.

Blake Richardson's technical ability is beyond belief.

Gavin Harrison (Porcupine Tree)

He is a beast. Plain as that.
He is so self-aware of what he plays, and that is a quality that is hard to find among many musicians. He should get more attention than he does now, as his playing has opened up my ears to how I perceive odd time signatures and odd groupings. A good example would be Sound of Muzak or the bridge section of Halo (both are works by PT).
He also seems so humble and kind. A lot of musicians are usually quite the opposite.

Gavin Harrison is the best drummer in the world, period. Let alone the best drummer in any individual category of music that he plays. You don't win Progressive Drummer of the Year multiple times without being the best.

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Seth Davis (Abigail's Ghost, Exhorder)

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John Rodrigue (Abigail's Ghost)

Martin Axenrot (Opeth)

Virgil Donati (Planet X)

I wouldn't say anyone underestimates his drumming or questions his ability. He is just not higher on the list only because his bands are not as well known as Dream Theater or Tool. He is very technical and unorthodox. That makes his style unique and brilliant.

One of the most insanely technical and progressive musicians out there!

Casey Grillo (Kamelot)

He is easily the best drummer in this.

Matthew McDonough (Mudvayne)

Matt Halpern (Periphery)

The Periphery drummer is easily the best new progressive drummer out there. Obviously, he is no Mike Portnoy or Mangini, but if you listen to Make Total Destroy or Feed the Ground, then you'll know what I'm talking about. Technically superior to any other drummer on this list besides the Dream Theater drummers.

It's all about polyrhythms. Halpern can do them, and the only other drummer who can do them is Thomas Haake from Meshuggah. You guys obviously aren't very deep into drumming if Matt Halpern isn't in the top 5.

Matt Garstka (Animals as Leaders)

This dude is seriously a beast. Very underrated - cannot even believe he's not on this list. Rhythm Drummer named him #7 last year. He's the current drummer for Animals as Leaders.

Marco Minnemann

I don't know of any progressive metal songs featuring him, but I imagine he plays very long instrumental sections, full of strange time signatures, polymeters, palm mutes, and 5th chords on the guitar. There are likely guitar and keyboard duets, all being very heavy, technical, complex, aggressive, energetic, and full of polyrhythms. Judging by the way he plays, it's definitely going to be very good - a masterpiece, a classic!

Easily the best drummer of all time. His ability knows no borders. He can play anything, anytime, but his lines are really, really hard to play. No one is more relaxed and capable when playing drums, even in the hardest and most technical parts. Maybe that's his secret - always laughing.

Daniel Presland (Ne Obliviscaris)

Mark Zonder (Fates Warning)

He is one of the most creative, technical, complex, and best drummers, not only in progressive metal but in the world. He doesn't show off like Matt Garstka, but he is better and more creative than Mike Portnoy, Danny Carey, and Tomas Haake!

Most imaginative drummer ever.

Piotr Kozieradzki (Riverside)

Shaju (Artcell)

Glad that Metal_Treasure chose this guy on his remix. He is a very good prog metal drummer and also excels in prog rock. His solos are great.

Daniel Liljekvist (Katatonia)

Daniel Moilanen (Katatonia)

Gene Hoglan (Death, Dark Angel, Testament, Dethklok, Strapping Young Lad)

Eugene "Gene" Victor Hoglan II is an American drummer. He is acclaimed for his creativity in drum arrangements, including the use of unconventional devices for percussion effects and his signature extended double-kick drum rhythms. Hoglan has performed with bands such as Dark Angel, Death, Strapping... read more