The IMPOSSIBLE Drumming Of Sleep Token

[@DrumBeatsOnline]

Level up your drumming in just 7 days. Click here get 15 days FREE to DBO Academy 👉bit.ly/DrumlikeSleepToken

[@85ddrummer]

I was talking to another drummer friend about ii’s playing and he labelled it sexy, and it really is. It’s class, creativity, mature and accurate. They all make it sexy

[@DrumBeatsOnline]

Ha I love it

[@pseudoprof]

Dude, this is a phenomenal breakdown. It's like I "feel" the things that II does, but then can't really put it into words or practice. You give such a great perspective.

[@DrumBeatsOnline]

That means a ton! So glad you enjoyed it

[@FleshangelRS]

@@DrumBeatsOnline gabe has it completely down to a T, his breakdown of II drum styles is so spot on

[@RealTroyE23]

Exactly how I feel. Its hard to explain, his playing just touches my soul.

[@bryanbryan6108]

Well yeah you aren’t nearly as good or well educated in theory lol that’s why you can’t elucidate what’s going on. It’s all good neither can I

[@RealTroyE23]

II is the reason I started taking lessons, and I see a lot of others saying the same. I think that says a lot about what his legacy will eventually become. WORSHIP!

[@robrees8501]

II was my drum teacher until recently ( he stopped teacher because of time constraints

[@KryydsTV]

I'm feel like I'm close to doing the same

[@lolas9256]

Same here

[@bryanbryan6108]

@@robrees8501Adam Pedder was your drum teacher?!

[@robrees8501]

@@bryanbryan6108 if that’s II’s name yep 😉 ( not confirming or denying his name )

[@whileistaysecluded]

He gets to be famous, and can also go out anywhere he wants and not be bothered. Awesome.

[@pedrorodrigueziii4859]

Plus the result is that his work stands on its own. People don't talk about II, they talk about II's drumming, which I believe is the essence of what any true musician wants.

[@MK-qe6fj]

@JohnnyCarterMusicOfficial They've grown from 200k monthly listeners on Spotify at the end of 2022 to almost 4 mill now in 2024. I'd say that is a decent amount of famous.

[@Fqbbp]

@JohnnyCarterMusicOfficialyour jealousy sparkles man 😂😂

[@oldghostbilly]

@JohnnyCarterMusicOfficial says the guy with 2 subsribers (pointed out by the guy with 8 subs lol)

[@nicolecampos4153]

@JohnnyCarterMusicOfficial They are lmao

[@HarrisonHarmon]

His snare sound is intoxicating. It's had me shopping for a 13x7 snare.

[@A_Sailors_Prayer]

as a drummer for an alt rap artist i often do accent stacking as a way to add to the vocals and it was nice to hear ii say the concept in words because its just something ive done and not had a name for

[@CFR_YouTube]

That snare sound you talked about comes from a rare method of making the drum from a solid log out of Australian red gum trees. Yes his snare deserves it's own subreddit (which I think it actually does) 😂

[@MassholeDrums]

I think his snare sounds great but tbh it's more about the tuning than anything else lol High tuned snares just sound sick.

[@bryanbryan6108]

HAHAHAHAHA!

[@AlexSilva-ze8jf]

his snare has sounded like this for years, and he's gone through multiple brands of snares.

[@ericlucci2829]

II is a legend and an inspiration to many drummers. in his drumeo videos he goes over his gospel chops and its awesome that he outright shares how he does his common fills, and how he constructs his beats. what a fantastic musician.

[@lokinslawomir0793]

What a fantastic musician who wants to share his knowledge! Why he plays the way he does! He’s a true music lover who wants to share it with the world through conversation and through playing. Gotta love it!

[@HugoStiglitz88]

I don't really listen to them but his approach to the drums all made sense to me. It was a good video and he's a good drummer Nothing about it baffled me but thats kind of a good thing

[@charliequinn5590]

@@HugoStiglitz88the sign of true intellect and compassion for the student is ease of access. He explains eloquently and simply and then demonstrates the point clearly.

