For the record, this man is a god of drumming and one of my all time biggest inspirations. Lord Marco Pitruzzella has been around for quite a while in the tech death metal scene in a slew of bands, such as Anomalous, Brain Drill, and Vital Remains, just to name a few. Anomalous just released their latest album “OHMnivalent” on March 15th, and they push the boundaries of how tech death metal should sound by offering much more than a single genre, all within more than one song. For the true drummers out there reading this, you need to look up this guys insane videos up and take a few cues from. In my personal opinion (and this is me, Ridge, saying this, not Marco) I consider him a greater drummer than Neil Peart. Not just because he can play fast, but because its brutal, pummeling, and has true virtuosity. Whether he agrees with me or not J. To learn more about what bands he’s played in and what gear he uses, I decided to have this interview as one answer-all for fans of his so they don’t have to spend hours searching the internet for his history.
R: For the record, Anomalous is one of the craziest words to Google. When I clicked on a few links, I was learning all about DC conductivity and dielectric properties in silver chloride and axial segregation of granular materials. So what is the meaning behind the name Anomalous? When did you guys’ first start jamming together and decided to make a band?
M: Well the band was formed in 2001-by Tim hale and Max Seeman. I got in touch with Max via Myspace sometime in 2004. We talked on AIM a lot and traded mp3s back and forth of both of our current projects. Back then they were called Anomaly, I am not too sure/don't remember why they changed it from Anomaly to Anomalous (possibly because there were a lot of bands called Anomaly… just a guess). In those days they were a full functioning band, playing shows with a different drummer. As the band progressed so did the lineup, they were drummer-less for a while. I was busy playing for Vornagar, Vital Remains, Vile, and Brain Drill and did not "officially" join Anomalous until 2010. But basically I was always a fan of their music and wanted to become a part of it, and it was only a matter of time. I first jammed with Max, Tim and Nate in 2006 when I was playing shows with Brain Drill.
M: Well the band was formed in 2001-by Tim hale and Max Seeman. I got in touch with Max via Myspace sometime in 2004. We talked on AIM a lot and traded mp3s back and forth of both of our current projects. Back then they were called Anomaly, I am not too sure/don't remember why they changed it from Anomaly to Anomalous (possibly because there were a lot of bands called Anomaly… just a guess). In those days they were a full functioning band, playing shows with a different drummer. As the band progressed so did the lineup, they were drummer-less for a while. I was busy playing for Vornagar, Vital Remains, Vile, and Brain Drill and did not "officially" join Anomalous until 2010. But basically I was always a fan of their music and wanted to become a part of it, and it was only a matter of time. I first jammed with Max, Tim and Nate in 2006 when I was playing shows with Brain Drill.
R: What is the overall concept of Ohmnivalent? What is the meaning of the name?
M: It's really open to interpretation, but the way I'd say it is like this: OHMnivalent defines an all-encompassing cosmic indifference that transcends human subjectivity and inference; a "God" consciousness where all contradictions and opposition overlap and coexist in an unattainable, nebulous union.
M: It's really open to interpretation, but the way I'd say it is like this: OHMnivalent defines an all-encompassing cosmic indifference that transcends human subjectivity and inference; a "God" consciousness where all contradictions and opposition overlap and coexist in an unattainable, nebulous union.
R: What bands have you played with over the years, either as touring or recording drummer? I notice that when I try to look it up, different websites mention bands that other don’t so I feel that fans can look at this one interview and know the full history of your drumming career.
M: Well I started my first band when i was 12 years old... I don't count all of the garage bands I have been in (although I see most of them mentioned on various sites) But I will just list all the bands I have been in(chronological order):
Vornagar- recorded the album The Bleeding Holocaust in 2005 and we played a lot of shows all over the bay area of California.
Numa- we recorded two albums and played a lot of shows over the bay area. The guitar player of Vornagar was also in Numa.
Vital Remains- I toured all over Europe with them, playing 58 shows. I was 19 years old, a dream come true for me.
Brain Drill- recorded two albums, we played lots of shows around the bay area and toured all over the U.S.
Vile- I played three shows with this band, this is how I met Jeff Hughell (who joined Brain Drill after the first demo).
The Faceless- I did three tours with them, we toured all over the U.S. Lots of fun and they are really cool, nice dudes. I did not record anything with them, which I have seen some confusion about this on other sites.
Jeff Hughell- I recorded drums for his solo album in 2009.We have not played any shows.... yet.
Anomalous- joined them officially in 2010, and recorded the drums for OHMnivalent in Feb. 2010
M: Well I started my first band when i was 12 years old... I don't count all of the garage bands I have been in (although I see most of them mentioned on various sites) But I will just list all the bands I have been in(chronological order):
Vornagar- recorded the album The Bleeding Holocaust in 2005 and we played a lot of shows all over the bay area of California.
