DANIEL GRAINGER

Favourite  Fishsticks:  5BN HAMMER BLAST NATURAL SERIES

Fishsticks have a durability and consistency unfounded in contemporary stick brands. I'm also huge on supporting Australian businesses, where possible. The HammerBlast nylon has a unique fulcrum point, which allows me to find that sweet balance point faster, whether I'm blasting or laying into the cymbals. 

Home Town: Perth, Western Australia

Favourite Styles: death, black, power prog metals. Classical, western, ambient, folk.

Current bands: Wardaemonic, Sanzu, 
Previous bands: Leviticus, Nexus, Avantgard, Silent Fall, Mysteria, Impact Winter, BeyondTerrorBeyondGrace, Ilemauzar (SG), DeathFuckingCunt

Session Bands: Impact Winter, Neverborn, Impiety (SG), Divine Codex (IT), Nails Of Imposition, Gallows For Grace, Mhorgl, Xeper (IT), Evolution Machine, Morphica, Obscenium, Eternal Rest, Silent Knight, Xenobiotic, One Of None, UrDraugr, The Fourth Eye (USA), BoltGun, Incantation (USA), Paradise In Exile

Bio: Beginning his tenure as a musician in 1996, Dan began learning drums under the tutelage of Vinnie Crea, and music theory under Nunzio Mondia. Flourishing under their guidance, he joined his first group 'Leviticus' in 1997, developing a keen interest in drumming, songwriting and production.
Fast forward nearly three decades; Dan has become one of the top extreme drummers in the country. He has played for numerous bands locally, interstate and overseas, touring extensively on most continents and bringing his professionalism to bear on audiences worldwide. His keen ability to learn a demanding and lengthy set of material at short notice has seen his reputation grow, along with demand for his service.
Dan's attention to detail and creativity in the studio have seen his name on more albums, EP's and demos than can be accurately catalogued. Musicians the planet over have sought his feel and intensity for their productions, which he records himself from his home studio in suburban Western Australia. Certificates from technical college and experience recording commercially have given him a keen ear for detail and an open imagination for the boundless possibilities of sound production. 

Even after years of tireless practice and recording; Dan's fervour and drive haven't diminished, as he continues to seek out opportunity and broaden his stamp on the worldwide music scene.  

Favourite Fishsticks: 

2BXN DESTROYERNATOR

I really love the finish and the durability of the 2BXN DESTROYERNATORS. I've never broke 1 or had a tip come off. 10 pairs lasted me over 2 years and I play 5-6 times a week. I've never had any other brands last as long. Check 'em out! 

Hometown: Delton MI 

Current band: Eye Remain. Formed in 2006

Previous bands: various local area bands, many.  

Favourite Fishsticks: 5AXN HYPERBLAST NATURAL SERIES.  

For myself and my style of playing,  I would normally want to play 5B, but I like to choose comfort over using a larger  stick. The 5AXN Hyper Blast Natural Series are chunky enough, while still having a nice light feel that packs a punch. They feel really comfortable in the hand which allows me to play the crash or ride for a long period of time without any  strain in my shoulders. They are also weighted perfectly and the oval nylon tips gives the kit a nice bright sound.  

Bio: I started playing drums when I was 10. I got my first kit for Christmas and played every day. I also remember taping sticks together and skins because I didn’t have any money to purchase new sticks or skins but 20 years on and the love for drumming is stronger than ever.  Now I live on the Gold Coast and play for a band called Awake In Time. Slowly I am going to continue to build a reputation with my drumming so this is just the beginning.   

Home Town: Gold Coast QLD 

Favourite Styles: Respect and love all music but if I am picking Hardcore metal. 

Current bands: Awake In Time 

Previous bands: Fall Of The Divine

Favourite Fishsticks:  
5AX Hyper Blast

I just love the thought and design that has gone into the branding of these sticks. Very appealing visually, the 5AX feel great in the grip. I’m not a heavy hitter generally so I like the lightness of the 5AX, great for ghost notes, but some of our songs require a little ‘extra’ (Ragnarok, for example) and the extra length in the 5AX give me that little bit of extra leverage on the wrist on these songs. Such a cool feature. The weight and length are also great for higher tempo tunes where I need precision.

