The Iconic Drumming Behind “Holy Wars” | Megadeth Song Breakdown

[@Stran8n]

Dirk is an animal on the drums! It's a treat to have such a close up look at what's really going on behind the kit to play this. Something that struck me with Dirk's appearance here as well as Tommy Aldridge's is that these guys bang these songs out night after night and still play with passion, ferocity, and zeal for an instructional video. Thanks to them and Drumeo!

[@WillS-pl8wg]

Yes,great observation.A band isn’t much without a great drummer!!

[@csi2448]

​@@WillS-pl8wgsay what you want about Dave. But he's never hired any bums to be in the band!

[@MrCopenhagen113]

@@csi2448 He Hired Paul Bostaph... he is very mutch a bum. But you cant get it right 100% of the time.

[@lukehewko260]

He had to play old Soilwork on drums for a long time which is very hard lol

[@mikespearwood3914]

@@MrCopenhagen113 Paul Bostaph? Never knew he was in Megadeth!

[@fatalconceit9713]

What a time to be alive. What an amazing tribute to Nick Menza by Dirk. Thank you Drumeo.

[@blckbldng]

Genious move by Dave to surround himself with 3 extremely likable musicians to balance his legendary grumpyness

[@OlinKreutzRules]

I couldn’t agree more. Definitely a genious move. Lol

[@cem330]

😂😂😂

[@S1LVERflyin]

He’s not even that grumpy anymore these days tbh, more like crotchety old man 😂

[@rodneypayne4827]

The side effect of being a perfectionist.

[@Septicshites]

yes im glad james lemenzo is back hes good as hell on bass

[@justinreynolds3935]

The only drummer since Menza to play this song almost correctly as Nick. Every other guy after Nick played this groove weird. Dirk nailed it. But he also adds his own style. He's great. Perfect fit

[@amazona_finschi]

Rust in Peace manages to be complex, technical, and epic while also being very accessible and downright pretty in places. Thanks for a great video.

[@TeutobergForestryService]

They found lightening in a bottle with rust in peace. Every song on the album was just phenomenal. Probably the greatest metal album of all time. Insane.

[@jdejota1029]

Hands down my favourite metal album of all time, followed by Peace sells .

[@amjan]

Sorry, but no sane person would say it's better or anywhere close to Master of Puppets.

[@niffingig5143]

​@amjan - I think it's much better than Master Of Puppets. I've never been into Metallica's music much. It's boring. And Justice For All was the only album that I liked. Rust In Peace and Peace Sells are great albums, but that's about all I listen to as far as Megadeth goes. I like more complex, dark, and extreme music like Artificial Brain, Aosoth, Gorguts, Ulcerate, etc.

[@amjan]

@@niffingig5143 I like Gorguts and Ulcerate, but MoP is MoP - the golden standard.

[@gregwinter8503]

@@amjanI’m insane then because Rust in Peace is absolutely the greatest metal album. And Holy Wars the greatest metal song. Game over.

[@chrisg1772]

This guy is so likeable. I dont watch any other vids like this but ive watched the last two that hes been in as hes so knowledgeable and his enthusiasm just comes across so naturally

[@panayiotis131]

Dirk's cool. He's a great drummer, but even more so, he seems like a great guy. That little tribute to Nick Menza he did, at the 12:20 mark (diehard fans will know), well, in all honesty... almost got me a little emotional! Rust In Peace holds a very dear place in my heart and along with it, Nick Menza's drumming on it. If you read this by any far chance, thank you Dirk! Killer performance, awesome drumming over awesome music!

[@jd0879]

Got you emotional? Calm down man he just crossed his arms like Nick. Say it’s cool and move on

[@MardyBum100291]

I often get emotional at crossed arms.

[@Chargechuck1234]

​@@jd0879 Why do you care?

[@panayiotis131]

@@jd0879 Well, times are dark brother. Sometimes, the only thing that holds a brother together might be Nick Menza's once live antics. Or Lars Ulrich's white leather jacket in the 90ies. Strange things might move a man's heart, don't judge brother.

[@AndreasE]

i knew what you were referring to before i saw the clip 😁

[@markdawsonziglar9436]

I remember, pretty distinctly, the first time I heard this album in 1990…I was blown away, & still am. Pure metal genius.🤘

[@irishRocker1]

Dirk is a legend. Great to hear his breakdown on this classic killer song

[@kmchipower]

Nice to hear Gar Samuelson get a mention on this channel.

