Chris Pennie | |
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 Pennie in 2006 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | May 31, 1977 |
| Genres | Alternative rock, new prog, mathcore, post-hardcore |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instrument(s) |
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| Years active | 1995–present |
Chris Pennie (born May 31, 1977) [1] is an American musician who is the former drummer for the progressive rock band Coheed and Cambria and former drummer and co-founder of mathcore band The Dillinger Escape Plan.
Pennie began playing drums at the age of 13, and at age 16 decided to pursue music seriously. He grew up in Randolph, New Jersey and graduated from Randolph High School, and spent two years at Berklee College of Music where he received a diploma in Music Synthesis, which focuses on electronic music composition and manipulation. [2]
Pennie has cited drummers Lars Ulrich and Stewart Copeland as his main early influences. In regard to his current playing, Sean Reinert is one of his biggest inspirations. He has also emphasized on several occasions that listening to and playing a diverse assortment of music has been an integral part in developing his style, noting such eclectic influences as 1970s jazz-rock fusion group Mahavishnu Orchestra, technical metal bands Meshuggah, Cynic, and electronic-influenced groups such as Nine Inch Nails and DJ Shadow.
Many drummers have cited Pennie as an influence or expressed admiration for his work, including Brann Dailor, [3] Richard Christy of Death, [4] Peter Wildoer, [5] Dave Witte, [6] Tyshawn Sorey, [7] Charlie Zeleny, [8] Dan Searle of Architects, [9] Andy Dalton of See You Next Tuesday, [10] J. R. Conners of Cave In, [11] Craig Reynolds of Stray from the Path, [12] Jean-François Richard of Ion Dissonance, [13] Andrew McEnaney of Structures, [14] Tobias Persson of Visceral Bleeding, [15] Stephen Carr of Exotic Animal Petting Zoo, [16] Stefano Ghigliano of Stigma, [17] Danny Grossarth of Candiria, [18] Eric Schnee of Paria, [19] [20] Darren Pugh of Collibus, [21] Eli Litwin of John Frum, [22] Chris Golding of Sulaco [23] and Corey Melom of The Crinn. [24]
While in high school he was playing in the local New Jersey based band, Prozak. The other 3 members of Prozak were 8–10 years Pennie's senior, and in order for Prozak to play the local bars and clubs, Pennie's father would accompany him to the various gigs. Chris played with Prozak from 1993 until he began attending Berklee School of Music in 1995. He recorded ten songs with Prozak during his time with the band but they were never commercially released.
Pennie also spent time with the pop-punk group Boxer. Formed in 1995 with another Berklee graduate, Jeremy McDowell, they became the first band to be signed to the now famous Vagrant Records. They released one album, The Hurt Process, in 1998, and broke up in late 1999. Pennie also recorded drums for his former tourmates in experimental metalcore group All Else Failed on their 2004 album This Never Happened. Pennie describes his band, The Dillinger Escape Plan, as being 'mathcore' where they start each song with no structure and an open palette.
He and guitarist Ben Weinman, along with now-departed singer Dimitri Minakakis and bass guitarist Adam Doll, formed Dillinger Escape Plan in March 1997. He and Ben Weinman wrote the majority of Dillinger's material and Pennie called Weinman his "musical soulmate". Pennie also took care of a lot of the electronic influence in the band's material in the studio as well as onstage, triggering effects and loops with footswitch pedals.
Chris began working in the studio with rock band Coheed and Cambria, because the drummer Josh Eppard had left the band. Due to contractual obligations, Pennie was not allowed to record for Coheed's 2007 album Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume Two: No World for Tomorrow . Instead, the band recruited Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins for the task. On June 28, 2007, Coheed and Cambria announced on their Myspace that Chris Pennie joined the band.
On November 2, 2011, Coheed and Cambria announced on their Facebook page that Pennie had left the band. [25] Chris also announced he had parted ways with Coheed and Cambria, in order to focus on other projects such as Return to Earth and Fight Mannequins. [26]
Pennie lent his talent to the predominantly electronic band Idiot Pilot on their 2007 album Wolves. MTV reported: "the Dillinger Escape Plan's Chris Pennie appears on the album, augmenting several of Wolves' tracks with his drumming prowess. Anderson said the one-two punches of Hoppus, Robinson, Barker, and Pennie are bringing something new to Idiot Pilot's established sound." [27]
Drums (Mapex Saturn Series in Black Cherry Sparkle finish):
Cymbals (Sabian):
Sticks (Vater):
Bass Pedals (Mapex):
The Dillinger Escape Plan is an American metalcore band. The band was formed in 1997 in Morris Plains, New Jersey by guitarist Ben Weinman, bassist Adam Doll, vocalist Dimitri Minakakis, and drummer Chris Pennie. The band's use of dissonance, odd time signatures, polyrhythms and unconventional drum patterns became a staple of their sound, although later albums incorporated more melody, and influences from a range of genres. The band's lineup shifted numerous times throughout its existence; by the time the group dissolved, Weinman was the only remaining founding member. The final lineup also included longtime members Liam Wilson on bass, Greg Puciato as lead vocalist, and Billy Rymer on the drum kit, alongside then-newcomer Kevin Antreassian as rhythm guitarist.
