Andrea
“The reason I listen to Meytal Cohen is that she is so talented.” One of Cohen’s fans was heard saying recently. “Every job she works on comes out with such clarity and strength it will make you happy. It is like she has a way of talking to her drums, and they listen.” Well, this is a perfect description of Meytal Cohen.
In the world of hard rock and metal, there are not very many female drummers. And the few who are there have been overshadowed by their male counterparts. And that is what makes the Israeli-American drummer unique. Meytal Cohen stands out against all odds to present a world of drums that no other person can reach.
Born in August 1983, Cohen is one of the founding members of the American heavy metal band Meytal. She was born in Ramat Gan, Israel, as the youngest of the seven children in her family. She was born in a very large family, which taught her to be independent. Her parents were born in Iraq.
Cohen went to Blitch High School, where she studied tap dance and graduated with a major. She started playing drums at the age of 18. For many drummers, this could seem like a late age to join the industry, especially in hard metal. But that did not stop Cohen from following her passion and becoming the best she can be. She served in the Israel Defense Force for two years before moving to Los Angeles Music Academy to major in percussion.
It was Cohen’s dedication and love for drums that made her push on to pursue her dreams. She faced a lot of challenges during the early years. Her family tried to dissuade her with the conventional “you are making noise, you’re wasting time, you’re spending money, and this will never amount to something.” She graduated from high school, joined the Israel Defense Force, and joined college to follow her dreams.
She says it was even harder after school. And it always is for a musician trying to make a living at it. She tried finding a place in the extensive and scary music scene of Los Angeles without much luck. And then she decided to shoot and upload a lot of videos of her playing her favorite songs. And that is what took her from the darkness to the light.
Cohen started her online video project in 2010, which had been a significant boost to her career. It brought her a fan base and recognition she had never dreamt of. In 2009, she released a cover of “System of a Down’s” “Toxicity,” which received about 10.9 million views.
Today, the YouTube drum series had more than 60 million views in 2014. Her Facebook followers rose above that of any other woman in Israel. But it is her drumming style that attracts many fans. Most say there is a fire in her eyes, which drives her to perform beyond what any other woman can do. She is fast, loud, and very consistent.
