Silvera Tribal Polyrhythm — Mario Duplantier (Gojira) Drum Lick | MetalForge
Learn the Silvera Tribal Polyrhythm drum lick by Mario Duplantier of Gojira. From Silvera (Magma (2016)). "Silvera" from Gojira's 2016 album Magma is one of the band's most propulsive and arresting tracks, ...
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1. Mario Duplantier's Signature Licks — "Silvera" from Gojira's 2016 album Magma is one of the band's most propulsive and arresting tracks, and its main groove section is a concentrated study in how Mario Duplantier uses tribal-influenced polyrhythm as a groove engine. Before the song's blast passages arrive, Duplantier establishes a driving, hypnotic groove that draws on the same tribal percussion sensibility Gojira have woven through their music since From Mars to Sirius — a repeating, slightly displaced kick pattern layered beneath a hi-hat and snare framework that sits differently against the guitar riff than a conventional backbeat would. The effect is of constant forward motion with a slight rhythmic lean at the end of each phrase, as though the groove is perpetually falling into the next bar. Duplantier builds the tribal quality not through a single obvious technique but through the accumulation of small choices: a snare accent slightly earlier than expected, a kick that falls on a subdivision the guitar riff displaces, an accent on the China cymbal that arrives like punctuation at the end of a sentence. The groove functions like a repeated mantra — the same pattern loops with enough regularity to be hypnotic, but the way each kit element relates to the riff creates a sense of rhythmic depth that keeps the pattern from feeling mechanical. What distinguishes this groove from his other Magma performances is its combination of tribal feel and directness: it is heavier and more immediate than his more technically demanding polyrhythmic pieces, making it an excellent entry point into understanding how Duplantier's tribal influences operate within the Gojira sound. For drummers, the "Silvera" tribal groove is a study in how feel and displacement can make a mid-tempo pattern sound more complex than its individual components suggest, and how to sustain rhythmic tension across a looped groove without losing the physicality that makes it work as metal drumming. Practising it builds your ability to place kick displacements precisely and to let a groove accumulate its own weight through repetition.2. Mario Duplantier Profile — Drive the displaced kick pattern so it leans perpetually into the downbeat of the next bar Layer China cymbal accents at phrase endings like rhythmic punctuation marks Keep the hi-hat pattern even and consistent so the displaced elements stand out clearly Let the groove loop long enough to feel hypnotic before transitioning — do not cut it short Maintain the tribal lean without rushing — the rhythmic tension comes from feel, not speed
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