Numa- we recorded two albums and played a lot of shows over the bay area. The guitar player of Vornagar was also in Numa.
Vital Remains- I toured all over Europe with them, playing 58 shows. I was 19 years old, a dream come true for me.
Brain Drill- recorded two albums, we played lots of shows around the bay area and toured all over the U.S.
Vile- I played three shows with this band, this is how I met Jeff Hughell (who joined Brain Drill after the first demo).
The Faceless- I did three tours with them, we toured all over the U.S. Lots of fun and they are really cool, nice dudes. I did not record anything with them, which I have seen some confusion about this on other sites.
Jeff Hughell- I recorded drums for his solo album in 2009.We have not played any shows.... yet.
Anomalous- joined them officially in 2010, and recorded the drums for OHMnivalent in Feb. 2010
R: Who are some of your all time greatest influences that you incorporate into your drumming? No one out there sounds like you so I am a little curious to know what amalgamation you draw your style from.
M: I started drumming at the age of 8, I first studied mostly Jazz and Latin music. I had no idea what double bass was until I was 13 years old. Buddy Rich is still the best drummer, he was ahead of his time. JoJo Mayer, Akira Jimbo, Daniel Glass, Dennis Chambers are all influences. John Longstreth, Kevin Talley and Nick Barker were my early Death Metal Drumming influences. I am very open to hearing new music so pretty much everything I hear is an influence
R: What kits are you currently using right now? Do you use different snares, floor toms, cymbals, etc. in comparison to recording and playing live?
M: I mainly use my Roland Vdrumkit at home/practice. It is the best investment for drummers who cannot play acoustic drums where they live. I use this kit a LOT! But when I do play shows I use my Precision Drumkit. It is a custom kit, 2 bass drums, 3 rack toms and 1 floor tom. There aren't very many videos of me with this kit becuase I don't have anywhere to practice with it. I will also use it when I record, I basically use a random variety of cymbals since I am poor.
R: What gear would you highly recommend to the up and coming drummers of today?
M: I started drumming at the age of 8, I first studied mostly Jazz and Latin music. I had no idea what double bass was until I was 13 years old. Buddy Rich is still the best drummer, he was ahead of his time. JoJo Mayer, Akira Jimbo, Daniel Glass, Dennis Chambers are all influences. John Longstreth, Kevin Talley and Nick Barker were my early Death Metal Drumming influences. I am very open to hearing new music so pretty much everything I hear is an influence
R: What kits are you currently using right now? Do you use different snares, floor toms, cymbals, etc. in comparison to recording and playing live?
M: I mainly use my Roland Vdrumkit at home/practice. It is the best investment for drummers who cannot play acoustic drums where they live. I use this kit a LOT! But when I do play shows I use my Precision Drumkit. It is a custom kit, 2 bass drums, 3 rack toms and 1 floor tom. There aren't very many videos of me with this kit becuase I don't have anywhere to practice with it.
I will also use it when I record, I basically use a random variety of cymbals since I am poor. R: What gear would you highly recommend to the up and coming drummers of today?
M: I recommend the Roland Vdrums!!!!! Best for drummers who live in apartments or have kids and cannot play loud! But if that is not an issue buy whatever sounds good to you!
R: So in looking back into your history that’s available, as far as I know your first known band was Arcanum, later to be known as Vornagar. How did you get picked up for that gig?
M: The guitarist (Greg Larrenaga) and I have been friends since we were 14. We did not live close to each other so he started Arcanum and I joined later once we lived closer. After we graduated High school he and I jammed a lot, and thought it would be best if I was the perm drummer of Vornagar and the drummer at the time, Carl, became the vocalist.
R: In the number of bands that you’ve played in, what is your favorite venue/city to perform in?
M: Pretty much anywhere in Europe! Estonia, Latvia, Poland were some of my favorite countries I have played at.... the fans go INSANE for metal. But it's tough to just pinpoint 1 amazing venue when there are so many all over the world.
R: Do you play any other instruments as well? If so, what gear/brands do you play with?
M: I mess around on the piano, bass and guitar too... I don't care what brand it is just as long as it works.
R: Are there currently any other projects (musical and non-musical) that you want people to know about?
M: The guitarist (Greg Larrenaga) and I have been friends since we were 14. We did not live close to each other so he started Arcanum and I joined later once we lived closer. After we graduated High school he and I jammed a lot, and thought it would be best if I was the perm drummer of Vornagar and the drummer at the time, Carl, became the vocalist.
R: In the number of bands that you’ve played in, what is your favorite venue/city to perform in?
