THE METAL TIMES: Perceived - Battery Drummer Interview

1. What is your name and what band do you play for?

My name is Chris Bell and I play drums and sing for the Dallas, TX-based rock band Perceived.

2. Who made you want to play drums and why?

That’s a tough one. I was always told that as a kid I used to beat on everything. So one day my mom bought me a pair of drumsticks and I started drumming on the carpet along with the drummers I was watching on MTV, you know when they actually played music. One of the stand out drummers to me was the drummer for Dire Straits. That whole drum intro to Money for Nothing was just mind-blowing to me when I was first getting started. As I got older, I started leaning more towards the heavier style of drums like Metallica and Tesla. Then Nirvana came along and changed it all for me. I wanted to be like Dave Grohl, headbanging the whole time and executing everything precisely with a more simple overall style. Also, that’s when I fell in love with the three-piece idea for a band.

3. When did you get your first kit? Tell us about it….

I was probably about 4 years old when I got my first kit. I had a few toy kits as a kid but I remember when I got my first real drum set in ‘96. I had been jamming on buckets with Charlie for a few months so my parents decided to get me drums for Christmas, a solid black 5 piece Sunlite set. It came with a single pedal, one crash cymbal, and a set of hi-hats. It was what started it all.

4. Were your parents supportive of you and your loud/expensive new habit?

Absolutely! I’m sure I drove them crazy at times, and when we we’re having parties at the house with the band jamming full blast, I’m sure they had a few thoughts of regret. Overall though, they were nothing but supportive of me and my music.

5. What drum performance on an album is perfection to you?

The new Tool album is about as close to perfection as you can get in my opinion. Fantastic drum sound throughout the entire album and the performance sounds immaculate to me. I also think the entire Black Album by Metallica and Countdown to Extinction by Megadeth are two of the most amazing drum performances ever captured as well. Solid drum sounds on both those records.

6. Tell us about your current kit and set up in DETAIL.

I currently play a ‘97 Tama Rockstar 5 piece kit with Paiste Cymbals.

12x10 rack tom, 13x11 rack tom, 16x16 floor tom, 14x5 Yamaha steel snare, 14” hi-hats, 16” crash, 10” splash, 18” crash, 20” ride, 18” china. Iron Cobra double bass pedals and hi-hat stand. All hardware is Tama.

7.If you could have a dream kit tell us about it in DETAIL

My dream kit would be my exact same setup, just Drum Workshop brand and a more expensive line of Paiste cymbals.

8. Name your top 5 drummers excluding Neil Peart and Mike Portnoy

I do like Neil Peart and Mike Portnoy just for the record but my top five drummers based on influence to me would be -

Lars Ulrich

Dave Grohl

Danny Carey

Vinnie Paul

Chris Adler

9. Do you prefer Live or Studio?

Definitely live. The studio is fun too but it’s a more stressful level of playing because you’re trying your best to capture perfection, which is almost impossible without a lot of time. Live is always funner and more exciting, usually because the environment you’re in is more than likely a fun one. However, there are exceptions.