Blast beats do not have to be precise
One type of rhythm, like “8th note rock feel” or “swing”, is the blast beat.
You can often hear it in death metal and grindcore.
It is thought that “Repulsion” was the first band to use the blast beat in heavy metal.
But, the detailed origin is not known.
Now, rhythm is a very important element that must be precise.
A band with a rickety rhythm section is no good, no matter how good the guitars are.
It should be a matter of course, but there is an exception.
It is the blast beat.
Blast beats do not have to be precise.
It can be precise, but it can also be imprecise.
Either way, if the listener is so exited about its unique blast-like mass of sound, then it’s a done deal.
Strangely enough, there seems to be little relationship between whether or not the listener is exited and whether or not the rhythm is accurate or inaccurate.
This is a different characteristic from that of other rhythm in general.
As soon as the drums come in, I lose track of the beat
Examples are Ken Owen of “Carcass”
and Mick Harris of “Napalm Death”.
Their rhythm are so inaccurate.
As soon as the drums come in, I lose track of the beat.
However, the chaos that suddenly appears as soon as the blast beats start to kick in, excites the listener.
Listening to the two drummers I just mentioned makes me want to go berserk (and sometimes I actually do).
Even though it is super fast, I can clearly distinguish the two sides of the beat
On the other hand, there are blast beats that are very precise but also excites me.
Take Pete Sandoval of “Terrorizer”, for example.
His drumming is very precise, and even though it is super fast, I can clearly distinguish the two sides of the beat.
And this also makes the listeners so exited.
I am a big fan of this strange blast beat.
I am always on the lookout for bands that play good blast beats, but they seem to be few and far between.
Anyone who knows of one, let me know.
November 12,2009 Freakz
(postscript)
Nowadays, with the advancement of technology, inaccurate blast beats are not so common anymore.
Or do they still exist in the underground?
My search for good blast beats continues.
March 14,2022 Freakz
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