Raynor began playing drums at a young age, forming a group with friend Ryan Kennedy at age 11 to perform at a school competition – "a kind of 'show and tell' thing," Raynor later recalled. The duo were initially inspired by Metallica, but found their material far too technical; they instead played "Twist of Cain" by Danzig and "London Dungeon" by the Misfits.[1] Raynor's first legitimate performance consisted of a cover of "Vlad the Impaler" by Gwar.[1]