+wosupbro Totally agree man !!! I was about to post a comment like "Holy Crap that crazy man isn't using the Octopad" then I hear that little part where he uses it but really tastefully so it's ok to use the pad :)
It's good to see a metal guy, and a guy that has a n amazing marching background considering he aged out of DCI on one of the worlds best drum lines. Coming from a current guitar center employee, the focus should not be the octopad, rather the drums. Should've won!
Nice to see a metal drummer in the finals. I was knocked out of the preliminary because "Blast beats will get you nowhere". Awesome technique Brandon! You're gonna go far for sure.
Having watched all the vids -- YOU WUZ ROBBED! Near flawless technique -- I'm truly impressed (and tough to impress). Everyone else was focused on "playing keyboards" -- no other drummer even bothered trying any cross sticking. The last minute of the solo is a year's worth of daily lessons. . .
+Mark Pacpaco I knew he had some drum corps in him. Those tom doubles were too precise and his time was too perfect. It was composed like an I&E solo, loved it.
This guy should of won. He didn't overuse the octopad and he didn't just do crazy gospel chops, and he did something creative that the other drummers didn't do.
heaven forbid, JUST drumming win the drum off!!! fantastic, one of the best solos I've heard since Ramon Sampson, and Donny Marple graced the drum off stage!!!! very well done. the Led Zepplin, I can't say how awesome that was. that for me, made you the winner right there!!!! I can't wait to see you in the finals again. hey, it took Carlito two tries!!!!
I ran across this video by accident and I have to say your solo was different, I loved the flam drag concept you did across the set, totally amazing. Glad I watched this solo. Innovative, Progressive, Dope, and Groovy !!!
Man, the video came out great! It was amazing seeing your progress from July all the way through January. Loved the fact that you stayed true to YOURSELF and didn't conform to the competition. Either way, I'm SUPER proud of you. Keep up the great work and if you ever need anything, you've got my number! Love ya man! Carlito
+Juan Carlito Mendoza (Carlito) Juan you are the man! I've said it before but I would not have made it to finals without your help! Thanks for everything, talk to you soon!
+Brandon Zackey Hey man, YOU worked hard and YOU did the work. I made suggestions and helped, but ultimately YOU put in that work. You're the dream student for me hahaha. Bravo again!
There's something to be said about the time and hard work of a marching band percussionist. I was a marine and can spot discipline man! ya got it. Also a drummer in a Megadeth tribute band "Meccadeth". Anywho, the groove specifically from :32 sec. to conclude @ the tail end of :58 sec. I dig those grooves with more of a longer resolution and comes back the same, but with those little embellishments that build it. That groove had all the ingredients for me!
Real nice stick control made for a sweet sound, love the creative beats aswell. Didnt use octopad until halfway through aswell! Jeeez Brandon, you killed it for me dawg
Yo.... this guy slayed.... this might be my favorite solo ever from this competition. Its this or juan mendoza. Managed to do something new with the pad w/o it being at all the focus as well... fantastic... bar raised
Damn, that was awesome. I was ready to start complaining about the octopad and you used it perfectly. Nice playing dude (I know you're out there listening)
Yes sir! I played quads at Blue Devils and RCC... I've been thinking about doing some instructional videos on some of the sections! Which parts would you most like to learn?
You should have won the whole thing!!!! Don't get me wrong the others are supremely talented too, but your speed and power is awesome. Great Bonham by the way.
Feel like this dude should have won. I'm not a fan of the pad but the two sticks in hand to hit two parts of the pad at the same time was dope. And who doesn't love Led? 8) His overall performance was better in my opinion.
wow he didn't win the drum off is not a real competition anymore then. this guy should of won without any second guessing he is so compact with his sound hes one of the tightest drummers I've ever seen. BMMA
+Ben White I respectfully disagree. Tony Taylor's solo was sick. Call it Octapad heavy or whatever, but he deserved to win. I do really like this solo, and it is very close. :)
you know what, i actually did see that video... he was very good. when these 4 came up i didnt connect the dots. but i see why all 5 were finalists. all did great! respect
Good. But ya I hear some influences of others like Primus drummer TIM Alexander in the middle here especially. @3:30 - 4:14 That's like the solo from 11 and a few other pieces off Sailing the Seas of cheese. Not exactly but influenced I feel
The dude is clearly talented, but I felt like his piece was kind of all over the place. You obviously want to show your versatility, but sometimes it sounded like he was just messing around on a drum set. I feel like so many drummers in this contest rely on the drum-pad, so I'm glad he strayed away from it. He's very creative, as well. Hopefully he'll compete in the next one!
