Elliot Hoffman

Elliot Hoffman is an American drummer and sound engineer, recognized as one of the major figures in the modern technical metal and mathcore scene.

He is primarily known as the drummer and founding member of the band Car Bomb, whose music is noted for its abrupt tempo changes, extreme rhythmic breaks, and complex structures.

His signature is the application of a striking technique of bewildering complexity to extremely aggressive metal. His style is characterized by disorienting polyrhythms and remarkable power. Notably, he is known for executing these structures without the aid of a click track, which earned him the nickname "Time Demon" in the community.

Hoffman perfected his technique by studying with the jazz and rudiments legend Jim Chapin. This training allowed him to fuse the rhythmic discipline of great jazz-fusion drummers (like Vinnie Colaiuta) with the intensity of metal (like Tomas Haake of Meshuggah).

Before Car Bomb, he was involved in other progressive and technical metal bands such as Spooge.

In parallel with his career as a musician, Elliot Hoffman worked as a sound engineer in New York studios for a long time, even collaborating on hip-hop projects with major artists like Swizz Beatz and the DMX crew. He often handles the recording and mixing of his drum tracks himself.