Means To An End Groove — Eloy Casagrande (Sepultura) Drum Lick | MetalForge
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Learn the Means To An End Groove drum lick by Eloy Casagrande of Sepultura. From Means To An End (Quadra (2020)). "Means To An End" is one of the standout singles from Sepultura's 2020 album Quadra, and the drum ca...
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1. Eloy Casagrande's Signature Licks — "Means To An End" is one of the standout singles from Sepultura's 2020 album Quadra, and the drum cam Eloy Casagrande released for it became a viral demonstration of modern groove-metal drumming. Casagrande, who later joined Slipknot, built his reputation on a rare combination of brute power and surgical precision, and this track puts both on display. The groove is anchored by a driving mid-tempo riff, and rather than simply backing it Casagrande locks his kick drum tightly to the guitar's rhythmic accents, creating that signature Sepultura sense of two instruments moving as one. Over the top he layers crisp, controlled fills and tasteful double-bass runs that fill the gaps without cluttering the pocket. What makes the part instructive is the discipline behind the flash: even his fastest figures are played with even dynamics and immaculate timing, so the groove never loses its weight. The verses sit in a tight pocket that demands relaxed wrists and a strong backbeat, while the heavier sections open into bursts of double bass and syncopated accents that lock the whole band together. For developing drummers the lesson is in marrying power with control — Casagrande hits hard but never sacrifices timing or evenness, which is exactly what separates a great groove-metal drummer from a merely loud one. Studying this song builds your ability to lock kick patterns to a riff, to drop clean fills inside a tight pocket, and to deploy double bass as an accent rather than a constant. It is a perfect modern example of how the Sepultura groove tradition has evolved, and a showcase of why Casagrande is considered one of the most exciting metal drummers of his generation. The biggest takeaway is that controlled power always reads as heavier than uncontrolled speed, so chasing evenness and timing here will make every groove you play hit noticeably harder.2. Eloy Casagrande Profile — Lock the kick drum tightly to the guitar riff so drums and guitar move as one Hold a tight verse pocket with relaxed wrists and a strong, consistent backbeat Drop clean, evenly-played fills into the gaps without cluttering the groove Deploy double-bass bursts as accents in the heavier sections rather than running them constantly Keep every fast figure even in dynamics so the groove never loses its weight
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