Blast beat
Encyclopedia
A blast beat is a drum beat
often associated with extreme metal
and grindcore
, although its usage predates the genres, and is utilised by many different styles of metal. In Adam MacGregor's definition, "the blast-beat generally comprises a repeated, sixteenth-note figure played at a very fast tempo, and divided uniformly among the bass drum, snare, and ride, crash, or hi-hat cymbal." Blast beats have been described as "maniacal percussive explosions, less about rhythm per se than sheer sonic violence". Napalm Death
is said to have coined the term, though this style of drumming had previously been practiced by D.R.I.
, Repulsion
and others. Blast beats are made with rapid alternating or coinciding stroke
s primarily on the bass
and snare drum
. Diverse patterns and timings are also frequently used by more technical players, such as Gene Hoglan
(Death/Dark Angel
), Alex Hernandez (Immolation
) and Flo Mounier (Cryptopsy
). Alternative styles of blast beats include performing two strokes of the bass drum followed by one stroke of the snare drum. Pete Sandoval
frequently uses this technique.
coined the term "blast beat", though this style of drumming had previously been practiced by others. Daniel Ekeroth argues that the blast beat was first performed by the Swedish D-beat
group Asocial on their 1982 demo. D.R.I.
("No Sense"), Sepultura
("Antichrist"), S.O.D.
("Milk"), Sarcófago
("Satanas"), and Repulsion
also included the technique prior to Napalm Death's emergence. Blast beats originated in performances by jazz drummers of the 1950s, 60s and 70s such as Tony Williams, Angelo Spampinato, and Sunny Murray
, in particular his 3/28/1965 Greenwich Village
recording of "Holy Ghost" with Albert Ayler
. Allmusic contributor Thom Jurek credits Williams as the "true inventor of the blastbeat" in 1979. In 1969 the band Attila used a blast beat on their song Brain Invasion starting at the 2:04 mark and lasting for about eight seconds. Blast roots in hardcore punk
can be traced to recordings such as D.R.I
's "No Sense" on their first EP (1982) and Beastie Boys
"Riot Fight" on their first EP, Pollywog Stew
. Other examples include Heart Attack
, Cryptic Slaughter
and Lärm
.
A major influence on the evolution of the blast beat was Napalm Death
's first drummer Mick Harris
. Harris started using it as a fundamental aspect of Napalm Death's early musical compositions. The original use in metal music is generally attributed to Igor Cavalera
(Sepultura
), Mike Browning
(Morbid Angel
, Nocturnus
), D.D. Crazy (Sarcófago
), Dave 'Grave' Hollingshead (Repulsion
) and Charlie Benante
(Anthrax
, SOD
). Benante showcased the technique by a double-handed blast beat in the track "Milk" on the SOD album Speak English or Die
, later played single-handed on the live album Live at Budokan. Although even earlier usage dates back to demos by Death from 1984, with drummer and vocalist Kam Lee showcasing usage in songs such as Reign Of Terror and Curse Of The Priest. Members from Repulsion (back when they were known as Genocide) temporarily joined Death in 1985, so it's been speculated that they started their trademark widespread usage after first hearing it during their short tenure with Death.
Blast beats eventually appeared in commercially successful metal music, beginning with Slipknot
's album Iowa
.
. This technique uses the hand as a fulcrum
, allowing two snare hits with one downward motion (essentially doing the work of two hands with only one).
Typical blast beats consist of 8th-note patterns between both the bass and snare drum alternately, with the hi-hat or the ride synced. Variations exist such as displacing hi-hat/ride, snare and bass drum hits and/or using other cymbals such as splashes, crashes, chinas and even tambourines for accenting, for example when using odd time or playing progressively. While playing 8th or 8th note triplets some drummers choose to play in sync with one foot while others split the 8th notes between both feet.
Different drummers use different foot or hand techniques. Certain drummers, such as George Kollias
, prefer to only use one foot while performing blast beats, as it gives them extra precision that is not easily attainable with two feet. Others, such as Trym Torson
, prefer using two feet, as it gives extra power and allows for playing without triggers. Drummers also will either use their wrists, their fingers, or a combination of both to control their drumsticks.
