Thrash Metal MIDI Pack – Speed Riffs & Double Time | Loudstakk

What is your approach to Thrash Metal drumming?

"Thrash drumming, to me, is about urgency and control living side by side. You’re not just keeping time—you’re driving the song, often pushing the riff into its final, feral form. It’s not about being the flashiest or most technical—though the speed and stamina required are no joke—it’s about how well you can lock into the guitar and fuel the momentum without becoming mechanical.

My approach is built around the idea that the drums should carry the aggression without getting in the way of the riff. The kick patterns need to be precise, the snares need to snap hard, and the fills can’t just be fast—they have to lead somewhere. I lean on classic influences like Dave Lombardo and Charlie Benante, but with a modern sensibility: stay tight, stay mean, and don’t forget the groove, no matter how fast things get.

I also believe in performance over perfection. There’s a danger in over-quantizing or over-polishing Thrash drums—they start to feel sterile, and Thrash should never feel safe. I’d rather have a groove that’s slightly human but has fire, than something surgically clean and lifeless."

Which drummers inspired you?

"Dave Lombardo is the obvious one. The guy practically invented the sound of chaos in motion. That controlled aggression, the lightning-fast kicks, the tom runs that sound like war drums—his playing always felt like the blueprint for how Thrash should move.

Then there’s Charlie Benante. The pocket, the speed, the creativity in his fills—he brought groove to a genre that could’ve easily been all bark and no nuance. His feel is sharp, precise, and always serving the riff.

Of course, you can’t leave out Lars Ulrich. Say what you will, but those early Metallica records have drum parts that live in your head for life. It’s not about flash—it’s about the parts that made the songs stick. Lars had that instinct, and it changed everything.

Jaakko "Spider" Forsman from Ratface isn’t a household name, but man—his drumming just makes me smile. It’s that kind of gritty, chaotic, basement-show energy that reminds me why Thrash always felt so alive. Nothing polished. Everything real.

And finally, Pokey Mo from Leeway and Agnostic Front—he brought that Hardcore-meets-Metal crossover energy that made everything feel looser, meaner, more human. His groove pushed things forward without ever getting in the way. There’s a reason that era still hits as hard as it does."

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

"Thrash Metal was never meant to be polite. It’s not supposed to be edited to death or smoothed out until it sounds like a spreadsheet. It’s supposed to feel like your drummer just kicked down your bedroom door and started blasting D-beats over your riff whether you were ready or not.

But every time I tried to write thrash parts using existing MIDI packs, it felt... off. Either too rigid, too clean, or too obsessed with modern production trends that totally missed the point. I wasn’t hearing the groove of those early records—the gallop, the grit, the constant urgency that defined the genre from the underground up.

So one day, I just said screw it, mic’d up the kit, cranked the tempo, and started laying down the beats I actually wanted to write with. No grid obsession. No click worship. Just authentic, tape-era thrash energy. Like the kind of drummer who brings duct tape and beer to rehearsal, not plugin presets.

And once I had enough of those grooves laid down—blast-friendly, gallop-heavy, stomp-ready—I realized other songwriters might be in the same boat. Maybe they didn’t want to spend two hours writing a beat just to write a riff. Maybe they missed that same wild energy."

Who should use MIDI Groove packs?

"This pack is built for anyone writing music that moves fast, hits hard, and doesn’t let up. If your songs are riff-first, BPMs are high, and every fill needs to sound like it could punch through drywall, you’re in the right place.

Whether you're a solo guitarist needing a drummer who doesn’t complain, a producer piecing together old-school demos, or a band writing modern thrash with a nod to the classics—these grooves are designed to keep your writing momentum alive. No programming headaches. No sterile “metal by numbers” beats. Just fast, natural-feel grooves that sound like they came straight out of a Bay Area garage circa 1986—or a European rehearsal bunker in '92.

They’re ideal for anyone channeling the energy of Slayer, early Sepultura, Kreator, Megadeth, or newer bands keeping the flame alive. If your songs thrive on galloping kicks, tight snare work, and aggressive fills that push the riff instead of getting in the way—this pack will feel like home.

The Thrash Metal MIDI Pack isn’t about overproduced precision—it’s about speed, intensity, and getting the song done before the energy fades."