Ryan Alexander Bloom

Ryan Alexander Bloom is an American drummer, author, and private teacher. He is known for being a former member of the Colorado based thrash metal band Havok,^[1] current member of death metal band Bloodstrike, ^[2] and the author of the Double Bass Drumming Explained series.^[3][4][5]

Career

Ryan joined the band Havok in 2007 and shortly afterward the band got an offer from famed metal label Candlelight Records with whom they ultimately signed a record deal.^[6] Ryan contributed drum tracks and lyrics to Havok's 2009 debut album Burn,^[7] and appeared in the music video for the song "Morbid Symmetry".^[8] Ryan left Havok just before the official release of Burn.^[9]

In 2010 Ryan briefly joined up with Five Iron Frenzy guitarist Micah Ortega to form a death metal band called Mordheim^[10] which recorded a short demo called Brutal Demonstrations before disbanding.^[11] In 2011 Ryan was hired to record percussion on Amara Grace's album Can't Keep A Sunrise Down.^[12][13] In 2012 he was contacted by Rob Hubbard of Synthetic Minister^[14] to record drums for a side project grunge/punk band called Amish Warfare. The resulting EP was titled Immaculate Misconception.^[15][16]

In 2013, Ryan began working with Mackenzie Gault,^[17] of the platinum selling Denver band Flobots, teaching drums at her music school, Denver Music Tree.^[18] In June 2014, Ryan's website announced^[19] that he had joined the swedish death metal band Bloodstrike^[20] and had recorded a demo called Necrobirth. Bloodstrike features experienced band members including former members of Mausoleum Records artist Silencer and Root of All Evil Records artist Somnus.^[21] Also in 2014, Ryan began teaching at the Aurora, CO branch of the School of Rock, a chain of rock-oriented music schools.^[22] In the late summer of 2015, Ryan's band Bloodstrike announced that they had signed with Redefining Darkness Records ^[23] and would be releasing the full-length album, In Death We Rot on September 25th.^[24][25]

As an instructional author, Ryan has published 3 books on bass drum technique. The first was Double Bass Drumming Explained: A Comprehensive Reference on the Art and Science of Double Bass, ^[26] in 2012, which discusses double bass drum technique, style, and theory.^[27] The book draws on Ryan's own critically acclaimed^[28][29][30] drumming techniques and his teaching experience.^[31]Ryan published his second book,^[32] Double Bass Drumming Explained Part 2: The Workbook in 2013. Where the first book was mostly text, this sequel is a traditional instructional method consisting of mainly beats and notated exercises for practice.

In 2016, Ryan published a combined and revised edition of his books called The Complete Double Bass Drumming Explained. ^[33] This edition fixed minor errors and added new topics, notably a section on cam shape, while condensing the previous two books into a single volume.

Education

Ryan holds a BA in Music from the University of Colorado at Boulder (2007)^[34][35]

Discography

• 2005 – Errant – Perfect Secret (demo)
• 2009 – Havok – Burn (LP)
• 2010 – Mordheim – Brutal Demonstrations (demo)
• 2011 – Amara Grace – Can't Keep A Sunrise Down (LP)
• 2012 – Amish Warfare – Immaculate Misconception (EP)
• 2014 - Bloodstrike - Necrobirth (demo)
• 2015 - Bloodstrike - In Death We Rot (LP)

Bibliography

• 2012 – Double Bass Drumming Explained: A Comprehensive Reference on the Art and Science of Double Bass
• 2013 – Double Bass Drumming Explained Part 2: The Workbook
• 2016 – The Complete Double Bass Drumming Explained- The Reference and The Workbook, Revised, Expanded & Updated

References