The Bad Thing Double-Bass Assault — Matt Halpern (Periphery) Drum Lick | MetalForge
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Learn the The Bad Thing Double-Bass Assault drum lick by Matt Halpern of Periphery. From The Bad Thing (Juggernaut: Alpha (2015)). "The Bad Thing" from Periphery's 2015 album Juggernaut: Alpha is one of Matt Halpern's most relentle...
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1. Matt Halpern's Signature Licks — "The Bad Thing" from Periphery's 2015 album Juggernaut: Alpha is one of Matt Halpern's most relentless and technically demanding performances, a track that fuses the band's djent foundations with thrash-like aggression and intricate rhythmic detail. From the outset it is a barrage of fast double-bass, jagged syncopation and abrupt metric shifts, and Halpern executes all of it with the surgical precision and physical power that define his style. The song's signature challenge is sustained kick-drum endurance married to constant riff-locking: the feet have to stay even and fast for long stretches while the hands track the guitars' stop-start phrasing and punctuate it with sharp accents. Unlike a straightforward speed workout, "The Bad Thing" keeps changing — sections lurch into new groupings, breakdowns drop into half-time, and fills erupt and resolve in tight, deliberate bursts — so a player has to stay mentally locked to the arrangement, never coasting on autopilot. What makes Halpern's approach so instructive is that even at full intensity the groove never sounds frantic; every note is placed, the dynamics are controlled, and the pocket holds firm beneath the chaos. For drummers, this is a high-level study in double-bass stamina, syncopation reading and the coordination required to track a deliberately disorienting riff while keeping beat one secure. Learning it builds raw foot speed and evenness, the discipline to follow complex arrangements, and the precision to make aggressive playing sound tight rather than sloppy. It is a demanding piece that rewards slow, methodical practice — breaking the metric shifts into small chunks and building tempo gradually is the only sustainable path through it. Because Halpern filmed a clear drum playthrough of the song, the stickings, foot patterns and section transitions are documented in detail, giving advanced players a reliable map for one of modern metal's most punishing grooves. It is a benchmark for anyone chasing serious djent and progressive-metal chops.2. Matt Halpern Profile — Hold fast, even double-bass through long, demanding stretches Track the guitars stop-start phrasing and punctuate it with sharp accents Navigate the abrupt metric shifts without losing beat one Drop cleanly into the half-time breakdowns and back into double-time Place every fill deliberately and resolve it tight on the beat
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