Danny Carey, the drummer with progressing rock band TOOL began playing drums at the age of thirteen. As Danny progressed through high schooland then college at the University of Missouri in Kansas City he began supplementing his studies in percussion with speculation into the principles of geometry, science, and metaphysics. A commitment to life as an artist brought Danny to LA where he was able to perform as a studio drummer with projects like Carole King and play around town with Pygmy Love Circus. He would later find an outlet for addressing a fuller scope of his potentials in Tool and another project operating under the title of Zaum. Despite not becoming a Mason or aligning himself with any other school of religion, Danny has maintained his heritages interest in occult studies. Endeavors into this realm have manifested periodically, such as the time he achieved insight into a hidden aspect of the unicursal hexagram utilizing an astral journey initiated through meditation and DMT.
Danny then set up his drums into proportions utilizing the circle and square of the New Jerusalem and uttered a short prayer relating to the principles of the ace of swords from the book of Thoth. He then performed a ritual utilizing his new found knowledge of the unicursal hexagram to generate a pattern of movement in space relating to Fuller’s vector equilibrium model. The resulting rhythm and gateway summoned a daemon he has contained within “the Lodge” that has been delivering short parables similar to passages within the Book of Lies. Danny recommends as a device of protection and containment a thorough study and utilization of the underlying geometry of the Temple of Solomon for anyone purchasing their next record.
Drumming techniques
Carey’s popularity among drummers and non-drummers stems from the diversity of his sound, his supreme technical ability, and his frequent use of odd time signatures, polyrhythms and polymeters. He has stated in interviews that he effectively treats his feet as he does his hands: he practices rudiments (used for sticking techniques) and even snare drum solos with his feet to improve his double bass drumming, hi-hat control and foot independence.
In search of new techniques, Carey has studied tabla with Aloke Dutta, who can be heard playing on the live version of the song Pushit (from Salival). This is especially apparent on tracks such as “Disposition” (Lateralus) or “Intension” (10,000 Days), for which Carey has recorded the tabla parts himself in studio. The tablas (and other percussive instruments) used in Tool’s music are replicated live using the Mandala pads (in fact the pads are also used when recording in the studio, a notable example being the tabla solo of “Right in Two” from 10,000 Days).
He has also stated that when he is playing to an odd time signature, he tries to drum to the “feel” of the song and establish general “inner pulse” for the given time signature instead of fully counting it out.