Examples of the most common blast beats drum tab:
C- x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-| C- x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-| C- x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-| C- x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-| C- xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx-|
S- o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-| S- -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o| S- o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-| S- oooooooooooooooo| S- -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-|
B- o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-| B- o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-| B- oooooooooooooooo| B- o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-| B- o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o--|
Blasts 1), 2), 3) and 5) are mostly used by Derek Roddy
and George Kollias
Blast 5) was made extremely famous by drummers like George Kollias (Nile), Pete Sandoval (Morbid Angel), Dave Lombardo (Slayer), Gene Hoglan (Death), Chris Adler (Lamb Of God) and many more
The following blast beat examples are used to also create a "melodic" kind of beat. This can be done by alternating between different cymbals to try and replicate the guitar/bass melodies while still keeping that savage metal rhythm. These are mostly used by extreme metal drummers such as George Kollias
and Derek Roddy
C- x----X----+----*-| C- x----X----+----*-|
S- -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-| S- -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-|
B- o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o--| B- oooooooooooooooo-|
Recorded samples of the notated drumtabs
Drum beat
A drum beat or drum pattern is a rhythmic pattern, or repeated rhythm establishing the meter and groove through the pulse and subdivision, played on drum kits and other percussion instruments...
often associated with extreme metal
Extreme metal
Extreme metal is a loosely defined umbrella term for a number of related heavy metal music subgenres that have developed since the early 1980s. The term usually refers to a more abrasive, harsher, underground, non-commercialized style or sound nearly always associated with genres like black metal,...
and grindcore
Grindcore
Grindcore is an extreme genre of music that started in the early- to mid-1980s. It draws inspiration from some of the most abrasive music genres – including death metal, industrial music, noise and the more extreme varieties of hardcore punk....
, although its usage predates the genres, and is utilised by many different styles of metal. In Adam MacGregor's definition, "the blast-beat generally comprises a repeated, sixteenth-note figure played at a very fast tempo, and divided uniformly among the bass drum, snare, and ride, crash, or hi-hat cymbal." Blast beats have been described as "maniacal percussive explosions, less about rhythm per se than sheer sonic violence". Napalm Death
Napalm Death
Napalm Death are a death metal band formed in Birmingham, England in 1981. While none of its original members remain in the group, the lineup of vocalist Mark "Barney" Greenway, bassist Shane Embury, guitarist Mitch Harris and drummer Danny Herrera has remained consistent for most of the band's ...
is said to have coined the term, though this style of drumming had previously been practiced by D.R.I.
Dirty Rotten Imbeciles
Dirty Rotten Imbeciles is a thrash metal/crossover thrash band from the United States that formed in Houston, in 1982. The band currently comprises founding members, vocalist Kurt Brecht and guitarist Spike Cassidy, as well as drummer Rob Rampy and bassist Harald Oimoen.D.R.I...
, Repulsion
Repulsion (band)
Repulsion is an early grindcore / death metal band from Flint, Michigan. They have been called the "most influential grindcore band of all time".-History:...
and others. Blast beats are made with rapid alternating or coinciding stroke
Drum stroke
In music, a drum stroke is a note performed on percussion instruments known as a drum. There are four basic strokes.The Full Stroke begins with the tip of the drumstick held 8-12" above the striking surface...
s primarily on the bass
Bass drum
Bass drums are percussion instruments that can vary in size and are used in several musical genres. Three major types of bass drums can be distinguished. The type usually seen or heard in orchestral, ensemble or concert band music is the orchestral, or concert bass drum . It is the largest drum of...
and snare drum
Snare drum
The snare drum or side drum is a melodic percussion instrument with strands of snares made of curled metal wire, metal cable, plastic cable, or gut cords stretched across the drumhead, typically the bottom. Pipe and tabor and some military snare drums often have a second set of snares on the bottom...
. Diverse patterns and timings are also frequently used by more technical players, such as Gene Hoglan
Gene Hoglan
Eugene "Gene" Victor Hoglan II is an American drummer. He is acclaimed for his creativity in drum arrangements, including usage of odd devices for percussion effects and his trademark lengthy double-kick drum rhythms...
(Death/Dark Angel
Dark Angel (band)
Dark Angel was an American thrash metal band from Los Angeles, California. Their over-the-top style earned them the nickname "the L.A...
), Alex Hernandez (Immolation
Immolation (band)
-History:The band formed in May 1986 by Andrew Sakowicz and Dave Wilkinson under the name Rigor Mortis . The name was changed to Immolation in April 1988, after the Warriors of Doom demo which was recorded as Rigor Mortis and Demo I which was recorded as Immolation...
) and Flo Mounier (Cryptopsy
Cryptopsy
Cryptopsy is a Canadian technical death metal band from Montreal, Quebec, formed in 1988. The band has sold over 300,000 records.-Necrosis :...
