Keep Away Groove Lock & Fill Cascade — Shannon Larkin (Godsmack) Drum Lick | MetalForge
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Learn the Keep Away Groove Lock & Fill Cascade drum lick by Shannon Larkin of Godsmack. From Keep Away (Godsmack (1998)). "Keep Away" from Godsmack's self-titled 1998 debut is a cornerstone of their live set, and Shannon L...
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1. Shannon Larkin's Signature Licks — "Keep Away" from Godsmack's self-titled 1998 debut is a cornerstone of their live set, and Shannon Larkin — who joined the band in 2002 and has performed the song hundreds of times in arenas worldwide — has made it one of the signature grooves of his tenure. His live interpretation, heavier and more orchestrated than the original recording, has become the version audiences associate with the track. The groove is a textbook example of what Larkin calls groove lock: the kick, snare, and hi-hat form a tight, almost hypnotic pattern that meshes with the main riff with mechanical precision, and within that locked grid his ghost notes on the snare add motion and texture without disturbing the pocket's authority. The verse groove settles into the riff with a deep, unhurried feel — Larkin sits slightly behind the beat, which gives the riff extra heaviness by creating a sense of controlled downward pressure rather than frantic forward momentum. The chorus opens into a heavier, more driven variant with snare cracks that hit like a battering ram, and Larkin's fill cascade between the main sections is one of the most-cited examples of his signature build-and-release approach: a rapid, fluid sweep around the kit that resolves back into the pocket with the inevitability of a snapped elastic band. What distinguishes his take on "Keep Away" is the ghost note pattern under the verse groove — barely audible in the mix, they give the groove a constant undercurrent of motion that propels the song without adding visible complexity. This is a transferable skill in all hard rock and heavy metal drumming: the ability to keep a groove moving internally while the surface stays heavy and still. For drummers, "Keep Away" teaches pocket discipline, ghost note control under a dominant backbeat, and the kinetic precision of a fill cascade that flows naturally from the groove rather than interrupting it. Learning Larkin's approach here forces you to slow down and listen to how the kick and snare relate to the guitar riff — one of the most important skills in heavy rock drumming.2. Shannon Larkin Profile — Lock the kick and snare into the guitar riff with a deep, slightly behind-the-beat feel Layer ghost notes on the snare under the verse groove for internal motion without breaking the pocket Plant chorus backbeats with maximum authority to signal the dynamic shift Execute a rapid, fluid fill cascade between sections that flows back into the groove seamlessly Hold the settled feel across the verse rather than rushing into the fills
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