# How to Sound Like Chris Turner — Oceans Ate Alaska Drum Sound Guide

**Drummer:** Chris Turner  
**Band:** Oceans Ate Alaska  
**Genre:** Progressive Metalcore  
**Guide URL:** https://metalforge.io/guides/how-to-sound-like-chris-turner

## Overview

Chris Turner is the founding drummer of Oceans Ate Alaska, the Birmingham progressive metalcore band whose albums Hikari (2017) and Disparity (2022) placed them at the front of technically sophisticated UK metalcore. Beyond the band's studio work, Turner built a massive following through viral drum playthrough videos that showcase patterns most drummers only attempt in isolated practice rooms.

What separates Turner from a purely technical showcase player is that his complexity always serves the composition. His kick drum work layers independent polyrhythmic subdivisions — three-against-four, five-against-four — beneath patterns that stay locked to the song's pulse, and his blast beats arrive as deliberate punctuation at phrase boundaries rather than sustained texture. He moves through shifting time signatures with a groove-first mentality rather than a counted, academic one.

## Kit Setup

Turner plays a **Tama Starclassic Maple/Birch** kit — the hybrid shell construction combines maple's warmth with birch's focused attack:

- **Kick Drum:** 22" Bass Drum (double pedal configuration)
- **Snare:** 14" x 5.5" Tama S.L.P. G-Maple
- **Rack Toms:** 10", 12"
- **Floor Tom:** 16"
- **Cymbals:** Meinl Byzance Series — Extra Dry crashes and china for immediate attack, Dual hi-hats and ride for tonal versatility
- **Pedals:** Tama Speed Cobra 910 Double Pedal
- **Sticks:** Vic Firth American Classic 5A (standard weight)
- **Heads:** Evans EMAD Coated (kick), Evans (batter and snare side), Evans G2 Coated (toms)

## Tuning & Setup

Turner tunes for fast, clean articulation — every ghost note, cross-stick, and rapid kick subdivision needs to speak clearly and decay quickly:

- **Kick:** Medium-tight tension with a dampening ring or EMAD-style built-in muffling. A controlled, short decay keeps fast polyrhythmic subdivisions defined at 165–170 BPM.
- **Snare:** Medium-high tension, minimal muffling. Fast attack lets ghost notes register at low velocity while rimshots stay explosive.
- **Toms:** Medium tension, light muffling, tuned to specific musical intervals so fast melodic tom runs sound intentional.

## Technique Tips

Turner plays **matched grip** with exceptional hand-foot independence. His double bass technique emphasizes velocity evenness between both feet, and his fills weave ghost notes, cross-sticks, and rimshots into compositional phrases rather than filler.

**Signature patterns:**

- **Polyrhythmic Kick Superimposition (150–175 BPM, Advanced):** Layers 3-against-4 or 5-against-4 kick subdivisions beneath a stable backbeat. Master the backbeat alone first, then add the kick pattern at a slow tempo before speeding up.
- **Velocity-Even Double Bass (160–175 BPM, Advanced):** Both feet trained to identical note weight and timing. Record a single-foot pattern on the weaker foot and drill it in isolation until it matches the dominant foot.
- **Compositional Blast Punctuation (Variable, Advanced):** Blast beats enter and exit at exact phrase boundaries rather than running as sustained texture, including within shifting odd-time bars.

**Key songs to study:** *Sarin* (Hikari, 2017) · *Hansha* (Hikari, 2017) · *Escapist* (Hikari, 2017) · *Paradigm* (Disparity, 2022) · *Metamorph* (Disparity, 2022)

## Gear Shopping List

| Item | Turner's Spec | Budget Alternative |
|------|-------------|-------------------|
| Drum Kit | Tama Starclassic Maple/Birch | Tama Superstar Classic (~$750) |
| Snare | Tama S.L.P. G-Maple 14" x 5.5" | Pearl S.L.P. or DW Performance Maple |
| Cymbals | Meinl Byzance Series (Extra Dry crashes/china) | Meinl HCS Pack + extra crash (~$250) |
| Pedal | Tama Speed Cobra 910 Double | Tama Iron Cobra 200 (~$150) |
| Sticks | Vic Firth American Classic 5A | Promark 5A or Vater 5A |
| Kick Head | Evans EMAD Coated | Remo Powerstroke P3 |