). Alternative styles of blast beats include performing two strokes of the bass drum followed by one stroke of the snare drum. Pete Sandoval
Pete Sandoval
Pete Sandoval is an American death metal drummer. Born in Santa Ana, El Salvador, he is known for his accomplishments in the world of extreme metal drumming. His first significant stint as a drummer was for the grindcore band Terrorizer, formed in 1986, where he began to demonstrate some of his...
frequently uses this technique.
History
The English band Napalm DeathNapalm Death
Napalm Death are a death metal band formed in Birmingham, England in 1981. While none of its original members remain in the group, the lineup of vocalist Mark "Barney" Greenway, bassist Shane Embury, guitarist Mitch Harris and drummer Danny Herrera has remained consistent for most of the band's ...
coined the term "blast beat", though this style of drumming had previously been practiced by others. Daniel Ekeroth argues that the blast beat was first performed by the Swedish D-beat
D-beat
D-beat is a style of hardcore punk developed in the early 1980s by imitators of Discharge, for whom the genre is named. Discharge may have themselves inherited the beat from Motörhead. The first such group was The Varukers.The vocal content of D-beat tends towards shouted slogans...
group Asocial on their 1982 demo. D.R.I.
Dirty Rotten Imbeciles
Dirty Rotten Imbeciles is a thrash metal/crossover thrash band from the United States that formed in Houston, in 1982. The band currently comprises founding members, vocalist Kurt Brecht and guitarist Spike Cassidy, as well as drummer Rob Rampy and bassist Harald Oimoen.D.R.I...
("No Sense"), Sepultura
Sepultura
Sepultura is a Brazilian heavy metal band from Belo Horizonte, formed in 1984. The band was a major force in the death metal, thrash metal and ultimately groove metal realms during the late 1980s and early 1990s, with their later experiments melding nu metal, hardcore punk and industrial.Sepultura...
("Antichrist"), S.O.D.
Stormtroopers of Death
Stormtroopers of Death, better known as S.O.D., was a crossover thrash band formed in New York in 1985. They are commonly credited as being among the first bands to fuse hardcore punk with thrash metal into a style sometimes called "crossover thrash." The song "March of the S.O.D.," from their 1985...
("Milk"), Sarcófago
Sarcófago
Sarcófago was an influential Brazilian extreme metal band. They were fronted by Sepultura's original singer, Wagner Lamounier, and Geraldo Minelli. They have been described as Brazil's most controversial metal band....
("Satanas"), and Repulsion
Repulsion (band)
Repulsion is an early grindcore / death metal band from Flint, Michigan. They have been called the "most influential grindcore band of all time".-History:...
also included the technique prior to Napalm Death's emergence. Blast beats originated in performances by jazz drummers of the 1950s, 60s and 70s such as Tony Williams, Angelo Spampinato, and Sunny Murray
Sunny Murray
James Marcellus Arthur "Sunny" Murray is one of the pioneers of the free jazz style of drumming.-Biography:...
, in particular his 3/28/1965 Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village, , , , .in New York often simply called "the Village", is a largely residential neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City. A large majority of the district is home to upper middle class families...
recording of "Holy Ghost" with Albert Ayler
Albert Ayler
Albert Ayler was an American avant-garde jazz saxophonist, singer and composer.Ayler was among the most primal of the free jazz musicians of the 1960s; critic John Litweiler wrote that "never before or since has there been such naked aggression in jazz" He possessed a deep blistering tone—achieved...
. Allmusic contributor Thom Jurek credits Williams as the "true inventor of the blastbeat" in 1979. In 1969 the band Attila used a blast beat on their song Brain Invasion starting at the 2:04 mark and lasting for about eight seconds. Blast roots in hardcore punk
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
can be traced to recordings such as D.R.I
Dirty Rotten Imbeciles
Dirty Rotten Imbeciles is a thrash metal/crossover thrash band from the United States that formed in Houston, in 1982. The band currently comprises founding members, vocalist Kurt Brecht and guitarist Spike Cassidy, as well as drummer Rob Rampy and bassist Harald Oimoen.D.R.I...
's "No Sense" on their first EP (1982) and Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
"Riot Fight" on their first EP, Pollywog Stew
Pollywog Stew
Polly Wog Stew is a 1982 EP by the Beastie Boys, released on the Rat Cage label. Out of print in its original form, all eight songs saw reissue on the 1989 punk rock compilation Killed by Death #1 but were removed from the record's subsequent releases when the Beastie's repackaged the entire EP,...
. Other examples include Heart Attack
Heart Attack (band)
Heart Attack was an early New York hardcore band, formed in 1980 and active until 1984.-History:Formed in the suburban area of Whitestone, Queens, they were probably the youngest punk band in the NYC area at the time, according to some flyers and fanzines, as the first line up was formed by people...
