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The post EDM DJ Zedd Plays Pantera\u2019s \u201cCowboys From Hell\u201d on Drums as He Hears It for First Time: Watch<\/a> appeared first on Consequence<\/a>.<\/p>\n Zedd<\/a> is internationally known for his work as an EDM DJ\/producer, but he is also an astute drummer, having played since he was a child.<\/p>\n His skills were put to the test by Drumeo<\/a> as part of the platform\u2019s recurring series in which drummers attempt to play their own parts to songs after hearing them for the first time.<\/p>\n For Zedd\u2019s appearance, the Drumeo team cooked up a real test in the form of Pantera<\/a>\u2018s iconic anthem \u201cCowboys From Hell,\u201d which features a concussive performance from late stickman Vinnie Paul.<\/p>\n The problem for Zedd is that he\u2019s never heard \u201cCowboys From Hell\u201d or Vinnie\u2019s drum part, so he has to come up with his own drum arrangement while listening a drumless, skeletal version of a song he\u2019s never heard before. No small feat.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of parts; that\u2019s a lot<\/em> to remember,\u201d Zedd says with a stunned look. Admittedly, the song almost sounds abstract without the drums, leaving Zedd to craft his part around Dimebag Darrell\u2019s riffs and Phil Anselmo\u2019s vocal cues.<\/p>\n Remarkably, Zedd falls in with the groove during his initial playthrough despite botching some of more complex riff syncopations, rests, and breakdown transitions.<\/p>\n \u201cThe structure of the song is what I\u2019m trying to figure out,\u201d he says. \u201cDefinitely a half-time part [in there], I know that for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n Zedd makes some competent deductions during his post-first-play interview with the Drumeo engineers, talking through his approach.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel like playing-wise, this is not the most complicated song, but it\u2019s more so memorizing and figuring out where am I supposed to be quiet,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n By the second take, Zedd figures out that his kick drums should almost mimic Dimebag\u2019s riffs, re-adding the sonic weight that was nixed by extracting the original drum take. He then nails down Vinnie Paul\u2019s memorable ride cymbal work, and by the final take, things are sounding a lot closer to the original \u2014 which Zedd finally hears at the end of the video.<\/p>\n \u201cI survived \u2026 it wasn\u2019t intuitive to me,\u201d he says in exasperation before admitting that he\u2019s never heard of Vinnie Paul, inciting a chorus of laughter from the Drumeo team (\u201cZedd\u2019s been living under a rock!\u201d).<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry for what I just did to your song,\u201d jokes Zedd after it\u2019s revealed that he was just playing \u201cCowboys From Hell\u201d by Pantera.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, if you\u2019re looking to pick up the drums or improve your skills, Drumeo is offering a 30-day free trial<\/a> for new members.<\/p>\n Watch the full clip of Zedd learning and performing \u201cCowboys From Hell\u201d below.<\/p>\n Popular Posts<\/p>\n