Panic Attack Double Bass Assault — Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater) Drum Lick | MetalForge
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Learn the Panic Attack Double Bass Assault drum lick by Mike Portnoy of Dream Theater. From Panic Attack (Octavarium (2005)). "Panic Attack" from Dream Theater's 2005 album Octavarium opens with one of the most recognisable do...
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1. Mike Portnoy's Signature Licks — "Panic Attack" from Dream Theater's 2005 album Octavarium opens with one of the most recognisable double-bass introductions in modern progressive metal, and it showcases the heavier, more aggressive side of Mike Portnoy's playing. The track begins with a relentless wall of sixteenth-note kick drums under a driving guitar riff, and Portnoy has to sustain that double-bass intensity while accenting the riff's rhythmic hits with his hands. It is a demanding feat of foot endurance and coordination: the legs have to keep a fast, even stream of notes flowing while the upper body locks in syncopated crashes and snare accents that punch alongside the guitar. As the song develops it moves through several riff-based sections, some in straight four and others in odd groupings, and Portnoy threads his powerful fills through the transitions to keep the momentum surging. What makes the part such a valuable study is the combination of stamina, precision and groove — fast double bass is easy to play sloppily, but here every kick note has to be even and articulate or the riff loses its menace. Developing drummers who tackle this song build serious foot technique, learning to keep the ankles relaxed so the pedals rebound naturally rather than fighting the beater, and to coordinate driving feet with accented hands. The tempo around 175 BPM leaves no room for tension, so it is also a lesson in playing fast while staying loose. Studying "Panic Attack" pushes your double-bass endurance, your hand-foot coordination and your ability to lock heavy accents to a riff at speed. It is the perfect counterpart to Portnoy's more cerebral odd-time epics, proving he can deliver pure aggressive power when the song demands it. If your double bass tends to fall apart at speed, this intro is the ideal diagnostic: get it sounding even and confident here and the technique will hold up across almost anything else in the metal repertoire.2. Mike Portnoy Profile — Sustain an even stream of sixteenth-note double bass under the opening riff at tempo Lock syncopated crash and snare accents to the guitar hits with the hands while the feet keep driving Keep the ankles relaxed so the pedals rebound naturally rather than fighting the beater Thread powerful fills through the section transitions without dropping the double-bass momentum Stay loose at ~175 BPM — tension is the enemy of clean, fast feet
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