Bio:
I started playing drums at the age of 10 on a kit that my dad bought me - still playing this same kit (with a few modifications). Its a black 70s Pearl Maxwin kit with a chrome-plated 70s Premier 2000 snare, with assorted cymbals. Played in local bands up until last year when Ren (Marabou) asked me to join the band.

Home Town:
Derry, Northern Ireland

(Not the one in Australia or the Stephen King books)

Favourite Styles:
Groove, Stoner, Power, Alt, Prog

Current bands: Ren Marabou and the Berserkers

Favorite Fishsticks:  5AX Hyper Blasts.

I love Fishsticks 5AX Hyper Blasts specifically because of the balance and attack they give on the kit. I've used a lot of different sticks and these take the cake on durability and control. I usually play 17" sticks but these have helped me cut back down to about 16.5", which is better on my arms.  

My home: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma USA

Favorite style:  Extreme metal, specifically brutal death metal. But I'm also a sucker for jazz and blues gigs  

Current bands: Peeling Flesh,  CELL, OTM,  7.62

Session: Abated Mass of Flesh, Vile Impregnation and a couple other internet projects of mine.  

Previous bands:  Aberrant Construct, Strangled

Favourite Fishsticks:  Fishsticks 5BN Hammer Blast 

Performing at Dracula's is a different experience to my usual rock or metal gig, as I’m performing on a Roland TD30 electric kit. The 5BN Hammer Blasts  are perfect for this, as they respond beautifully on the mesh heads and cymbal pads, and still have the weight and punch I need in my hands. The added bonus of the white colour means that I can find them quickly and easily during blackouts, plus they really stand out to the crowd!  

Bio: I started drumming when I was about 6 years old, looking up to the likes of Ian Paice, John Bonham and Chad Smith. This then lead me down the path to discover metal, and from there my love for drumming and all one could achieve on a kit just boomed. Having played in bands, orchestras, session work, as well as teaching, drumming has been a lifelong passion that I’m once again thrilled to pursue at Dracula's.  

Home Town: Brisbane  

Favourite Styles: Funk, Metal, Punk  

Current bands: Dracula's Cabaret, Valhalore 

Previous bands: Cold Vengeance, Dronechild  

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 Favourite Fishsticks: 

 5AX HYPER BLAST

Not only do these sticks look great, they give me the reach, power and control I need to move around kit effortlessly and their durability is unmatched. The weight is a perfect for when I play faster tempos, but also feels powerful and strong

when I want to really lay into the kit.

BIO:

I started having an interest in drumming from around the age of 6. My brother and I would jam in his room, and I would use his bed and an old office chair as my drum set.

I got my first real kit when I was 14, started taking lessons for a year and then took off and taught myself from there. My high school mates and I started jamming, playing a lot of covers of Rock n roll bands at our school assemblies.

Fast forward 10 years, I'm primarily playing heavy/power metal and starting to do session drumming while

also doing metal covers on the Youtubes.

Hometown: Melbourne, Australia. 

Favourite Styles: 80's metal, power metal, heavy metal. Anything with that classic sound

Biggest influences: My brother Hans would have to be my biggest influence! 

Favourite Drummers:  Aquiles Priester, Randy Black, Thomas Stauch and Owe Lingvall

Favourite Fishsticks: 5A Hoarfrost

Within playing a couple of sets with the 5A Hoarfrosts, I recognised what all the buzz was about. As well as looking killa, they're very well balanced and comfortable in the hands. They give me the right amount of leverage and strike, whilst accommodating the light and speedy feel I need for the technical aspects of my game. And as a hard hitter,  Fishsticks can definitely take the abuse. 

Bio:

I clearly remember the turning point in my life. In Primary School, a touring orchestra performed for us at assembly, and I recall the drummer completely blowing me away with his range and the sound of his kit was incredible. At that point, I’d never seen a live performance of that magnitude before and it totally resonated with me. After months of begging my old's, they bought me a Red 5-piece beginner’s kit and from then on, however way you wanna look at it, it was either all over for me or it was just beginning.  

