Lady Gaga / Alkaline Trio drummer Tosh Peterson performed Death’s “Crystal Mountain” as part of Drumeo’s “For the First Time” series, which challenges musicians to come up with a drum arrangement on the spot after hearing a drumless version of a song they never heard before.
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Peterson winds up tackling the extreme-metal song right away, taking only one pass to make notes of tempo and feel changes before performing a final take. His approach leans far more into hardcore and punk for the backbone of the beat and features plenty of solos over Death’s constantly shifting riffs.
After completing his final take, he is then played the song with the original drum track back in. Peterson’s face lights up listening to Gene Hoglan’s drum work, with visible pops from him during Hoglan’s iconic double ride grooves and razor sharp double bass playing. He reveals at the end of the video that despite being known primarily as a pop, punk and R&B drummer that he also is a big fan of Korn and Slipknot.
The video then ends with a surprise cut to Hoglan’s reaction to the performance, who is impressed by Peterson’s skills even though his playing didn’t quite match the original drum track.
Peterson previously appeared on Drumeo two years ago doing the same challenge, that time with Deep Purple’s “Fireball.”
Alkaline Trio, with Peterson behind the kit, are currently slated to hit the road in September alongside Rise Against. Tickets are available here.
Watch the video of Tosh Peterson’s performance of Death’s “Crystal Mountain” below, and get a free 30-day trial for Drumeo at this location.
