Tony Palermo talks Papa Roach, practice and Pearl

© Gene Ambo ./Retna Ltd./Corbis

Papa Roach are true nu metal survivors. After slaying all in their path during the nu metal worldwide takeover of the early 2000s, they've adapted their sound and remained relevant even in the midst of the huge genre backlash.

The band's triumphant Taste of Chaos performances at the back end of 2010 are testament to that. Ahead of one of the killer shows we grabbed a word with Tony Palermo, the band's energetic drummer.

The last year seems to have been pretty manic for you guys

"It's been really busy. We went into the studio in February and on the last day of recording, the next day we were going out on tour, so it's been crazy."

How is 2011 shaping up?

"We for the first time since I joined the band we have two months off and start back up with a Canadian tour with Buckcherry on 1 March."

Has your attention switched to a new album yet?

"We're writing little bits here and there and I'm sure we'll write some stuff individually and see what happens."

Are there any plans to head back to the UK in the works?

"We think we'll hit some festivals in the summer and package up with some cool bands for the off festival days. That's the talk."

How will you be unwinding during the time off?

"I'm going to have a little break but I really do want to play here and there so it's not so hard to come back to. When you're on tour you're on auto pilot every night. To take two months off is really hard to step away, especially being a drummer. I'm working on getting a new Pearl electronic kit so hopefully I'll get one of those and keep my chops up and write some beats too."