Dave Chedrick (Pittston Pennsylvania, 1969) has been bashing the skins with Hirax since 2004, replacing Jorge Iacobellis.



Dave Chedrick has yet to record anything in the studio with Hirax, but has played two live shows with them. The first being Dokk'em Open Air Festival in mid 2004 in Holland and Seattle Metal Festival in late 2004.



Formerly Dave played with Graphic Violence, Marble Orchard, Rude Awakening, Raven Mad, Divine Rapture, Misled, Ripcord, Iron Bottom Sound and Wasted Faith.



About Dave, in his own words:

My drumming began at a very young age. Ever since being able to hold anything that looked like a drum stick, there was always something near by which could be used for a drum. My earliest influence I must admit was a kid from accross the steet named Leeroy Knowles. Leeroy was a few years older then me and had been drumming since I can remember. At age 9 I finally talked my parents into letting me have a drum set. I can still hear my father saying "play properly, none of this hippie shit." ...right. Soon to follow this was the rather foul sound of the neighborhood kids and I attempting to begin our careers as big time rock-n-roll stars. Our rehearsal studio was my parent's basement. To this day it remains a mystery how my parents put up with it.



I was very much into AC/DC around this time. For hours I would follow along to the recordings and I had my rehearsal studio (the basement) as closely resembeling a live stage set up as I could get it. When M-tv played Saturday night concerts at midnight (when M-tv stood for music television) I saw Tommy Aldridge with Ozzy. Tommy was using 2 bass drum. 2 BASS DRUMS!!! Seeing this for the first time at age 12 I was in ecstatic. The very next day I buged my parents to no end for a second bass drum.



"Red hot" by Motley Crue was the big song to play on double bass at the time. After months of effort I was able to struggle my way form start to finish. After this nothing could ever be faster for the feet...That's what I thought untill I heard "ACCEPT" with there song "fast as a shark" Blahhhh... I'll need to work up to that one. On a college raido station I heard "creeping death" by Metallica. Being very impressed by the song I bought the album "Ride the Lightning." The first song was called "fight fire with fire." Looks like I have a long way to go. I then realized there was no end in sight for fast double bass. I was always influenced by the speed so I spent a great deal of time practicing the double bass. Later on I was and still am influenced drummers such as: Dave Lombardo, Gene Hoglan, Pete Sandoval, and the of course the insane Flo Mounier. Just to name a few. Today I am happy to be studying with (speaking of fast and insane) number 1 influence and good friend Virgil Donati. Not only is he beyond fast, but better control with his feet then most people have with there hands.



At age 13 I did my first live show. It was then I discovered I loved playing my drums live and I would continue to so for the rest of my life. It was also then I learned that the sound is much different on stage then at a rehearsal studio. I could not hear the other instruments nor the vocals like I was use to at the time. For some reason or another a proper monitor mix was out of the question. 21 years since then not much has changed, but that is another story.



At age 18 I experienced the tragic death of my guitarist and best friend Curt Kovalcin. Things would never be the same but I continued to keep going. At age 25 I was under the guidence of a drummer named Carl Canedy. Carl tought me a lot about recording. Mostly I am thankful for him teaching me to play drums following a click track. At first it was very hard and intimidating but the end results are priceless (like mastercard). My advice to any drummer (or any musician) is to learn how to use a click track, you won't regret it.



Even more intimidating then the click track, a short time after moving to California I found myself in San Francisco auditioning for SLAYER! Let me say from experience there is nothing like having Tom Araya stare a hole in you.



Today I am also fortunate to be learning from world champion snare drummer and also good friend, Rob Carson. Rob, who has also tought Virgil Donati, and Terry Bozzio has shown me things I never thought possible.



We shall see what the future brings. I am forever thankful for the experiences I have had, especially for my drumming. Life is good, never take it for granted.