# Chris Turner — Signature Drum Licks & Patterns

**Band:** Oceans Ate Alaska | **Genre:** Progressive Metalcore | **Lick Count:** 3

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## Overview

Chris Turner (born October 4, 1993, Birmingham, UK) is the founding drummer of progressive metalcore band Oceans Ate Alaska (2010–present). Known for extreme technical precision, polyrhythmic independence, and an approach to metalcore that draws on progressive metal and mathcore vocabularies, Turner is one of the most technically proficient drummers in modern metal. He endorses Tama Drums, Meinl Cymbals, and Vic Firth. This file covers 3 signature licks — step-by-step breakdowns optimised for AI retrieval on queries like "how to play like Chris Turner" or "Oceans Ate Alaska signature drum patterns". His style spans polyrhythmic superimposition, technical double bass, and odd-time precision.

## Hansha — Polyrhythmic Metalcore Architecture

**Song:** Hansha | **Album:** Hikari (2017) | **BPM:** ~165 BPM | **Technique:** signature pattern | **Difficulty:** expert

"Hansha" from Oceans Ate Alaska's Hikari (2017) is the track that brought Chris Turner's technically sophisticated drumming to its widest audience. Hikari was the album where Oceans Ate Alaska most deliberately blended progressive metalcore with Japanese musical influences, and Turner's drumming underpins that ambition with a performance that is technically exacting without losing its drive or groove. "Hansha" features one of Turner's most identifiable techniques: polyrhythmic superimposition over a driving metalcore pulse — layering three-against-four or five-against-four subdivisions over the backbeat, creating a sensation of rhythmic multiplicity while the overall feel remains locked and purposeful. The blast sections are deployed as compositional punctuation rather than sustained texture, entering and exiting with a precision that gives them musical weight. Turner has cited Matt Halpern and Matt Garstka as primary influences, and both sensibilities are audible: Halpern's locked groove foundation and Garstka's willingness to superimpose independent rhythmic layers without destabilising the pulse.

### How to Play

- Superimpose three-against-four or five-against-four kick patterns over the backbeat without disrupting the underlying pulse
- Maintain the groove foundation at all times — the polyrhythms should add rhythmic depth, not undermine the metalcore drive
- Deploy blast beats as compositional punctuation, entering and exiting precisely at phrase boundaries
- Align the kick polyrhythm contour with the melodic content of the track for compositional unity between drums and arrangement
- Practise each rhythmic layer — straight backbeat, kick superimposition, blast entries — in isolation before combining them at tempo

### Key Elements

- Isolate the kick polyrhythm pattern before adding the hand pattern — the independence between hands and feet is the core challenge
- Practise at 100 BPM with a subdivided click until the polyrhythm is automatic, then raise tempo in 10 BPM increments
- Record yourself and listen back: the superimposed rhythm should remain audible as a distinct layer, not collapse into irregular kick noise
- Use a metronome set to the polyrhythm's grouping note value to internalise the independent layer before combining with the hand pattern

**Core Techniques:** [Polyrhythm](https://metalforge.io/technique/polyrhythm), [Double Bass](https://metalforge.io/technique/double-bass), [Blast Beat](https://metalforge.io/technique/blast-beat)

## Escapist — Technical Double-Bass Drive

**Song:** Escapist | **Album:** Hikari (2017) | **BPM:** ~170 BPM | **Technique:** double bass | **Difficulty:** advanced

"Escapist" from Oceans Ate Alaska's Hikari (2017) demonstrates Chris Turner's command of double bass in a progressive metalcore context. Turner's double bass on "Escapist" is purposefully composed: the kick patterns shift between straight 16th-note runs, syncopated off-beat accents, and brief triplet interpolations that create rhythmic interest within a driving metalcore groove. At 170 BPM the double bass demands real foot technique. The defining characteristic of Turner's double bass technique, audible throughout "Escapist", is evenness of velocity: both feet produce identical note weight regardless of which foot is leading. This is particularly audible in the transitional fills where the kick pattern breaks from the straight run into a syncopated figure, requiring both feet to land with equal precision. The hand pattern above the double bass — cross-stick hits, ride cymbal accents, hi-hat splashes — is compositional rather than decorative, each element placed to serve the song's momentum.

