Painkiller Double-Bass Intro & Assault — Scott Travis (Judas Priest) Drum Lick | MetalForge
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Learn the Painkiller Double-Bass Intro & Assault drum lick by Scott Travis of Judas Priest. From Painkiller (Painkiller (1990)). Scott Travis's debut with Judas Priest on 1990's Painkiller produced one of the most famous drum per...
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1. Scott Travis's Signature Licks — Scott Travis's debut with Judas Priest on 1990's Painkiller produced one of the most famous drum performances in all of metal — the title track's explosive double-bass intro is a rite of passage that drummers worldwide still measure themselves against. "Painkiller" opens with a furious, machine-gun double-bass roll over crashing cymbals that immediately announced a new level of speed and power for Priest, and Travis sustains that intensity through the entire song. His signature is relentless, controlled double bass married to precise, hard-hitting groove: the kick work is blisteringly fast yet even, the backbeat is huge, and the fills are tight bursts that drive the song's aggression. Where earlier Priest drumming was more straight-ahead, Travis brought the speed and technicality of the emerging extreme-metal world while keeping the songs tight and powerful. In the isolated drum track for "Painkiller" you can hear exactly how the part is built — the intro roll, the driving double-bass verses, and the way every fill resolves into the groove. For drummers, "Painkiller" is a benchmark study in fast double bass and high-energy metal drumming: it develops double-bass speed and endurance, a powerful locked-in backbeat, and the coordination to keep fast feet under tight hands. The approach is to build the double-bass intro slowly and evenly, develop the stamina to sustain it across the song, and keep the backbeat heavy and in time. "Painkiller" remains one of metal's ultimate drumming challenges and the definitive showcase of Travis's power.2. Scott Travis Profile — Open with the machine-gun double-bass intro roll over crash cymbals Sustain fast, even double bass through the driving verses Keep a huge, in-time backbeat under the fast feet Play tight fill bursts that resolve straight back into the groove Build the intro roll slowly and evenly before chasing speed
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