Between festivals, clinics, Tiny Desk shows, drumming channels and viral challenges, we’re living in a time where the drum solo has become central again. It’s no longer just the “ego moment” in a show: it’s your calling card.
For this top list, we focused on:
- The recent period (2021–2025)
- The buzz in the drum community
- The technical and musical level
Five solos everyone can agree on!
1. Greyson Nekrutman – “DRUM SOLO – RATAMAHATTA – ROOTS” (Paris Drums Show 2025)
Greyson Nekrutman is everywhere right now: jazz, big band, metal, clinics, and now drummer for Sepultura. His solo “DRUM SOLO – RATAMAHATTA – ROOTS”, filmed at the Paris Drums Show 2025, brings together everything that defines his identity: old-school Buddy Rich–style virtuosity, modern energy and almost clinical precision.
In this solo, he moves from a massive tribal groove to big-band style flights with ridiculous ease. Each build-up is shaped like a small climax, with recurring phrases that come back, morph, then explode across the toms and ride cymbal. You can really feel the seasoned live player, used to interacting with the crowd and playing with tension and release.
What makes this solo unmissable
- A blend of big band and metal aesthetics
- Refined traditional grip work, even in very fast passages
- Highly structured construction with recurring rhythmic themes
- Strong interaction with the audience, with build-ups clearly designed for the stage
Beyond the technical display, this solo really shows how deeply Greyson masters the art of storytelling on the drum kit. Nothing is random: every accent, every dynamic shift serves the narrative. It’s the kind of solo that makes you want to watch it several times just to dissect everything that’s going on.
- Work on your traditional grip to gain nuance and control on the snare
- Adapt big band phrases to rock/metal to enrich your fill vocabulary
- Build your solo in “chapters” with strong ideas that keep coming back
2. Larnell Lewis – “What About Me” (Snarky Puppy, Jazz in Marciac 2023)
In the drum world, this solo has become an instant classic. Larnell Lewis delivers a true masterclass in musicality and polyrhythm, while staying perfectly readable for non-musicians. It’s exactly the kind of solo that gets both pros and casual listeners reacting at the same gig.
Captured with Snarky Puppy at Jazz in Marciac, this solo happens in a context that’s already incredibly dense musically. Larnell doesn’t try to outplay everyone by going louder or faster: he digs deeper into the groove, plays with shifting accents and lets every phrase breathe. The result is a solo that flows naturally, even though rhythmically everything is insanely sophisticated.
Why this solo is so highly praised
- Fluid polyrhythms, integrated into the groove rather than shown off
- Constant ghost notes shaping the time on the snare
- Very narrative construction, with rhythmic motifs that evolve progressively
- A natural, unforced groove, even in the busiest sections
What really stands out is this rare mix of an ultra-modern vocabulary (gospel, fusion, contemporary jazz influences) with total clarity. You can enjoy the solo purely for its feel, but as soon as you start breaking it down, you realise how much care went into every detail: placement, dynamics, the sound of each drum – everything is under control.
work on polyrhythms at low volume, refine your dynamic control on the snare and toms, and develop ride control so your time stays solid even when the rest of the kit catches fire.
3. Eloy Casagrande – Drum Solo (Slipknot, UK Drum Show 2025)
Since joining Slipknot, Eloy Casagrande has redefined what we expect from a modern metal drummer. His solo at the UK Drum Show 2025 is a concentrate of controlled power, extreme precision and showmanship. We’re far from a simple double-kick showcase: every part of the kit is used as a piece of rhythmic design.
His signature is all over it: bass drum patterns that feel inhuman, tom runs in a Brazilian tribal metal vein, and the ability to land back on the backbeat with impressive authority. On stage it sounds huge, but if you really listen, you hear a lot of sophistication in the way he distributes accents around the kit.
