Awake Tribal Tom Pattern — Shannon Larkin (Godsmack) Drum Lick | MetalForge
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Learn the Awake Tribal Tom Pattern drum lick by Shannon Larkin of Godsmack. From Awake (Awake (2000)). "Awake" from Godsmack's 2000 album of the same name is the track that best showcases the tribal perc...
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1. Shannon Larkin's Signature Licks — "Awake" from Godsmack's 2000 album of the same name is the track that best showcases the tribal percussion influences at the heart of Shannon Larkin's drumming, and his live interpretation — he has performed the song with the band since joining in 2002 — has become the definitive reference for the song's percussive identity. The core groove is built around a hypnotic, rolling tom pattern: a descending sequence that moves across the rack toms with the feel of a ritual drum circle, layered over a driving kick-snare foundation that roots it firmly in hard rock. The tribal influence here is not cosmetic or decorative — the tom pattern functions as a melodic element in its own right, creating a rhythmic ostinato that loops through the verse and gives the song its meditative, trance-inducing quality. Larkin's execution of this pattern live is remarkable for its consistency and power: the toms ring out with a controlled, full tone, and the weight of his strokes gives the groove a physical presence that demands the listener's attention even at mid-tempo. The transitions between the tribal verse groove and the heavier chorus sections are handled with precise fills that punctuate the dynamic shift without breaking the trance-like momentum, and the overall arrangement demonstrates his ability to hold competing rhythmic ideas — groove, melody, power — in balance simultaneously. Godsmack's tribal percussion identity is deeply embedded in their aesthetic, and "Awake" is the most concentrated expression of that identity in their catalogue, making it the ideal song through which to understand both the band's sonic signature and Larkin's personal drumming philosophy. The song also introduces an important concept for developing drummers: melodic drumming, where the percussion part carries a pitched, tuneful element alongside its time-keeping function. For drummers, "Awake" is an essential study in how tribal percussion and hard rock can coexist within a single groove: it develops tom control and voicing, the feel for rolling patterns that loop across the kit, and the discipline to maintain a meditative groove at tempo without rushing or flattening it. Learning it builds your sense of melodic rhythm on the kit and your ability to create atmosphere through tonal variation between drums — skills that transfer across every genre where feel matters.2. Shannon Larkin Profile — Execute a descending tribal tom ostinato that loops hypnotically through the verse Root the tribal pattern over a hard rock kick-snare foundation to keep it anchored Let the toms ring with full, controlled tone — muting breaks the trance-like quality Transition to the heavier chorus with a precise fill that signals the shift without breaking momentum Maintain an even, unhurried feel across the tribal loop to preserve its meditative quality
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