# How to Sound Like Tim Yeung — Morbid Angel Death Metal Drum Sound Guide

**Drummer:** Tim Yeung  
**Band:** Morbid Angel  
**Genre:** Death Metal / Technical Death Metal  
**Guide URL:** https://metalforge.io/guides/how-to-sound-like-tim-yeung

## Overview

Tim Yeung is one of death metal's most technically accomplished drummers, known for extreme blast beat tempos and precision double bass technique across Morbid Angel, Hate Eternal, and Divine Heresy. He joined Morbid Angel ahead of Illud Divinum Insanus (2011) and remains the band's drummer through Kingdoms Disdained (2017) and beyond — maintaining the legacy of a band that helped invent technical death metal.

What makes Yeung's speed sustainable rather than just impressive is that it's built on relaxation and rebound efficiency, not muscular tension. At 250 BPM, 16th-note patterns arrive faster than muscle strength alone can sustain across a full set — the solution is letting the stick or beater return via its own momentum before applying the next stroke, a principle borrowed from rudiment-based technique training and scaled to extreme tempos.

## Kit Setup

Yeung plays a **Pearl Reference Masters** kit with maple/mahogany hybrid shells:

- **Kick Drums:** 22" x 18" Bass Drums (x2, double kick)
- **Snare:** 14" x 6.5" Pearl Free-Floating / Sensitone Snare
- **Rack Toms:** 10", 12"
- **Floor Toms:** 16", 18"
- **Cymbals:** Sabian AAX/HHX Series — 14" AAX hi-hats, 16"/18" AAX crashes, 20" HHX ride, 18" AAX china
- **Pedals:** DW 9002 Double Bass Pedal
- **Sticks:** Vic Firth 5B
- **Heads:** Remo Powerstroke 3 (kick), Remo Coated Ambassador (snare), Remo Emperor Coated (toms)

## Tuning & Setup

Yeung tunes for clean articulation at extreme tempo — every kick, snare, and hi-hat stroke needs to register as a discrete event even at 250+ strokes per minute:

- **Kick:** Medium-firm tension with ported resonant head and minimal internal dampening. A focused attack keeps double-kick strokes distinct without boom that blurs fast patterns.
- **Snare:** Medium-bright tension, minimal muffling. Bright tuning ensures cut through down-tuned guitar frequencies at blast tempo.
- **Toms:** Medium tension, light muffling. Emperor Coated heads add durability while keeping toms responsive for transitional fills.

## Technique Tips

Yeung's approach differs from power-based blasters in a fundamental way: he generates extreme speed through **eliminating wasted motion** rather than applying more muscular effort. His double bass technique is built on the same rebound-driven principle.

**Signature patterns:**

- **Relaxed High-Speed Blast (250–280 BPM, Advanced):** Achieved by eliminating wasted motion rather than hitting harder. Play a blast at comfortable tempo and consciously relax grip and shoulders before increasing speed.
- **Rebound-Driven Double Bass (200–240 BPM, Advanced):** Relies on the pedal's own mechanical rebound rather than driving each stroke with leg force. Practice single strokes on a double pedal letting the beater return on its own spring.
- **Sustained Tempo Consistency (Variable, Advanced):** Blast beats hold identical tempo and articulation from the first bar to the last. Record 3 minutes of blasting and compare the first and last 10 seconds for drift.

**Key songs to study:** *Too Extreme!* (Illud Divinum Insanus, Morbid Angel, 2011) · *Kingdoms Disdained* (Kingdoms Disdained, Morbid Angel, 2017) · *I, Monarch* (I, Monarch, Hate Eternal, 2005) · *Fury & Flames* (Fury & Flames, Hate Eternal, 2008)

## Gear Shopping List

| Item | Yeung's Spec | Budget Alternative |
|------|-------------|-------------------|
| Drum Kit | Pearl Reference Masters | Pearl Export (~$750) |
| Snare | Pearl Free-Floating/Sensitone 14" x 6.5" | Any steel-shell snare, medium-bright tuning |
| Cymbals | Sabian AAX/HHX Series | Sabian SBR Pack + extra crash (~$200) |
| Pedal | DW 9002 Double Bass Pedal | DW 3000 Double Pedal (~$150) |
| Sticks | Vic Firth 5B | Promark 5B or Vater Fatback |
| Kick Head | Remo Powerstroke 3 | Same, ported resonant |

**Starter budget path (~$1,100):** Pearl Export + Sabian SBR pack + DW 3000 double pedal. See [/brands/pearl](https://metalforge.io/brands/pearl) and [/brands/sabian](https://metalforge.io/brands/sabian).

## Practice Routine

1. **Relaxation-Under-Speed Drill (15 min daily):** Play a blast at comfortable tempo, consciously release tension in grip and shoulders, increase tempo only once relaxed.
2. **Rebound Double Bass Drill (15 min daily):** Single strokes on a double pedal, letting the beater's rebound bring it back rather than pulling the foot back.
3. **3-Minute Consistency Check (10 min daily):** Record 3 minutes of continuous blasting and compare the first and last 10 seconds for drift.

**Common mistakes:** Chasing top speed through muscular tension instead of rebound efficiency; pulling the foot back on double bass instead of letting the pedal rebound; practicing only short sprints instead of testing sustained consistency; over-muffling the kick drum.

## FAQ

**Q: Who is the current Morbid Angel drummer?**  
A: Tim Yeung has drummed for Morbid Angel since the lead-up to Illud Divinum Insanus (2011) and remains the band's drummer through Kingdoms Disdained (2017) and beyond.

**Q: How fast does Tim Yeung play?**  
A: Yeung's blast beats are documented in the 200–280 BPM range, among the fastest in death metal, built on relaxed, rebound-efficient technique rather than muscular power striking.

**Q: What kit and cymbals does Tim Yeung use?**  
A: Yeung plays a Pearl Reference Masters kit with maple/mahogany hybrid shells and a double 22" x 18" bass drum configuration. His cymbals are Sabian AAX and HHX series. He uses a DW 9002 double bass pedal and Vic Firth 5B sticks.

**Q: How to play blast beats at 280+ BPM like Tim Yeung?**  
A: Start with the Relaxation-Under-Speed drill — play a blast at comfortable tempo while releasing tension, then increase tempo only once relaxed. Extreme speed comes from eliminating wasted motion, not hitting harder.

**Q: What should I practice first to sound like Tim Yeung?**  
A: Build the Rebound Double Bass drill first — single strokes on a double pedal, letting the beater's own rebound bring it back. Consistency and relaxation at moderate tempo are the foundation his extreme speed is built on.

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**Full interactive guide:** [https://metalforge.io/guides/how-to-sound-like-tim-yeung](https://metalforge.io/guides/how-to-sound-like-tim-yeung)  
**Drummer profile:** [https://metalforge.io/drummer/tim-yeung](https://metalforge.io/drummer/tim-yeung)  
**Related album article:** [Tim Yeung's Drum Kit & Gear Setup — Morbid Angel Death Metal](https://metalforge.io/articles/tim-yeung-drum-setup)  
**Related guides:** [Pete Sandoval](https://metalforge.io/llms/guides/how-to-sound-like-pete-sandoval.md) · [George Kollias](https://metalforge.io/llms/guides/how-to-sound-like-george-kollias.md)

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