Is there anything this man can't do? During a recent interview with our friends at Metal Underground, Gene "The Machine" Hoglan was talking about how he got started talking about the double-kick bass drum and how he showed Slayer skinsman Dave Lombardo a thing or two back in the '80s:
Metalunderground.com: Is it true that in the absence of double kicks, you perfected double bass drumming using the single kick and high hat peddle?
Hoglan: It's true. Back then, double bass was so much more rudimentary than it is now. I asked the guy I bought my drum kit from, what can I do to make it sound like this? He was like well, their playing double bass, you don't have one, if you take your left foot on the high hat it would basically sound like that…and at least you’re practising. That’s kind how I got to start there. Actually the first double bass kit I ever played was Dave Lombardo's.
Metalunderground.com: Who is a self taught drummer as well…
Hoglan: Yeah. I was at one of their rehearsals one day because I'm buddies with them; I was working for them when I was like fifteen or sixteen. And his was the first double bass kit I sat on. And he has just got the double bass added to his kit, and I am ripping it up on the double bass. He was like 'fuck dude how long have you been playing double bass?' I'm like 'shit, what time is it? This is my first double bass.' So I became his drum tutor after that. I gave him a bunch of tips. Dave was just learning how to play himself, and he was having left foot issues…so I went to the studio with him…
Pretty fascinating. If Hoglan and Lombardo never met who knows what Slayer would sound like now. If you'd like to read the entire interview, head over to Metal Underground.
