Unlucky For Some: The 13 most underrated drummers in rock music right now
Over the years, we’ve seen many great rock drummers break through the airwaves and secure their place at the table amongst the finest to ever do it. Whether this be early jazz bandleaders like Gene Krupa, rock titans such as John Bonham and Neil Peart, or later vanguard such as Mike Portnoy, the list of stellar drummers the genre has provided is extensive.
Since rock ‘n’ roll’s infancy, drumming has been pulled in many different directions, with some of the instrument’s best players cherrypicking from areas they love to establish a distinctive sound. For instance, whilst the late Led Zeppelin powerhouse John Bonham was an elemental player, he was also a lifelong student of jazz, with the form informing almost all of his moments of panache. This aspect was crucial for him asserting his dominance in the annals of the genre and instrument.
While rock drummers have covered many different bases over the years, some are still doing their best to push it into the future and carve out a unique space for themselves in the contemporary era. From rock music’s ethereal environments to its most punishing, there’s an argument that the instrument has never been so healthy, as the genre pushes back against any claim that it is becoming obsolete.
Accordingly, we’ve taken it upon ourselves to list the 13 most underrated drummers of contemporary music. Whilst most of these are newer faces, a few have been around for a while but have continued to show their brilliance and deserve more praise from the mainstream.
Find the list below.
The 13 most underrated rock drummers:
13. Jon Beavis – Idles
Whilst every member of the celebrated Bristol punk band Idles bring something different and necessary to their rumbling sound, Jon Beavis has proved that he has been vital to their meteoric rise. Whilst not technically an original member, Beavis has been a part of the band’s most important moments so far, and his drumming has facilitated both furious moments of political rage and the more refined electronic-leaning palettes found on their most recent album, 2021’s Crawler.
A master of serving the song, Beavis’ dexterity is a sight to behold on record and live. Whether it be the likes of ‘Mother’, ‘Colossus’ or ‘Meds’, the bespectacled drummer has unlocked moments of genuine profundity for the quintet and merits more glory for his efforts.
12. Georgia Hubley – Yo La Tengo
As a founding member of Hoboken indie pioneers Yo La Tengo, alongside her husband, Ira Kaplan, Georgia Hubley has been a critical component in the band’s ongoing arc. Whilst she also chips in with vocal and piano duties, it is her excellence as a drummer that has let the group bring their many different sonic experiments to life, from the sizzling noise of their early years to more jazz-inflected moments found on albums such as And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out and beyond.
Fans don’t have to search far to find evidence of Hubley’s claim to be on this list. The shuffling, 1940s-evoking rhythm of ‘Autumn Sweater’ is one, as is the loose krautrock build-up of ‘Sinatra Drive Breakdown’ and the almost motorik precision of ‘Cherry Chapstick’. Displaying the wealth of successes she has provided, these are just the first three that spring to mind.
11. Stella Mozgawa – Warpaint
Los Angeles indie band Warpaint formed in 2004 and are undoubtedly one of the most influential acts in their field, despite only having four albums to their name. They might have kept fans waiting between 2016’s third album, Heads Up and last year’s Radiate Like This, but they proved that they still have it, with drummer Stella Mozgawa particularly impressive on the new album.
A fascinating act in the sense that each of the quartet is highly talented at their respective instruments, Mozgawa has always provided an additional bite to their pulsating mesh of sonics. There are jazz influences in there, along with psychedelic, punk and post-punk elements. A criminally underrated rhythmic artist, it’s a travesty that the Australian isn’t more well-known outside of the band’s dedicated fanbase.
10. Luis Aponte – Jesus Piece
Ever since I was first shown Jesus Piece, I’ve been hooked. One of the heaviest bands around right now, their doom-laden metalcore is infectious and the perfect soundtrack for any intense exercise. Although frontman Aaron Heard steals the show for the group, the heavy grooves of drummer Luis Aponte are what really steers the ship, with the unrelenting pop of his bass drum the cherry on the top of this unbelievably heavy cake.
Inventive and doing something refreshing with the genre’s traditions, Aponte also imbues a dance-music feeling at points in Jesus Piece’s work, with his almost automated rhythm so on point. From scintillating flour-to-the-floor rhythms to in-your-face breakdowns, Aponte is one of the finest metal drummers out there, fuelling a band constantly striving to push themselves into new areas. Check ‘Oppressor’, ‘Punish’, ‘II’ and ‘Gates of Horn’ for the full extent of his power.
9. Tom Skinner – The Smile
Tom Skinner might have made his name in the widely celebrated British jazz act Sons of Kemet, but before the group split in 2022, he was moonlighting in The Smile, a group featuring Radiohead members Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood. Blending art-rock, post-punk and jazz, the group have proved to be a fascinating prospect in the face of Radiohead being away for such an extended period.
It was a masterstroke by Yorke and Greenwood enlisting Skinner for The Smile. His jazz-infused playing has given the music an extra edge, which tends to bounce between frantic and flowing moments. Of course, Yorke and Greenwood needed a technically proficient drummer to help them bring their project to life. His grasp of ghost notes is quite something, as is the relaxation with which he plays his grooves. Look no further than the masterwork that is ‘A Hairdryer’.
8. Phil Puleo – Swans
Swans have been around for decades, and their arc is probably the most exhilarating in modern rock. Moving out of the murky depths of New York’s no-wave scene and into an area so distinct that it is best described by the group’s frontman, Michael Gira, who has directed all of their stories, commanding them into many different realms.
Swans have seen an alternating cast over the years, with the seat behind the drum kit also filled by various names alongside the numerous percussionists. At the minute, their current main drummer is Phil Puleo, who played on their most recent effort, this year’s The Beggar. Dictating the field of play with his restrained approach, Puleo gradually releases the handbrake at points, sending the gang into extended and transcendental Crescendos that, in the live setting, make the very core shake.
