John Tempesta Breaks Down His Drum Part for Rob Zombie’s “Dragula”: Watch

Drummer John Tempesta has explained how he built the drum part for Rob Zombie’s “Dragula” in a new Drumeo video. The breakdown shows how a restrained, industrial-influenced beat grows in intensity, helping illustrate the song’s deliberate arrangement and its role in establishing Zombie’s solo career.

Tempesta played on the original recording for 1998’s *Hellbilly Deluxe* and spent nearly a decade in Zombie’s band, including his time with White Zombie. He describes adding bass drum, gong drum and floor toms as the song develops, and says he used crash cymbal hits to give the chorus more force live. He links the track’s success to its heavier sound at a time when much of late-1990s rock was becoming softer; he also recently announced his departure from The Cult after about 20 years.