Alex Rudinger - Slipknot - “Left Behind“

In the past, I’ve cited some of the more extreme metal drummers as being big influences to me during my teen years (Kollias, Longstreth, etc), & they no doubt were/are. But like so many of my fellow Metal Drummers out there, it really first started with Joey Jordison & Slipknot. #Slipknot was the gateway band that got me into everything else, & Joey was the first drummer that I truly idolized. In a way I was actually kind of late in becoming a Slipknot fan - ’Vol.3: The Subliminal Verses’ came out in 2004, at which time I was 12. In other words: That album came out right around the time I was discovering my passion for drums, & it was hugely inspirational to me.   In short order I went back & listened to ’Iowa’ (2001), & the self-titled, ’Slipknot’ (1999), quickly becoming just as obsessed with those. I listened to those first Slipknot albums non-stop for a long time, & Joey’s drumming was the biggest reason. ’Iowa’ specifically became my favorite Slipknot album - there’s so much aggression in Joey’s playing,