High school really was the phase where I cut my teeth. Playing in both original and cover bands, consistently performing around the region and tracking demos with lunch money we had saved. This informative period taught me a great lesson about live performance, the comradery and chemistry required in a band and the importance of practicing as frequently as possible. 

Nothing thrills me more than writing, rehearsing and showcasing your original music to an audience though. And this has been my main focus for the past 20 years. With my previous bands, and currently with SUFFER THE EVENUE and AFTASHOK I have been fortunate to be a part of and release 3 LP’s and perform countless shows across the state. What makes this even more fulfilling is the bonds you cement with other bands, promotors and supporters across the music community and how essential these relationships are to your career and to the industry.  

Home Town:  Port Pirie, South Australia

Favourite Styles: Metal, Grunge, Alternative

Current bands: Suffer The Evenue, Aftashok
Previous bands: Antacid, Transition

Favourite Fishsticks: 2BN ANIHILATOR NATURAL SERIES

The drumsticks are your direct link to the drums - why wouldn't you want the best?

I have tried numerous brands of sticks over the years and have not been happy with the standards of quality and durability.

2BN Annihilators can definitely stand up to the intensity of hard hitting players!

They are the perfect combination of size, weight and balance that allows me to play what I need to without compromising on feel or durability.

Nylon tips are a definite must that allows my sticking to be clearly articulated.

HOME TOWN: Sydney

FAVOURITE STYLES: Extreme music of all kinds

CURRENT BANDS: Abyss Ritual, HOST

PREVIOUS BANDS: Miscreation, The Amenta (rehearsal & studio)

Favourite Fishsticks: 5BXN THUNDER FORCE

 (2BXN Destroyernator for warm ups)

The 5BXN THUNDER FORCE Fishsticks fit me so well in every aspect. The extra length makes all the difference when playing at speeds. The coating not only makes them look awesome and different but the main bit is I have not yet broken a single stick!  1 month in with the same sticks?!? Unheard of for myself.. I always found it hard to find a drumstick brand with a good nylon tip that doesn't fly off and almost blind the guitarists. These are very durable.

Bio:

I am a completely self taught multi-instrumentalists with a huge passion for music of any genre. I have been playing drums for almost 12 years and have been writing and playing shows with Clockwork Sky for the last 1-2 years.

Home Town: Shepreth Hertfordshire, UK

Favourite Styles: Blastbeats! I enjoy all styles of music.

Current bands: Clockwork Sky (Deathcore)  Descendant of Odin (Live)
Previous bands: A Plea From The Depths

Favourite  Fishsticks: 5A Hoarfrost. 

Personally, I prefer a light weight stick for speed and accuracy. I also prefer using a wooden tip over a nylon as I find they’re a bit kinder on the skins. Combined with the custom grips, I feel the 5A Hoarfrost is the perfect weight for me.

I love everything about Fishsticks Drumsticks. The quality is second to none and the range of different styles and colours are amazing. Being able to customize your sticks with the huge range of different coloured grips, makes them stand out above the rest.

Drumming Bio:

I was born August 16th 1983 in Adelaide South Australia. Took up drumming lessons at the age of 10 and started playing at my local church at the age of 12. Besides a few cover bands with mates at school, I joined my first semi-professional band at 15, a punk band called “Choose to Ignore” playing mostly covers with a few originals. Whilst it was a fun time, I really wanted to take my drumming a bit more seriously. When the opportunity came up to join a rock band called “Foolish Things” I jumped at it. I was fortunate enough to experience a tonne of cool things in this band including, recording a full-length album and touring around Australia. 

After 10 years with Foolish Things, I decided to move away from the rock music and started focussing on what I always loved…. METAL

In 2009, a good friend and I, formed the band “Born of Dust”. We had a lot of fun creating Grungy, Sludgy metal that a lot of people really seemed to enjoy. It was so good getting to play a completely different style of music to a completely different crowd of people. We played a lot of shows around Adelaide and released a full length, Live in the studio, album.

