After 15 years with Bad Religion, Brooks Wackerman made a bold switch to Avenged Sevenfold, and he’s been the band’s drummer for a decade. The shift came about through talks with Diony Sepulveda, who managed Wackerman before becoming Avenged Sevenfold’s tour chief.
“It was exciting. I’m like ‘Okay, I haven’t felt this way in a while’ at the time. I was grateful for all my work with Bad Religion, … and I wanted to spread the wings a little wider, too, musically,” said Wackerman in a recent interview.
For his tryout, he picked four tracks that showed his skills: “Nightmare,” “Little Piece of Heaven,” “Bat Country,” and “Buried Alive.” His performance won him the spot. Now, he’s marked a decade with the band.
Switching from punk to metal meant big changes. While at Bad Religion, he played songs written by Brett Gurewitz and Greg Graffin, two musicians he thinks of as “the Lennon and McCartney of punk rock.”
In his new band, he found more chances to add his own ideas. “Not only are they interested, but they’re also interested in writing with me for this record. They want me to contribute,” Wackerman shared about the group’s style. He was also intrigued by the idea of playing at metal festivals.
Starting on June 4, they hit the road in Turkey. Shows run across Europe until June 29 in Sweden. Then it’s back to America for two big nights with System of a Down on August 31 and September 1 in Chicago.
After playing the Louder Than Life Festival on September 18 through 21, they head to South America. You can check the for dates and tickets.
