
In my house it was students waking me up at 5 in the morning with shouting AUAURURUGHHHH, banging on things. and watching DVDs. They are more like monkeys than humans, in all honesty. I came out to tell them to shut the fuck up, and they were all "OH HEY THERE RED HEAD AAHH" and then one tried to jump in over the wall into our garden, and some scammy girl was in the drive way. They really were more like some kind of monkey-rat hybrid than people.
Unfortunately even though they've moved back for the summer I have to move anyway, as the mould in that house is making me extremely ill.
I can't think of any reasonable resolution right now, it's not as if he's going to stop playing drums and sell his kit, or get into Indie instead. Maybe you should try talking to him about soundproofing and keep telling him how you'd rather not get anyone "involved" but if it comes to that, you have important work to do and it's much too loud. You might be intimdated by him, but guys like that are often wusses if you threaten the law, or even just imply it.
I would also try to talk to some more of your neighbours, take them around while it's happening, and see if you can get them to report it too even if they wouldn't normally. The cops would have to do something then.