Chris Janus | NYCDrummer.com profile picture

Chris Janus | NYCDrummer.com

New Site!!

About Me


I grew up in Northwest Indiana, about an hour outside of Chicago. I started playing drums when I was 16 and had a band lined up before I even got my kit (Skunked Brew..haha). We played cover songs and a few originals - played mostly graduation parties, but we did manage to take 2nd place at a Battle of the Bands which was totally exciting back then (I might even upload a video clip from it...it was a riot). I recorded a demo with a friend, and several years later I played with some friends a recorded two demos with our metal band, Snuffleupagus (which later became Morthona); we also played some parties and a local metal show, and we did get several reviews in a few big metal magazines.
After high school, I went to school @ Purdue University (Lafayette, IN) for a year but decided that it wasn't for me and that I wanted to follow music. In 1995, I transferred to Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. There I studied music, music, and more music. I had classes in pitch recognition, music theory, classical music, counterpoint, conducting, performance techniques, contract negotiation, music publishing, music business, basic accounting, technology in music business, and more. While I was a Music Business/Management major, I (of course) did lots of playing and took as many drum classes as I could fit in. I studied linear drumming, rudiments, chart reading, latin, jazz, funk, odd-time signatures and polyrhythms, double bass among other things. I also had the opportunity to play in a number of recording projects ranging from Led Zeppelin sound-alikes to moch band demos to tv commercial soundtracks to radio jingles. I also played in a number of recitals and school shows, as well as several musicals over at Harvard University.
Eventually, I met a few like-minded friends, and we ended up starting the metal band KEVORKIAN . We played shows all over the New England area, received radio play on a considerable list of stations across the country, received reviews from numerous magazines/webzines across the world, played live on the radio once in town (WERS 88.9FM "Nasty Habits"), and we recorded a 4-song demo which we pushed ALL OVER THE WORLD. The band ended up moving to NYC in September 2001, just before 9/11. We eventually recorded a full-length album which was released in October 2002, and we continued to play tons of shows throughout NY, NJ, and PA (including CBGBs - RIP!) with bands such as Immolation, Arsis, Dying Fetus, Enslaved, Goatwhore, etc for several years. We continued to receive reviews and acclaim in various media (including Metal Maniacs magazine and PureRockFury.com) as well as airplay on several radio/web stations (including WSOU in NJ). In 2004, the track "In The Name of the Father" was picked by Matthew Blanchard (Shadow's Fall) to be included on Lifeless Records' "Treasury of Sorrows" compilation, and Sky Records signed two KEVORKIAN songs to be included on their "From the Shadows: Metal for the Modern Era" compilation next to such metal greats as Strapping Young Lad, Anthrax, Mastodon, and Dillinger Escape Plan. I continued playing with KEVORKIAN until the end of 2005, when I left to pursue other interests in my life.

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 4/4/2007
Band Website: nycdrummer.com
Band Members: me.
Influences: dave lombardo, gene hoglan, tommy lee, charlie benante, alex van halen, matt sorum, tommy aldridge, derek roddy, ray luzier, scott mercado, greg bissonette, jon bonham, tico torres, phil collins, sean kinney, vinnie paul, deen castronovo, john dette, paul bostaph, raymond herrera, dave culross, musical drummers that bring something unique to the table
Sounds Like: somebody playing drums.
Record Label: that's just none of your business. it's a secret.
Type of Label: Major

My Blog

New Drum Tracks!

Getting settled in Awesome, CA (lovin' here!)For fun before I left NYC, I recorded a few simple drum grooves thanks to my good friend, Chris Mehalso. He was cleaning out his museum of recording treas...
Posted by Chris Janus | NYCDrummer.com on Sat, 06 Oct 2007 10:40:00 PST

Now in Sacramento, CA!

Just arrived and am getting settled...my drums won't even be here for another week, but I have plenty to get set up first anyway. Definitely interested in any possible paying gigs in the Sacramento a...
Posted by Chris Janus | NYCDrummer.com on Mon, 10 Sep 2007 12:49:00 PST

New NYCDrummer.com Launched!

yay.now to play to get back to some playing!
Posted by Chris Janus | NYCDrummer.com on Tue, 21 Aug 2007 08:06:00 PST

Two new songs

Two songs just uploaded (not really NEW...):Wind Cries Mary (Jimi Hendrix cover)1998 Berklee projectJan Hautas - producer/engineerChris Janus - drums(If you were part of this project, contact me and I...
Posted by Chris Janus | NYCDrummer.com on Wed, 18 Jul 2007 08:37:00 PST

Moving to California

9/1/07 - packin' up my shit and headin' out to Sacramento! Get in touch if you are in that area and have any interesting and fun projects in mind...
Posted by Chris Janus | NYCDrummer.com on Wed, 18 Jul 2007 08:32:00 PST