STYX Drummer TODD SUCHERMAN Leaves PEARL, Returns To SONOR

STYX drummer Todd Sucherman has left Pearl, the company he was endorsed by for the past quarter century, and has returned to Sonor.

On Sunday (January 5),Sucherman took to his social media to write: "With a new year comes some new changes. I would like to thank Pearl Drums for nearly 25 wonderful years, but there will be a new brand of drums on my Pearl racks at home and on the road in 2025. I made many true friends at Pearl in several different countries over the years— plenty of whom I logged many miles performing at drum festivals and clinics all over the world together. I thank each one of you from the bottom of my heart. All my friends in Japan, Europe and the US— we are all inextricably tethered together through all the events, live shows, recordings, and everything that documented my almost quarter century on Pearl drums. The list of names is too large to truly thank properly — but we will remain brothers in music and rhythm until the end, and I will remain using Pearl's bass drum pedals and Icon Rack System."

He added in a separate post earlier today (Monday, January 6): "I have returned home to Sonor drums in 2025. My first recording studio experience at age nine was on a Sonor kit the studio had and then I played this magnificent brand until I was thirty. I'm thrilled to return to the drums of my youth and they are now the drums of my future. I find myself excited beyond comprehension to create music on these astonishing, exquisitely made instruments that are truly breath taking and inspiring to play.

"I wish to thank Jerry Goldenson, Jeff Mulvihill, Henry Go and the whole team in the USA as well as Nico Lang, Christian Figgen, Jannis Köckmann and the entire team in Germany. Their collective enthusiasm, expertise, help and support was immeasurable. Thanks also to Mark Eldridge, Steele Turkington, Jim Feck, Ronn Dunnett and Mark Petrocelli for their contributions to the studio and live sets.

"I look forward to all that is to musically happen in 2025 and beyond as we celebrate Sonor's 150th anniversary. Onward we go!"

Sucherman took over drumming duties in STYX a year before the death of John Panozzo in 1996. Sucherman joined STYX as a full-time member after Panozzo died of cirrhosis.

Todd continues to be one of the world's most in-demand drummers and educators. While recording and touring the world with the multi-platinum rock band STYX for the last 29 years, he's managed to balance a schedule of recording sessions, masterclasses, clinics, and creating the enormously successful "Rock Drumming Masterclass" for Drumeo. Todd has been recognized by his peers winning many Modern Drummer magazine Readers' Poll awards through the years, taking top honors in the categories of "Rock Drummer", "Progressive Rock Drummer", "Classic Rock Drummer", "Live Drummer", "Clinician", "Educational DVD", "Recorded Performance" and multiple placements in other categories. In 2020, after playing drums for 49 years, he released his first solo record, "Last Flight Home".

Photo courtesy of Sonor