Digital Blast Off

Blast Off Digital Drumming Competition – Round II

The Blast Off Drum Competition – Round II is nearing the upload deadline! We have pushed it back to 4/12, so get your video together and enter to win some Trick Dominator Doubles or a Sick Media Pack from Nuclear Blast Records!! Good Luck!

All details on preparing your video can be found here and uploading instructions are on page 26 of Sick Drummer Magazine Issue 5. Please login to this site or sickdrummermagazine.com & check it out. If you have any questions, feel free to email us.

The world's first recurring online drumming competition for metal drummers, judged by metal drummers. Blast Off made it's debut in March of 2008 in Denver, Colorado. We had nearly 40 contestants from all around the US, competing for $10,000 in prizes. The event also included two short clinics from John Merryman & Duane Timlin and was a great success.

Blast Off is a recurring feature of Sick Drummer Magazine. 

Q: Who can enter?

A: Anyone can enter… The contest will be split into 2 divisions: either you are a drummer signed to a label or you are not signed to a label… Simple

Q: How do I prepare my video?

A: Please try to move the camera around first, and find the best possible sound quality! Once you find this spot, leave the camera there! We do not want any movement of the camera during the video.

Your video has to be 3 minutes or less. The camera must be positioned to either side of you (about 3 feet behind your left or right elbow works best). If you have the means, the camera can also be positioned overhead, looking down on your kit. If you would like to have a guitar track accompany you, it must be through headphones. No other sound can be present in the drum video!
 

* The recording must be continuous! No stopping or video edits are permitted.

You must create this video for our contest! It can not be a video you already have recorded! How can we monitor this? At the beginnng of the video, you need to state your Name, location, "signed or unsigned" and say "This video is for the Sick Drummer Magazine Blast Off". This will not be counted as part of your 3 minutes.

* Each drummer may submit one video per contest! You are welcome to enter in our next issue, but one per issue please!

* If you have been in a signed band and have recorded at least one full length with them, but are not currently in a signed band,  you still will enter in the signed division.
 

Q: Who is judging & what are they looking for?  

A: This contest will be judged by Sick Drummer magazine. We will be looking at the following 8 characteristics of your playing:
 

1. Dynamics

2. Ease of Motion

3. Beat Transition

4. Creativity

5. Blast Speed

6. Blast Consistency (or meter)

7. