Rush, A New Drummer, and Some Hard Truths

 

Rush, A New Drummer, and Some Hard Truths

Posted March 30, 2026

I know I’ll get backlash for this… but here it goes.

I just listened to Rush perform with their new drummer Anika Nilles, and I’ve got to be real about what I heard.

The first thing that stood out to me was the bass drum timing. It felt off. Not wildly off, but enough that if you know these songs—if you’ve lived with them—you feel it. Instead of that locked-in, accented pulse, it came across more like a “boom boom tap” jam feel.

And that’s the core of it.

Anika is a jam-style player. A free-flowing drummer. Someone who can stretch time, pull it back, breathe with the band in a live setting. That’s a gift—and in most bands, it’s exactly what you want.

But Rush is not most bands.

Rush songs are architectural. They’re built, not just played. Precision isn’t optional—it’s the foundation. You can’t really “wing” a Rush song, and at moments during that Juno Awards performance, it felt like that’s what was happening.

Then there’s the tone.

The drum sound itself didn’t sit right to me. It felt too round, too open—like a jam kit instead of something dialed in and defined. And listen, I’ll be the first to admit—I didn’t love every era of Neil Peart’s tone either. Those DW kits on the later tours, especially with the double bass setup, had toms that drove me crazy at times.

So this isn’t blind loyalty talking.

It’s about understanding the shoes you’re stepping into.

Neil didn’t just play hard—he hit hard. Even when he explored jazz, even when he went traditional grip, there was still authority in every stroke. And beyond that, there was stamina. Three-hour shows. Night after night. Precision and power, all the way through.

I don’t know if I see that same level of physical commitment here yet.

And again—this isn’t me tearing her down.

Anika Nilles is a great drummer. No question. But with this catalog, the details matter more than ever.

Take “Limelight.” Any drummer who knows that track understands the bass drum syncopation is everything. Same with “Tom Sawyer.” These parts aren’t suggestions—they’re signatures.

You don’t reinterpret those lightly.

For me, this is personal.

I started playing drums because of Rush. I remember sitting there with a cassette of “A Farewell to Kings,” just absorbing it. That was the spark.

And I’ll say it straight—I'm a good drummer. But I’m not Neil Peart. Nobody was. Not in that combination of power, precision, and endurance.

So when I say these things, it’s not from a place of ego—it’s from respect.

Respect for the music. Respect for the legacy.

And honestly, respect for her too.

Because if you’re going to step into that role, you’ve got to lock in. Tighten the details. Re-tune the kit. Let that snare crack. Own the parts, not just the moment.

That’s the difference.

And for what it’s worth—my own style probably leans more toward hers than Neil’s. Which is exactly why I’m saying this.

I’m not trying to fill those shoes either.

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