[@OnEst_Opinion]

Idk what about this video made me realize this but how insanely dope and selfless is it that II does the unbelievable things he does then says “here, I’ll post a full blown video of me playing these songs so anyone who wants to see EXACTLY what I’m doing then I’ll double down doing interviews giving tips about drumming and my styles while also explaining why I do the things I do”. That is absolutely incredible and do not know any drummers of the modern day, SPECIALLY in Sleep Token’s musical level and fame/popularity, that have come out doing the thing. The selflessness that’s last being discussed is not only present in his playing but his drumming life. Him on and off stage ya know? That’s so freaking cool man. My god can this band go a freaking day without giving me another reason to love them?!?! Like my god. Just don’t do something dope af for TWENTY FOUR HOURS lol PLEASE. I’m always critical on music and tend to find the smallest flaw in a song or band and I’m done with them yet I feel their next album could completely freaking suck, could be a damn dog barking for 4 hours, and I’d still walk away thinking “DAMN another masterpiece” 😩😩 I hate it! Lol

[@Kennethkohzm]

That's why he called it an offering ❤

[@michaelcordero5588]

You're obsessed.

[@Andrea-de8ix]

​@@michaelcordero5588you say that like it's a bad thing...

[@michaelcordero5588]

@@Andrea-de8ix It is.

[@Texlex1018]

That embodies the very essence of sleep token though , the songs are offerings. They are truly giving pieces of themselves away.

[@zacharyhullender8663]

The way he plays Alkaline says it all.. he makes it look so effortless where as ive seen others try to play it and it looks very difficult. He uses more of his wrist to cover vs others using their entire arm.

[@NahIamgood]

II's ultimate weapon is indeed that SNARE SOUND. I'm not a drummer but I really enjoy watching drum videos and this channel is top tier

[@MS-dz1di]

Cymbals are more important than the snare sound but yes. He has a signature snare sound indeed.

[@NeilD1]

​@@MS-dz1di ii's cymbal work is extremely tight.

[@MS-dz1di]

@@NeilD1 I know. That's what is also what I like about his drumming the most. Also the choice of his cymbals is great.

[@VVVY777]

Totally unique just like the White Pony snare.

[@bryanbryan6108]

Adam Pedder

[@notachance12358]

Hats down for the best breakdown of II's playing on the internet. Thank you for sharing this! I am beginner/intermediate level at drumming and I can hear different nuances in II's playing but had no clue how he does it. This really helps. Thank you very much!

[@DrumBeatsOnline]

It's my pleasure!

[@martinrivas40]

NOBODY HAD EXPLAINED II's TECHNIQUE THE WAY YOU DID. PLUS YOU REALLY KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT. EXCELLENT, SUPERB!!!!

[@SgtBuck01]

I think the gospel material is what throws everyone off and also makes II so versatile. "The Love You Want" is a great example of this, with also blending in some jazz in the earlier verses.

[@DanzySL]

ii is one of my favorite drummers to listen to now, i love how you pointed out his linear phrasing, I do that often, and when I saw ii doing it I noticed it immediately, linear phrasing to beats sound so unique

[@Almane-chill]

A legend making a video over a legend. Love it!

[@DrumBeatsOnline]

❤❤

[@davidnissim589]

His snare sound deserves a video of its own

[@Edrumachine]

whatever you want to learn, slow it down, even more than you think, play it 10 times in a row perfectly, then speed it up a little and repeat until its up to speed and then keep practicing it over and over until its muscle memory

[@HugoStiglitz88]

That's one of so many ways that you need to work if you want to get good Great musicians do all this stuff and much more which is why it pisses me off when people mention talent as if it's just some mystical nonsense were born with that makes us better. Totally ignores the work you gotta put in, even if some stuff comes natural to you

[@JustinMcVicar]

I skip the 10 parts and try to speed up after 3. It only even works out 25% of the time, but goddammit that's the percentage I'm holding onto.

[@GregoryHyde]

Snare sound has SO much to do with the engineer, who deserves as much, if not more, shout out.

[@Hatchet_Wound]

Lol no. His snare sounds like that because it's a 2,000 dollar snare and he knows how to tune it. Sounds exactly the same live at every gig.

[@GregoryHyde]

@@Hatchet_Wound - because bands of that stature have their own drum tech and engineer who tours with them. 😑 Use a mic(s) that isn't ideal for snare, poorly positioned (especially if its out of phase), run through a board with bad or no EQ, compression, reverb, etc. and you too can get a garbage snare sound out of a Craviotto.

[@maseay91]

@@Hatchet_Wound You realize he's not tuning his own snare at this point right?

[@YaroVukov-q6k]

@@maseay91 There's a solid chance he still does regularly

[@Ptgtperson]

There is a video from sleep token’s FOH guy and the micing idea was originally brought up by ii. FOH has been with them since their 5th show if I remember correctly. All drum mics are on trigger activated gates.

[@jessicar5748]

II’s creativity is what sold me on ST. Love it!!

[@JK-gm6kk]

In what way? They're good and all and this might seem cynical, but I don't believe there is anything in his playing that isn't seen in people like Louis Cole, Carter Beaufort for the linear playing and the guy who plays for mastodon, who's name escapes me atm. Everything humanly possible presently has been done, and it's been done alot.

[@kermitdafrogisback]

Killer video. Make sure you get on the list, everyone. Gabe is an amazing teacher. You can not go wrong. Hope to see you all there. DBO FOR LIFE.

[@DrumBeatsOnline]

❤❤

[@ahutchins3405]

I hate saying a hack. Linear drumming is a technique like push pull. It's about practicing and learning techniques. Nothing easy about II's abilities and skills

[@OnEst_Opinion]

I agree. Using the term “hack” implies a shortcut or selling someone (us viewers or ST lovers) short. There’s nothing fake about pure skill. What is wrong with utilizing efficiency or a better easier way to do something when it still takes incredible amounts of skill, talent, and experience to perform that “hack“?

[@darkember393]

Hack is a figurative use in this case. He uses something that in reality is super super simple but with his drumming style it makes that simple thing such as repeating his patterns on different parts of the kit while linear drumming but with his insane sense of complexity and evolution, the patterns he plays can sound completely difgerent just because of the spot he plays them at. II (TWO) understands that complexity comes from simplicity.

[@paulyjones3966]

I was born with natural rhythm. So was my father . Give me a week , and I can show how easy it is actually

[@KryydsTV]

This comment is refreshing, usually people are hating on II

[@thedude0411]

​@@paulyjones3966it's been a month, let's see how easy it is

[@DonDarko593]

the way II talks about his craft is such class, dudes another level of talent.

[@Alex-z8p7f]

I joined DBO a little over a year ago with zero experience. I never even hit a drum pad in my life. I can’t believe how far I’ve gone with this course. I can play a lot of songs on the drum now. My speed is getting up there. I can play polyrhythms, rudiments, understand dynamics and accents. Anyone at any level that wants to get better should join DBO. Well thought out courses that takes you to the next level.

[@FriedEggsandJellyfish]

Ok bot

[@hiruyow8073]

Ok bot, ok a.i, OK LIAR!

[@adriancole9681]

Very classy Dbo. Very classy.

[@bad.tokenn]

Not only does he have insane, god level talent but also an incredible team behind him- Sam Hallet as his tech and Thom Pike on sound for tours. Three absolute legends 🙌🏻

[@timlovegrove1097]

The genre mixing thing seems to be very much a product of the last 10-15 years of music being so freely and easily available. Back in the 80's and 90's, music was expensive and some records were hard to get hold of, so musicians and fans tended to be quite tribal and listen to a relatively small subset of the music they liked. You might like rock, metal, grunge but you wouldn't entertain the idea of listening to pop, jazz, blues as well. You might find an occasional band who mixed in something different - electronica or hip hop into metal - but most bands were quite pinned in to their genre. Todays bands in their 20's and early 30's have had easy access to a much wider array of music and it's showing in the writing and performing.

[@jocelynamado1351]

You`re such a great teacher Gabe. Thank you for this.

[@thetrendisdead1]

The video I have of Higher at Red Rocks is crazy because even an iPhone video really captured how insane his snare drum resonated. Especially for an outdoor venue. Pretty nuts.

[@911Destroyer]

The drummer from north lane is underrated and know talks about him

[@reaper041592]

Nic Peterson is awesome👌🏼👌🏼

[@HugoStiglitz88]

There's many great drummers. Matt Halpern is unbelievable, Matt Gartska, Tomas haake, Jay Postones, endless list

[@ashb9665]

Nic is incredible and I definitely feel ST vibes in their early albums. For me the drumming has been watered down in the later albums or lost in the mix more

[@OpenizeMusic]

Fr tho

[@joshescalante4300]

Real ones talk about him :)

[@vashlash6870]

As a cook, I combine Italian dishes, with french technique, with my own Southern United States flare. By combining genres, you already will stand out, with a little personal flare, and your work is truly unique.

[@androtaz2621]

His ultimate weapon is his control and decision making. He's very thoughtful.

[@IdioticJenius]

II is one of the best drummers i have ever seen and the amount of talent is off the charts in my opinion.

[@prspktvmusic]

D&B producer here 👋 Recently saw the Drumeo video with II and have gone on a major rabbit hole since. I've never been so captivated by a drummer's playing before, and aside from all the other insanely good components that make up II's style, his snare really stood out. With II taking influence from drum and bass, I wonder if he tuned his snare with a jungle/drum and bass producer workflow in mind - when sampling slower break beats and pitching them up, the tone of each hit is increased resulting in a much tighter sound. As soon as I heard his snare, it made me immediately think of pitched up drum breaks!

[@hardcorestymie]

I know nothing at all about drumming. But videos like this make me appreciate the bands and drummers I listen to much much more.

[@peterwhitford1877]

Impossible to stay anonymous with such unique style and tightness...randomly found the dude in an old KZbin video and it was unmistakable ha

[@Will13drumheaded]

in short.. II's drumming signature from the big gospels, Joey Jordison and some of that Deftones with that UK dance bass drum pattern makes it a Metal Gospel Dance drum signature.

[@ssuperfly]

Stumbled upon the video from Drumeo's channel of him playing 'Higher' and im absolutely hooked.

[@pogocityradio77]

Never heard of him but goddammit he is INSANE

[@bennyharderguitar]

He’s the best drummer in rock and metal.

[@iamthesenate6577]

@@bennyharderguitar Mario Duplantier, Danny Carey...

[@HugoStiglitz88]

Dude I'm sorry but thats completely false. You really need to listen to more. He's great but frankly he alone would be able to tell you 10 better drummers and its not just modesty either. It's objective at a certain point Like the other guy said, Mario Duplantier, and Danny Carey are just some examples. There's also a bunch of prog metal wizards like Tomas Haake, Matt Halpern and Matt Gartska, a bunch of insanely fast but also very talented overall technical death metal drummers, George Kolias, the guy on KZbin you've probably seen, El Estepario Siberiano, etc II is great, but you don't know any better, don't say he's the best lol

[@iamthesenate6577]

@@HugoStiglitz88 couldn't have said it better

[@rahulp5226]

Can we just appreciate the effort Gabe puts into each of his videos! It's very inspiring

[@DrumBeatsOnline]

I appreciate the appreciation! 😜

[@rahulp5226]

@@DrumBeatsOnline i appreciate the appreciation for the appreciation 👀

[@alexeypolevoybass]

No, people are still gonna whine “but talent” all along in cycles.

[@deboracosta5270]

He is for sure one of the most creatives drummers I've listen on on metal/rock music recently. Does someone knows the song it's playing in 4:15 time of the video???

[@bankslie4one]

The song is called "Like that"

[@TheOneAndOnlyCumGuzzler]

being a guitarist, this is really informative for coordinating with drummer :)

[@HugoStiglitz88]

Nice name. Tbh I wish more guitar players would put this much effort in lol I'd rather they be more involved in my process because frankly, nobody can always choose the best route The best bands are collaborative

[@nicgundy]

It's true!! The past 5 years I've been learning drum styles from multiple genres as I do for guitar & bass much longer. And remember folks, be patient with yourself

[@EddieRibasCS]

Saving for my first drum set now, love watching all the content! appreciate all the breakdowns

[@scvscades]

Love the analysis, points out a lot of things that someone might miss including myself.