Sean Landon Reinert was an American musician. He was the drummer for the rock band Æon Spoke and the drummer and cofounded the progressive metal band Cynic along with Paul Masvidal until leaving the band in September 2015.
Coheed and Cambria are an American progressive rock band from Nyack, New York, formed in 1995. The band consists of Claudio Sanchez, Travis Stever, Josh Eppard, and Zach Cooper. The group's music incorporates aspects of progressive rock, pop, heavy metal, and post-hardcore.
Calculating Infinity is the debut studio album by American metalcore band the Dillinger Escape Plan. Recorded at Trax East Recording Studio in South River, New Jersey, it was produced by engineer Steve Evetts with the band's guitarist Ben Weinman and drummer Chris Pennie, and released on September 28, 1999, by Relapse Records. Calculating Infinity is the band's only full-length album to feature original vocalist Dimitri Minakakis, who left the band in 2001.
Irony Is a Dead Scene is the third EP by American mathcore band, The Dillinger Escape Plan. It was recorded with Mike Patton and released on August 27, 2002, through Epitaph Records.
Mathcore is a subgenre of hardcore punk and metalcore influenced by post-hardcore, extreme metal and math rock that developed during the 1990s. Bands in the genre emphasize complex and fluctuant rhythms through the use of irregular time signatures, polymeters, syncopations and tempo changes. Early mathcore lyrics were addressed from a realistic worldview and with a pessimistic, defiant, resentful or sarcastic point of view.
Josh Eric Eppard is an American musician from Kingston, New York and the drummer for progressive rock band Coheed and Cambria. He has worked as a solo rapper under the name Weerd Science and was the drummer for supergroup rock band Terrible Things. Josh was a founding member of the Woodstock, NY new prog outfit 3 along with his brother Joey and studio engineer Chris Bittner.
Benjamin A. Weinman is an American musician, most notable for being the lead guitarist and primary songwriter of the mathcore band the Dillinger Escape Plan. He was the founder and sole constant member through the band's career, and is currently playing rhythm guitar with the crossover thrash band Suicidal Tendencies and lead guitar in the progressive rock supergroup Giraffe Tongue Orchestra.
Gavin Richard Harrison is an English musician. He is best known for playing with the progressive rock bands Porcupine Tree, King Crimson and The Pineapple Thief (2016–present). Harrison's drumming has received many awards from music publications and earned praise from other musicians.
Christopher Aaron Hornbrook is an American drummer and a founding member of metalcore/post-hardcore band, Poison the Well. He also is working with Dhani Harrison and Killer Be Killed and The Black Queen singer, Greg Puciato. From 2014 to 2018, Hornbrook was also a member of Senses Fail.
Plagiarism is an EP by American mathcore band The Dillinger Escape Plan, released on the iTunes Music Store on June 13, 2006.
Stolen Babies are a United States experimental rock band consisting of vocalist/accordionist Dominique Lenore Persi, bassist/guitarist Rani Sharone, and drummer Gil Sharone.
Thomas Armon Pridgen is an American drummer, best known for his role as the drummer of The Mars Volta from 2006 until 2009. He is touring with rapper Residente and is the drummer for hardcore punk band Trash Talk, as well as his own project The Memorials. In 2023 he joined Fever 333.
Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume Two: No World for Tomorrow, is the fourth studio album by American progressive rock band Coheed and Cambria, released on October 23, 2007. The album is a direct sequel to their previous album, Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume One: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness. The album comprises part four of band's Amory Wars narrative. It is the only album to feature Taylor Hawkins on drums, following the departure of Josh Eppard.
Idiot Pilot is an alternative rock duo from Bellingham, Washington, consisting of Michael Harris and Daniel Anderson.
Ire Works is the third studio album by American band the Dillinger Escape Plan. The album was released in the UK on November 5, 2007, in the US on November 13 through Relapse Records, and in Japan on November 28. The album was their last album on Relapse. The album is Gil Sharone's first and last album with the band and their first without founding drummer Chris Pennie. Lead guitarist Ben Weinman plays guitar alone on the record, due to Brian Benoit's injury. The album is described as mathcore, post-hardcore, and metalcore, incorporating a wide variety of influences including electronic music.
Year of the Black Rainbow is the fifth studio album by American progressive rock band Coheed and Cambria, released on April 13, 2010 through Columbia. The album is a prequel to the band's previous four concept albums, which comprise The Amory Wars narrative. Year of the Black Rainbow marks drummer Chris Pennie's only studio appearance. It is the last album to feature Michael Todd on bass.
Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume One: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness is the third studio album by American progressive rock band Coheed and Cambria. It was released on September 20, 2005, through Equal Vision Records and Columbia Records, and is the first release on a major label. It is the third installment of a tetralogy, as well as the final studio album to feature drummer Josh Eppard before his original departure. He was replaced by Chris Pennie who was with the band for their next two albums before Eppard returned to the band in late 2011. On their previous album, In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3, the phrase "My dearest Apollo, I'll be burning Star IV" is written after the lyrics for the song "The Light & the Glass".
"Honey Bucket" is a song by American rock band Melvins. The song was released as the third single from their fifth album, Houdini (1993). It is the fifth track off the album.
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