Dirk Verbeuren

[Funky Animal]

I seriously don't know what it is. I love the Soilwork stuff, and for that matter anything else he does. When I look, and listen to his stuff you hear he has an outstanding talent on drums. He's simply just amazing. But I can't stand that my mind is telling me this is an amazing drummer, but when I look at it I feel "unimpressed". This is really weird, because like I said, mentally I know this guy has amazing skills, when you look at him play, he plays everything really good, and all. I'm not dissing him, I'm just putting my frustration out there, that I can't seem to watch his videos and just feel the same way I think of him.

Maybe this is because it's getting more and more of a maze with all these drummers and bands around these days. Barely anything really stands out these days, and real talent is being challenged by over produced copy and paste crap.

It's just a small ventilation thread of my own frustration.

[Hez]

Ha I kind of know what you mean, I think he just has a really efficient way of playing that isn't particularly interesting to watch compared to some of the more flamboyant drummers. His work with Sybreed is freakin' crazy, and the videos of him tracking it in the studio show just how solid he actually is.

[Metal Overload]

Have you seen the first Devin´s "Deconstrupdate", man there´s a part where i just can´t believe he´s playing that.

[Seizure.]

Working on a record with the man atm.
Nicest guy on earth too.

[UtopianCrux]

Yeah, I've said this before about Dirk (and Gene Hoglan too, of course), he's so mechanically tight that he might as well be a programmed VSTi, for better or worse. It's not even that he sounds all that "gridded", but little things like his turnarounds from double to single kicks are so inhuman at times, that it sounds machine-like. Of course, my favorite bands are super slick-sounding technical/cyber/industrial-kinda stuff (like Sybreed)... so stay the course, Dirk. Be awesome, have fun, make great music, get paid.

[Seizure.]

His little snare fills are actually pretty damn dynamic id you ask me.
He's the king of creative fills and weird turn arounds too.
He's really giving the new aborted songs a cool twist in that way, dudes a great musician, in a lot of ways.

[Funky Animal]

Originally Posted by Metal Overload

Have you seen the first Devin´s "Deconstrupdate", man there´s a part where i just can´t believe he´s playing that.

Yeah, especially after seeing that video I came to this conclusion, I was frustrated not being completelly blown away by it while it's one of the sickets parts I've seen yet. I think I know what part you mean, it's near the end. (Cheeseburger I think?!)..

What might be the biggest problem for me is not having seen this guy live yet, probally after that I'm all over.

Like said, when I watch him play on video, I see and hear the greatness and skills he has. I only need the feeling now. Hopefully someday I will be able to see him live.

I don't have a problem with it sound VSTi-ish, when I listend to Panic Broadcast, I hear drums played live, no programmed stuff.

@Seizure. Yeah, he must be a monster on drums. Always seems like and open person in the vids. Where are you recording? Belgium?

[egan.]

I did a tour with both he and Peter Wildoer and I think it's exactly as Hez described above. He is just ultra efficient and has a way of making it look as though he isn't doing much on ultra technical beats (Peter too). But Dirk is definitely an amazing drummer (and a really nice guy).

[Genius Gone Insane]

If anything I'd say Dirk stands out more than almost all drummers. If you are unimpressed by his drumming then your life will inevitably end up in misery.

[Seizure.]

its mostly his groove on blasts too.

You Tube

And obviously check Scarve, his drums on here are amazing too

You Tube

[Fifth_Horseman]

While I think I understood what the OP meant I can't really relate to it. Actually I (as mainly a guitarist) can watch Dirk Verbeuren vids all day and be hella impressed. It's also fun to watch him because he always looks so happy while playing.

Also remarkable, before I really knew or cared about Dirk there were some albums on which the drumming really stood out to me. Later when I specifically checked out his stuff, I found out that he guested on several of those albums. Namely Yyrkoon's "Occult Medizine" and Sybreed's "Antares".
I actually believe that he's one of those drummers who DOESN'T sound like a machine, just very consistent (and therefore doesn't need to be edited, which is the reason he can still sound human on a recording...)

And a last anecdote... was driving to a festival with a few friends last year, everyone brought CDs, and after about 3 hours of driving we noticed we had listened to nothing but Dirk Verbeuren so far. Soilwork, Scarve, Sybreed, Yyrkoon...

[crillemannen]

When Björn from Soilwork was in my studio he showed his new album and he claimed that they didn't edit Dirk's playing. If so, then he is unbelievable

[Funky Animal]

Originally Posted by Genius Gone Insane

If anything I'd say Dirk stands out more than almost all drummers. If you are unimpressed by his drumming then your life will inevitably end up in misery.

I am impressed, only I'm not "feeling it". Which is my frustration.

[locustreign]

I'm more than happy with Dirk's Library of the Extreme midi packs. I wonder how it feels to have your musical soul commercialized into a product? It's like having digital copies of yourself out there running amok, playing with every metal garage band out there and never questioning "artistic direction" or asking for a per diem!

[Terminus]

Dirk is excellent, easily one of my faves.

[P-E]

I love to watch him play, personally.

[Djabthrash]

Thread resurrection cuz' there's no need for million threads about him.

Video of a drum clinic tour Dirk Verbeuren did recently in France (including songs off Soilwork, Scarve, Jeff Loomis, Devin Townsend...) :

You Tube

I love his playing and watching him play.

@OP : dude it's all right If at the time you made this thread, your main frustration in life was not getting into Dirk's playing, then i guess your life was pretty ok

EDIT : the drumcam video thread i posted about him some time ago too :

DIRK VERBEUREN drum cam

[Melb_shredder]

I totally get what the OP means... Personally it's because he looks so effortless. There's no flamboyance, only pure playing ability... It makes my musical dick hard :|

[AllanD]

I've never been really impressed with his drumming, and with all these people throwing his name around everywhere I'm just starting to think he's overrated.



EDIT: I might possibly be biased though because I can't stand Soilwork.

[joelplagues]

I find this with a lot of metal/technical drummers though. I mainly only enjoy watching gospel drummers, hip hop dudes and shit. it's just a lot more fun, has a heap more feel and a bunch of groove.

[Heabow]

Originally Posted by AllanD

I've never been really impressed with his drumming, and with all these people throwing his name around everywhere I'm just starting to think he's overrated.

???

[Ihsahn1981]

He makes it look easy.
Which is the hallmark of a great player.

[Djabthrash]

Originally Posted by AllanD

I've never been really impressed with his drumming, and with all these people throwing his name around everywhere I'm just starting to think he's overrated.



EDIT: I might possibly be biased though because I can't stand Soilwork.

Have you checked out his work on Scarve's "Irradiant" and the Aborted stuff he played on ?

My fav. work of his is "The Panic Broadcast" by Soilwork, but i can stand Soilwork big time

[~BURNY~]

Overrated?! You really have to know nothing about drumming to say something like that and I loathe anything Soilwork made after Chainheart Machine (which was played by Henry Ranta IIRC) so even that argument is invalid.
He objectively is extremely good.
Also I completely disagree with the comment saying he's playing mechanically. He's one of the very few metal drummers that can actually groove and include real creative dynamics in their playing.
Then again, I can understand the initial comment that he's not visually impressive but to me, that's a moot point.

[Djabthrash]

Originally Posted by ~BURNY~

Overrated?! (...)
He objectively is extremely good.
Also I completely disagree with the comment saying he's playing mechanically. He's one of the very few metal drummers that can actually groove and include real creative dynamics in their playing.
Then again, I can understand the initial comment that he's not visually impressive but to me, that's a moot point.

This.

I get the "mecanic-sounding" thing though, but i think it has more to do with his drums tone on the album in played on (the Bergstrand/Toontrack tone he has) which is an acquired taste (i don't like it and i think it sounds dull). In that regard, i'm really happy with the new Loomis album where he has a real badass tone i like.

I think the "he makes his drumming seem easy" sums it all up. The guy doesn't try to be flashy, and is yet super tasteful and groovy and finesse-ful ("fine" ?) and can use technicity when needed.
To me he's like a young Gene Hoglan in terms of how extreme he can be, but staying on point with the song and without being too flashy. He's a huge Gene Hoglan fan btw.
And he played in a lot of different bands (Artsonic (French thrash/groove metal/progressive), Headline (progressive/heavy metal), Aborted, Yyrkoon (French brutal death), Soilwork, Devin Townsend Project, Jeff Loomis...).

Plus he wears that Suicidal Tendencies shirt all the time.