Getting baked and watching guitar center drum offs are my thing now. Freaking incredible!
Out of the four, I think this guy is the best! He didn't overkill it with the pad and was very creative.
+wosupbro Thanks! glad you liked it!
+wosupbro Totally agree man !!! I was about to post a comment like "Holy Crap that crazy man isn't using the Octopad" then I hear that little part where he uses it but really tastefully so it's ok to use the pad :)
+Anthony Pilloy Guitar Center retirement, you must use the Octapad. Just kidding, but seemingly so, though this was very tasteful and brief.
+Brandon Zackey Was thinking the same thing my man
Tony taylor deserved it
It's good to see a metal guy, and a guy that has a n amazing marching background considering he aged out of DCI on one of the worlds best drum lines. Coming from a current guitar center employee, the focus should not be the octopad, rather the drums. Should've won!
I love the Fool In The Rain part. It's genius man
Thank you :)
One of the sickest performances out of this line of videos yet.
Honestly thought he was gonna bust out the rugrats theme when he first started messing with the octopad.
Lmao me to. Just in a lower tune. would have been sick
Nice to see a metal drummer in the finals. I was knocked out of the preliminary because "Blast beats will get you nowhere". Awesome technique Brandon! You're gonna go far for sure.
Thanks man! \m/ and don't get discouraged!
Having watched all the vids -- YOU WUZ ROBBED! Near flawless technique -- I'm truly impressed (and tough to impress). Everyone else was focused on "playing keyboards" -- no other drummer even bothered trying any cross sticking. The last minute of the solo is a year's worth of daily lessons. . .
What a fucking beast. Great tiny use of the octopad for the little Fool in the Rain bit. Dude's got some serious chops
Glad to see Brandon evolve from a Blue Devils Quad Player to a Drum Off Finalist. This was awesome!
:)
+Mark Pacpaco I knew he had some drum corps in him. Those tom doubles were too precise and his time was too perfect. It was composed like an I&E solo, loved it.
Thought those chops looked familiar. Q5 represent
Nothing better than watching a skilled artist enjoying what he does. Constantly smiling. Then again, who wouldn't smile when you can play like that.
Thank you so much!!
Anyone else recognize him? He marched Blue Devils quad line
Parker Stockford that is true ;)
3:38
Tip of the hat to Tom Float, intentional or not.
I've been playing drums for 15 almost 16 years. You my friend have it. bravo bravo
It's a nice breath of fresh air to see a drummer that has a metal-influenced style. Your footwork reminds me a bit of Haake's.
This guy should of won. He didn't overuse the octopad and he didn't just do crazy gospel chops, and he did something creative that the other drummers didn't do.
I know him, he's an amazing musician!!
You're absolutely right. I'm so sick of the overuse of the octopad. The last time I checked this was a drum off, not an octopad drum off.
he messed up a few times maybe that's why he didn't, but I do agree
Me. too. Matt; Actually, I wish they'd eliminate the octopad altogether.
ibamct wish granted lol
finally a metal guy
\m/
I KNOW RIGHT ahah
The way it should be much more entertaining and definitely more impressive
@F R Wasn’t JP Bouvet a metal guy?
That was tight and diverse. Many props for originality and so much talent!!
EMILBUS4390116 thank you!!
heaven forbid, JUST drumming win the drum off!!!
fantastic, one of the best solos I've heard since Ramon Sampson, and Donny Marple graced the drum off stage!!!! very well done. the Led Zepplin, I can't say how awesome that was. that for me, made you the winner right there!!!! I can't wait to see you in the finals again. hey, it took Carlito two tries!!!!
Thanks Eric! It's an honor to even be mentioned in the same sentence as those guys haha and I'm glad you dug the Zeppelin section!
