Escapist — Technical Double-Bass Drive — Chris Turner (Oceans Ate Alaska) Drum Lick | MetalForge
VIDEO
Learn the Escapist — Technical Double-Bass Drive drum lick by Chris Turner of Oceans Ate Alaska. From Escapist (Hikari (2017)). "Escapist" from Oceans Ate Alaska's Hikari (2017) demonstrates Chris Turner's command of double bass...
Gear Deep Dives & Articles
1. Chris Turner's Signature Licks — "Escapist" from Oceans Ate Alaska's Hikari (2017) demonstrates Chris Turner's command of double bass in a progressive metalcore context. Where many metalcore drummers use double bass as a straightforward 16th-note stream beneath riffs, Turner's double bass on "Escapist" is purposefully composed: the kick patterns shift between straight 16th-note runs, syncopated off-beat accents, and brief triplet interpolations that create rhythmic interest within what is fundamentally a driving metalcore groove. At 170 BPM, the double bass demands real foot technique — the Speed Cobra's sensitivity and Turner's Moeller-influenced foot approach allow him to maintain note clarity at this tempo while the hands handle independent pattern work above. The defining characteristic of Turner's double bass technique, audible throughout "Escapist", is evenness of velocity: both feet produce identical note weight regardless of which foot is leading. Many drummers develop a dominant foot that is louder and more precisely timed than the weaker foot — Turner has clearly invested in independence training that equalises both feet's contribution. This is particularly audible in the transitional fills where the kick pattern breaks from the straight run into the syncopated figure, and both feet need to land with equal precision to make the accent pattern clear. The hand pattern above the double bass on "Escapist" is characteristically Turner: cross-stick hits on the snare that shift position within the beat, ride cymbal accents that reinforce the melodic phrase structure, and hi-hat splashes that add texture at phrase transitions. None of these elements are decorative — they are compositional, each placed to serve the song's momentum. For drummers developing double bass technique for progressive metalcore, "Escapist" is an ideal study piece: the kick work is technically demanding without being extreme, the velocity evenness requirement is immediately audible on recording, and the hand-independence demands are achievable with focused practice.2. Chris Turner Profile — Develop velocity evenness between both feet so both produce identical note weight at 170 BPM — dominance in one foot is immediately audible Shift between straight 16th-note runs, syncopated accents, and triplet interpolations with no drop in foot precision Maintain the compositional hand pattern above the double bass — cross-stick, ride accents, and hi-hat splashes are placed to serve the song Lead with the weaker foot in practice to equalise both feet's contribution before combining them at tempo Practise kick transitions — 16th to syncopated to triplet — at slow tempo until automatic before raising the BPM
Visit MetalForge →