Blast beat

A blastbeat is a drum technique often used in extreme metal .

technology

It consists of a series of hits with the big drum (bass drum), small drum (snare) and cymbal (hi-hat / ride), the sound of which is usually intended to imitate the intensity of a machine gun. Double bass playing is often used to intensify the effect.

Blast beats are usually played at a tempo of 180 bpm and up, often much faster. A typical blast beat consists of alternating sixteenth notes played on the bass drum and the snare drum, accompanied by eighth notes on a cymbal (usually hi-hat or ride cymbal ) parallel to the bass drum.

Due to the high tempo and the frequent use of double bass, precisely executed blastbeats represent a great physical strain for drummers at the beginning and therefore require a lot of practice to master this technique. There are several techniques for playing a blast beat. One way to play a fast blast beat is to take advantage of the rebound. You can either play with your wrist or just with your fingers. However, some drummers believe that using the fingers is less of a strain on the wrist. Only the drummer can decide which technique is better.

The technique is often used to create a powerful ending, but it can also often be the basis or most of an entire song. The blastbeat is especially widespread in Death Metal , Black Metal and Grindcore and is usually one of the defining elements for the aggressive and fast character of these musical styles. The blastbeat is a fundamental part of almost all extreme metal styles. Bands such as Napalm Death , Dying Fetus and Dark Funeral , along with countless other bands, make extensive use of it.

An example of a very simple blast beat is Transilvanian Hunger from the black metal band Darkthrone , where the big drum is played continuously and the hi-hat and snare drum alternate with each hit. The repetitive drum pattern in ⁴ / ₄ -Stroke runs through the entire song.

"Northern Hyperblast" , typical drum pattern in Kataklysm. Audio sample (MIDI) ^{? / i}

The French-Canadian death metal band Kataklysm is known for their very own blastbeat style, which they call "Northern Hyperblast" . The bass drum and hi-hat hits are performed on the quarters, the snare drum hits consistently on sixteenths. In technical jargon, the technology required for this is also referred to as "One Handed Roll" or "Single Handed Roll" and can be carried out with or without contact between the stick and the snare rim.

origin

Well-known musicians who use the blastbeat in their music include Charlie Benante from Stormtroopers of Death , Mick Harris from Napalm Death and Eric Castro from Nausea . The name blastbeat first appeared around 1985 when Eric Castro, the drummer of the band Majesty (the predecessor band of Nausea), used the pseudonym “Dr. Blastbeat ”.

The oldest recording of a blast beat is said to be in the song From What I See by the American hardcore band Heart Attack from January 1983.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Ingo: Kataklysm - The Prophecy ( Memento of the original from October 24, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . 
2. ↑ goodbadmusic.com: "HEART ATTACK- Keep your Distance 12" EP (Serious Clown, USA, 1983) ", June 2008