Not only are you very good, you are obviously having fun! Nice to see.
This guy was Senior Drum Captain my freshman year in high school.
Sick Fool in the Rain Brandon
I ran across this video by accident and I have to say your solo was different, I loved the flam drag concept you did across the set, totally amazing. Glad I watched this solo. Innovative, Progressive, Dope, and Groovy !!!
Man, the video came out great! It was amazing seeing your progress from July all the way through January. Loved the fact that you stayed true to YOURSELF and didn't conform to the competition. Either way, I'm SUPER proud of you. Keep up the great work and if you ever need anything, you've got my number! Love ya man!
Carlito
+Juan Carlito Mendoza (Carlito) Juan you are the man! I've said it before but I would not have made it to finals without your help! Thanks for everything, talk to you soon!
+Brandon Zackey Hey man, YOU worked hard and YOU did the work. I made suggestions and helped, but ultimately YOU put in that work. You're the dream student for me hahaha. Bravo again!
+Juan Carlito Mendoza (Carlito) yow bro you are one of the best
Thanks man means a lot to me! Hope all is well brother!
Can I get lessons too Juan?
Definetly my favorite guitar GC finalist!!! Perfect use of the octapad!!
Definitely took me back to the days of when the octopad was not relevant. appreciate it man!!!
+Kenneth Boykins hah! glad you dug it!
i wish i could play with you bro. its my dream to play with the one of the best drumers.
凄い！感動しました！
パワー、テクニック、粒立ちの良さ、ルーディメンツも綺麗で尊敬します♪
Top notch! Best solo by far. Thanks for a showing a tasteful example of the Octapad.
There's something to be said about the time and hard work of a marching band percussionist. I was a marine and can spot discipline man! ya got it. Also a drummer in a Megadeth tribute band "Meccadeth".
Anywho, the groove specifically from :32 sec. to conclude @ the tail end of :58 sec. I dig those grooves with more of a longer resolution and comes back the same, but with those little embellishments that build it. That groove had all the ingredients for me!
This guy should've won!!! Soooo creative!
Apparently the judges have been playing favorites... because this guy forsure won!
Thank God for someone using an octopad to assist his DRUM solo rather than an octopad solo with some drum accompaniment.
Great playing, Brandon.. Probably the best octapad use i've seen yet. I typically don't like the use of those, but it was tasty. Best of luck to you.
That was incredible! Great job Brandon!
Loved this! So creative
As soon as I saw the mapex bp in the title screen, I knew he would be a metal guy. Great job man!
Hahaha it's a good snare!
Best use of the octopad i have yet to see on one of these videos.
sleuth 2077 😎
I feel like this definitely could've won. I enjoyed him more than the other guys
that fool in the rain segment was ridiculous!
Gotta pay tribute to Bonzo!
5% octopad. Just how I like it.
I hate when it's and octopad-off...
I really enjoyed this dudes solo! and he barely used the octopad! Great job yo!
Awesome performance. I remember this guys I&E 2009.
+Drew Carter Daaaamn throwback ;) haha glad you liked the solo!
Real nice stick control made for a sweet sound, love the creative beats aswell. Didnt use octopad until halfway through aswell! Jeeez Brandon, you killed it for me dawg
Thanks Luke!
Yo.... this guy slayed.... this might be my favorite solo ever from this competition. Its this or juan mendoza.
Managed to do something new with the pad w/o it being at all the focus as well... fantastic... bar raised
brilliant what a talent. your my winner period
This would've been my pick to win. Shows a lot of versatility and just overall more interesting than the guy who won.
Dude was a beast but DAMN THAT DRUMKIT SOUNDS FLAWLESS!!!
damn! it's great to see brandon killing it still after he aged out of DCI!
Thanks Vincent!
great energy. the audio's a little odd though. the toms sound strange.
Well that was amazing!
Very innovative work… The cymbal on the SD was a little cheesy but it was all good.. Rock on brother..
thanks and I love your performance. if you want to sell it, let me know
This guy should've won. best by far!
Damn, that was awesome. I was ready to start complaining about the octopad and you used it perfectly. Nice playing dude (I know you're out there listening)
Thanks Todd! ;)
nice development of the opening theme. well-composed piece.