M: Pretty much anywhere in Europe! Estonia, Latvia, Poland were some of my favorite countries I have played at.... the fans go INSANE for metal. But it's tough to just pinpoint 1 amazing venue when there are so many all over the world.
R: Do you play any other instruments as well? If so, what gear/brands do you play with?
M: I mess around on the piano, bass and guitar too... I don't care what brand it is just as long as it works.
R: Are there currently any other projects (musical and non-musical) that you want people to know about?
M: It is already pretty impossible to jam with Anomalous so nope. I currently work 40 hours a week at a grocery store and take care of my son...that's my new project: juggling family/music/drumming...it's pretty tricky!
R: Listening to the drumming I imagine you have golden calves that Moses himself would break 10 commandments over. Are there any special exercises that you do that helps in your lightning fast playing?
M: Ride a bike!!!! Best advice I can give is that, ride a bike and stretch before drumming, always!!!
R: Sometimes I will hear about people talking about Vornagar. Is there any chance of Vornagar recording or performing again in the future?
M: Always a chance! Greg and myself are friends for life. if he did not live 3,000 miles away we would be playing shows as a 2 piece or 3 piece for sure!!! It is a shame Vornagar never took it the next level and toured!
R: In Brain Drill, it seemed as though you goal was to just play as fast and loud as in-humanly possible. In Anomalous, you switch it up a little bit in songs, best example being the song Mitosis. Was it more of a relief in having the music flow better together than the chaos that was Brain Drill? Don’t get me wrong, I listen to “Apocalyptic Feasting” almost every day!
M: You are correct! My goal for Brain Drill was for the snare to follow the guitar exactly! I did not care to make technical beats or grooves. I just wanted to play fast and brutal. But that is why I was always interested in Anomalous because I knew it would push me to the next level of creativity.
R: Listening to the drumming I imagine you have golden calves that Moses himself would break 10 commandments over. Are there any special exercises that you do that helps in your lightning fast playing?
M: Ride a bike!!!! Best advice I can give is that, ride a bike and stretch before drumming, always!!!
R: Sometimes I will hear about people talking about Vornagar. Is there any chance of Vornagar recording or performing again in the future?
M: Always a chance! Greg and myself are friends for life. if he did not live 3,000 miles away we would be playing shows as a 2 piece or 3 piece for sure!!! It is a shame Vornagar never took it the next level and toured!
R: In Brain Drill, it seemed as though you goal was to just play as fast and loud as in-humanly possible. In Anomalous, you switch it up a little bit in songs, best example being the song Mitosis. Was it more of a relief in having the music flow better together than the chaos that was Brain Drill? Don’t get me wrong, I listen to “Apocalyptic Feasting” almost every day!
M: You are correct! My goal for Brain Drill was for the snare to follow the guitar exactly! I did not care to make technical beats or grooves. I just wanted to play fast and brutal. But that is why I was always interested in Anomalous because I knew it would push me to the next level of creativity.
R: I’ve only read about this project called Lord Marco. What exactly is it?
M: It was a 1 man band I made up in High School. It was nothing special.
R: What sort of issues going on in the world today bothers you the most? Do you channel that aggression into playing?
M: The gas rising is pretty shitty, global warming, over population...Japan....NWO....etc. It is true what they say "human beings are just a cancer of this planet". Sad but true, I guess playing music helps me escape what everyone's fate will soon be.
R: Are there any major shows or tours coming up for Anomalous?
M: Nothing planned as of yet since Anomalous has not played a show since 2001!!! We might play a show or two.... eventually. We all work too much, life is work.
R: Any shout outs that you would like to give?
M: My son is the best! And I want to thank everyone who has supported me throughout the years, I wouldn't be where I am today without you
R: Any last words of wisdom for your fans?
M: Practice, Practice, Practice! And Be Kind..For Everyone Is Fighting Their Own Hard Battle
M: It was a 1 man band I made up in High School. It was nothing special.
R: What sort of issues going on in the world today bothers you the most? Do you channel that aggression into playing?
M: The gas rising is pretty shitty, global warming, over population...Japan....NWO....etc. It is true what they say "human beings are just a cancer of this planet". Sad but true, I guess playing music helps me escape what everyone's fate will soon be.
R: Are there any major shows or tours coming up for Anomalous?
M: Nothing planned as of yet since Anomalous has not played a show since 2001!!! We might play a show or two.... eventually. We all work too much, life is work.
R: Any shout outs that you would like to give?
M: My son is the best! And I want to thank everyone who has supported me throughout the years, I wouldn't be where I am today without you
R: Any last words of wisdom for your fans?
M: Practice, Practice, Practice! And Be Kind..For Everyone Is Fighting Their Own Hard Battle
*Colloidal Synthetic Strategy*
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