Dominate Blast & Double-Bass Onslaught — Pete Sandoval (Morbid Angel) Drum Lick | MetalForge
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Learn the Dominate Blast & Double-Bass Onslaught drum lick by Pete Sandoval of Morbid Angel. From Dominate (Domination (1995)). By the time of 1995's Domination, Pete Sandoval had refined his extreme technique into something eve...
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1. Pete Sandoval's Signature Licks — By the time of 1995's Domination, Pete Sandoval had refined his extreme technique into something even more precise and controlled, and "Dominate" is a showcase of the mature death-metal drumming that influenced an entire generation. The song moves between savage blast-beat sections, pounding double-bass grooves, and tighter mid-tempo passages, and Sandoval ties them together with the locked-in precision that defines his later playing. His signature is the seamless gear-changing: he can erupt into a blast, drop into a double-bass groove that drives the riff, and snap into a half-time breakdown without ever losing the pocket or the song's momentum. In his live drum-cam footage of "Dominate" you can see how efficiently he executes this — economical motion, balanced limbs, and transitions that are tight rather than jarring even at brutal tempos. For drummers, "Dominate" develops the full death-metal toolkit: blast-beat control, fast and even double bass, and the coordination to transition cleanly between blasting, grooving, and breakdown sections. The approach is to isolate each section, get the transitions smooth at a slow tempo, and build speed only once the changes feel effortless — the same disciplined, methodical practice that built Sandoval's command in the first place. As one of his most precise recorded performances, "Dominate" is an essential study in playing extreme metal with both speed and control, and a reminder of why Sandoval remains a benchmark for death-metal drummers.2. Pete Sandoval Profile — Change gears seamlessly between blasts, double-bass grooves and breakdowns Keep transitions tight and intentional even at brutal tempos Drive the riff with a pounding, even double-bass groove Use economical motion and balanced limbs to stay controlled Isolate each section and smooth the transitions before adding speed
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