The Canadian musician Shawn Drover began his professional career in 1993 by founding the power metal band Eidolon alongside his brother, Glen Drover. Born in Montreal in 1966, he has spent decades shaping his technical approach to the drum kit, establishing a distinct style characterized by open-handed playing rather than the traditional cross-over technique favored by many of his peers.
Tenure with Megadeth
In October 2004, Drover joined the thrash metal band Megadeth on short notice to replace Nick Menza before the Blackmail the Universe Tour. Serving as the band's longest-tenured drummer, he contributed to the group for just over ten years. During this period, he performed on major live recordings including The Big Four: Live from Sofia, Bulgaria and contributed to studio albums such as Endgame and Super Collider. He co-wrote the Grammy-nominated track Head Crusher and, during a 2005 performance in Kawasaki, Japan, demonstrated his versatility by playing guitar on stage.
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Drover is left-handed and utilizes an open-handed drumming style, which involves keeping time with his left hand while positioning the ride cymbal on the left side of his kit. This configuration shifts the workload of his right hand toward the snare drum, an approach similar to that of Simon Phillips and Gene Hoglan. Throughout his career, he has maintained numerous endorsements for his professional setup, including Yamaha drums, Sabian cymbals, Evans drumheads, Toca Percussion, Extreme Isolation headphones, and Pro-Mark drumsticks.
Post-Megadeth Projects
Following his departure from Megadeth in November 2014, Drover formed the extreme metal supergroup Act of Defiance with guitarist Chris Broderick, vocalist Henry Derek, and bassist Matt Bachand. The band released two records before ceasing activity. In 2020, he turned his focus to his current band, Withering Scorn, reuniting with Glen Drover to release the record Prophets of Demise in July 2023. The group is currently developing a second project expected in 2025.
Fast facts
- Born: 1966, Montreal, Canada
- Primary Instrument: Drums
- Notable Bands: Eidolon, Megadeth, Act of Defiance, Withering Scorn
- Megadeth Tenure: 2004–2014
- Signature Technique: Open-handed drumming
- Guitar Proficiency: Started playing in 1980
Questions readers ask
How long was Shawn Drover in Megadeth?
He served as the band's drummer for just over 10 years, from October 2004 until November 2014.
What is open-handed drumming?
It is a technique where the drummer keeps time with their left hand instead of crossing their right arm over the left, which Drover uses due to being left-handed.
Achievements
- Instruments: drum kit
- Genres: heavy metal music and thrash metal
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