Spread Your Fire Speed Groove — Aquiles Priester (Angra) Drum Lick | MetalForge
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Learn the Spread Your Fire Speed Groove drum lick by Aquiles Priester of Angra. From Spread Your Fire (Temple of Shadows (2004)). "Spread Your Fire" from Temple of Shadows is one of Aquiles Priester's most celebrated performances ...
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1. Aquiles Priester's Signature Licks — "Spread Your Fire" from Temple of Shadows is one of Aquiles Priester's most celebrated performances — a song at which he has played many times in live contexts and drum clinic settings, and which showcases his ability to maintain blazing speed while keeping the music groovy, melodic, and musical. At around 182 BPM, the song demands the fast, even double bass that Priester is famous for, but what elevates the performance above a simple speed exercise is how he phrases the groove: the hi-hat and ride patterns breathe, the fills are musically placed, and the whole thing swings at a level that very few drummers can match at this tempo. Priester has spoken about the importance of relaxation and efficiency — at high speed, any tension in the body rapidly leads to breakdown, and the ability to play "Spread Your Fire" at full concert intensity night after night requires the kind of relaxed, repeatable technique he spent years building in Hangar before joining Angra. In his official drum performance video for the song — presented by TVMaldita, one of the key channels for documenting his playing — you can study his technique directly: the foot action, the hand-foot coordination, and the way he shapes the dynamic of the song with his body rather than fighting the tempo. For drummers, "Spread Your Fire" is the definitive Aquiles Priester study: it develops extreme-tempo double bass, fast right-hand hi-hat or ride, and the relaxed technique needed to make high-speed playing feel like a groove rather than a sprint. The approach is to build the double bass to tempo in stages, maintain complete relaxation throughout, and only push the speed once the current tempo feels effortless — the same philosophy Priester himself advocates.2. Aquiles Priester Profile — Maintain blazing double-bass speed while keeping the groove musical and phrased Relax the entire body — tension at high speed leads to rapid breakdown Use hi-hat and ride patterns that breathe rather than simply time-keeping Shape the dynamic of the song with the body, not by fighting the tempo Build to full speed in stages; only push once the current tempo feels effortless
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