A New York drummer with a talent for thrash metal, John Tempesta has played his way through a number of the world’s more notable – and heavier – rock bands.

Born Aug. 19, 1963, in New York City, Tempesta grew up in the Bronx. He was inspired to play the drums after watching the classic Beatles film “A Hard Day’s Night” on television as a child, thinking that Ringo Starr “looked so cool.” When John heard that a neighbor was selling a drum kit for $25, he begged his mother to let him buy it.

In 1977, Tempesta saw his first live show – David Bowie at New York’s Madison Square Garden. He left impressed by Bowie’s drummer, Dennis Davis. Other early influences for Tempesta included legendary drummers like Alex Van Halen, Led Zeppelin’s John Bonham, and Bill Ward of Black Sabbath.

Early on in his music career, Tempesta gained experience both on the road and in the studio as a drum tech for Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante. Tempesta learned how to play thrash metal at the foot of Benante. “I wasn’t that type of drummer,” said Tempesta. “From watching his double-bass technique, I learned so much about how to improve my speed and accuracy.”

In 1989, after four years of working with Anthrax, Tempesta assumed the drum kit of San Francisco Bay area thrash metal band Exodus. He recorded three albums with the group before joining another Bay area group, Testament. He only recorded one album with that group, 1994’s “Low,” before joining industrial metal giants White Zombie.

The 1995 release of White Zombie’s “Astro-Creep 2000” made the group a household name, primarily due to the dance club hit “More Human Than Human.” Though White Zombie broke up in 1997, bandleader Rob Zombie held onto Tempesta, using him as the drummer for his solo act. Working with Zombie as a soloist also gave Tempesta time to branch out and work on albums such as Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi’s self-titled solo offering, and the Black Label Society’s release “Hangover Music Vol. VI.”

Rob Zombie put his solo career on hold in 2003, giving Tempesta nothing but time on his hands. He used that time to quickly land the drum chair in a revivified Helmet, the renewal of one of the 1990s most notable metal bands. Tempesta recorded all the drum tracks for Helmet’s 2004 release “Size Matters,” then toured extensively with the group in the United States and Europe for some three years.

In October 2004, Tempesta also squeezed in a recording session with the band Scum of the Earth, which included his brother Mike, who is former guitarist for Powerman 5000. The resulting album was entitled “Blah … Blah … Blah … Love Songs for the New Millennium.” The band’s second album, “Sleaze Freak,” was due for release in October 2007.

Though Tempesta had plenty of work – and good work – penciled in on his schedule, he was faced with an opportunity he couldn’t pass up. A friend of his, who happened to be a booking agent for the legendary British rock group The Cult, told Tempesta that the band was auditioning drummers. Though Tempesta was due to record another new Helmet album, and travel to Dubai to play with Testament, he couldn’t resist the chance to audition for The Cult. And he didn’t blow the chance.

After a couple of auditions, The Cult chose Tempesta as the group’s new drummer in February 2006. Tempesta immediately joined the band for a lengthy tour of Europe and South America. The gig was a dream job long-delayed for Tempesta, who had planned to audition for The Cult in 1993 but ended up touring with Testament and missing his chance.

Beyond his recording and touring, Tempesta has become well known as a clinician and has developed a signature snare drum, The John Tempesta Stealth Snare, released by TAMA.