[@rattlehead9127]

Really cool that Dirk knows the history of Megadeth and pays homage to the guys that came before him.

[@blppt]

I think Gar was one of Dirk's drumming heroes---I think he mentioned it on a video I saw of him covering a couple of really old Megadeth tracks.

[@elijahpostdc]

this video made my day. Holy wars is one of my favorite songs of all time, and one of my favorite to play on the drums!

[@superchargedsteve3411]

One of the best metal songs of the decade!! Great to see the drumming separate like this.

[@dylanwhitesockswatson]

This song is so fun to play. This whole album is very inspiring ! Dirk you're awesome !

[@miqotesoulia8620]

fuckin hell this song is STILL on my playlist to this day! awesome performance what a blessing he is to us.

[@fradeidelfero]

This guy is pure energy, love his style!

[@suvarnachauhan951]

Nick Menza , Gar Samuelson and Dirk Verbeuren are my top favorite drummers of all time.

[@oleksiysytnik]

That was beautiful. I love it when you see a drummer enjoying what he is playing. His eyes were burning.

[@rbnh9827]

Nick Menza was solid but groovy and that’s what set Rust in Peace apart. RIP to the man who made RIP cool.

[@jessef85]

Dirk seems like such a likeable guy.

[@3082frank]

I always loved nick drumming. Dirk honestly played this to perfection..fire..

[@WhitecloudAudio]

I can"t say enough great things about Dirk. I was sad to see Chris Adler go after the first Dystopia shows in 2015. When I first saw Megadeth with Dirk at OZZFEST 2016, I was blown away by Dirk's groove and even more so when they toured with Lamb of God in 2022. Man just chills and grooves. He shows us how it's done in this video, and every night he steps on that stage. Cheers, Dirk. You are incredibly deserving of this feat on Drumeo!

[@christophsanchito3461]

Wow, sooooo clean and rad! Dirk you’re absolutely a modern day legend!

[@SeasonedCitizen99]

Awesome breakdown! I was fortunate to get one of Dirk's drumsticks after the Phoenix show earlier this year. So cool! Thank you!

[@Inflaymz]

I have seen live megadeth for years from rust in peace lineup to now and if for sure Nick was a master and a legendary member of the band , Kirk is doing an amazing job behind the drums with a lot of feelings and in my opinion a lot more of dynamic compare to all drumers in the band before . Love this guy!

[@tonygriffith2164]

Thank you for coming to Drumeo, Dirk!

[@1step2deadline]

Dirk is top notch as person and as a drummer. If you compare with Art Cruz's video I felt like his was trying to put himself on top of the song instead on mentioning Chris Adler who actually created the drum part. Dirk who is a fantastic drummer started the song by saying that this is a Nick Menza's song... Great values man, Megadeth is your home for sure. \m/

[@happybeagle13]

Dirk is a damn inspiration man. Love his passion for the craft

[@Samba-Oleg]

Absolute masterpiece! Still brilliant after all those years!!!

[@driftless7134]

Holy Wars has got to be one of the top 3 metal tracks of all time. It's so iconic and the drum parts are so memorable and perfect.

[@Frostwulf1313]

I was sad when Dirk left Soilwork, until I found out he joined Megadeth.

[@EmoDKTsuchiya]

Likewise

[@sausage_fingers666]

Check out what he's done on the last few project hate albums. His drumming is mindblowing.

[@Frostwulf1313]

@@sausage_fingers666 I am not familiar with Project Hate. I'll go look them up immediately.

[@wardseyssens7474]

Great stuff! And very cool to see a fellow Belgian drummer have all this fun in an iconic metal band.

[@marekeos]

Mass respect for Drk. Humble guy and a beast of a drummer. Nick would be proud.

[@v12kid]

The king at it again

[@peepawghost]

Dirk is crazy good.

[@RolanTHUNDER]

Perfect performance by Dirk! I love seeing them play this classic live! Whoo hoo 🤩🎸👏

[@andywitch666]

Just got the latest Cadaver album 'The age of the offended', Dirk's drumming is savage in it !..! !..!

