"Schism" was released in 2001 as the lead single from Tool's landmark album Lateralus, earning the band a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance and introducing prog metal to a mainstream audience. The song is widely regarded as a milestone in modern progressive metal, celebrated for its complex, interlocking rhythmic structure and emotional depth.
Drummer Danny Carey delivers a masterclass in polymetric drumming, seamlessly navigating an extraordinary range of time signatures — including 5/4, 5/8, 6/8, 7/8, and 9/8 — that shift fluidly throughout the track at a steady 107 BPM. His performance is defined by a disciplined, groove-oriented approach that keeps the song grounded and propulsive despite its rhythmic complexity.
Unique Drumming Characteristics
- Frequent and deliberate time signature changes, cycling through 5/4, 6/8, 7/8, and 9/8 within single passages
- Consistent use of cross-rhythm and polymetric phrasing to create shifting rhythmic feels over a steady tempo
- Restrained, dynamics-driven playing with controlled use of ghost notes on the snare
- Sparse but precise cymbal work that reinforces metric transitions rather than decorating them
Skills You'll Develop
- Navigating multiple odd time signatures and transitioning between them smoothly
- Maintaining a consistent internal pulse at 107 BPM through complex metric changes
- Developing limb independence to support polymetric patterns across kick, snare, and hi-hat
- Applying dynamic control and restraint to serve a song's arrangement rather than overplaying
- Reading and interpreting drum notation across mixed meter sections, including 5/8, 7/8, and 9/8
Drumscore
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