[@bishoytaami]

Your videos are great. So precious for a drummer. Please do Steve Jadd from Karnivool. I think you know how good he is !

[@JK-gm6kk]

Reminds me of carter beaufort a bit as well. Hes fantastic at linear drumming, despite me not being a big dave fan

[@jamesadamgleason9471]

He hits the cymbals and snare simultaneously very often.

[@derekwoodcock2510]

Wanna know who else did that on almost every snare hit for an album? lol it rhymes with Lars Ulrich 😂

[@derekwoodcock2510]

@damianmlamb can't knock Lars he's been in one of the biggest and most influential bands of our time.

[@mgen22]

I see you guys announced a tour with Halestorm. And you’re coming to Bridgeport, CT!! You’re gonna love the new venue bro. Can’t wait! Wish come true. 🤘🏻✌️❤️

[@theteacupbunny632]

That "dangerous ability" is probably why I've had so much trouble trying to imitate II as a very beginnger drummer. My primary exposure to drums was listening to the marching band battery in high school and memorizing warm-up rhythms despite being a clarinetist and not getting my hands on drumsticks until a decade later.

[@leonjohnson9625]

Really appreciate your take on this topic!! I completeley disagree with people labeling talent as a sort of 'natural predisposition' to mastering a certain activity. I think this convenient simplification takes away SO much from the endless work and toil one has to go through to achieve heights of proficency in their art.

[@senutskiraves8358]

seeing sleep token live has changed my perspective on them, and i love them even more after seeing them

[@Capricorn2JG]

This sums up a gospel drummer in a nutshell, just a difference genre. Pretty dope

[@tabeaw123]

Not a drummer myself but I'm obsessed with II, esp his drum cams, could watch him play all day.

[@VinceViglione]

The Tim Robinson ref was so good. 😂

[@Metalmachine18]

There is going to be an absolute legion of drummers who cite ii as their influence in music

[@WheezyMarauder]

i dont know anything about drumming but its so fun to watch your videos 😄

[@theogmrkrabs34]

Hope youre well mate, you are insane on the drums. Made me get into metal 😄

[@doc_necrow]

“Can help any drummer become DRUMatically better” if need anymore help I’m available 0:24

[@smptown29]

First thing I ever saw and heard of II and Sleep Token was that solo-vid of II you use in this vid. That was amazing and encouraged me to check them out. Still think the drums are the best part about the band, but no disrespect to the other members.

[@matt9108]

One of my favorite drummers.

[@norahdenovan8658]

I just love him, end off ❤

[@c1rca23]

I’m not gonna name names or anything.. But having seen footage of II’s previous metal outfits and they’re highly technical. Fast and highly skilled. I feel like as II, he has learned so much with previous styles through the years, implementing so many styles and technicality. He is much more relaxed and is having fun in this band, though still technical and so musically aware (playing along to vocals). A true musician. You can’t learn some of his mental ability as “skills”. He’s a true, rare stand out, highly intelligent and a highly skilled musician. Everyone wants to call it “easy”, rather than create it themselves. Ps. Great video and breakdown btw. It’s usefully for normies like me.

[@brianquiles4350]

Anyone can be a good musician, with many hours of practice and discipline. Talent is something else, it is something special that you are born with and it is part of your life and when you combine practice with talent the result is something out of the ordinary, it separates you from others. Brutal snare sound 💥

[@p0tek]

Talent is like a natural steroid. It will boost your progress, but talent alone is nothing if you do not practice.

Phenomenal drummer. Wouldn't call it impossible though. Hes exceptional at finding grooves for the genres he plays. Perfect drummer for ST.

[@bdsxlowercase5634]

I'd like to add to #3, not only can you make cheap drums sound amazing, but you can also make expensive drums sound terrible. It's always better to learn what you're doing with tuning early on, and later moving to better, more expensive gear.

