Unearth Drummer Nick Pierce Provides New Heel-Toe Technique Video

Drummer Nick Pierce recently made an in-depth video explaining how skinbeaters can reproduce the machine-gun-like kick drum beats he's known for in playing with Unearth and Breath of Nibiri. The video centers around the heel-toe technique, with Pierce going over the basics and getting into more details about the advanced concepts later.

Pierce has to play some of the most brutal blast beats known to metal, and he shares some of the basics on how he does this. In the video, posted on Sick Drummer Magazine, Pierce starts off by explaining what the heel-toe technique is. He begins by striking the kick-drum pedal with his heel, then rolling his foot forward to strike the pedal with his toe. This creates a quick double-hit.

From there, he goes into where on the pedal he places his foot. As he increases the number of notes, (i.e., going from 16th notes to 32nd notes), he moves his foot forward on the pedal board. He does the same thing for accents and fills. Pierce said drummers should always practice these and any other techniques while using a click track.

The Unearth drummer also went over using this heel-toe technique to practice paradiddles. He said it is good to practice alternating the side from which players start their paradiddles, and practice which side they stop on. As paradiddle exercises typically refer to the snare drum, he would first perform his technique on his snare, then do the same exercise on the kick drum.

This is the most recent in a series of helpful videos Pierce has made that are posted at Sick Drummer Magazine. He has also done videos on drumming subjects, such as selecting a snare drum and the settings on the Tama Speed Cobra pedal. His YouTube channel is also packed with videos of him playing and demoing different drum techniques.

Pierce and Unearth recently went into the studio to begin working on their next album after signing with eOne Music in North America. For updates, check Unearth's website.