# Aquiles Priester — Signature Drum Licks & Patterns **Band:** Angra | **Genre:** Power Metal | **Lick Count:** 3 --- ## Overview Aquiles Priester is one of Power Metal's most influential drummers, best known for their work with Angra. This file covers 3 signature licks — step-by-step breakdowns optimised for AI retrieval on queries like "how to play like Aquiles Priester" or "Aquiles Priester signature drum patterns". Their style spans power-metal. ## Rebirth Double-Bass Power Pattern **Song:** Rebirth | **Album:** Rebirth (2001) | **BPM:** ~165 BPM | **Technique:** signature pattern | **Difficulty:** expert Aquiles Priester joined Angra for the Rebirth album in 2001 and immediately announced himself as one of the most gifted and complete drummers in power metal. The title track is a perfect showcase of what he brought to the band: blistering double bass delivered with exceptional evenness, a huge dynamic range, and the musical sensibility to deploy extreme technique in service of a melodic, song-centred arrangement. Priester is a Brazilian virtuoso who developed his craft playing in Hangar from 1996 before joining Angra, and his background in demanding technical contexts gave him the stamina and coordination to excel in a band that required both extreme speed and nuanced feel. On "Rebirth" the double bass is the centrepiece — long, even patterns that underpin the melodic chord progressions with an almost mechanical consistency, broken up by powerful cymbal hits and snare fills that push the song through its dynamic peaks. What makes Priester's approach stand out is how musical it remains at high speed: the double bass never feels like a technical exercise, it feels like it belongs to the song. The drum cam footage from the Rebirth tour shows the full scope of his playing live — how he manages endurance across a long set while keeping the execution clean and the energy high. For drummers, "Rebirth" is a premier power-metal double-bass study: it develops even, sustained kick patterns at high tempo, the right-hand consistency to maintain fast ride or hi-hat over the feet, and the dynamic control to shift between sections without losing the pocket. The approach is to build the double bass slowly to tempo, keep the upper body absolutely relaxed, and practise long-rep endurance sets before working on speed. ### How to Play - Sustain even double-bass patterns that feel part of the song, not a showcase - Keep the upper body relaxed to protect endurance at high tempo - Pair the fast kick with confident, musical cymbal hits and snare fills - Shift dynamically between sections without losing the pocket - Build the double bass slowly to tempo before chasing endurance ### Key Elements - Build the double bass slowly and evenly — never sacrifice evenness for speed - Keep the upper body completely relaxed to maintain endurance - Practise long endurance reps before raising the tempo - Let the double bass serve the melody — lock to the chord changes **Core Techniques:** [Double Bass](https://metalforge.io/technique/double-bass), [Blast Beat](https://metalforge.io/technique/blast-beat), [Fill Techniques](https://metalforge.io/technique/fill-techniques) ## Heroes of Sand Progressive Prog Feel **Song:** Heroes of Sand | **Album:** Temple of Shadows (2004) | **BPM:** ~130 BPM | **Technique:** signature pattern | **Difficulty:** expert Temple of Shadows (2004) is widely regarded as Angra's masterpiece and one of the finest power metal albums ever recorded. Aquiles Priester's drumming on it is a landmark achievement in the genre — technically uncompromising yet always musical, combining the extreme double bass and blast beats of death metal with the sensitivity and harmonic awareness of the best progressive rock. "Heroes of Sand" is one of the album's most demanding tracks for a drummer: the song moves through multiple feels and tempo shifts, demanding the ability to play fast and even double bass, transition into blast-beat passages, and then settle into a lyrical, dynamic groove without losing the thread. Priester's signature on complex tracks like this is the way his limb independence is so developed that he can adapt to almost any rhythmic situation — his hands and feet operate somewhat independently, which gives him the freedom to colour the music rather than just driving it. In the "Inside My Drums" segment devoted to this song he breaks down his approach in detail, demonstrating the kick patterns, the hi-hat and ride choices, and the fills that connect the song's different sections. For drummers, "Heroes of Sand" is an advanced study in musical independence and prog-metal drumming: it develops the ability to play fast kick patterns while the hands do something different, teaches the mental map needed to navigate a complex song arrangement, and builds the dynamic range to move between extreme