Danny Walker (drums) & many great musicians that I've been fortunate enough to work with over the years.
Influences
Amebix,
Alice In Chains,
Berlioz,
Billy Cobham,
Black Sabbath,
Chopin,
Cocteau Twins,
Elvin Jones,
Entombed,
Dave Lombardo,
Dave Weckl,
Dave Witte,
Dead Can Dance,
Death (progressive era),
Death In June,
Dennis Chambers,
Diamonda Galas,
Elizabeth Frasier,
Frank Zappa,
Fredrik Thordendal,
Gene Hoglan,
Gorguts,
Herbie Hancock,
Jimi Hendrix,
John Coltrane,
John Zorn,
Kai Hahto,
Kelli Ali,
King Crimson,
Lisa Gerard,
Mahavishnu Orchestra,
Mastodon,
Meshuggah,
Miles Davis,
Morgen Agren,
Napalm Death,
Neurosis,
Primus,
Rotten Sound,
Sean Reinert,
Slowdive,
Skinny Puppy,
Sonic Youth,
Swans,
Tchaikovsky,
Terrorizer,
Terry Bozzio,
Tim Alexander,
Tomas Haake,
Tony Williams,
"I'm a simple person with a mission to have a good time in life and not let anything interfere with my goals and passions. I live a pretty unconventional lifestyle and don't care what others think. I strive for progression and steer clear of becoming stagnant. I love to play drums more than anything in this world and when I'm not immersing myself in music or traveling, I most importantly hang out with friends, family and my wonderful girlfriend Elyse."
"Below is an in depth biography on what I've done and what I'm doing musically!"
Past Groups/Session:
(1996-1998) DESTROY BABYLON (1998) ARMY OF PARASITES (1998) KOYAANISQATSI (1998-2005) UPHILL BATTLE (2001-2006) CINEMA STRANGE (2002-2004) THORNLORD (2003-2004) EXHUMED (2004-2009) PHOBIA (2007) JESU
California resident studio & session drummer Danny Walker has achieved a notable reputation as a technically high performing artist in the metal and avant-garde genres since 1997. Over 15 years of experience and training in the percussive arts.
Californian Danny Walker studied a wide variety of musical styles before settling into an impressive career as a hardcore studio and session performer. As a kid, he banged his mother’s pots and pans to Kiss and Mötley Crüe records. His first kit was a Pearl Export 5-piece set, and he experimented with the kit on his own before taking lessons.
In high school, Danny joined the school marching bands “for a hot minute my freshman year, but quit after I was out on cymbals. I wanted to play snare or the quads, but they refused to let me.” Despite his reluctance to play cymbals as a teenager, now cymbals are Danny’s favorite part of his kit.
Danny studied under funk-enthusiasts Rich Crawford and Al Velazquez, who both stressed counting out loud while learning a new rhythm. Al instilled a lot of discipline in Danny as they worked on rudiments, odd meters, and polyrhythms. He began standing out in the metal and avant-garde fields in 1997.
Danny first earned respect as a drummer playing in bands throughout Southern California’s Ventura County. He played with UPHILL BATTLE, a hardcore/grind band, for more than five years. They toured North American, Canada and released three albums and two EPs. He also played with THORNLORD, a death metal group for a few years. They toured sporadically and recorded several demos before gradually dismantling.
In 2002, Danny joined avant-garde death rock band CINEMA STRANGE and played with them for four years. The band toured broadly through North America, Europe, Japan and Mexico and they released two records. Simultaneously, Danny frequently filled in as drummer for death metal group EXHUMED while they toured the U.S., Europe, Japan, and Australia supporting their "Anatomy Is Destiny" record.
