These six amazing drummers are nominated for an APMA; Who should win?

June 6, 2014

With the inaugural AP Music Awards taking place July 21, 2014, at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame And Museum at North Coast Harbor, we thought we would use the weeks leading up to the historic event to give you a category-by-category breakdown of the nominees so you can be an informed voter. Read on to learn about the Best Drummer nominees, and cast your vote at altpress.com/apmas!

JESS BOWEN, THE SUMMER SET

The one downside about the Summer Set’s otherwise super-fun music is that the band incorporate a fair amount of electronic elements which can, at times, cover up Jess Bowen’s rock-solid drumming. Playing in a pop-centric band is way harder than people think, and Bowen keeps TSS on total lockdown with her slick grooves.

JOSH DUN, TWENTY ONE PILOTS

There’s no question Josh Dun came from the Travis Barker School Of Drumming—his style is loaded with hip-hop swagger and punk-rock drive (plus a little bit of drumline vibe), which results in a unique blend that’s as militaristic as it is head-bobbing.

MIKE FUENTES, PIERCE THE VEIL

Mike Fuentes’ chops behind the kit are matched only by his swag in front of it. Dude has no problem with the Forbidden Beat (thanks to all those Epitaph and Fat Wreck Chords bands he grew up listening to), and his off-beat rhythms expose a bit of his Hispanic heritage.

MATT GREINER, AUGUST BURNS RED

All we can think about every time we see Matt Greiner play live is we pity his drum tech. Dude lays into his kit so hard, we’re amazed he doesn’t poke one of his beaters through the bass drum head or puncture his snare head nightly. Hell, maybe he does. Sorry, drum tech. You knew what you were signing up for.

LUKE HOLLAND, THE WORD ALIVE

Writing as someone who practiced drums virtually every day between the ages of 12 and 22, it is goddamn infuriating to see someone this fucking good at drums before he’s legally able to buy a six-pack. The Word Alive are very, very lucky to have this kid behind them on their new album, Real.

RYAN SEAMAN, FALLING IN REVERSE

Ryan Seaman’s like the Bun E. Carlos of metalcore—he plays so effortlessly and never drops a beat, no matter how much chaos is going on around him, and he has no problem contributing unclean vocals at the drop of a hat. Plus, he’s not afraid to goof around a little bit while still rocking some of the best posture we’ve seen behind a kit in years. Posture counts, people!