Phobophile Gravity Blast Masterclass — Flo Mounier (Cryptopsy) Drum Lick | MetalForge

Name: Flo Mounier (Cryptopsy) - drumtalk [episode 08]
Uploaded: 2024-01-01
Description: Flo Mounier breaks down his extreme drumming approach and gravity-blast technique

Learn the Phobophile Gravity Blast Masterclass drum lick by Flo Mounier of Cryptopsy. From Phobophile (None So Vile (1996)). Cryptopsy's None So Vile (1996) is one of the most influential technical death metal records ever ma...

Gear Deep Dives & Articles

1. Flo Mounier's Signature Licks — Cryptopsy's None So Vile (1996) is one of the most influential technical death metal records ever made, and Flo Mounier's drumming on it — including the notorious "Phobophile" — rewrote what was thought possible behind an extreme-metal kit. Mounier is one of the players most responsible for popularising the gravity blast, a technique where a single hand bounces off the snare drum and rim in a see-saw motion to produce two strokes from one arm movement, effectively doubling the speed of a blast without doubling the effort. On None So Vile this technique appears alongside hyper-fast conventional blasts, intricate double bass, and the jazz-derived phrasing that has always set Mounier apart from his peers. In his drum-clinic breakdowns Mounier teaches exactly how the gravity blast works — the angle of the snare, the pivot of the hand, and how to let rebound do the work rather than muscling each stroke — which is the key to playing it cleanly at the tempos None So Vile demands. For drummers, this is a foundational study in modern extreme drumming: it develops the gravity-blast motion itself, single-stroke blast control, and the relaxation needed to sustain it. The correct approach is slow and mechanical at first — get the see-saw rebound even and consistent at a low tempo before pushing speed, because a rushed gravity blast falls apart instantly. Decades on, "Phobophile" and the rest of None So Vile remain the benchmark for technical death metal, and Mounier's gravity blast is one of the techniques that defined the genre.
2. Flo Mounier Profile — Pivot one hand in a see-saw motion between snare head and rim for two strokes per movement Angle the snare and let rebound drive the second stroke instead of muscling it Keep the conventional blast strokes single and even alongside the gravity sections Stay relaxed so the gravity blast can be sustained at extreme tempo Build the motion slowly and only raise speed once the rebound is consistent

Visit MetalForge →