What makes this solo monstrous
- Ultra-clean double kick, even at very high speed
- Syncopated, tribal metal-style breaks, with heavy use of the low toms
- Powerful yet readable phrases, always anchored in the groove
- Rock-solid backbeat in the middle of the chaos – the snare is always your reference point
This solo is a great example of what metal drumming can be in 2025: aggressive, sure, but above all extremely thought out. Eloy manages to stay musical while pushing the limits of endurance and speed. For many drummers, it became an instant go-to reference when talking about intelligent power behind the kit.
build endurance on double kick, work on consistent sound at high speed, and tighten up tom/feet synchronisation to create tribal phrases that still groove.
4. JD Beck – Tiny Desk solo (DOMi & JD Beck, 2022)
JD Beck literally plays like a drum machine that came to life. His “acoustic beatmaking” approach made a big impact, especially in this Tiny Desk with DOMi. While many drummers aim for a huge sound, he goes for a dry, minimalist, ultra-controlled tone that recalls hip-hop and lo-fi productions.
Everything is in the details: tiny micro-accents on the hi-hat, almost inaudible ghost notes, snare placements that make the tempo feel like it’s bending. It’s not a “classic” solo with one big final peak, but more a series of small rhythmic ideas that answer each other, as if you were watching a producer deconstruct a beat in real time.
Standout elements
- Dry, tight sound, very hip-hop, with little sustain and lots of control
- Fragmented, glitchy phrasing, built like a chopped-up beat
- Disorienting hi-hat accent patterns that twist the groove
- Total relaxation despite the difficulty – no visible tension in his body
This solo shows how close the drum kit can get to the language of DAWs and beatmaking without losing its organic feel. For a whole generation of drummers, JD Beck embodies the bridge between the producer world and the instrumentalist world. It’s also a reminder that you don’t have to play loud to get a reaction – you can build impact through detail and placement.
work on very simple grooves but with extreme detail, explore a tight sound (low-tuned kit, short sustain) and experiment with short phrases that you repeat and tweak instead of long rolls.
5. Greyson Nekrutman – “Whiplash” solo (YouTube version, 2021)
He shows up for a second time in this top 5 – and that’s no coincidence. Greyson Nekrutman absolutely electrified the drum community with his live version of the final solo from Whiplash. The video was shared on repeat across social media, being reposted, dissected, analysed and even reacted to by other famous drummers.
Here, it’s an extremely demanding exercise: taking on a now-iconic solo, tied to a cult movie, without falling into flat imitation. Greyson does the exact opposite: he respects the spirit of the original, but injects his own touch, his big band–style accenting, his almost cheeky speed, and that sense of tension-building he’s known for.
Why this solo gets so much attention
- A brilliant re-interpretation of a cult solo, played with razor-sharp precision
- Very pronounced swing feel, true to the original big band aesthetic
- Masterful use of traditional grip for fast rolls
- A near-cinematic build, perfectly in line with the film’s spirit
Greyson plays this solo as a living tribute to Buddy Rich while adding his modern flavour. It’s fast, aggressive, edgy, but always under control. A performance that easily justifies his second spot in this top… or rather his second appearance.
- Controlled rolls in traditional grip
- Endurance on long phrases with displaced accents
- Managing tension and release within solos
How to use these solos in your own playing
- Pick just one solo and identify the key moments
- Slow it down and sing the phrases before you play them
- Transcribe a few key bars
- Feed the ideas back into your own grooves instead of copying them note for note
Conclusion
Here’s a solid snapshot of some of the most inspiring things modern drumming has to offer:
- Nekrutman for updated old-school virtuosity
- Larnell for pure musicality
- Casagrande for intelligent power
- JD Beck for the beatmaking aesthetic
- Greyson Nekrutman again for the Whiplash tribute on YouTube
Sources
1. Official YouTube videos (solos mentioned in the article)
- Greyson Nekrutman – Drum Solo – Ratamahatta / Roots (Paris Drums Show 2025)
- Larnell Lewis – What About Me (Snarky Puppy – Jazz in Marciac 2023)
- Eloy Casagrande – UK Drum Show 2025 Drum Solo
- JD Beck – Tiny Desk Concert (DOMi & JD Beck)
- Greyson Nekrutman – Whiplash Drum Solo (YouTube, 2021)
