John Stanier is an American drummer who is best known for his work with alternative metal band Helmet. He currently plays in experimental rock band Battles and Tomahawk, and has previously performed with The Mark of Cain, as well as performing on several releases as a studio musician. He is known for his speed, endurance, and precision as a performer. Stanier uses a Tama Artstar II

drum kit A drum kit or drum set (also known as a trap set, or simply drums in popular music and jazz contexts) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and sometimes other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one p ...

Biography

Stanier grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Florida and is a veteran of the local hardcore music scene. He is known for having a drum corps background, but never actually marched a summer season. He played tenor drums for the Florida Wave Drum and Bugle Corps through a few years of their winter/spring camps. He studied orchestral percussion at the

University of South Florida The University of South Florida (USF) is a Public university, public research university with its main campus located in Tampa, Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States, and other campuses in St. Petersburg, Florida, St. Petersburg and Sarasota, ...

, but never took formal drum set lessons. Stanier cites

Neil Peart Neil Ellwood Peart ( ; September 12, 1952 – January 7, 2020) was a Canadian and American musician, known as the drummer, percussionist, and primary lyricist of the rock band Rush (band), Rush. He was known to fans by the nickname "the Profe ...

as his biggest influence. He has also been influenced by drummers such as

John Bonham John Henry Bonham (31 May 1948 – 25 September 1980) was an English musician who was the drummer of the rock band Led Zeppelin. Noted for his speed, power, fast single-footed kick drumming, distinctive sound, and feel for groove, John Bonh ...

, Billy Cobham, Bill Bruford, Terry Bozzio, Carl Palmer, and Lenny White. Stanier's drumming with Helmet has been cited as a big influence on a new generation of rock drummers. He endorses Tama drums, and is also well known for his Zildjian ''K'' crash cymbal perched as high as it can go when playing with Battles. The breakup of Helmet in 1998 was supposedly amicable, though Stanier offers few details beyond: "There's no big story or anything. It was just... time to call it a day. We'd been around for 10 years... no drama or fights or anything like that." Stanier has not kept in contact with former band mates Page Hamilton and Henry Bogdan, and Hamilton has commented that Stanier ignored attempts to communicate. With Helmet firmly in the past, Stanier wanted to get involved with other projects after taking some time off. A big fan of hip-hop music, he "accidentally" became a professional DJ for a year and a half. The length of his drumming inactivity was in part due to a broken wrist, as well as the fact that he simply could not find a band he wanted to play with. Since 2000, Stanier has been much more active with drumming. He is currently a member of three bands: Battles, Tomahawk, and The Mark of Cain.

Discography

As a band member

* Helmet – '' Strap It On'' (1990) * Helmet – '' Meantime'' (1992) * Helmet – '' Betty'' (1994) * Helmet – '' Born Annoying'' (1995) * Helmet – ''

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'' (1997) * Helmet – '' Unsung: The Best of Helmet (1991–1997)'' (2004) * The Mark of Cain – ''This Is This'' (2001) * The Mark of Cain – '' Songs of the Third and Fifth'' (2012) * Tomahawk – '' Tomahawk'' (2001) * Tomahawk – '' Mit Gas'' (2003) * Tomahawk – ''

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'' (2007) * Tomahawk – '' Oddfellows'' (2013) * Tomahawk – ''Tonic Immobility'' (2021) * Battles – '' EP C / B EP'' (2006) * Battles – '' Mirrored'' (2007) * Battles – '' Gloss Drop'' (2011) * Battles – '' La Di Da Di'' (2015) *Battles – '' Juice B Crypts'' (2019)

As a studio contributor

* Pitchshifter – '' Deviant'' (2000) * Primer 55 – '' (the) New Release'' (2001) * Align – ''Some Breaking News'' (2001) * Cage – '' Weatherproof'' (2003) *

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– ''

Auf der Maur Auf der Maur is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Melissa Auf der Maur (born 1972), Canadian rock musician **Auf der Maur (album), ''Auf der Maur'' (album), debut album of Melissa Auf der Maur *Nick Auf der Maur (1942–1998), C ...

'' (2004) * Primer 55 – '' Family for Life'' (2007) * Prefuse 73 – '' Preparations'' (2007) * The Field – '' Yesterday and Today'' (2009) * Rone – ''Tohu Bonus'' (2013), in the track "Pool" * Rone – ''Mirapolis'' (2017), in both "Brest" and "Lou" tracks

References

Micallef, Ken "Up and Coming: John Stanier of Helmet"
Modern Drummer, October 1994.
Farmilo, Troy "band bio"
The Helmet Home Page (defunct), August 2001. * Worley, Gai

Ink 19, January 2004. {{DEFAULTSORT:Stanier, John Living people Musicians from Baltimore Stanier, John American rock drummers Noise rock musicians Post-hardcore musicians Helmet (band) members Alternative metal musicians Battles (band) members Tomahawk (band) members 20th-century American drummers American male drummers 20th-century American male musicians 1968 births Drummers from Maryland