311's self titled third CD (also known as "The Blue Album" for its cover) was released in 1995 spawned mega-hits like "Down" and "All Mixed Up" and sold over 3 million copies, rapidly shooting the band to mainstream stardom.

Drummer Chad Sexton's innovative and tasteful blend of ultra-hip grooves and slick chops quickly made him the name on everyone's lips. It's obvious from his playing that Chad is influenced by a wide and diverse range of music. He incorporates many different drumming styles and techniques, melding them together seamlessly to create his own very unique style. And of course his creative and broadminded approach is all backed by superlative technique, making Chad one of the finest drummers around.

"Playing live with loud, distorted guitars with 110 decibels pumping, it's hard to get a big, sustaining sound that gets through. That's why I like cymbals that are bigger, darker, more resonating and lower-pitched, like the K.'s."

"I really love the K Pre-Aged Dry Light Rides and the K Custom Dark Crashes. They're really full and natural sounding with great dynamic range. Sometimes I like to really nail the Pre-Aged Ride to get a loud peak and other times I just use it as a Ride. They really open up my options. I also have a lot of effect type stuff like Azukas and Orientals for accents. They add more color and texture to my sound. They band plays a lot of Reggae and other different styles and these Sound Effects cymbals give me a completely different range of sounds that add to my big Crashes."

Chad also owns Chad Sexton's Drum City in North Hollywood, CA.