The Tool song "Schism" recently brought out a professional funk drummer's impressive improv chops after he heard the prog-rock track for the very first time.
On the fly, he does an in-the-pocket drum redux of the signature 2001 single from the influential art-metal act's Lateralus album without further prep.
It all goes down in a dazzling clip from Drumeo, the online drum lesson database that offers a course on funk playing from Dennis Chambers. He's the drummer who gives Tool's Danny Carey a run for his money with the new rhythmic backing for "Schism."
Watch the video down toward the bottom of this post.
"Dennis is known for his legendary backbeat and funky style," the Drumeo clip's description explains. "So of course we felt mischievous and we dared him to try playing 'Schism,' one of Tool's biggest songs. It's full of odd time signatures, quick, complex changes and unexpected accents, and Dennis had never heard it before."
That much was evident in the player's initial qualms.
"OK, I got a problem with this," Chambers warns after first hearing a portion of the Tool song. "This is not my type of thing. But I get the gist of what it is, so I'll make an attempt. But I'm just telling you, if somebody were to send me something like this, I would say, No, this is not me."
However, otherwise undeterred, the drummer presses on with a fluidly funky take on the early-2000s rock radio staple that's mesmerizing to watch. It shows genre constrictions can't hold back a seasoned player with the talent to work through a musical challenge. (Chambers is a Modern Drummer Hall of Fame inductee who's performed with myriad musicians and bands, including Parliament/Funkadelic, Victor Wooten, Niacin and more.)
Last month, Tool kicked off the Europen leg of their 2022 world tour. The Maynard James Keenan-led rockers played several older songs for the first time in years on the American portion. In 2019, Tool released Fear Inoculum, their first studio album in 13 years.
See more drum cover videos from Drumeo here.
Funk Drummer Dennis Chambers Hears + Covers Tool's "Schism" for the First Time
