Christoph Schneider is best known as the drummer for the German act Rammstein, one of the most successful and influential rock-bands in the world. Between 2019 and 2024, the band embarked on a worldwide stadium tour, performing 135 shows to over 6 million fans, cementing their status as a global phenomenon.

Schneider was born in East Berlin and grew up in a musical family—his mother worked as a music teacher, his father was an opera-director and music professor. His first instrument was the trumpet, which he learned as a child. During his time in an orchestra, he had his first contact with percussionists, which sparked his fascination with and passion for drumming.

Before joining Rammstein, and after completing military training in East Germany, Schneider was active in the East German punk music scene, playing in several bands. He was the drummer for the punk bands Die Firma and Feeling B, both part of the underground music culture in the GDR. 

His musical influences include the hard rock of the 70s, such as Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, and AC/DC; the pop music of the 80s; metal and grunge music from the early 90s; industrial music; classical music; and, in general, all good music of any style. All of these influences helped shape his distinctive drumming style and approach to music. His favorite and most influential drummers are Ian Paice, John Bonham, Phil Rudd, Vinnie Paul, Chad Smith, and some drum machines.

Photograph by Matthias Matthies.

Christoph is appearing in association with DW, Remo, Vic Firth, Sabian, Roland & V-Drums.