[@yudaaduy2113]

Perfect & authentic drums holy wars, Dirk got soul and nail it. Thanks Dirk for keeping megadeth kickin alive 🤙🏻

[@jerrysmith2509]

This was the first megadeth song I ever heard..was blown away..still jam the shit out of this

[@kreavix]

I love this track! Amazing drumming ❤

[@caioprado2668]

Honrou demais o Nick Menza! Great performance Dirk!

[@rafaelrocha3151]

this song is a masterpiece. the drums intro is one of the best ever!

[@calemorgan3982]

God I LOVE this song. been banging my head to it since I was a teenager. Amazing!

[@GGuardian90]

What an idol Dirk !! a beast in the drums !!! And well Nick was a phenomenon, one of a kind

[@drew413]

This is such a cool drum part. And what’s nice about it is that you give this to a modern metal band and they’re either blasting or just throwing double bass all over it. Missing that finesse

[@brianegan3594]

That is class🤘

[@lamecasuelas2]

This guy's awesome!

[@grocker5382]

For me this is one of the few albums where i listen to guitar and drums .both instrument are creme del la creme .... true metal classick

[@kelvintawhiti9577]

I'm glad that you took over from nick awesome drumming bro

[@renzootommydrummerminazzi7600]

Grande tribute a nick menza. Evviva qualcuno vero c'è al mondo!! Grande drumming..e pezzo!!😂❤

[@hangtimedangjang]

I like Dirk. Should I ever have the opportunity, I'll gladly shake his hand and purchase a beverage of his choice.

[@mrk4510]

I'm a Guitar player and still found this really interesting. Dirk is such a Cool Guy and really knows his stuff. 👊😎

[@balhatchet]

Growing up, my mates and I had a running tradition when hanging out that we would stop all conversation when the opening for holy wars was playing. "Shhh... 'The Riff' is talking..."

[@wmpet5101]

I remember when I first saw this video on a Saturday night on WTBS the Ted Turner station. Dave's use of harmonics blew me away, still does.....this song hit home back then, and will hold true until all wars cease

[@axemaster9999]

Holy hell dude! I loved Menza. I loved your video and you killed it!. MEGADETH is the bestest!!!! Just need to get back out to a live show at some point...

[@axemaster9999]

lol.. watching him hit the chimes after he alluded to it in the intro :)

[@JustSeJiiTee]

I've heard Holy Wars thousand and thousand times. Still kick's ass.

[@michaelschmidt9708]

Been a fan of Dirk since the Scarve days. So great to see him in Megadeth - he's perfect for them.

[@Meowmeow0506]

Idk why but I like how hard he hits lol. It's very noticeable at points and I love it.

[@claysmell]

Dave is so lucky to have the Dirkster... he should be kissing his lucky stars every night... I'm glad Dirk gets to be the iconic drummer that everyone knows he is.

[@and1pro]

Amazing drum

[@maximumentropyofficial9]

amazing and that snare has an incredible sound

[@ABandAnd]

It was my first concert when I was 16 years old. Clash of the Titans in Stockholm Sweden 1990. Suicidal Tendencies, Testament, Megadeth, and Slayer. I told my parents that we were playing a volleyball game in Stockholm and I needed money.

[@davidbest7859]

Dirk if you read these i would LOVE to hear you play Killing is my Business

[@antimatter_gt5003]

great video! Great song

[@alonsomesia7385]

theres something no one can argue or discuss about Dave and is that he "hire" AMAZING MUSICIANS.

[@vincent_vega4046]

Nick would surely be proud; Dirk does justice to Megadeth. Dave always had amazing musicians around him, it is no different with Dirk, amazing drumming.

[@k7stingray]

Nick Menza was such a beast!

[@glennrussellapura6403]

Yeah! You know when you"re in the moment when instintively you stand and acknowledge your audience.

[@julianalderson3938]

Cheers bro n to all drummers for megadeth. Great tune still.

[@footballps]

Approved Genius Dirk.

[@johnbarton7058]

What just happend at 12:21🤯. Dude is a legend.

[@ธีรวัฒน์ท่อแก้ว]

I love you Nick❤ RIP❤

[@nexus438]

Awesomeness up close 👌 🙌 👏 👍

[@KathiBooklover]

AWESOME 🤘🤘🤘

[@katerinapatiniotis5598]

I was expecting to see the cross beats... towards the end of the song...and I wasn't disappointed. I like Dirk paying his respects to Nick Menza.

[@joliveres]

I love this!

[@tristanderoo]

That was amazing!