, Cryptic Slaughter
Cryptic Slaughter
Cryptic Slaughter was a Santa Monica, California-based crossover thrash band.-Biography:Cryptic Slaughter was formed in 1984 by Les Evans , Scott Peterson and Adam Scott , who met through their mutual participation in the American Youth Soccer League . Soon they were joined by Bill Crooks , a...
and Lärm
Lärm
Lärm were a Dutch straight edge thrashcore band formed in 1981, first playing under the name of Total Chaoz. Lärm pioneered what would later be called power violence, along with bands Heresy and Siege...
.
A major influence on the evolution of the blast beat was Napalm Death
Napalm Death
Napalm Death are a death metal band formed in Birmingham, England in 1981. While none of its original members remain in the group, the lineup of vocalist Mark "Barney" Greenway, bassist Shane Embury, guitarist Mitch Harris and drummer Danny Herrera has remained consistent for most of the band's ...
's first drummer Mick Harris
Mick Harris
Mick Harris commonly known and credited both as Mick Harris or occasionally M.J. Harris, is an English musician....
. Harris started using it as a fundamental aspect of Napalm Death's early musical compositions. The original use in metal music is generally attributed to Igor Cavalera
Igor Cavalera
Igor Graziano Cavalera is a Brazilian musician. He is best known as the former drummer for Brazilian heavy metal band Sepultura.-Biography:...
(Sepultura
Sepultura
Sepultura is a Brazilian heavy metal band from Belo Horizonte, formed in 1984. The band was a major force in the death metal, thrash metal and ultimately groove metal realms during the late 1980s and early 1990s, with their later experiments melding nu metal, hardcore punk and industrial.Sepultura...
), Mike Browning
Mike Browning
Mike Browning is an American metal drummer and vocalist.-Career:He is perhaps best known for being the former drummer/vocalist for death metal pioneers Morbid Angel. He played in the band from 1984 to 1986 and made one official recording with them, the Abominations of Desolation album, which was...
(Morbid Angel
Morbid Angel
Morbid Angel is an American death metal band based in Tampa, Florida. UK music magazine Terrorizer ranked one Morbid Angel album in its “Top 40 greatest death metal albums”, with their 1989 debut Altars of Madness appearing at number 1...
, Nocturnus
Nocturnus
Nocturnus was an American progressive death metal band formed in Tampa, Florida in 1987 by drummer/vocalist Mike Browning . They were known for their science-fiction themed lyrics and use of keyboards, both of which were virtually unknown in extreme metal...
), D.D. Crazy (Sarcófago
Sarcófago
Sarcófago was an influential Brazilian extreme metal band. They were fronted by Sepultura's original singer, Wagner Lamounier, and Geraldo Minelli. They have been described as Brazil's most controversial metal band....
), Dave 'Grave' Hollingshead (Repulsion
Repulsion (band)
Repulsion is an early grindcore / death metal band from Flint, Michigan. They have been called the "most influential grindcore band of all time".-History:...
) and Charlie Benante
Charlie Benante
Charlie Benante is the drummer for the heavy metal bands Anthrax and Stormtroopers of Death .- Career :...
(Anthrax
Anthrax (band)
Anthrax is an American heavy metal band from New York City, formed in 1981. Founded by guitarists Scott Ian and Danny Lilker, the band has since released ten studio albums and 20 singles, and an EP featuring Public Enemy. The band was one of the most popular of the 1980s thrash metal scene...
, SOD
Stormtroopers of Death
Stormtroopers of Death, better known as S.O.D., was a crossover thrash band formed in New York in 1985. They are commonly credited as being among the first bands to fuse hardcore punk with thrash metal into a style sometimes called "crossover thrash." The song "March of the S.O.D.," from their 1985...
). Benante showcased the technique by a double-handed blast beat in the track "Milk" on the SOD album Speak English or Die
Speak English or Die
Speak English or Die is the first studio album by the crossover thrash band Stormtroopers of Death .After Anthrax finished recording Spreading the Disease, there was still some studio time left, so Scott Ian and Charlie Benante called some friends, practiced some songs, and recorded it all within...
, later played single-handed on the live album Live at Budokan. Although even earlier usage dates back to demos by Death from 1984, with drummer and vocalist Kam Lee showcasing usage in songs such as Reign Of Terror and Curse Of The Priest. Members from Repulsion (back when they were known as Genocide) temporarily joined Death in 1985, so it's been speculated that they started their trademark widespread usage after first hearing it during their short tenure with Death.
