Twilight of the Thunder God Double Bass Run — Jocke Wallgren (Amon Amarth) Drum Lick | MetalForge
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Learn the Twilight of the Thunder God Double Bass Run drum lick by Jocke Wallgren of Amon Amarth. From Twilight of the Thunder God (Twilight of the Thunder God (2008) — live staple of Wallgren's tenure). "Twilight of the Thunder God" from Amon Amarth's 2008 album of the same name is the band's signature...
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1. Jocke Wallgren's Signature Licks — "Twilight of the Thunder God" from Amon Amarth's 2008 album of the same name is the band's signature live anthem and the track most associated with their global profile — and Jocke Wallgren, who has served as Amon Amarth's drummer since joining in 2016, has made its thunderous double bass passages one of the centrepieces of his live performance legacy. While the studio recording was made by predecessor Fredrik Andersson, Wallgren has performed the song thousands of times across arena and festival stages worldwide, and his live interpretations are documented across extensive concert footage and audio recordings that demonstrate his powerful, groove-anchored approach to the song's double bass demands. The track operates at approximately 162 BPM and features extended double bass runs that drive the song's epic, cinematic momentum, particularly in the main verse and chorus transitions where the kick pattern shifts from a supporting role to a propulsive, forward-driving force that carries the entire rhythmic weight of the arrangement. Wallgren's double bass technique in this track is characterised by the groove-orientation he brings to speed: rather than treating the double bass passages as pure technical displays, he maintains an underlying rhythmic pulse in the patterns that keeps them anchored in the song's feel. His right and left foot alternation is even and authoritative, with consistent attack weight across both pedals — a crucial factor at 162 BPM, where any dynamic imbalance between feet creates an uneven, stuttering texture that undermines the song's anthemic power. The ride cymbal during double bass passages carries a driving quarter-note or eighth-note pattern that provides rhythmic clarity above the kick density, while the snare accent on beats two and four maintains the backbeat anchor that prevents the double bass from consuming the groove entirely. The transitions between the groove-oriented verse sections and the full-drive double bass chorus passages require Wallgren to shift weight from upper-limb-led playing to leg-led playing instantly and without disruption — a physical skill that demands the independence to run double bass and hand patterns simultaneously without either compromising the other. Live, Wallgren sustains this intensity across full-length festival sets where "Twilight of the Thunder God" often serves as the set-closing peak moment, requiring both the physical endurance to execute the double bass accurately after an hour of high-intensity performance and the mental composure to keep the pattern locked during the arena's heightened emotional atmosphere. For drummers, "Twilight of the Thunder God" as performed by Wallgren is the essential melodic death metal double bass study: it develops even alternation at 160+ BPM, the groove-orientation that distinguishes musical double bass from technical exercise, and the independence to maintain clear ride and snare work above a continuous double bass foundation.2. Jocke Wallgren Profile — Alternate both kick pedals evenly at ~162 BPM with identical attack weight on each foot — imbalance between feet creates an uneven texture that undermines the anthemic groove Maintain a driving ride cymbal quarter-note or eighth-note pattern above the double bass to provide rhythmic clarity over the kick density Keep the snare backbeat on beats two and four as a groove anchor throughout double bass passages — the kick and snare work together, not in opposition Shift instantly from upper-limb-led groove sections to leg-led double bass passages without rhythmic disruption — practice the transition point as its own drill Sustain double bass quality across full performance duration by maintaining economy of motion and heel-up technique without tightening the ankle under fatigue
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