Customer Reviews

Modern Drummer

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I've been a Modern Drummer reader/subscriber for a very long time and it's consistently been a decent magazine.

MD does excellent product reviews. They are always interesting to read and give a good idea of how a product sounds (always tricky) or works. Whenever MD focuses on equipment, be it the reviews or news of new equipment, the magazine excels. They do a very good job of keeping up with manufacturers all over the world. And this is no mean feat considering that the number of types of instruments and equipment that fall under the category of drums and percussion is probably as vast as all other instruments combined.

Also one of the better aspects of the magazine are the "filler" (nondepartmental) articles that vary from month to month. The editors do a respectable job of filling the mag with articles that will interest all aspects of the drumming community. Community also plays a big part. Drummers, unlike guitarists, tend to love each other rather than despise others with talent. Little things like updates on older drummers, world drummer features, new drummers featured every month, birthdays, and even obituaries foster this sense. The latter is one of the best aspects of the magazine, as the editors really hold the community feel in mind when doing obits, often featuring drummers and music folks that would never get press anywhere else. Having some history of drumming presented in this manner helps to appreciate those that went on before us.

MD also tries to help instructionally, publishing charts and transcriptions of famous drum performances. The editors consistently try to educate on several fronts, including technique, buying tips, how to make a living as a drummer, and so on. All these features are invaluable.

There are some flaws, though, with the biggest being the main interviews. Featured drummers have traditionally been big names, but those names anymore are from bands I have either never heard of or are lopsidedly in the metal/grunge/industrial arena. Most of these guys are here today and gone tomorrow. Plus, they usually have little to say about the craft. And their final critique: I get tired of all the multi-tattooed, "I'm Cool", metal coverboys staring out from the magazine rack in my living room. Nothing says style like have some guy with piercings all over his face brooding at friends, neighbors, and in-laws. Some of these guys on the covers even scare children.

Sadly, technique and craft are often not discussed in great detail in the main interviews. One recent edition had interviews with two veterans, Stewart Copeland and Vic Firth. And while this was one of the better copies of the mag, little of technique was discussed with these two drumming giants. If you have heard either play, and you are a drummer, you'd love to know how they do it and from where they pull their style. Considering that interviews comprise a large portion of the magazine, this can be disconcerting.

The magazine also features reviews of recordings, but seems to pull its punches, possibly for fear of losing advertisers. The lowest rating you almost ever see for recordings is a "6" out of "10", with most being an "8". Hey, I listen to a lot of music and the sub-6 category consists of about 90% of what is out there.

The last con is the look of the magazine. For a music magazine, it's not very hip-looking. The design of the magazine seems to always be stale, even when it is updated from time to time.

Still, despite its lacks, MD holds up. There are few other options for magazines for drummers, so you don't have a lot of choices anyway. Considering this, MD gets an extra star in the review simply for being there for those of us who like to hit the skins.

There aren't many magazines for drummers that you run across at your average newstand (usually only two or three). This is the best all-around one to get. Good interviews, good reviews, good advertising. Not much on the local scene, but I can live with that.

Modern Drummer is much more than a magazine about drummers; it's a magazine about DRUMMING. You simply can't find a better magazine that keeps you on top of everything drum-related. From new product reviews, to tuning techniques, to health columns about good playing posture and other drummer woes, to the well-written and informative articles, Modern Drummer is the best source of drumming information. Who knew that by reading a review with Godsmack's drummer, I'd learn that putting cotton balls in my floor tom is a great muffling technique? All music genres are covered in the magazine, with sheet music and guest columns from the world's greats showing how it's done.

If you're a drummer, do yourself a favor and get a subscription today. You will value this magazine for the rest of your life.

I can't see any reason why drummers don't read Moderndrummer magazine. I've been subcribing Moderndrummer for years and I always enjoy reading them, comparing to other drum related mag, the interviews and critiques are very informative and inspiring, i learnt a lot about product knowledge and maintainence, drummers and bands, and not to mention technique thru out the years of subscrbing MD, the whole magazine is well organized by easy and comfortable to read lay-out and meaningful content, instead some of the so called drumming magazine which interview drummers about their day life and what they think about that specific cities, Moderndrummer really concentrate on how to help their reader to be a better drummer in general.

if you are drummer, and you never read Moderndrummer, go and subscribe MD, you need MD for your daily life.

Have read MD off & on for over 20 years; bummed by the dull content in the 90's, I switched to Drum! in 2005.......quickly went back to MD; you should too. 'Nuff said.

Purchased as a gift for my husband. He just received his first issue the other day and is very pleased. Thanks.

I am sorry but there is no better Magazine for drummers
Hands down the best

The best all around drum magazine, ever. There have been imatators, but no other magazine will give you the deticated hard working staff modern drummer has. The magazine is packed with new product reviews, stories on todays top drummers, and a cd/book/video review section that has led me to some of the best drumming imaginable. If you are a serious drummer or just starting out, Modern Drummer is the ultimate source of drumming knowlegde.

I am a fairly proficient hard rock drummer and feel I have a good knowledge of who are and who were the great rock drummers. I only wish Modern Drummer possessed the same knowledge. Their featured drummers are either modern day heavy metal/grundge drummers from bands like Slipnot, Marilyn Manson and Rage Against the Machine, Godsmack or lightweight jazz drummers who most rock drummers are unfamiliar with. Heck, Marilyn Manson used a drum machine up until the last few years, that's how important he felt a live drummer would be to his sound. Like another reviewer said these modern day grunge,/metal/industrial/goth drummers are "flash in the pan" drummers with no solid rock drummer influences - only the drone of distorted grundge melodies fill their their heads. Another odd anomoly is the drummers they celibrate from the 60's, 70's and 80's, drummers like Bill Bruford, Steve Smith and Dennis Chambers. Their focus is only on technique here (they exalt Smith to legendary status and allow this candy-ass Journey drummer to be the authority on many of the "drummer tip" articles). All out, raw, but talented drummers like Jimmy Chamberlain, Dave Grohl, Matt Cameron, and Zach Starkey get short shift. Look, I do appreciate the lesson sections, but let drummers like I have just mentioned give tips on drumming once in a while. Furthermore classic drummers like Ian Paice, Mitch Mitchell, Carmen Appice, and John Bonham are never featured. Kieth Moon received a lame feature in a recent article on the 25th anniversary of his death because he epitomizes the type of percussionist Modern Drummer Magazine despises, a balls-out, creative, beyond-defining type of drummer. Placing these fat armed, tattoo-laden, heavy-handed, modern day heavy-metal drummers on the cover is just as cheap as the low end models of Pearl, Gretch and Ludwig drums they like to advertise. If you would feature top of the line drummers and top of the line gear you would certainly get more subscribers.

Hey for all of those out there who, like myself have completely lost interest in modern Drummer Magazine and feel like we will puke if we hear anymore about the same ole Drummers that they feature that no one ever listened to or new ones with Swastikas on thier heads who look like they belong to some "I'M Going to Hell and Proud of It" organization, then check out "Not So Modern Drummer Magazine."
I have a copy, just subscribed and really have enjoyed it.
If you remember and love the greats like Joe English, Charlie Watts, Ringo Star, Sly Dunbar, Ginger Baker, John Bonham and guys like them, then check out Not So Modern Drummer Magazine. Amazonm doesn't carry it yet, but they will if enough of you subscribe. If you read this and subscribe to it, then write a review here and let me know that you did and request that Amazon carry it.
Thanks,
Arty......current player of Tama StarClassic Maples, but hey I started out on Ludwig Clear Vistalites.