Five Records That Changed My Life, Part 50: Randy Black
Canadian-born and Germany-based drummer Randy Black is the anchor of the rhythm section in the German thrash metal band Destruction. For many years, he was the drummer for the German power metal band Primal Fear. He has also played with Canadian thrash metal band Annihilator (it was during his stint in that band he got the nickname “The Human Drum Machine” because of his technical precision) and been a live drummer for American heavy metal band W.A.S.P. Roppongi Rocks’ Stefan Nilsson caught up with Randy to find out what five albums shaped him.
The Who “Who’s Next” (1971)
“They were one of my first favourite rock bands. I loved the energy the band produced and the drummer Keith Moon was a big early inspiration! Every song on this album is great, no fillers!”
Rush “2112” (1976)
“First time listening to the album was on a turntable in the dark with headphones on. I’d never heard anything like it, the whole band, especially the drummer Neil Peart, blew me away!”
Rush “Moving Pictures” (1981)
“To me this album was their peak, every song is a master piece! It was shortly after it was released that I joined the Rush cover band Click that was considered to be one of the best cover bands in Canada at the time.”
Annihilator “King of the Kill” (1994)
“This was the first internationally released album I played drums on. It kickstarted my career as a heavy metal drummer! Funny footnote, I got the gig in Annihilator because the guys in the band at the time were fans of the Rush cover band I was in! To be very honest, when asked if I wanted to audition for the gig, I didn’t know who Annihilator was nor had I ever played that kind of music!”
Loreena McKennitt “The Book of Secrets” (1997)
“I first heard this album on the flight I took when relocating to Berlin, Germany in 1998. It was so different to anything I had been listening to and I loved it right away! I’ve since seen her three times live and one of those times ranks in the top five live shows I’ve ever seen!”
