Top 10 Best Extreme Metal Drummers

Austin D'Amond (Chimaira)

Homie is just hitting the sticks hard. So heavy and diverse. It blows me away to see a drummer nail every different sound.
I love how Austin will sit down and actually talk to you like you've known him all your life. Do not underestimate this guy.

This kid has always been my favorite metal drummer on the entire planet. Trust me, I saw him grow into the incredible, unstoppable, bomb-dropping G that he is.
He's been killing you all softly since the late '90s, and no one knew until now. You other drummers can't touch him. Thugmetal is a lifestyle and a certain type of heart. You gotta live it to shoot it.
And believe me, this kid has. He will always be my copilot on the Slaughter Jet! Headbang if you gangbang.

Zbigniew "Inferno" Promiński (Behemoth)

An extremely underrated drummer in a, sadly, underrated band. Pure awesomeness.

George Kollias (Nile)

Georgios "George" Kollias is a Greek heavy metal drummer and music teacher. He is best known for his long-time work with the American technical death metal band Nile. Kollias is widely recognized for his speed, precision, and instructional materials for aspiring drummers.

He did amazing work with Nile. Nobody can play like Kollias does. He is the fastest drummer alive.
Listen to songs like Kafir, Lashed to Slave Sticks, The Fiends Who Steal the Magick of the Deceased, Annihilation of the Wicked, and Cast Down the Heretic.

When it comes to extreme metal drumming, this guy is the definition. Single foot blast at 295 bpm? No problem. Just listen to "Kafir" and you'll agree.

Let's be honest, Dave rules, but technically Kollias is simply the best. For me, he's followed by Inferno and Vitek.

Gene Hoglan (Death, Death 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

He's a great drummer and doesn't need to rely on triggers for his kick drum strokes to be audible.
Great humble dude, and he is really versatile.

Jan Axel "Hellhammer" Blomberg (Mayhem)

Jan Axel Blomberg, also known as Hellhammer, is a Norwegian drummer best known for performing with the black metal band Mayhem. He has also played with other notable bands such as Arcturus and Dimmu Borgir. Blomberg has faced criticism for controversial statements, including reportedly praising Faust... read more

The best drummer ever. Not only for being extremely fast and the most technical, but for his feeling for groove.
Being able to play some kind of shuffle on the hi-hat while blasting is intense as hell! And those ride patterns... Damn!

I don't like him as a person, but he's a great drummer.

His drumming is so fast and sick!

Nicholas Barker (Cradle of Filth, Dimmu Borgir)

What can I say? The man is featured on half of my all-time favorite extreme metal albums - from Cradle of Filth to Dimmu Borgir to Old Man's Child. Unique, fast, and above all, sheer creativity.

His drumming in Principle of Evil Made Flesh is my favorite drumming on a metal album ever.

He's the reason old Cradle of Filth sounded so dark and brutal back then. I wish he never left.

Dave Lombardo (Slayer)

David "Dave" Lombardo is a Cuban American drummer best known as a co-founding member of the thrash metal band Slayer. He played on many of Slayer's early albums and helped define the band's aggressive sound. Lombardo has also contributed to other projects, including Fantômas, Suicidal Tendencies, and... read more

He is the best thrash metal drummer alive. He did amazing work with Slayer.
He is the drummer who began playing with the fast style. Without him, there wouldn't be most of the death metal drummers. Most of the drummers nowadays are influenced by Dave Lombardo.

Greatest drummer ever. He should be number one. He invented the blast beat.

Flo Mounier (Cryptopsy)

Flo Mounier is the drummer of the Canadian technical death metal band Cryptopsy. He has toured extensively across Canada, Europe, Japan, Australia, and the United States over his career. Cryptopsy's combined record sales have exceeded 300,000 copies, and Mounier is known for his technical skill and speed... read more

Tomas Haake (Meshuggah)

Tomas Haake is a Swedish drummer and the main songwriter for the experimental metal band Meshuggah. He is known for his polyrhythmic drumming and technical precision. In 2012, he was named the 5th best modern metal drummer by MetalSucks.net and was voted number one in the "Metal" category in Modern Drummer... read more

Come on, if you ask for a reason you haven't been paying attention to Meshuggah in the last 30 years.

Faust (Emperor)

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Austin Archey (Lorna Shore)

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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 visual artwork, which he often shares through exhibitions and online. Duplantier formed Gojira with his brother Joe Duplantier in 1996.

Kevin Talley (Dååth, Chimaira, Six Feet Under)

Paul Mazurkiewicz (Cannibal Corpse)

Paul Mazurkiewicz is an American drummer best known as a member of the death metal band Cannibal Corpse. He was originally the drummer for the band Tirant Sin, alongside two other future Cannibal Corpse members, Chris Barnes and Bob Rusay. Mazurkiewicz has remained with Cannibal Corpse since its formation... read more

Horgh (Immortal)

Shannon Lucas (All That Remains, The Black Dahlia Murder)

Shannon Lucas is an American heavy metal drummer from Staunton, Virginia. He is best known as the former drummer for the melodic death metal band the Black Dahlia Murder and the heavy metal band All That Remains. Lucas has also worked with other projects, including Serpentine Dominion, Battlecross, and... read more

Shannon is such a great drummer and a fantastic guy. He is very underrated most of the time. His work with TBDM and Battlecross is one of a kind.
It sucks that he isn't with them anymore, but it's good to see he went back to school. Shannon rocks!

Very amazing drummer. He did a good job with both All That Remains and The Black Dahlia Murder.

Joey Jordison (Slipknot)

Joey Jordison was an American musician, songwriter, and record producer best known as the former drummer and co-songwriter for the heavy metal band Slipknot. He also played guitar in the horror punk band Murderdolls. Jordison co-founded the blackened death metal band Sinsaenum and was involved in the... read more

Trey Williams (Dying Fetus)

Daniel Erlandsson (Arch Enemy)

Kjetil-Vidar "Frost" Haraldstad (Satyricon)

Alan Cassidy (Abigail Williams, The Black Dahlia Murder, The Breathing Process)

Alan Cassidy is an amazing drummer, really. Words can't describe his greatness.
Check out his drumming with The Black Dahlia Murder in songs like "Into the Everblack." You can also try his work with Abigail Williams. He is epic! I can't believe that nobody knows about him except a few people.

Martin Lopez (Opeth, Amon Amarth)

Martin Lopez is an amazing drummer. He's seriously very underrated.

Richard Christy (Death, Iced Earth, Charred Walls of the Damned)

Extremely underrated from the public eye. Not only is he crazy good at drums, he's hilarious on the Howard Stern Show.

Derek Roddy

Witold "Vitek" Kiełtyka (Decapitated)

Go listen to the first damned song on Winds of Creation, and keep in mind that he was 15 when they recorded that album.
Honestly, this guy showed that when someone is dedicated enough, they can achieve anything. Sadly, he passed away at the age of 23, but his legacy remains. Even Tomas Haake said that if Vitek were still alive, he would have been the best drummer at this time in extreme metal!

Just listen to some of his tracks, then come back and vote. He was 17 when he recorded the legendary Nihility, a technical death metal masterpiece.
Sadly, we will never hear what he could sound like after 20 years of playing, since he died in a car accident during a tour.