1000hp Double-Bass Gallop — Shannon Larkin (Godsmack) Drum Lick | MetalForge
Learn the 1000hp Double-Bass Gallop drum lick by Shannon Larkin of Godsmack. From 1000hp (1000hp (2014)). "1000hp" is the title track from Godsmack's 2014 album and one of the clearest showcases of Shannon ...
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1. Shannon Larkin's Signature Licks — "1000hp" is the title track from Godsmack's 2014 album and one of the clearest showcases of Shannon Larkin's double-bass technique in the modern era of the band's catalogue. The song is a hard-driving, energetic hard rock track built around a relentless double-bass gallop that propels the riff forward with the momentum of a racing engine. Larkin's double-bass technique on this track is not the extreme-metal style of pure speed execution — it is a hard rock gallop with a distinctly heavy rock feel: slightly more relaxed than thrash, but with enough power and drive to lock the arrangement into a forward motion that never lets up. The main groove runs at approximately 135 BPM with a straight-eighth double-bass pattern that alternates cleanly between the feet, giving the song's main riff a locomotive quality that drives the verse and chorus with equal authority. What makes Larkin's execution distinctive is his ability to maintain an even, powerful kick sound across both feet — many hard rock drummers have a dominant-foot bias that creates unevenness in the pattern, but Larkin's double-bass playing is balanced and clean, each stroke speaking with equal weight. The fills that interrupt the gallop pattern are decisive and short, designed to signal section changes without breaking the forward momentum of the kick groove, and Larkin deploys them with the confidence of a drummer who knows exactly how each fill will land in the arrangement. For drummers, "1000hp" is an ideal study in hard rock double-bass playing: it develops foot evenness and stamina at a tempo demanding enough to be challenging without requiring the extreme-metal speed of thrash or death metal. The groove is accessible to intermediate players with some double-bass experience while offering experienced players a chance to work on the feel and weight of their kick patterns in a straight-ahead hard rock context. Learning it builds the even, powerful double-bass technique that is directly transferable to any heavy rock or metal context where sustained kick-pattern playing is required.2. Shannon Larkin Profile — Drive the double-bass gallop with even pressure and weight from both feet Keep the kick pattern locked to the guitar riff's rhythmic pulse for maximum riff-lock Maintain a balanced, equal sound between both feet — avoid dominant-foot bias Deploy fills at section changes that are short and decisive, re-entering the gallop cleanly Build stamina at 135 BPM before attempting extended run-throughs of the full arrangement
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