Eric Kretz: Carrying the Torch

Some drumming is super brainy.

Other drumming sounds like it comes from the center of a guy’s chest. Like many drummers, I appreciate mind-boggling drumming even though I often mutter, “Huh?!” to myself after the drummer goes in an unexpected direction to flawlessly navigate a passage that sounds impossible. On the flip side of that, who doesn’t love drumming with a deep pocket and a mean groove? Every time I hear drumming like that I enthusiastically repeat, “Yep!” to myself because it makes sense and sounds like a perfect fit right off the bat. Talking to myself aside, there’s something that truly resonates when we as drummers hear a solid groove. Stone Temple Pilots is a band with an unmistakable sonic blueprint which features the type of strong drum grooves we all enjoy because they’re reminiscent of drummers from our past. Needless to say, I was excited to get the chance to speak with drummer

Eric Kretz and wasn’t surprised when the conversation went full-on drum nerd. Doing my homework and revisiting many of his tasty grooves certainly had me talking to myself…again.