BLACK SABBATH legendary drummer Bill Ward devoted a segment of his January 10 radio show on 99.1 KLBP-FM in Long Beach to praising MASTODON's Brann Dailor. Ward stated that Dailor is "worthy of all the praise that he gets" and noted that "everyone has now recognized him as an outstanding drummer on a world level." The BLACK SABBATH icon highlighted Dailor's remarkable restraint, saying he has "never heard him overplay a part where he could take something away from another musician." Ward added that Dailor "intuitively knows when not to overplay," allowing air and space for other band members.
The segment aired as part of Ward's ongoing LA Radio Sessions, a platform the legendary drummer has used to champion artists he admires across the heavy music spectrum. Ward went into considerable detail about what sets Dailor apart from his contemporaries, citing not just his technical proficiency but his compositional sensibility. "Brann understands that drumming is not about filling every space with notes," Ward explained. "It is about knowing where the silence is just as important as the hit. That is something that takes decades to master, and he has done it at a remarkably young age relative to the rest of us."
Ward also drew parallels between Dailor's approach and the jazz-influenced drumming philosophy that shaped his own playing in BLACK SABBATH during the 1970s. He pointed to MASTODON's progressive evolution from the raw sludge of "Remission" to the expansive arrangements on "Hushed And Grim" as evidence of Dailor's growth as both a drummer and a songwriter. The praise comes at a time when MASTODON are reportedly working on new material for a follow-up to 2021's Grammy-winning "Hushed And Grim." Ward's endorsement carries significant weight in the drumming community, given his foundational role in establishing heavy metal drumming as a distinct discipline.