JAMES DeMARIA
JAMES DeMARIA is made of metal. From 2010–2014, DeMaria was the drummer for GENERATION KILL. After witnessing his performance with GK at Dingbatz in NJ, Tony Portaro was impressed with his hammer style, and asked James to become a backup drummer for WHIPLASH.
James joined the ranks as drummer for WHIPLASH on several occasions in 2015. He crushed it in Germany to rave reviews at the Metal Assault Fest. He also performed on the 70,000 Tons of Metal Cruise, which was the second time WHIPLASH was aboard. Another festival in Connecticut, Death to False Metal, had Jim pounding while strapped to a go-pro camera.
DeMaria's intrinsic relationship with metal began in 1986, with bands MERAUDER, RIPHOUSE (1987–1991), FREEBASS (1992–1997) and POOIS (1994–2021) [R.I.P. Tim Kaim].
James had long been the core driving force behind the intricate and unique rhythmic sounds of POOIS. His vast and varied experiences, focus, and energy in his craft, are all rapped up into one package. His POOIS bandmate has said of him: "No drummer can be on you like your underwear as KongFoo Jim can."
Continually active with bands on the NY scene, James was known to don his death mask as "Germ," while banging behind GUNFIRE-N-SODOMY (Metal Blade Records). G-N-S has created their own extreme music genre, termed Snufcore ... a mix of acoustic death metal and vomit-inducing lyrics.
No stranger to old school thrash, from drum tech roles with EXODUS, to thrash maniac drummer for TOXIK and HEATHEN, be sure to check out any show with DeMaria on the throne ... WHIPLASH included.