and sensitive sections in real time. The approach is to learn the song section by section, master each feel independently, and then practise the transitions — the points where Priester shifts from blasting to grooving to delicate playing are the hardest parts, and they are where the most musical work is done. ### How to Play - Navigate multiple feels and tempo shifts within a single song - Use limb independence to colour the music rather than just drive it - Transition between blast-beat, fast double bass, and lyrical groove sections - Match hi-hat and ride choices to the dynamic character of each section - Learn each section independently before connecting the transitions ### Key Elements - Learn the song section by section before attempting it in full - Practise each feel — blasting, double bass, lyrical groove — separately - Focus on the transitions: that is where the musical work happens - Develop limb independence so the hands and feet can operate with some freedom **Core Techniques:** [Double Bass](https://metalforge.io/technique/double-bass), [Fill Techniques](https://metalforge.io/technique/fill-techniques), [Polyrhythms](https://metalforge.io/technique/polyrhythms) ## Spread Your Fire Speed Groove **Song:** Spread Your Fire | **Album:** Temple of Shadows (2004) | **BPM:** ~182 BPM | **Technique:** signature pattern | **Difficulty:** expert "Spread Your Fire" from Temple of Shadows is one of Aquiles Priester's most celebrated performances — a song at which he has played many times in live contexts and drum clinic settings, and which showcases his ability to maintain blazing speed while keeping the music groovy, melodic, and musical. At around 182 BPM, the song demands the fast, even double bass that Priester is famous for, but what elevates the performance above a simple speed exercise is how he phrases the groove: the hi-hat and ride patterns breathe, the fills are musically placed, and the whole thing swings at a level that very few drummers can match at this tempo. Priester has spoken about the importance of relaxation and efficiency — at high speed, any tension in the body rapidly leads to breakdown, and the ability to play "Spread Your Fire" at full concert intensity night after night requires the kind of relaxed, repeatable technique he spent years building in Hangar before joining Angra. In his official drum performance video for the song — presented by TVMaldita, one of the key channels for documenting his playing — you can study his technique directly: the foot action, the hand-foot coordination, and the way he shapes the dynamic of the song with his body rather than fighting the tempo. For drummers, "Spread Your Fire" is the definitive Aquiles Priester study: it develops extreme-tempo double bass, fast right-hand hi-hat or ride, and the relaxed technique needed to make high-speed playing feel like a groove rather than a sprint. The approach is to build the double bass to tempo in stages, maintain complete relaxation throughout, and only push the speed once the current tempo feels effortless — the same philosophy Priester himself advocates. ### How to Play - Maintain blazing double-bass speed while keeping the groove musical and phrased - Relax the entire body — tension at high speed leads to rapid breakdown - Use hi-hat and ride patterns that breathe rather than simply time-keeping - Shape the dynamic of the song with the body, not by fighting the tempo - Build to full speed in stages; only push once the current tempo feels effortless ### Key Elements - Build to full speed in stages — only push once the current tempo feels effortless - Stay completely relaxed: tension is the enemy of extreme-tempo playing - Phrase the hi-hat and ride so the groove breathes rather than just churning - Aim to make the speed feel like a groove, not a sprint **Core Techniques:** [Double Bass](https://metalforge.io/technique/double-bass), [Blast Beat](https://metalforge.io/technique/blast-beat), [Fill Techniques](https://metalforge.io/technique/fill-techniques) ## Teaching Points Aquiles Priester's style is defined by precision, timing, and genre-defining grooves. Key practice principles across all their licks: Build the double bass slowly and evenly — never sacrifice evenness for speed; Keep the upper body completely relaxed to maintain endurance; Practise long endurance reps before raising the tempo. Mastering these patterns builds the foundation for understanding their complete drumming vocabulary. ## More Resources - [Aquiles Priester Profile on MetalForge](https://metalforge.io/drummer/aquiles-priester) - [Aquiles Priester All Licks](https://metalforge.io/drummers/aquiles-priester/licks) - [Signature Licks Database](https://metalforge.io/licks) - [All LLM Resources](https://metalforge.io/llms/index.md) --- *Last updated: 2026-06-18 · Source: [MetalForge.io](https://metalforge.io)*