Chris Pennie

Chris Pennie (born May 31, 1977)^[1] 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.

Background

Chris started playing drums at the age of 13, and at age 16 decided he wanted to pursue music seriously. He spent two years at Berklee College of Music and received a diploma in Music Synthesis, which focuses on electronic music composition and manipulation.

Influences

As far as drummers, Pennie has cited 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's 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 70's jazz-rock fusion group Mahavishnu Orchestra, technical metal bands Meshuggah, Cynic, and electronic-influenced groups such as Nine Inch Nails and DJ Shadow.

Bands

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 ‘93 until he began attending Berklee School of Music in '95. 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.

As for his role in the Dillinger Escape Plan, he and guitarist Ben Weinman, along with now departed singer and bassist Dimitri Minakakis and Adam Doll respectively, formed the band 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 2 November 2011, Coheed and Cambria announced on their Facebook page that Pennie had left the band.^[2] 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.^[3]

Current projects

He has also lent his talent to the predominately electronic band Idiot Pilot on their 2007 released album Wolves. "In addition, 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."^[4]

Equipment

Drums: Mapex Saturn Series in Black Cherry Sparkle finish

• 20"x22" Bass
• 9"x12" Rack Tom
• 16"x16" Floor Tom
• 7"x14" Mapex Snare drum

Cymbals: Sabian

• 14" HHX Groove Hats
• 18" HHXplosion Crash
• 19" HHXplosion Crash
• 21" HH Raw Bell Dry Ride
• 19" Paragon Chinese

Sticks: Vater

• Vater Xtreme Design 5B

Bass Pedals: Mapex

• Mapex Falcon Double Bass Pedal.

Discography

With Dillinger Escape Plan

• 1997 The Dillinger Escape Plan
• 1998 Under the Running Board
• 1998 Split with Nora
• 1999 Split with Drowningman
• 1999 Calculating Infinity
• 2002 Irony Is A Dead Scene
• 2002 Black On Black: A Tribute To Black Flag (cover of "Damaged, Pt.s I & II")
• 2003 Cursed, Unshaven and Misbehavin': Live Infinity
• 2004 Bring You To Your Knees: A Tribute To Guns 'N Roses (cover of "My Michelle")
• 2004 Miss Machine
• 2005 We Reach The Music Of The Melvins (cover of Honeybucket)
• 2006 Plagiarism

With Coheed and Cambria

• 2008 Kerrang - Maiden Heaven (Iron Maiden tribute record) - "The Trooper" (coversong)
• 2009 Neverender: Children of The Fence Edition
• 2010 Year of the Black Rainbow

With Return to Earth

• 2007 Captains of Industry
• 2010 Automata

Others

• 1998 Boxer The Hurt Process
• 2005 Getaway Car "Getaway Car" Mass Appeal
• 2004 All Else Failed This Never Happened
• 2007 Idiot Pilot Wolves
• 2010 The Armed "Common Enemies"
• 2010 New World Man - A Tribute to Rush

References

1. ^ "Mapex Drums". Usa.mapexdrums.com. 1977-05-31. http://usa.mapexdrums.com/artists/bio.asp?ID=54. Retrieved 2011-10-24. 
2. ^ "Coheed and Cambria (Facebook)". https://www.facebook.com/coheedandcambria/posts/10150438070422813. 
3. ^ "Noisecreep". http://www.noisecreep.com/2011/11/02/coheed-and-cambria-drummer-announces-departure. 
4. ^ Harris, Chris (2006-09-18). "Idiot Pilot Work With Plus-44's Barker, Hoppus On 'Dark Pop' LP - Music, Celebrity, Artist News". MTV. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1541027/20060915/story.jhtml. Retrieved 2011-10-24. 

External links

• Dillinger Escape Plan official site
• Return to Earth official site
• Vagrant Records official Boxer site
• All Else Failed on MySpace
• Interview with Chris Pennie by Ferrante's Power Equipment - Picture source
• Interview with Chris Pennie by The Drum Report
• Interview with Chris Pennie by Empty Words
• Interview with Chris Pennie by Silent Scream (Italian)
• Interview with Boxer by Lollipop Magazine
• Sibelius - Software used to create musical example
• Interview with DEP guitarist Ben Weinman
• l Original recordings made from '93 -'95 with Decker, Holden, Pennie, & Zuccolo
• The Armed video Trailer with Chris Pennie