Well, here it is again...

Strangely, unlike most heavy metal drummers, McBrain has refused to use a double bass drum, since he considers it to be "too complicated"...and "un-drummerish"...but instead, he has developed an incredibly fast technique on the single bass drum, following Steve Harris' gallops with no problem at all. The first (and last) song Nicko McBrain recorded using a double bass drum was "Face in the Sand"...As Nicko couldnt grasp the technique of the double bass pedal, the track ended up being pro tooled...One of his feet was going faster than the other. He subsequently announced publicly that it had been one of the hardest things he had ever had to play and that, for that reason, the number would not be included in the track list of the Dance of Death World Tour...and another thing...On the Dance of Death album Nicko also contributed, for the first time in Iron Maiden history, to the songwriting...he wrote the bass line for the song "New Frontier."
What do you think?

Just goes to show further that every Iron Maiden member is as talented as they come and unfortunately I think Nicko doesn't get as much praise of recognition as he deserves. Especially for this. Any other drummer would find it difficult to use one, and here Nicko is being so damn good with just one that he can't get used to using 2. I'd like to see that in action for sure, I've never seen his bass work on any videos or anything, but it sounds a tad tricky and considering Steve Harris to keep up with, it's all definetly beyond me. Props to Nicko!

Yeah man I totally agree with you...one of the most intelligent comments I've ever seen here...by the way, happy birthday Nicko! He is great...I mean...which drummer doesnt know Nicko's magical right foot? His style of playing is unique, starting from the point he's one of the very few guys that never used a double bass pedal...for me it's almost impossible to imagine now what Maiden masterpieces like "Where Eagles Dare", "Wasted Years", "2 Minutes to Midnight", "Out of the Silent Planet", "Caught Somewhere in Time" or "Man On The Edge" would or could have sounded like without Nicko's amazing drums thundering along behind them...he is clearly one of a kind...also, he has a huge stage presence...almost as freaky an on-stage presence as Eddie, lol...the man is great...absolute legend

Indeed, happy belated birthday to him.

He's so used to playing with a single pedal that he doesn't need to use a double bass pedal and Maiden still sound great without it.

@ Daru Jericho: Well, maybe Iron Maiden sounds great thanks to the no use of double bass drums =).

Although I'm a fan of the double bass drums, I think Nicko does his job cool. Iron Maiden don't need a double bass drum, that would fuck the sound up. He weren't able to play double bass drum cuz he never has done it, just that, I think that he could easly play double bass drums after some weeks learning =).

Get Terrorizer's album "World Downfall". Now THAT is some insane single bass drum playing!

Well he must be using heel-toe technique. I wonder if he has some special technique, I doubt it, for sure that he has developed a strong right foot (more trainig if not using th keft one on bass).

Well, however he does it...it's amazing. Keeping up with Steve Harris with one foot is something not many can say they can do.

I think McBrain is a great drummer. Many think he is the best ... but can someone really be the best when he can't use double bass drums? Technically, he can not be the best.
What I like with Nicko is that he has a cool style when he plays and there are so much feeling and joy behind his drum works.

Written by Warman on 10.06.2006 at 13:22

I think McBrain is a great drummer. Many think he is the best ... but can someone really be the best when he can't use double bass drums? Technically, he can not be the best.

Or technically, couldn't he contend with the best CONSIDERING he's so good with only one bass drum??

Nicko is a good drummer. Very good. He may not be the most techncially proficient around, but he's got individuality and provides (with Steve) the backbone of Maiden's rhythm section. While I prefer Clive's drumming on the original material he played on, Nicko's drumming is simply more interesting. I especially like the little hi-hat clicks he puts in between beats (most prominent on the Brave New World album), and the way he just loves fills. Pity his drumming was practically inaudible and mundane on Virtual XI, but....

Oh, and one more thing. He really needs to slow down on 'Hallowed...' live. Most of the live recordings, he takes the tempo WAY to fast and it's really hard for Bruce to make the lines clear. While I don't think this is his fault alone, Hallowed is one of the songs that should not be played faster than it was written. Listen to the version on 'Beast Over Hammersmith' with Clive Burr on drums (incidentally before that album was released)-tempo is perfect, and it's the best live recording of that song I've heard. While the tempo and sound quality was similarly superb on Live After Death, Bruce's vocals suffered on that recording. Can't win them all, can you?

