In Waves Main Groove Pattern — Nick Augusto (Trivium) Drum Lick | MetalForge
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Learn the In Waves Main Groove Pattern drum lick by Nick Augusto of Trivium. From In Waves (In Waves (2011)). Trivium's 2011 album *In Waves* marked a major turning point for the band — a deliberate return to a...
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1. Nick Augusto's Signature Licks — Trivium's 2011 album *In Waves* marked a major turning point for the band — a deliberate return to a heavier, more aggressive sound after the more melodic and progressive direction of *Shogun* (2008). Nick Augusto, who joined Trivium in 2010 following the departure of Travis Smith, was the architect of that heavier drum vocabulary, and the title track "In Waves" is the clearest statement of his approach. The main groove pattern on "In Waves" operates at approximately 175 BPM and combines elements from two distinct drumming traditions: the ride-driving thrash metal vocabulary that Trivium has always acknowledged as a foundation (Lars Ulrich, Dave Lombardo) and the tighter, more compressed metalcore groove feel of the 2000s American heavy scene (Chris Adler, Joey Jordison). Augusto's synthesis produces a groove that feels simultaneously aggressive and locked — it drives the arrangement without ever sounding loose or casual, with the kick in double-bass mode underneath a consistent ride pattern and the snare marking the second and fourth beats with a focused, attacking tone that sits forward in the mix. The groove's character comes significantly from Augusto's snare attack: where many metalcore drummers of his era used a slightly softer approach to let the snare blend into the arrangement, Augusto hits with a direct, percussive authority that gives each backbeat a distinct physical presence. This is an intentional complement to Trivium's guitar approach, which layers dense rhythm tracks over melodic leads, creating an arrangement that needs a strong rhythmic anchor rather than a pliable groove. The double bass under the main riff operates in a burst pattern — not continuous streams, but rhythmically varied phrases that accent the guitar's heavy downbeats while pulling back slightly on the sustained notes, creating a kick pattern that interacts with the riff rather than simply running underneath it. For drummers, "In Waves" teaches the fundamental metalcore groove skill: constructing a drive-and-lock pattern that serves both the tempo demands of modern metal and the musical requirement for the groove to breathe with the song's arrangement. The practice path runs through isolating the ride pattern first, then adding kick, then integrating the snare at full attack weight — building layers rather than playing the full pattern at once.2. Nick Augusto Profile — Drive the groove from the ride cymbal with a consistent, forward-leaning attack — the ride texture sets the metalcore-meets-thrash hybrid feel Fire the kick in riff-accent bursts rather than continuous double bass to create rhythmic interaction with the guitar rather than a static bed Hit the snare backbeat with direct percussive authority rather than blending into the arrangement — the snare is the groove's anchor Keep the ride hand locked into the tempo even as the kick pattern varies between burst and continuous double bass Build the groove in layers: ride first, then kick, then snare — adding each limb cleanly before introducing the next
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