Blast beats eventually appeared in commercially successful metal music, beginning with Slipknot
Slipknot (band)
Slipknot is an American heavy metal band from Des Moines, Iowa. Formed in 1995, the group was founded by percussionist Shawn Crahan and bassist Paul Gray...
's album Iowa
Iowa (album)
Iowa is the second album by American heavy metal band Slipknot. Released by Roadrunner Records on August 28, 2001, it was produced by Ross Robinson and Slipknot. The title derives from the band's home state, Iowa, which members have stated is one of their biggest sources of inspiration...
.
Characteristics
Early blast beats were generally quite slow and less precise compared to today's standards. Nowadays, a blast beat is normally played in tempos from 180 beats per minute upwards, with so-called "hyper blasts" existing in the range of 250-280 bpm (or even higher). There is also the "gravity blast", not to be confused with the one-handed gravity rollGravity roll
In drumming, a gravity roll is performed by resting the shaft of the drumstick on the rim of the snare drum, while holding the butt. The hand is moved up and down, causing the head of the stick to strike the drum's head once per stroke and the shaft of the drumstick will strike the rim of the drum...
. This technique uses the hand as a fulcrum
Lever
In physics, a lever is a rigid object that is used with an appropriate fulcrum or pivot point to either multiply the mechanical force that can be applied to another object or resistance force , or multiply the distance and speed at which the opposite end of the rigid object travels.This leverage...
, allowing two snare hits with one downward motion (essentially doing the work of two hands with only one).
Typical blast beats consist of 8th-note patterns between both the bass and snare drum alternately, with the hi-hat or the ride synced. Variations exist such as displacing hi-hat/ride, snare and bass drum hits and/or using other cymbals such as splashes, crashes, chinas and even tambourines for accenting, for example when using odd time or playing progressively. While playing 8th or 8th note triplets some drummers choose to play in sync with one foot while others split the 8th notes between both feet.
Different drummers use different foot or hand techniques. Certain drummers, such as George Kollias
George Kollias (drummer)
George Kollias is a Greek heavy metal drummer best known for his work with American death metal band Nile. He is the first of their four drummers to perform every song on more than one full length album...
, prefer to only use one foot while performing blast beats, as it gives them extra precision that is not easily attainable with two feet. Others, such as Trym Torson
Trym Torson
Trym Torson , or just Trym, is a Norwegian drummer, formerly with Zyklon. Torson started playing in the Viking metal band Enslaved and was later invited to play in black metal band Emperor. He co-founded Zyklon together with Emperor member Samoth...
, prefer using two feet, as it gives extra power and allows for playing without triggers. Drummers also will either use their wrists, their fingers, or a combination of both to control their drumsticks.
Examples of the most common blast beats drum tab:
C- x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-| C- x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-| C- x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-| C- x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-| C- xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx-|
S- o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-| S- -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o| S- o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-| S- oooooooooooooooo| S- -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-|
B- o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-| B- o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-| B- oooooooooooooooo| B- o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-| B- o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o--|
Blasts 1), 2), 3) and 5) are mostly used by Derek Roddy
Derek Roddy
Derek Roddy is an American drummer and snake breeder, originally from South Carolina. His ability to record entire drum tracks in one or two takes earned him the nickname "One Take"....
and George Kollias
George Kollias (drummer)
George Kollias is a Greek heavy metal drummer best known for his work with American death metal band Nile. He is the first of their four drummers to perform every song on more than one full length album...
Blast 5) was made extremely famous by drummers like George Kollias (Nile), Pete Sandoval (Morbid Angel), Dave Lombardo (Slayer), Gene Hoglan (Death), Chris Adler (Lamb Of God) and many more
The following blast beat examples are used to also create a "melodic" kind of beat. This can be done by alternating between different cymbals to try and replicate the guitar/bass melodies while still keeping that savage metal rhythm. These are mostly used by extreme metal drummers such as George Kollias
George Kollias (drummer)
George Kollias is a Greek heavy metal drummer best known for his work with American death metal band Nile. He is the first of their four drummers to perform every song on more than one full length album...
and Derek Roddy
Derek Roddy
Derek Roddy is an American drummer and snake breeder, originally from South Carolina. His ability to record entire drum tracks in one or two takes earned him the nickname "One Take"....
C- x----X----+----*-| C- x----X----+----*-|
S- -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-| S- -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-|
B- o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o--| B- oooooooooooooooo-|
Recorded samples of the notated drumtabs