[@pablodisconnect5551]

amazing drummer!!

[@ismith2892]

The one thing I'll say about Dave is that he's legendary at picking replacements to compliment his style.

[@kevinbick1234]

Love this guy, drumming amazing

[@BrunoOliveira-es6mp]

Such a masterpiece!

[@Whiskeymovie]

For being one of the BEST drummers in the world, Dirk comes across as a genuinely humble and nice guy. I'm bummed he left Soilwork, but I am sure they $ is much better with Mega-Dave....and I have to say I LOVED the Nick Menza cross -armed cymbal hits at the end of the song. Amazing job Dirk.....PS....check out the song Blind Eye Halo on Stabbing the Drama by Soilwork if you want to see what he can REALLY do.

[@markhatcher4325]

That was killer .

[@RichardTimofei]

Rust in Peace- the best megadeth album along with Countdown to Extinction

[@lokiinepe]

Megadeth may not be my favourite among the big 4, but Holy Wars is one of the greatest songs ever made, and the drummer really nailed. RIP Nick Menza

[@welcometonebalia]

Thank you.

[@markmendozavano]

Everybody loves Raymond and they love Dirk too!

[@richardrondon4550]

Nick Menza was a guitarrist Who saie, you know what, I'm going to be a drummer... he took the thrash drums to another level

[@JorgemeT22]

Nick Menza 4 ever

[@bigbobbitchinii123]

What an iconic song. Where the drumming is so spectacular and well written and compliments the song perfectly. I doubt "Holy Wars " would have been as iconic without Nick's original energetic and technical playing. So glad I got to see Megadeth intact with that iconic lineup of MegaDave, Junior,Marty and Nick. Thank you Dirk for paying proper respect. It is one thing to perfect a song already written. A whole nother to compose such a iconic piece of music. Dirk is the closest to properly playing that song. Tall respect.

[@thekongstocks]

WOWSERS!

[@DJENERGY210]

Cool little double bass he did there where the song about to end

[@or1on89]

Tasty song with tasty drumming. That record is a masterpiece. ❤

[@shizumaruofficial]

EXCELLENT MIX.

[@ropster75]

Man... you rock hard

[@oups83140]

Gar + Nick = Dirk ❤❤❤

[@c.turbina.4987]

Dirk sos un Grosoooo saludos desde Argentina 🇦🇷🇦🇷🇦🇷❤❤

[@phillipbeasley8025]

All these years & I just learned the intro doesn’t start on the downbeat.

[@demon-goat]

same! i'm shocked lol

[@KitWriter]

Dirk, Teemu, and James are all January-born capricorns, that means they are hard workers and will put their work ethic first on stage and studio. Dave compliments then publicly, tweets that he loves them, and as long as they show their loyalty and dedication, this iteration of Megadeth is going to stick around for a long while. Just so long as he remembers to pay them competitively. That said, this is the BEST lineup of Megadeth since 1990-1997. James LoMenzo may have got his start with White Lion, but he blows David Ellefson Jr out of the water, singing and on the bass. Dirk is humble, friendly, and BADASS. He can do everything Chris Adler did on Dystopia, and everything Nick did in the 90s, and everything Jimmy did, and everything Sean did, and he plays Chuck's material in his sleep. Dave called Dirk the ghost of Gar Samuelson ... minus all the coke and booze, lmao. Teemu has huge shoes to fill, because Kiko is my favorite, tied with Marty Friedman. He's young, but the 37-year-old Wintersun axeman has talented chops and playing, he understands music theory well, just like Marty, and every single time Teemu plays the Tornado of Souls solo, it's better than the last time, which means he practices and pushes himself to be better, and that's very important. Teemu is certainly more of a raw talent than Al, Chris, Glenn, and I will argue that all day long. Yes. He is better than Chris Poland. I said what I said. He doesn't have the natural feel for legendary metal that Marty had, but he is hungry for it, he is motivated, his technique has never given him wrist issues, and there is a REASON Teemu was suggested by Kiko. I look forward to their next album. Other comments have said they hope Dirk stays with Megadeth forever, and I agree. The dude is a beast, and now he has a team of beasts. Dave said he feels like he has the mojo to make a new album that will be amazing, and I look forward to hearing it. We'll Be Back was fire. I look forward to hearing what Megadeth will do next.

[@POSS99]

No one can replace nick menza