Thanks!
+Brandon Zackey nice bro. keep it up
+Brandon Zackey i like the chair man. its sweet.
You had to have been in marching band!! very disciplined style and that first groove/beat.. Ya gotta do an instructional!
Yes sir! I played quads at Blue Devils and RCC... I've been thinking about doing some instructional videos on some of the sections! Which parts would you most like to learn?
that snare is so crisp and tight.
You should have won the whole thing!!!! Don't get me wrong the others are supremely talented too, but your speed and power is awesome. Great Bonham by the way.
Thank you!
What a showww, he rockss
Feel like this dude should have won.
I'm not a fan of the pad but the two sticks in hand to hit two parts of the pad at the same time was dope. And who doesn't love Led? 8)
His overall performance was better in my opinion.
This guy taught me and a load of other people at the System Blue camp
Fucking god damn amazing even with the Pad
Why did this guy not win?
I agree, this guy should of won. Does he play in a metal band ?
Ty P nah just a really good marching band
Yes. He plays for Enterprise Earth and Sicarius.
This guy should have won!
Fool in the rain should have won him this competition hands down.
Shame he didn't go "full gospel chops." Everyone knows if you want to win you just go "full gospel chops."
Alan Slimak Technically, all "gospel chops" are just linear phrases and groupings. Every single drummer does it. What makes it a gospel chop?
BLAST BEATS!!!
\m/
wow he didn't win the drum off is not a real competition anymore then. this guy should of won without any second guessing he is so compact with his sound hes one of the tightest drummers I've ever seen. BMMA
that army of the pharaohs shirt doe!!!!!! yesssss.
what color or material are those shells? I like !
So great....
This guy should win!
+Ben White I respectfully disagree. Tony Taylor's solo was sick. Call it Octapad heavy or whatever, but he deserved to win. I do really like this solo, and it is very close. :)
+All For Christ Videos only 4 finalists came up on my feed. i didn't see Tony Taylor.
+Ben White Thanks! Honestly all the finalists were incredible drummers and it was an honor to share the stage with them! I'm happy for Tony!
+Ben White Lol, the winner is posted right after he wins. Look back about a month ago, all this happened in January. It's on this channel. :)
you know what, i actually did see that video... he was very good. when these 4 came up i didnt connect the dots. but i see why all 5 were finalists. all did great! respect
Is speed and precision more important than creativity?
Those single handed 16ths are insane
very nice and tight.... very good drummer
he is awesome
Reallyyy niceee
yo this is what i came to fucking see. brilliant!
Super sick!
this guy should of won. everyone else does the same thing but this guy pulled it off. drum off suppose to be just drums not with the pad
Rumour has it drumming's gonna be an Olympic sport.
Winner!
was that a song you did on the octopad cause it sounded great
Fool in the rain -Led Zeppelin
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWW
does anyone else think the toms in the beginning sound like lightsabers?
Too good
I’m here in 2024 #bluesmoke
BEST!!
Good.
But ya I hear some influences of others like Primus drummer TIM Alexander in the middle here especially. @3:30 - 4:14
That's like the solo from 11 and a few other pieces off Sailing the Seas of cheese. Not exactly but influenced I feel
CHARIZARD, I CHOOSE YOU
is the announcer Kyle Kinane?
The dude is clearly talented, but I felt like his piece was kind of all over the place. You obviously want to show your versatility, but sometimes it sounded like he was just messing around on a drum set. I feel like so many drummers in this contest rely on the drum-pad, so I'm glad he strayed away from it. He's very creative, as well. Hopefully he'll compete in the next one!
what's the snare drum model he was using?
Keith Williams it's the Mapex Black Panther "Blaster"
This is the best drummer they have ever had in this competition and the best solo
+Valdenise Silva newman lmao
you are ignorant and your opinion is biased
From here to WhiteChapel's new machine behind the kit!!!
Now this is a good utilization of the Octopad... everyone else I've seen use it just makes it obnoxious.
cow bell
needs more
he should fucking win!
BLUE DEVILS Q5 REPRESENT!!
😈
you can tell this guy was in the drum line in high school 😂
Yep. And section leader for The Blue Devils quad line for 3 years.