[@mgen22]

Hey Gabe. I stumbled across the DBO page and I am loving your vids bro! You also turned me onto I Prevail. I’m becoming a big fan very quickly. I wish you guys would consider coming to the northeast. I see you’re playing the festival in Ohio. I’m actually friends with the boys in Shinedown. That should be a hell of a festival. Anyway. Thanks for the content. Hope to see you guys soon. 🤞🏻

[@alx1788]

What song is at 0:48??

[@shdw.206]

Hypnosis

[@blackdog6969]

As much as I wish, I'm not a drummer but there are a crap ton of great tips here even a guitarist like myself making half baked demos in the bedroom can take away. Cheers man. II is amazing and he deserves thanks too

[@Boogieoogiethayng]

thankyou for being this kind of drummer !

[@susantyler4481]

He is a master technician. Power and purpose - drive on driver.

[@StrobeFireStudios]

Dude I read the title as "How can anyone like 2 from Sleep token" - and then I came here to watch and say good video :D

[@TylerOath]

that snare though... Especially in their song "the Offering"

[@JustCammie]

Thank you for explaining some of the lingo! I'm a musician and love drummers, but I'm not a drummer. ❤

[@thebrilliantrj]

Amazing breakdown!

[@DruMax08]

He is like batman, the City needs him but nobody knows who he is

[@josemaravilla1871]

As a music teacher that I am for so many years already I just have something to say, please try to dedicate a video to honor The one and only Mr Neil Peart which was is and will always be The Greatest Drummer of all times, muchas gracias,keep on rocking you guys 🎼🥁🎵🥁🎼🥁🎵🥁🙌🙌‼️

[@TheOneAndOnlyCumGuzzler]

you should make a tips video on how to coordinate with the drummer in our bands :)

[@AwareWolfOnWheels]

A simple trick is eye contact.

[@ryansharp4691]

"what are you doing? You're making this song sound bad.". Lol. That's brutal.

[@mikedibella]

Great work on this analysis.

[@michaelvarney4723]

Accent stacking can also be used as call & response.

[@AmongSaints]

Talent is legit! Some people Naturally through genetic memory have a One Up on everyone else! Everyone can play with practice, some need less practicea

[@BneiAnusim]

He is a Fusion drummer for sure!

[@sephiroth7818]

3:36 I thought I was the only one that does this and have been iffy about it

[@AlliedX]

I would actually kill to see Dominic Howard from Muse on here 🙏

[@bitgeist_21]

I just started listening to Sleep Token. Some of their stuff sounds a bit like Tesseract or Sky Harbor. Two other bands I really love.

[@mooch6666]

I was front row. I couldn’t take my eyes away

[@simongallant5506]

Great video! Can you make a tutorial about tuning a snare like is one’s?

[@bryanbryan6108]

I play healers in online video games. Makes sense that I’m a drummer. Drums (and bass) are a strong active support that is the linchpin of a group. Guitars and keys/whatever else in the lead section are the dps. Vocals/frontman is the tank (absorbing aggro and mistakes made are IMMEDIATELY noticed and come with catastrophic consequences for the group). I’m gonna continue to build upon this band mmo dungeon theory and start a group surrounding it. We’ll write songs about speedrunning Dire Maul in classic WoW and shit.

[@wikialphamen128]

what's the name of a song in 10:48?

[@codyfeller]

I believe it’s The Summoning

[@chakshu6524]

you should do one on chris turner

[@snowflake4656]

🙄

[@HugoStiglitz88]

Chris turner is insane

[@johnseibert3909]

Very well said.

[@SharonMacMahon]

Without doubt a brilliant drummer….

[@86AMac]

great video! 🤘🏼

[@patrickhasachannel]

his snare sound is so tight

[@nicksantini9692]

Bottom line this guy is so good because he is so good. There is no hack or anything it’s practice and honing on YOUR style. Love it. Love that cracked snare too.

[@CinkyTatts]

not really into sleep token yet but damn i like his style

[@Lauren__M]

It took me a few listens to get into it as well and now I’m obsessed.

[@LunchboxNinja]

"IT'S ABOUT THE BAND" . If every drummer got this into their heads...

[@Asherdelta5]

Can you do a video on the Swedish heavy metal bands drummer like what you did with Lars

[@raiderlarry3255]

He's a bad ass