Modern Drummer Magazine – July 2026

Summary

Nate Smith tells Modern Drummer he is "looking for the dance in the rhythm" on the July 2026 cover, and Volume 50 Number 7 backs him with Mt. Joy's Sotiris Eliopoulos at 42, Black Veil Brides' Christian "CC" Coma at 50 and the 2026 Chicago Drum Show at 20.

Modern Drummer July 2026 (Volume 50, Number 7) puts Nate Smith on the cover at 26, photographed by Alex Kluft, with Mark Griffith's interview. Sotiris Eliopoulos of Mt. Joy follows at 42, Christian "CC" Coma at 50 and the Chicago Drum Show recap at 20. A Different View covers Landon Hall building the Music City Drum Show at 60.

Lessons run deep: Ten Practice Hacks for a Busy Day at 70, a Billy Martin "Chubb Sub" transcription at 64, odd subdivision offbeats at 71, Joe Morello's groups-of-seven sticking at 74 and Gary Chester's The New Breed at 78. Equipment carries the OCDP Adrian Young Signature Snare at 14 and Yamaha and JC Drumsticks close-ups at 12. Departments open with Editor's Overview at 6, Kit of the Month at 7, Jazz Insights with Peter Erskine at 8, Collector's Corner at 80 and Eye Candy at 88.

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Content Guide

▸ Cover Story
p.26 · NATE SMITH — LOOKING FOR THE DANCE IN THE RHYTHM
Mark Griffith interviews Nate Smith at 26, and Smith describes chasing the dance inside the rhythm rather than the chops around it. The piece covers his playing, his records and how he approaches the kit. Listen to one of his own tracks after reading and count where the pulse sits.

▸ Features
p.42 · SOTIRIS ELIOPOULOS — INDIE ROCK MEETS JAM BAND WITH MT. JOY
Sotiris Eliopoulos of Mt. Joy talks at 42 about blending indie rock with jam-band playing, with Mark Griffith drawing out the specific choices. The piece names the songs and the feel he aims for. Play a Mt. Joy track and listen for the jam element he describes.

p.50 · CHRISTIAN "CC" COMA — OF BLACK VEIL BRIDES: LEGACY AND THE NEXT CHAPTER
Christian "CC" Coma of Black Veil Brides is interviewed at 50 by Danny "Ziggy" Laverde, covering the band's legacy and what comes next. He names the records and the touring. Watch a live Black Veil Brides performance to see the approach he describes.

p.20 · THE 2026 CHICAGO DRUM SHOW
Bob Campbell recaps the 2026 Chicago Drum Show at 20 with a pictorial of the year's event. The piece covers what was on the floor and who showed. Put next year's Chicago show in your calendar if you want to see new gear in person.

p.60 · A DIFFERENT VIEW: LANDON HALL
Landon Hall talks at 60 about building the Music City Drum Show, with Danny "Ziggy" Laverde on the interview. The piece covers what it takes to put a show together. Attend a regional drum show before committing to a national one.

▸ Lessons
p.70 · BASICS — TEN PRACTICE HACKS FOR A BUSY DAY
Chris Lesso gives ten practice hacks for a busy day at 70, aimed at players who cannot get a full session in. The column names the exercises and how to fit them in. Pick two hacks and run them tomorrow rather than the whole list.

p.64 · TRANSCRIPTION — MEDESKI, MARTIN & WOOD'S "CHUBB SUB"
Marc Atkinson transcribes Billy Martin's "Chubb Sub" from Medeski, Martin & Wood's Friday Afternoon in the Universe at 64. The notation covers the drum part as recorded. Play it slowly against the original recording first.

p.71 · ROCK PERSPECTIVES — PROGRESSIVE DRUMMING ESSENTIALS
Aaron Edgar covers odd subdivision offbeats at 71, in the progressive drumming essentials series. The column names the subdivisions and the sticking. Count the odd group out loud before you play it.

p.74 · JAZZ DRUMMERS WORKSHOP — MASTER STUDIES II
Joe Morello's Master Studies II runs sticking variations in groups of seven at 74. The column gives the patterns as printed. Practise one variation at a slow tempo until the sticking is even.

▸ Departments
p.8 · JAZZ INSIGHTS
Peter Erskine writes Jazz Insights at 8, on The Light Staff. He covers the concept and its application to playing. Apply one point from him to your next jazz practice.

p.80 · COLLECTOR'S CORNER
Brian Hill's Collector's Corner at 80 celebrates America's 250th with drums, covering the instruments and the history. The column names the drums and the period. Check any old drum in your own kit against the era described here.

p.88 · EYE CANDY
Eye Candy at 88 shows Ben Sharp's Yungblud touring kit, with the photography carrying the page. It names the kit and its configuration. Note the setup if you are planning a touring kit of your own.

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Editor's Take

Modern Drummer Volume 50 Number 7 is the most useful issue in this batch, because the lessons section is doing real work: Ten Practice Hacks at 70, the Billy Martin "Chubb Sub" transcription at 64 and Joe Morello's groups-of-seven at 74 are three pieces a player can use the same day. Nate Smith at 26 is a good cover subject, and Mark Griffith gets beyond technique talk. The weakness is the equipment section: New and Notable at 14 lists five products in a single entry, which is a roundup not a review, and Product Close Up at 12 is thin. The cover, Alex Kluft's photograph of Smith under "More than a magazine, it's a movement", is strong but the slogan is overblown for a solid drumming monthly. This is worth buying for the lessons; the features are good but the gear coverage is the weak link.

Strengths
• Lessons section offers usable same-day exercises
• Billy Martin transcription covers a real recorded part
• Nate Smith interview gets past technique talk

Weaknesses
• New and Notable is a list, not real reviews
• Product Close Up at 12 is thin

Verdict: Recommended — Lessons and Nate Smith carry it; the gear pages are the weak link.