After relocating to Los Angeles in 2005, Danny parted ways with main group UPHILL BATTLE to pursue progressive metal group INTRONAUT. INTRONAUT's sound is a fresh one for Danny and an excellent demonstration of his versatility as a player. With this he has focused on groove and dabbled in odd metered and poly-rhythmic patterns, focusing on power rather than speed. So far the group has toured extensively in North America, Canada, and Europe and they have released two albums and two EP's
While keeping INTRONAUT a top priority, Danny teamed up with Orange County's grindcore legends PHOBIA. He occasionally performed with the group throughout North America and Mexico and appeared on the albums "Cruel" and "22 Random Acts Of Violence." He also has worked on a series of eps with the group, which should be released by the end of 2009
In early 2007 Danny filled in on drums for Hydra Head recording artists JESU (ex-GODFLESH/NAPALM DEATH) on their first ever U.S. appearance through North America. JESU was supporting post-metal group ISIS and supporting their new album "Conqueror"
This year Danny has picked up a couple of new projects. BASTARD NOISE - At the end of 2008 Danny teamed up with Bassist extrodanaire Eric Wood & Electronics/Noise master WT Nelson (ex- Man Is The Bastard & Neanderthal) to create a new sonic assault of Power Violence Hardcore! This year the group completed a 2 week tour of Japan and is in the process of mixing a split full length record with group The Endless Blockade.
Also on the table is death metal/grindcore group MURDER CONSTRUCT, comprised of musicians Leon Del Muerte (ex-Exhumed, Impaled, Phobia & Intronaut) on guitars and vocals and Caleb Schnider (Bad Acid Trip) on bass and vocals. The band is In the process of mixing a 7 song CD.
REVIEWS
“Speaking of musical lunacy, Uphill Battle’s maniacal hardcore and weird prog jazz might have you booking more shrink appointments than you can afford. During their second album “Wreck of Nerves” you’ll have trouble getting Danny Walker’s
schizoid tempos”
Modern Drummer Magazine Issue – February 2005
“The skinsmasher Danny Walker fits right in, as he's incredibly versatile. He can play extremely fast, especially with double bass and he has very innovative fills. Some drummers get stuck with the two or three little fills they can do well, whereas this guy seems to be able to lay down an infinite number of fills, and each one seems to belong where it is”
-www.into-obscurity.com
"Danny Walker is arguably the best drummer in metal right now and he puts forth yet another effort to
support his candidacy"
-www.stereokiller.com
“Drummer Danny has a machine-like grasp on the concept of putting percussive foundation behind such merciless, unrelentingly complicated guitar and bass whirlwinds. In order to give some sense of grounding to all of the rampant changes and supreme viciousness, the man's patterns and fills compliment the 300 mph blasts and M-16 footwork. His performance combines the sweat-boiling intensity of Morbid Angel's Pete Sandoval and the physics-major-on-pcp expertise of Dillinger Escape Plan drummer Chris Pennie. Once again, as with the rest of the music, when you realize after a few listens that Danny can actually loop his intricate playing, creating actual 'beats' and somewhat repeated patterns”
-www.digitalmetal.com
"Drummer Danny Walker is astoundingly dexterous, with agile fills, incisive cymbals, and power to spare"
-www.sputnikmusic.com
" Drummer Danny Walker is exceptional, changing from typical double bass fare to wondrous progressive rhythms, creating the basic atmosphere the rest of the band builds
off of"
-www.digitalmetal.com
"Danny's phenomenal drumming is at it's unrestrained best, cross-channelling Brann from Mastodon and Animal from the Muppets producing patterns and fills that shouldn't fit into this music (or any music, for that matter) on paper, but come off as perfectly-fitting and even essential on record"
-www.chroniclesofchaos.com
“Deviously timed technical drumming which never goes off on a tangent of it’s own”
-www.treehouseofdeath.com
“Fans of Uphill Battle should remember the powerful drumming of Danny Walker and with Intronaut, his drumming comes clearly into the forefront”
Dude, I know...October has been the busiest month eva! Gonna hit a warehouse party and a gig Cannis Corpse is playing in Lincoln Heights. What are you and Elyse getting into?
As of late, just going to school and looking for a job, man. I bump into your girlfirend at school from time to time. Hey, that reminds me, did you end up becoming a bartender? I remmeber you talking about that at the BLVD that one time!
My brother's band is having a cd release show and wnated my band to play. My drummer broke his arm, so if the session guitarist learns the songs in time (about 20 minutes of music by next Friday), I'm going to be filling in on the drums!!! Should be sweet!! Havne't played live drums in a gooooood while!
