Quick Facts
Biography
Michael Warren Wengren (born September 3, 1971) is an American musician, best known for his work with the heavy metal band, Disturbed. He is one of the founding members of the band, which was formed in 1994. He is well known for his hard hitting bass drum techniques that have become a staple of Disturbed's music.
History
Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, Wengren has been playing drums since around the age of 10, when he took some lessons for about a month but didn’t begin to take his drumming seriously until the age of 15. He attended Curie High School on the Southwest side of Chicago.
He has been quoted as saying that Metallica, Slayer, Judas Priest, Testament, Mötley Crüe, Pantera, Iron Maiden, and Racer X were his strongest influences.
On August 31, 2005 he proposed to his girlfriend onstage. Before the set closer, frontman David Draiman handed the microphone to Wengren, who explained how he's spent a lot of time in Milwaukee recently and how he met his girlfriend here. He then invited her onstage and proposed marriage to her.
In recent years, he has appeared in advertisements for Pearl Drums, since the Masters Series was his first professional kit purchased from Midwest Percussion the early 90's. Wengren uses Evans Hydraulic Glass drumheads on all toms and EQ3 heads on both bass drums. He has also been added to the Vater Signature line of drumsticks, which now has the Mike Wengren model. Additionally, he uses Sabian cymbals.
His previous tour kit was a 'cranberry fade' Pearl MRX Masters Series drumset with black hardware. Wengren's tour kit in support of the album Ten Thousand Fists was a 'vintage sunburst' variation of the same drumset, also with black hardware.
Wengren is currently pursuing a side project band, Fight or Flight, in collaboration with Disturbed member Dan Donegan.
Equipment
Indestructible kit
Reference Series Custom painted by Nub Grafix
- 22x18 bass drum x 2
- 10x8 tom
- 12x9 tom
- 14x11 tom
- 16x14 tom
- 18x16 tom
- 14x6.5 snare drum
- 14x6.5 steel Reference snare drum
Cymbal Set Up - All Sabians.
- Chopper 12"
- AA Metal-X Hats 14"
- AA Metal-X Splash 12"
- AA Metal-X Crash 18"
- AA Metal-X Crash 19"
- AA Metal-X Chinese 18"
- 23" Limited Edition OverRide
- AA Rock Crash 19"
- AAX X-Treme Chinese 19"
- AA Metal-X Hats 15"
- AA Rock Crash 17"
- AA Rock Crash 18"
Discography
Brawl
- Demo Tape (1994)
Disturbed
- The Sickness (2000)
- Believe (2002)
- Ten Thousand Fists (2005)
- Indestructible (2008)
- Asylum (2010)
- The Lost Children (2011)
- Immortalized (2015)
Fight or Flight
- A Life by Design? (2013)
Other appearances
- "A Song for Chi" (2009)
Awards and nominations
Loudwire Music Awards
| Year | Nominee/work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Mike Wengren | Best Drummer | Nominated |