The technique is everything in the drums, and he is a mester on this instrument. Single drum is very difficult to play as he does especificly with the songs lime aces high that use the hand ndependence in many aspects...Hail nicko

His technique is certainly unique and worthy of appreciation, and almost substitutes double-bass drums (not completely), but he shouldn't consider the use of double bass 'un-drummerish' (probably because he is unable to do so) because it also requires great skill and effort.

Thats my problem with double bass. My right foot moves faster than my left foot. Maybe I should start using left foot instead of my right for a little while.

I really like Nicko's technique with the single bass drum. I think he's quite underrated.

Well, while I like Nicko, I think that is Just a weak excuse to compensate for his failure.

Niko Is a great drummer!!
Iron Maiden doesn't need double bass because Im have unique style with single bass...
But Niko shouldn't have considerd double bass technique as "un-drummerish".

I would have been pleased if he just said he doesn't need double bass pedals, he's remarks were totally uncalled for...

For their type of music, single-foot kicking is perfect!

Now i don't want to be an ass-hole, but there are lots of other drummers out there that go a lot faster with one foot, not to mention two(which Nicko clearly states he can't do).
The "right foot is faster than the left foot" obstacle is something every drummer comes across - it doesn't mean you have to quit on double-bassing - you just have to adjust.

Double-bass drumming requires technique - single-foot bass-kicking, well, just strong leg muscles.

Anyway, the point is: he is a really good drummer! He should be praised for writting drums that fit Iron Maiden's songs perfectly, not for his "incredibly fast technique on the single bass drum".

Written by jupitreas on 08.06.2006 at 20:57

Get Terrorizer's album "World Downfall". Now THAT is some insane single bass drum playing!

Fucking rights! One of my favourite albums too. Another drummer that does a great single kick job is Anders of Nasum fame.

Written by Remus on 30.09.2007 at 19:49

Double-bass drumming requires technique - single-foot bass-kicking, well, just strong leg muscles.

Completely disagreed. Did you factor rudiments or complex patterns into that statement? Single footed galloping is extremely difficult, as are many other single foot patterns. The technique involved in single foot playing is a lot harder than double kicking.

Written by [user id=8232] on 10.06.2006 at 21:05

Written by Warman on 10.06.2006 at 13:22

I think McBrain is a great drummer. Many think he is the best ... but can someone really be the best when he can't use double bass drums? Technically, he can not be the best.

Or technically, couldn't he contend with the best CONSIDERING he's so good with only one bass drum??

Well no. Because as good as Nicko is theres just some things that can't be achieved with single bass, sure he may be the best with single but no, technically not the best. Besides I'm sure theres a drummer out there who can do what he does on single pedal aswell as double bass stuff. I'm sure he can always learn...doubt he will though if this seems to be working for him.

Written by orphy on 02.10.2007 at 07:11

Completely disagreed. Did you factor rudiments or complex patterns into that statement?

I don't think he's known 4 factor rudiments or complex patterns - just linear bass-notes - you know, like playing double-bass patterns with one foot.

P.S. Dr.Rock said it best! ^^^

i dont care if he plays single bass or double bass, his awesome, the style of music he plays doesnt need a double bass, but im sure he cna handle that

I have always thought this was a mith What can anyone say about this,it is great technique and i am sure all black metal drumers wants to achive this heeheh.Nicko is a great drummer and surely known by more than this technique.

Its called heel-toe. people do it all the time actually.

Nicko is an amazing drummer! He really is unbelievably versatile, it makes my jaw drop...

I think it's rather refreshing that Nicko doesn't do double bass drumming, and yet can still achieve such a great level. Actually, I think double bass drumming can sometimes be overused in Metal. Sometimes it's fantastic and adds energy, but other times it seems to be used unnecessarily IMO. Like with certain modern bands, with a clinical production, where there's really fast double kicks, but it just sounds like an endless rapid succession of loud 'clicking sounds'!

Interestingly, Hellhammer (not the band, but the Norwegian drummer, of Mayhem etc.) once said in an interview that he learnt more from watching and listening to Nicko McBrain than from any drum teacher. That always stuck with me, considering how accomplished Hellhammer is as a drummer, and of course he uses double kicks, but presumably was still inspired by Nicko's techniques in some ways.