Post Hardcore MIDI Pack – Chaotic Grooves & Breakdowns | Loudstakk

What is your approach to Post Hardcore drumming?

"Post-Hardcore drumming is all about controlled chaos. You’ve got to hit hard—really hard—but do it with precision and intent. It’s not just bashing the kit; it’s about how you do it: the angle of the stick on the cymbal, the crack of a well-placed rimshot, the weight behind every floor tom hit.

The real challenge? Making loud feel even louder, and somehow turning louder into something soft. You’re constantly balancing aggression with restraint—channeling raw emotion without letting the song fall apart.

It’s a style that demands power, control, and feel—and mastering that balance is no easy task. But when you get it right, there’s nothing like it."

Which drummers inspired you?

"Aaron Gillespie (Underoath) is an obvious mention—the way he absolutely punishes the kit while singing with that level of intensity never stops blowing my mind. Few can match that combination of raw energy and control.

Jon Karel (The Number Twelve Looks Like You) has this unreal drumming presence. Every time I watch him play, it’s equal parts inspiration and despair—because I know I’ll probably never get to that level. His style just has this wild, unpredictable aura that makes the music come alive.

Daniel Pouliot (HORSE the Band) brings a ton of aggression with his footwork alone. His grooves hit hard, and there's this relentless energy in everything he plays—it makes the songs feel like they’re constantly on the edge of collapse in the best way.

And of course, David Sandström (Refused)—you can’t even talk about this genre without bringing up his name. His drumming doesn’t just support the music—it defines the shape of it. Absolute legend."

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

"This one came straight from frustration, adrenaline, and a bit of sore knuckles.

Post-Hardcore has always been one of those genres where you don't just play the drums—you fight them. You’re supposed to hit the kit like it owes you money... but do it with enough finesse that your cymbal angle, rimshots, and ghost notes actually mean something. That balance—between full-on destruction and surgical control—has always been hard to nail. Most of the MIDI packs out there either play it too safe, or turn it into a math exercise. That’s not what this genre is about.

I needed grooves that felt unhinged but intentional. Grooves that breathed during the verse but collapsed with style into the chorus. Something that understood the genre’s core dilemma: make loud feel louder, and make louder feel delicately broken.

So I sat behind the kit and just started playing the way I actually play when writing Post-Hardcore—bashing with feel, placing fills for emotional tension, making sure every hit meant something. I thought about the way Jon Karel moves between chaos and control, how Aaron Gillespie manages to keep everything melodic while destroying the kit and singing at the same time. I kept thinking about how David Sandström’s playing doesn’t just support Refused’s sound—it shapes it.

The result? A pack that doesn’t try to be perfect—it just feels real. For songwriters, producers, and riff builders who don’t want to overthink it, but still want that edge. If you’re trying to write songs that bleed a little bit—and move a lot—this one’s for you."

Who should use MIDI Groove packs?

"This pack is made for songwriters who live in the in-between—the space where melody collides with chaos, and drums carry as much emotion as the lyrics themselves. If you write riffs that beg for tension, verses that simmer until they snap, or choruses that explode and collapse in one breath, these grooves are for you.

Whether you're a bedroom producer laying down your next heartbreak anthem, a guitarist in a DIY band tracking pre-pro, or just someone trying to build a song that actually feels something—this pack helps you get there faster. You don’t need to be a drummer. You don’t need to be a programmer. You just need an instinct for intensity, a love for movement, and a desire to stay in the creative flow without drowning in the grid.

The grooves are human. The dynamics are real. They're written to follow the push and pull of Post-Hardcore—hard-hitting when they need to be, restrained when it matters, always intentional. No soulless looped hi-hats. No math-class fills. Just raw, responsive drum parts that let your song breathe, break, and burn.

If you're trying to write music that screams without yelling, that hits without rushing, and that breaks hearts without needing perfection—this pack is built for you."