Colin Brittain, current drummer for Linkin Park, played “Hallowed Be Thy Name” by Iron Maiden in the latest edition of Drumeo’s “For the First Time” series. Drumeo challenges drummers to conceive of and execute the drum parts for a song they haven’t heard before as they listen to the tune minus the drum track.
Brittain opens the video by showing his vast knowledge of much of contemporary rock before they land on “Hallowed Be Thy Name.” He winds up only doing a single improvised take, leaning on playing fast double-time grooves and even some punky beats, but still manages at times to intuitively pick up some of the dynamics of Clive Burr’s original arrangement. His expectation of a shorter track length is apparent from the surprise and delight on his face as the closing instrumental section kept going and going, forcing him to dig deep into his bag of beats and rudiments to keep generating drum parts as it continued to test him.
Drumeo Challenge
The video closes with Brittain listening to the original performance, which he praises for its pocket and depth of arrangement picking up unified rhythmic elements across the various instruments. He then gives advice on improvisation and the necessity as musicians to step outside of your comfort zone of known licks and grooves as well as striking a balance between your practiced elements and keying in to the particular arrangement of a song.
Brittain joined Linkin Park upon their return in 2023 after original drummer Rob Bourdon opted not to take part in the band’s reunion. Unshatter, a documentary covering the return of Linkin Park directed by the band’s own Joe Hahn, is set to be released September 30th.
Current Tours and Projects
Meanwhile, Iron Maiden are currently on their “Run for Your Lives” North American tour featuring Megadeth and Anthrax. Those interested in attending the concert can get tickets here.
Those interested in starting their drum learning journey or honing their skills can sign up for a free 30-day trial of Drumeo. Watch Colin Brittain tackle “Hallowed Be Thy Name” in the video below.
In conclusion, the video of Colin Brittain playing “Hallowed Be Thy Name” by Iron Maiden is an exciting display of his drumming skills and a great example of the challenges and opportunities provided by Drumeo’s “For the First Time” series. With Linkin Park and Iron Maiden both currently involved in new projects and tours, fans of rock music have a lot to look forward to in the coming months.
Pixel P. Snarkbyte, widely regarded as the “Shakespeare of Sh*tposts,” is a video game expert with a unique knack for turning pixels into punchlines.
Born in the small town of Respawn, Pennsylvania, Pixel grew up mashing buttons on an ancient NES controller, firmly believing that “blowing into the cartridge” was a sacred ritual passed down through generations.
Pixel P. Snarkbyte: proving that life, much like a buggy open-world game, is better with a little lag-induced chaos.
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