7. Christine Cadette – Zulu
Another band at the forefront of heavy music is Los Angeles hardcore punks Zulu. Drawing on nu-metal, thrash, metalcore and dub to make their unique sound, the group discusses themes like racism, profiling and police brutality and received a full-bodied response from listeners for their efforts. Listening to them is about as authentic of an experience as you will find right now.
As the only woman in the band, Christine Cadette asserts her dominance with no issue. The facilitator of the group’s postmodern sound, which pulls from such a varied area despite their heavy parameters, watching and listening to Cadette do her thing is one hell of an experience. Furious but technically gifted, from machine gun-like blasts on the snare to reggae beats, she tears down the restrictions of genre and tradition with ease.
6. Abe Cunningham – Deftones
Deftones drummer Abe Cunnigham is another one that’s been around for some time. However, it never fails to amaze how consistently overlooked he is despite showing his excellence on every record the Sacramento band have produced. One of the most dynamic figures on the list, Cunnigham has been a part of all of their most ethereal, emotionally piercing moments and their pulsating alternative metal that sometimes knocks on the doors of the djent genre.
Various junctures stand out among Cunningham’s finest, including ‘Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)’, ‘Passenger’ and ‘Mein’, with these just the tip of the iceberg. Perhaps the best reflection of his songwriting genius is the addition of that quick five-beat thud that he presents before the group tears through the second part of ‘Minerva’. Timeless.
5. Morgan Simpson – Black Midi
We recently listed Black Midi frontman and guitarist Geordie Greep as one of the 13 most underrated guitarists of the contemporary era. Yet, for all of the diminutive hero’s luminance, when it comes to Black Midi, it is their drummer, Morgan Simpson, who takes the crown as their most scintillating cog. He’s the reason the band can pounce between such intelligent time signatures and rhythms in the blink of an eye. It is clear that the trio might not have blown up so quickly without him.
Taking cues from the avant-rock of Can’s Jaki Liebezeit, Deerhoof’s Greg Saunier, jazz legend Billy Cobham of Mahavishnu Orchestra, and Zach Hill of experimental hip-hop pioneers Death Grips, Simpson is an embodiment of the very best of modern drumming. In his short career, he has provided many exhibits that prove why he is at the very top of his game. ‘John L’ and ‘Welcome to Hell’ are two stand-outs.
4. Greg Saunier – Deerhoof
From the student to the master. Greg Saunier has been one of the best modern rock drummers since the experimental outfit Deerhoof was formed in 1994. A genuinely unbelievable drummer who carries the torch for Can’s Jaki Liebezeit, his dynamism and technique are two aspects that stand out, with him the glue that holds the warping basslines and searing guitars of the San Francisco band together.
I recently caught Deerhoof live and was blown away by the majesty of their sonics. Whilst all of their records are fantastic, they just do not capture the full force of the group in person. Saunier was absolutely outstanding that evening and commanded the audience with his presence whilst interspersing his genius performances with comedic interactions with the crowd. He has it all and is afraid of no genre.
3. Daniel Fang – Turnstile
Fusing hardcore punk and alternative metal with a host of other genres, including samba and disco, Turnstile are one of the most lauded contemporary acts and have earned their present status after years of continuing to refine. The Baltimore quartet only have three albums to their name, but it was clear from the onset, even as early as the 2013 EP Step 2 Rhythm, that they would take the hardcore blueprint and do something different with it to wonderous effect.
It has now paid off, and each member has taken it up a level with each release. Drummer Daniel Fang is a particularly impressive component, bringing vibrance to the group’s rhythm section and allowing them to explore many areas that would make the gatekeepers sick. From thunderous tracks like ‘Canned Heat’ and ‘Can’t Get Away’ to the samba of ‘Don’t Play’, Fang is an unrestrained drummer and does it all with a smile. In short, Turnstile are one of the most entertaining groups out there, and their drummer is instrumental in it.
2. Zach Hill – Death Grips and Hella
Where to start with Zach Hill? He is an exceptional rhythmic titan. First breaking through with cult Sacramento math-rock group Hella, Hill became an undoubted cultural force when he linked up with MC Ride and Andy Morin to start the experimental hip-hop outfit Death Grips. A blistering flurry of noise, the trio are one of the most boundary-pushing acts out there, with the frenetic bursts of Hill’s drumming, in addition to his grasp of seemingly every genre under the sun, a vital component of them establishing such a sound.
Covering punk, metal, hip-hop and jazz in his work with Death Grips, Zach Hill is a hero for a new generation of drummers who are sick of the age-old names tutors tell us are the best. Together with his bandmates, he transcends the tag of genre, creating a wholly postmodern sound that never fails to keep us on our toes. For his full effect, he must be caught live; the energy levels are remarkable.
1. Daniel Tracy – Deafheaven
Whilst your black metal diehards might hate Deafheaven, they’re an excellent band and one of the most adored of the past 15 years. Combining shoegaze, black metal and post-rock to full effect, in their time, they’ve managed to create moments of such fearsome might that you can’t help but want to put a window through. Counterbalancing this, though, is that they are also masters at composing dream-like and all-encompassing emotional moments.
Whilst guitarist Kerry McCoy is the band’s musical director, drummer Daniel Tracy has produced so many technically astounding performances that it really is a crime that he’s not mentioned in the same breath as the likes of Zach Hill and Morgan Simpson. Unafraid to utilise every drum and piece of percussion at his disposal, within Deafheaven songs, we hear him cross the full spectrum of modern rock drumming whilst still managing to give the quintet their rhythmic ballast. A master at the drums, from ‘Brought to the Water’ to ‘Dream House’, his oeuvre speaks for itself, and he more than deserves the top spot on this list.