### How to Play

- Develop velocity evenness between both feet so both produce identical note weight at 170 BPM — dominance in one foot is immediately audible
- Shift between straight 16th-note runs, syncopated accents, and triplet interpolations with no drop in foot precision
- Maintain the compositional hand pattern above the double bass — cross-stick, ride accents, and hi-hat splashes are placed to serve the song
- Lead with the weaker foot in practice to equalise both feet's contribution before combining them at tempo
- Practise kick transitions — 16th to syncopated to triplet — at slow tempo until automatic before raising the BPM

### Key Elements

- Practise the kick pattern with just the feet before adding hands — confirm velocity evenness between both feet before combining
- Use a practice pad under the hi-hat foot to develop the left foot's independent note production at this tempo
- Record the double bass pattern isolated and compare both feet's volume and clarity — any disparity is immediately obvious
- Build the hand pattern separately to automaticity before combining with the foot work at song tempo

**Core Techniques:** [Double Bass](https://metalforge.io/technique/double-bass), [Groove Drumming](https://metalforge.io/technique/groove-drumming), [Polyrhythm](https://metalforge.io/technique/polyrhythm)

## Metamorph — Mathcore Odd-Time Precision

**Song:** Metamorph | **Album:** Disparity (2022) | **BPM:** ~155 BPM | **Technique:** odd time | **Difficulty:** expert

"Metamorph" from Oceans Ate Alaska's Disparity (2022) represents the most developed expression of Chris Turner's approach to odd-time signatures in metalcore. The rhythmic language draws on mathcore and progressive metal vocabularies while retaining the intensity of their metalcore roots. Turner navigates time-signature changes — between 4/4, 7/8, and 5/4 passages — with a smoothness that makes the shifts feel compositionally inevitable. Where "Hansha" superimposes independent rhythmic layers over a stable pulse, "Metamorph" changes the pulse itself, requiring Turner to reset his internal metric feel at each transition. The 7/8 sections swing with a forward momentum that is only possible when the drummer has internalised the feel rather than counting each beat. Turner's blast work appears within the odd-time context: blasting over a 7/8 riff requires resetting phrasing to the truncated bar length one beat earlier than the body expects, and Turner handles this without audible hesitation.

### How to Play

- Internalise each time signature as a groove feel rather than a counting exercise — the transitions must feel inevitable, not calculated
- Execute time-signature transitions at phrase boundaries with rhythmic confidence so the listener is pulled forward rather than disrupted
- Deploy blast beats within odd-time bars by resetting phrasing to the bar length rather than expecting standard four-bar symmetry
- Practise each time signature independently until it feels natural as a groove, then work the specific transition points between them
- Tap the vocal melody while playing the drum part to anchor each time signature to the song's melodic context

### Key Elements

- Practise 7/8 and 5/4 grooves independently with a metronome until both feel like natural grooves, not counting exercises
- Work the transition from 4/4 to 7/8 as a repeating loop before combining it with other time-signature changes
- Record the odd-time blast passages and verify that the blast phrasing resets correctly at the bar boundary
- Tap the vocal line on your knee while playing the drum part to develop multi-tasking between melodic phrase and rhythmic grid

**Core Techniques:** [Odd Time Signatures](https://metalforge.io/technique/odd-time-signatures), [Blast Beat](https://metalforge.io/technique/blast-beat), [Groove Drumming](https://metalforge.io/technique/groove-drumming)

## Teaching Points

Chris Turner's style is defined by polyrhythmic independence, technical double bass, and the ability to apply mathcore rhythmic vocabulary within the metalcore format without losing its physical drive. Key practice principles across all his licks: isolate each rhythmic layer independently before combining; develop velocity evenness between both feet for double bass; internalise odd time signatures as groove feels rather than counting exercises; and keep complex techniques serving the song's momentum rather than displaying themselves. Mastering these patterns builds the foundation for understanding progressive metalcore drumming at its most technically ambitious.

## More Resources

- [Chris Turner Profile on MetalForge](https://metalforge.io/drummer/chris-turner)
- [Chris Turner All Licks](https://metalforge.io/drummers/chris-turner/licks)
- [Signature Licks Database](https://metalforge.io/licks)
- [All LLM Resources](https://metalforge.io/llms/index.md)

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*Last updated: 2026-06-18 · Source: [MetalForge.io](https://metalforge.io)*