Ragnarok Hybrid Blast Groove — Matt Halpern (Periphery) Drum Lick | MetalForge
Learn the Ragnarok Hybrid Blast Groove drum lick by Matt Halpern of Periphery. From Ragnarok (Periphery II: This Time It's Personal (2012)). "Ragnarok" from Periphery II: This Time It's Personal (2012) contains the most aggressive drumming o...
Gear Deep Dives & Articles
1. Matt Halpern's Signature Licks — "Ragnarok" from Periphery II: This Time It's Personal (2012) contains the most aggressive drumming on the album — a track where Matt Halpern deploys blast beat technique in a distinctly djent context, producing a hybrid approach that does not exist anywhere in traditional death or black metal. The blast sections in "Ragnarok" are not pure symmetrical blasts — they are woven into a groove-oriented framework where Halpern's characteristic riff-locking instincts persist even at maximum intensity, so the blasts never feel random but always land in rhythmic conversation with the guitar.
The defining characteristic of Halpern's hybrid blast approach is the retention of groove elements inside the blast pattern itself. Where a pure metal blast involves kick and snare alternating at maximum speed with the hat riding continuous 16ths or 8ths, Halpern introduces syncopated kick displacement and variable hat work that breaks up the symmetry and introduces djent's stop-start articulation into the blast context. The result sounds simultaneously more intense and more musical than a conventional blast, because the rhythmic detail rewards attention even at extreme speed. This is a fundamentally different approach from the aesthetic of death metal blasting, which prioritises uninterrupted speed above all else.
The transitions between the blast passages and the song's groove sections are equally instructive. Halpern shifts between the two modes without a breakdown or reset — the blast drops directly into a syncopated djent groove and back again, often in a single bar. This demands that the blast pattern be internally organised enough to exit cleanly without losing tempo, which is a different skill from sustaining a blast through a long passage. For drummers, "Ragnarok" develops blast-beat speed and endurance, the ability to retain groove sensibility at extreme tempos, and the transition discipline to move between intensity levels precisely and musically. It is the most demanding piece in Halpern's catalogue from a pure speed standpoint, and one of the most sophisticated in terms of what it does with that speed.2. Matt Halpern Profile — Retain riff-locking instincts inside the blast — syncopate the kick rather than driving symmetrically Introduce variable hi-hat work in the blast to break up symmetry and maintain djent articulation Exit the blast directly into a syncopated groove without a reset bar — the blast must be internally organised Build endurance for clean blast technique at ~200 BPM with short-burst exercises before full-song attempts Track guitar accents with the hands even during the blast to keep the hybrid quality intact
Visit MetalForge →