Death Metal MIDI Pack – Blast Beats & Old School Grooves | Loudstakk

What is your approach to Death Metal drumming?

"To me, Death Metal drumming is all about serving the riff. It’s the relentless machine-gun pulse that locks in with the guitar and bass to drive the entire onslaught forward—especially in the faster material.

That said, Death Metal can take many forms. It can be stripped-down and raw, hyper-technical, chaotic, or surgically precise. With this pack, I aimed to cover all four approaches—giving you a toolkit that reflects the full spectrum of the genre’s drumming possibilities."

Which drummers inspired you?

"Pete Sandoval and Zbigniew "Inferno" Promiński have both developed highly distinctive styles that undoubtedly influenced my approach. Their commanding presence behind the kit is something I deeply respect. Dave Culross brings a different dimension—his ability to create space between hits while still keeping things busy is incredibly effective and often overlooked.

Of course, you can’t talk about Death Metal drumming without mentioning Paul Mazurkiewicz. His raw, chaotic, and pioneering style helped define the genre in its formative years.

From the more modern, technically-driven side of the spectrum, names like Alan Cassidy, Lord Marco, George Kollias, and Kevin Paradis are always in the back of my mind—especially when pushing tempos into the upper BPM range with precise, surgical execution."

How did the idea for a MIDI Groove pack come around?

"There are plenty of great MIDI packs out there for Death Metal—but I often found they felt too tied to the original songs they were designed for. Trying to break out new riffs with those grooves sometimes felt limiting, like you were stuck working around someone else's structure instead of building your own.

I also think there's a lot more to Death Metal drumming than just blast beats. Sure, they're essential—but groove, dynamics, and variation are just as important. That’s why I wanted to create a pack that covers a broad range of patterns, so you can spend less time programming and more time writing. And let’s be honest, most programmed beats get altered anyway.

This pack has a ton of variety—and yes, it includes plenty of blast beats. Maybe even too many. I actually ran out of names for them halfway through."

Who should use MIDI Groove packs?

"These grooves are built first and foremost as songwriting tools—meant to get ideas moving quickly without the grind of programming every beat by hand. Whether you're writing riffs, producing content, rehearsing for tour, or just jamming after work, the goal is the same: stay in the creative flow.

They're not meant to replace your drummer—but they will make a much more inspiring click track."