|
|
||
Shannon Larkin
Born in Chicago on April 24, 1967, Shannon Larkin began drumming at age ten, influenced greatly by Rush's Neil Peart and Led Zeppelin's John Bonham. Those two iconic drummers are direct antecedents of Shannon's style: predominately heavy but capable of a wide dynamic range and punctuated by intricacies on drumset or percussion. Perhaps even more than Peart and Bonham, Shannon believes in rewarding audiences with a little showmanship. Incredibly, just shy of age eighteen, Shannon's first major band Wrathchild (later known as Wrathchild America and Souls at Zero) scored a record deal with Atlantic, recording several albums. Disillusionment led Shannon to move to California, where he recorded two albums with Ugly Kid Joe. Session and live work abounded with heavy metal bands such as Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Candlebox, Snot, Ozzy Osbourne, Glassjaw, and Amen (okay, in truth the album he cut with Vanilla Ice was not so heavy!). Again, frustration set in and Shannon took a sabbatical during which he intended to sort out issues concerning music and his existence. The respite was cut short by the phone ringing-the call to join Godsmack and replace Tommy Stewart. Shannon's drumming is distinguished by a liquid groove, absolutely fluid in the manner of great session drummers such as the late Jeff Porcaro, and his studio work displays the rare capacity to balance simplicity and ornamentation. Although heavy metal is known for heavy hitting and heavy double-pedal footwork, Shannon exhibits a nimble touch with sticks and a rabbit's right foot on single pedal. He relies on Toca percussion, a penchant he shares with Sully, for groove and color. Both drummer and bandleader share a passion for rhythm. In fact, Sully told Modern Drummer, "If God made anyone to play drums it was Shannon Larkin!"
< Back to the Toca Artists Main Menu
|
This
drummer knows the inside track on "heavy". He anchors Godsmack,
one of the key proponents of the heavy rock/heavy metal idioms. While
his drumming is loud, blunt and also intricate, much in the style of
his peers, Shannon's style easily accommodates