Dave, who was born in the Czech Republicand came to Canada with his parents when he was only one year old, started drumming at a young age. He named winning a drum contest at age ten as his favorite childhood experience.

David Machander joined Canadian metal veterans Annihilator as their touring drummer for their 'Refresh the Demon' Europe tour in 1996.

The drummer and guitarist/vocalist/band leader Jeff Waters met under stressful circumstances, when regular sticksman Randy Black left the band only 12 days before the tour would take off, to join Bif Naked.

Recalls Jeff Waters:

"12 days is wayyyy too short of a time to get someone to jump in and play an Annihilator set and I still had to hope I could find someone! Dave Davis, our long-time guitar player, suggested his friend Dave Machander and thought he could handle the gig/pressure. I was not convinced but had no other option than to literally say 'you are in' before I even heard him play drums!"

They rehearsed on Vancouver Island with only six rehearsals scheduled. Continues Jeff:

"Many drummers play along with a 'click.' That is a cowbell kind of sound that keeps a time/beat in the drummer's earphones and lets him play close to perfect timing... it helps him zoom in and play tighter than without one. Well, Dave was not playing well to it. Turns out, he had never played to one before. I was in panic mode. So was everyone else. So by the fourth rehearsal of six, I was ready to cancel. Almost. Then Dave Davis said, 'Jeff, why don't we simply take Machander off the click and let him just 'feel' the music'? We did. Instantly the guy played fantastic. Really good. Better than good. He then really only had two good rehearsals with us and then got on the plane with us and kicked fucking ass on that tour.

Here's a drum solo by Dave Machander from the nineties: