RIP: Gabe Serbian

May 3, 2022·30 min·2 clips

Joe Wong reveals that drummer Gabe Serbian died one day before his 45th birthday, introducing their 2016 conversation.

Joe Wong opens quietly. He tells listeners that Gabe Serbian, his friend and former guest, died on Saturday, April 30th, just before his 45th birthday. The tribute stays plain. Gabe is remembered as The Locust's drummer, a wickedly funny friend, and a devoted husband and father. Then the archive takes over. The 2016 conversation drifts back into the kind of origin story The Trap Set gives room to breathe. Gabe starts with hunger. As a kid, he could hear something heavier inside his parents' Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath records, but he did not know where to go next. A neighbor opened the door. An older brother up the street, already deep into metal, with posters and distorted guitar around him, pointed the way. Metallica hit first. Kill 'Em All was the record Gabe bought once that phase really began. Anthrax followed close behind. He still names Persistence of Time as one of his favorite records, with the warmth of someone who never got embarrassed by childhood taste. The drum talk feels close. Gabe is remembering more than volume or aggression. He is remembering how clearly those metal records let him hear every drum attack. The double kick mattered. The drums sounded fierce, detailed, and exciting enough to make technique feel physical. Near the end, things soften. Gabe talks about lists, too many projects, and trying to find a path where things actually get finished.

As heard by us

A fond Gabe Serbian remembrance centered on the heavy sounds that first opened his ears.

Joe Wong opens this Trap Set episode with a plain, heavy farewell to Gabe Serbian, his friend and former guest, before returning to their 2016 conversation.

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Why you'd press play

If you want a memorial that unfolds as a drummer-to-drummer conversation, press play.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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