Legendary funk drummer Dennis Chambers listened to an isolated drumless version of the rather dark and musically complicated Tool song “Schism” for the first time. He then played along with that same version, providing the percussion according to his understanding of the song’s timing.
Dennis is known for his legendary backbeat and funky style. So of course we felt mischievous and we dared him to try playing “Schism”, one of Tool’s biggest songs. It’s full of odd time signatures, quick, complex changes and unexpected accents, and Dennis had never heard it before. But we didn’t ask him to learn the real drum parts: we wanted to see what he’d come up with on his own after hearing the song once.
While Chambers was not happy about the song, his own groovy interpretation was mind-blowing nonetheless.
We never thought we’d see the day either. Granted, there was some initial apprehension – but Dennis rose to the challenge and knocked it out of the park with his own twist on the track.
Here’s the original version of the song.