**Starter budget path (~$1,100):** Tama Superstar Classic + Meinl HCS pack + Tama Iron Cobra 200. See [/brands/tama](https://metalforge.io/brands/tama) and [/brands/meinl](https://metalforge.io/brands/meinl).

## Practice Routine

1. **Polyrhythm Layering Drill (20 min daily):** Play a backbeat with your hands at a slow tempo, then add a 3-against-4 kick pattern underneath, counting out loud until it locks in.
2. **Double Bass Evenness Check (15 min daily):** Record a single-stroke double bass roll and listen for volume or timing differences between feet. Isolate and drill the weaker foot daily.
3. **Blast Boundary Placement (15 min daily):** Build an 8-bar sequence — groove, 2 bars of blast, back to groove — and practice landing the entry and exit exactly on the intended beat.

**Common mistakes:** Rushing into polyrhythmic kick patterns before the backbeat is solid; ignoring the weaker foot; using blast beats as sustained texture instead of a precise compositional accent; counting through odd-time signatures instead of feeling their groove.

## FAQ

**Q: What makes Chris Turner's drumming style unique?**  
A: Turner's defining trait is compositional discipline applied to extreme technical complexity. His polyrhythmic kick superimposition layers independent subdivisions beneath a locked backbeat, his double bass is trained for velocity evenness between both feet, and his blast beats are deployed as precise phrase-boundary punctuation rather than sustained intensity.

**Q: What drums and cymbals does Chris Turner use?**  
A: Turner plays a Tama Starclassic Maple/Birch kit with a Tama S.L.P. G-Maple snare for fast attack. His cymbals are Meinl Byzance, with Extra Dry crashes and china for immediate attack and minimal sustain, plus dual-configuration hi-hats and ride. He uses a Tama Speed Cobra 910 double pedal and Vic Firth American Classic 5A sticks.

**Q: How do I get the Oceans Ate Alaska drum sound?**  
A: Tune the kick tight and controlled so fast polyrhythmic subdivisions stay defined, keep the snare fast-attack with minimal muffling for ghost-note clarity, and use Extra Dry-voiced crash cymbals for precise accent placement. Build every complex pattern from a rock-solid backbeat first.

**Q: What Oceans Ate Alaska albums should I study for drumming?**  
A: Hikari (2017) is the essential starting point — "Hansha" for polyrhythmic kick independence and "Escapist" for double bass evenness. Disparity (2022) is more mathcore-influenced, especially "Metamorph," which navigates 4/4, 7/8, and 5/4 with compositional blast placement.

**Q: How does Chris Turner develop such precise double bass control?**  
A: Turner's approach centers on training both feet to identical velocity and timing rather than relying on a dominant foot. Recording single-foot patterns and comparing them side by side reveals imbalances that aren't audible while playing.

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**Full interactive guide:** [https://metalforge.io/guides/how-to-sound-like-chris-turner](https://metalforge.io/guides/how-to-sound-like-chris-turner)  
**Drummer profile:** [https://metalforge.io/drummer/chris-turner](https://metalforge.io/drummer/chris-turner)  
**Related album article:** [Chris Turner's Drum Kit & Gear Setup — Oceans Ate Alaska](https://metalforge.io/guides/chris-turner-drum-setup)  
**Related guides:** [Matt Halpern](https://metalforge.io/llms/guides/how-to-sound-like-matt-halpern.md) · [Matt Garstka](https://metalforge.io/llms/guides/how-to-sound-like-matt-garstka.md)

*Source: [MetalForge.io](https://metalforge.io) · Last updated: 2026-07-01*