Black Sabbath’s legendary drummer Bill Ward recently shared his thoughts on Mastodon’s Brann Dailor. He revealed which specific song made him recognize Dailor’s exceptional drumming abilities in an interview with LARadioStudio.
Ward explained how he first encountered Dailor’s work and what impressed him most about the Mastodon drummer’s approach to the instrument.
“First of all, Brann, before I met him — I met him first through listening to [Mastodon’s] music, and everything about him, his orchestrations, his jazz, his rock, all of those parts that obviously live inside him are so well put together,” Ward said. “When I heard [Mastodon’s] ‘The Last Baron’ — we’ve played ‘The Last Baron’ so many times on our [radio] show — and I was blown away.”
Ward continued to elaborate on what specifically caught his attention about Dailor’s drumming technique and musical intelligence.
“I think that’s where I really met Brann in terms of listening astutely to where he was going, what he was doing, how he would push, how he would retrieve, how he would give way,” he explained. “And I listened to, and I thought, ‘My god, this guy’s really learned how to play drums.’ Learning to play drums is not that easy. Coming out the box, we can all start by banging. Mine was trying to learn how to play ‘Peggy Sue’ by Buddy Holly. But we all have our hurdles to get over. But Brann’s articulation, I think he’s worthy of all the praise that he gets. I think now everyone has recognized that he is an outstanding drummer on a world level.”
The Black Sabbath drummer particularly praised Dailor’s restraint and musical sensitivity when playing with other musicians.
“His intuition and his interaction with other instruments is foreboding and always just enough,” Ward noted. “I’ve never heard him overplay a part where he could take something else away from another musician. That’s the sign of a really good fucking drummer… He intuitively knows when to, and I feel that from him, when he doesn’t overplay or he doesn’t push on something and he allows air to pass through, and he allows notes to pass through, the other members of the band. That’s what being a drummer is — learning to play with the other musicians.”
Ward concluded by drawing from his own experience with Black Sabbath and expressing his anticipation for Dailor’s future work.
“You have to play with the other musicians. I had to learn to play with [Black Sabbath’s] Tony [Iommi] and to learn to play with Terry, Geezer [Butler], and I learned to play with Ozzy [Osbourne],” he said. “You have to play with wherever they are as well. You have to be respectful as a drummer, and Brann is respectful. And I can’t wait to hear whatever he is going to do next. And I’m a drummer that loves drummers. So, anyway. Thanks, Brann.”
Ward’s comments came during his regular radio show. The show has become a platform for discussing drumming techniques and celebrating fellow musicians in the metal community.
Ultimate Metal reported that Ward made these remarks during his January 2026 radio show as part of the LA Radio Sessions. The show airs Sundays at 10 a.m. Pacific Time on 99.1 KLBP-FM in Long Beach and online at KLBP.org. The show has become a regular venue for Ward to discuss his passion for drumming and share insights about fellow musicians.
The mutual respect between Ward and Dailor runs deep. Blabbermouth noted that Dailor himself has cited Ward as an influence, placing his style in the “Bill Ward camp of metal drumming” for its fusion of jazz and rock against heavy Marshall stacks. This acknowledgment highlights the cyclical nature of musical influence, where legends inspire new generations who then earn recognition from their heroes.
Ward’s praise for Dailor comes at a particularly significant time in the metal community. Bill Ward’s official website revealed that Black Sabbath announced their “Back to the Beginning” reunion show scheduled for July 5 at Villa Park in Birmingham. The event features an impressive lineup that includes Mastodon alongside Metallica, Slayer, Pantera, Gojira, Halestorm, Alice In Chains, Lamb Of God, and Anthrax.
The timing of Ward’s comments about Dailor adds extra weight to his words. Both drummers will share the same festival stage later this year. This convergence of metal generations at the “Back to the Beginning” event represents a celebration of the genre’s evolution, from Black Sabbath’s pioneering work to Mastodon’s modern progressive approach to heavy music.
