Mike Heller is an American drummer known as a former member of the industrial metal band Fear Factory, member of the technical death metal band Malignancy,
Biography
Heller traces his musical and drumming influences across many genres, including
Gospel music,
Latin jazz and
funk.
He has been known to incorporate these styles into his death metal compositions,
although they can be difficult to recognize when played at death metal tempos. Heller teaches current and aspiring extreme metal drummers
and writes columns for
Sick Drummer magazine.
He is known as a talented linear player,
a style which involves the use of two or more limbs, with no two limbs playing the same thing at the same time.
Heller plays session drums
and has collaborated with artists in disparate styles.
He joined the
Yonkers, New York-based technical death metal band Malignancy in 2003, replacing Roger J. Beaujard. In 2008, he started the band
System Divide with the Aborted vocalist Sven de Caluwé and the ex-Distorted vocalist Miri Milman. Heller joined
Fear Factory in 2012 after the departure of
Gene Hoglan.
- Heller performed on the 2020 debut album by Amahiru, a musical project led by Frédéric Leclercq and Saki.
Discography
-
in 2013]] Fear Factory
-
Genexus (2015)
-
Aggression Continuum (2021)
-
Re-Industrialized (2023)
-
Malignancy
-
Inhuman Grotesqueries (2007)
-
Eugenics (2012)
-
Epilogue (2014)
-
Malignant Future EP (2016)
-
Intrauterine Cannibalism Re-Recording (2019)
-
…Discontinued (2024)
-
Raven
-
Screaming Murder Death From Above: Live In Aalborg (2019)
-
Metal City (2020)
-
All Hell’s Breaking Loose (2023)
-
Abigail Williams
-
Walk Beyond the Dark (2019)
-
The Lucid
-
The Lucid (2021)
-
Saddle Up and Ride (2023)
-
Aerosol
-
Amahiru
-
Black Hole Deity
-
Lair of Xenolich (2021)
-
Profane Geometry (2024)
-
Ol Drake
-
Gorepunch
-
Control/Resist
-
Gods By Design (EP) (2014)
-
System Divide
-
The Collapse (EP) (2009)
-
The Conscious Sedation (2010)
-
Ephemera (2012)
-
Success Will Write Apocalypse Across the Sky
-
The Grand Partition, and the Abrogation of Idolatry (2009)
-
Secrets She Kept
-
Le Fin Absolue du Monde (2011)
-
Azure Emote
-
The Gravity of Impermanence (2013)
-
The Third Perspective (2020)
-
The Cosmos
-
In the Fire
-
The Living Horror Show (2020)
-
Beneath
-
Excommunicated
-
Kalopsia
-
Death Starts the Horror (2011)
-
Amongst the Ruins (2012)
-
Zillah
-
Not All of Me Shall Die / Man Son of Swine (2011)
-
Sigh
-
ZFM
Heller has also recorded with bands and artists including Edei, Ryann, 208 Talks of Angels, Measure, Razorcult, Chikatillo, Pseudo Supremacy, Hollow, Death Dealer and Cryosaur.