After another 10 years, Born of Dust finally came to an end in 2019. With no other projects in sight, I spent the next year thinking maybe it was time to hang up the sticks. The thought of not doing what I loved actually depressed me a bit and I longed for something else.

In the early months of 2020, during the covid 19 lockdown, an old friend and front man for the band “Those Left Behind” contacted me asking if I would be interested in joining their band as their drummer had pulled out. Whilst slightly saddened, as I was a huge fan and friend of their drummer, I was also thrilled to have the chance to join an already amazing band.

2020 has had its fair share of challenges and Covid 19 has restricted how much we can do, but has also been a blessing in disguise as we’ve been able to use the time to create a bunch of new material. Once again, it’s a completely different style of drumming to what I’ve done in the past but I’m having so much fun with it and pushing myself to try beats I never thought to try.

I can’t wait to see where this next chapter of my life will go, and with my new sponsors at Fishsticks Drumsticks and Ibbotson Drums, I’m anticipating big things.

Favourite FIshsticks: 2BX DESTROYERNATORS

I love everything about Fishsticks. I instantly fell in love with the Destroyernator 2BX. It has the extra length I need, perfect weight and balance, and a short taper that gives excellent response. Blasting is more comfortable than ever due to the extra weight, and the tips are extremely articulate on cymbals. Even for more dynamic, groove based playing, they respond perfectly. The finish provides a very comfortable feel and a grip that gets even better over time. I have tried countless different stick models over the years. The Destroyernators really are the best feeling sticks I've played in 20+ years of drumming!

Bio:

 Kendall "Pariah" Divoll is a professional multi-genre drummer and session musician from Massachusetts, USA. A drummer since 1999, Pariah has appeared on dozens of albums and singles, recording internationally, and played thousands of shows across the US with many bands as both a full time and a touring session musician. In 2006 he formed extreme metal group Necronomichrist, and they have remained active in the US metal scene, opening for metal legends and releasing several albums independently. In addition to Necronomichrist, Pariah has been playing with extreme metal act Totality since 2013, and has several side projects, including Pariahblaster, his collab with Will "Görebläster" Lunden(The Beast of Nod, Mimesis), and Fetal Blood Eagle. He is also an admin of Metal Drummer Nerdz Worldwide, a Facebook group and community for metal drummers. Pariah resides in the Northeastern US where he works as an audio engineer and producer for his company Ninth Order Productions out of his home studio. 

Home Town: Royalston, MA - USA

Favourite Styles:  extreme metal, prog, and hip hop

Current bands:  Necronomichrist, Totality, Pariahblaster, Fetal Blood Eagle

Previous bands: Supastition, Infinite Descent, Replacire, Sauriel, Erin Harpe and the Delta Swingers, Lovewhip, Ethan Stone

Session Bands: Coffin Birth, Alice Loves Aliens

 Favourite Fishsticks:  2BXN DESTROYERNATOR

The 2BXN DESTROYERNATOR  was the best match for the specs I was looking for after using the same type of sticks for years. Added stick grips to further try something new and they instantly felt like they were made just for me, I felt instantly at home with these babies. Great durability, awesome looks and a perfect feel made me choose the DESTROYERNATOR as my main workhorses!

Bio: 

I grew up on a god forsaken island of the coast of Norway where I still live. Always loved metal music and I have always wanted to have some kind of career related to music. Started to play drums around the age of 14 in my music class and got my first kit when I was 17. My tiny island consists of mostly retired fisherman and not many metalheads so I had a hard time finding any bands or jam-buddies. I eventually met a dude I had a small project with up until he moved to the city and I was stranded all by myself. After this I focused mainly on improving my skills and learning more about this amazing instrument.

Some years later I got in touch with a new dude who wanted to jam and he's been my best friend ever since. We recently started a band together with some fresh meat that swam to shore on this island, but we are still in the starting phases so no name or material exists as of now. My drumming usually revolves around me posting covers to my youtube channel which is something I started to do pretty recently!

Home Town: Hitra, Norway

Favourite Styles: Death Metal, Black Metal, Blackened Death Metal
Current Band: ( Yet to be named)