Mark Zonder

You haven't heard the recent tabloid fuss about Mark Zonder? That's not surprising. There is none. Zonder is not one to devote precious time or energy to what drummers call "wasted motion". His thing is all about control. It comes out in his infectious drumset playing and his reliance on Toca percussion instruments. Completing the picture, Zonder's sound is huge.

Whether it's establishing Bill's Place, an LA based 6,000 square foot studio that Zonder named after his cat Bill, or joining Warlord, Fates Warning, or numerous projects of his own devising, Zonder reveals in the opening moments of a conversation that he's a mover. He's got ideas and he's got plans. Pardon the wry observation but it's ironic that Mark's arguably greatest commercial moments hinged on the notion of fate. The point is that Mark is the last person who'd submit to any dogma of predetermination. In fact, Mark Zonder is emphatically the author of his destiny.

When Mark was young, his parents uprooted from Detroit and moved to LA. By age seven, he'd taken his first drum lessons. He found his stride in his teens, playing in a succession of school concert and jazz bands before taking up with heavy rockers. His first sniff at success came with Warlord, in which he assumed a tribal moniker and recorded acclaimed heavy rock albums. The band fell apart but Mark kept moving, rehearsing with a range of LA valley outfits, playing appropriately in widely diverse genres and always favoring bands that provided a forum for his distinctive style. Fate brought him Fates Warning, a stadium act that yearned for a new drummer. Zonder was a perfect fit. He proved this by hanging in for fifteen years, recording as many hit albums, and touring the globe. When he drifted away, it was for creative reasons. To whit, he launched Slavior, for him an optimum situation. Songs arise directly from Mark's solid, sometimes quirky drum patterns.

In the meantime, Zonder has been hitting the educational circuit. A popular drumset, and star Toca Percussion, clinician, Zonder demonstrates the wealth of timbres that ordinary drummers might employ, simply by mounting a Toca block between bass drum and hats. Make no mistake, while Zonder has characterized himself as a "prog metal" player, his exquisite technique, stunning dynamic control, and deft touch transcend the benchmark standards of heavy rock. Visit: markzonder.com and myspace.com/markzonder.

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