John Longstreth

Kansas City Native (and now upstate New York resident), John Longstreth, is currently considered one of the most proficient drummers in the modern Death Metal musical scene. Displaying incredible technique (such as seemingly unattainable blast beats, astonishing speed, control and endurance) as well as a solid command of versatility behind the drums, John is quickly becoming a highly reputable influence in the world of drumming. Seeing is believing as John’s prowess behind some of the genres' most popular or up & coming Death Metal/Underground bands leaves people eagerly searching for more information on this rising personality. As with many drummers, John began his path to drumming on pots & pans but eventually graduated to a small, beginning drum set in his Kindergarten years. Growing up with a notable father in the Kansas City Jazz scene for nearly 50 years, John was consistently exposed to the music of influential Jazz greats that ranged from Buddy Rich, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Cab Callaway to more modern composers like Pat Metheny and Frank Zappa. It wasn't until his Junior High years where officially decided to delve into the educational world of drumming by studying with Kansas City musician (and drummer to his father's band), Ray Demarchi. Solidifying a solid foundation of technique, counting and basic theory, Demarchi helped lay the groundwork for John's lengthy future as a drummer. In later years, early Thrash metal bands (most notably, Slayer) piqued John's interest as their characteristic blazing tempos and highly energetic songs presented him great challenges to obtain those type of drumming qualities. It was through this style of music (in addition to intense technical study with Fear Factory/Malignancy drummer, Mike Heller) that John found his primary identity as a drummer. His first experience as a member of a band was through his early Death Metal project entitled Malicious Intent. As this project was coming to a close, he received a phone call from Minnesota native, Gene Palubiki, notifying John that he was forming a band with Kansas City metal veteran, and Order From Chaos front man, Pete Helmkamp. After joining this new endeavor, an initial demo recording was picked up by Osmose Productions in France which earned John his first experience on a record label with the band eventually called Angelcorpse. Though a brief stay, John received early success in Angelcorpse through a variety of recordings (such as the reputable albums 'Hammer of the Gods' and 'Exterminate') as well as a series of EPs, popular singles and European touring. Shortly following his Angelcorpse departure (and a brief stint with Christian Death Metal band, Possession), John was introduced to Paul Ryan and Jeremy Turner from the widely popular technical Death Metal band, Origin. John’s notable style and captivating technique earned him the position as Origin's drummer where he has remained a driving force behind the band since the early 2000's. Origin has experienced great success in the genre for many years, touring along side of many reputable Death Metal bands such as Nile, Arch Enemy, Hate Eternal and All That Remains and has seen excellent response throughout the music world from releasing popular recordings such as 'Informis Infinitas Inhumanitas', 'Antithesis,' and 'Entity.' The technical demand of Origin has enabled John to hone his characteristic drumming methods for many years which has earned him the reputation of a session and touring musician all around the world of Death Metal music. John has been employed as a recording musician and a touring drummer by various other distinguished Metal bands such as Dying Fetus, Dim Mak, Skinless and the highly popular current touring band, Gorguts. Other studio projects include Imperial Foeticide, Jason Morely and Crator as well as additional touring experience through bands such as Exhumed and The Red Chord. The coming years show promise for John as the ever-growing popularity of the various Metal genres will only solidify his influential presence in this style. John has appeared in various media outlets including the world renown Modern Drummer magazine and he proudly endorses Pearl Drums, Meinl Cymbals and Regal Tip drum sticks. Written by Jason Gianni www.jasongianni.com Drummers World RECORDINGS: Malicious Intent: Demo 95 Angelcorpse :1996-1997 Goats to Azazael (demo) 1996 Hammer of Gods 1996 Nuclear Hell (7"single) 1997 Wolflust (7"single) 1997 Exterminate 1998 Origin : 99'-2002 / 06'-current Origin s/t 2000 Informis Infinitas Inhumanitas 2002 Antithisis 2008 Entity 2011 Skinless : 2003 - 2004 From Sacrifice to Survival 2003 Skinflick (dvd) 2004 Dim Mak : 2005-current Knives of Ice 2006 The Emergence of Reptilian Offers 2011 Gorguts : 2009 - current Imperial Foeticide (2011 studio) Jason Morely (2010 studio) Crator 2009 - current 010' demo 011' demo --------------------------- Session Tour Exhumed : winter 2004 The Red Chord : summer 2004 Dying Fetus : Winter 2005 John Longstreth plays Pearl Drums, Meinl Cymbals, Pro Mark sticks, Evans Heads, and Bulletproof Coffee! John Longstreth plays or has played for Origin, Dimmak, Crator, Gorguts, Dying Fetus, The Red Chord, Exhumed, The Jason Morley project and Imperial Foeticide. John is currently for hire