So this dude is an absolute UNIT, Nicholas Barker of grinders Lock Up smashes his drums to smithereens in this live drum playthrough for the beautifully named track “Accelerated Mutation”:
Nick Barker is a bit of a legend, having played with almost every heavy band under the sun he has firmly established an incredibly impressive legacy. The ridiculous catalogue of bands he has played for include Cradle of Filth, Dimmu Borgir, Testament, and Lock Up, to name but a few, often filling in on one off shows for numerous bands; having the ability to do that takes some serious skill and versatility, something which Nick possesses by the absolute bucket-load.
Obviously a big dude, Nick packs a punch when laying the smackdown on his drums yet also keeps things based very much around technique; notice the movement in his wrists; at some points he’s not even moving his arm at all and it looks like he is actually playing a toy drum kit, an absolute master of technical skill and power combined. His kick drums come at you like a freight train and the double time ride/hats and blast beats are just furiously quick and punishing.
Initially a side project for Napalm Death’s Shane Embury and Terrorizer’s Jesse Pintado (RIP), the band wanted to give a throwback to the 80’s death metal sound while keeping it all pretty boozy and loose. The band managed to capture something special and quite unique off its own back rather than being known for being just another side-project. Go check them out as it’s a pretty cool story, their changing line-up has seen some of metal’s elite and they’ve played some pretty awesome shows (notably at Wacken).
Give it a blast, you won’t be disappointed.
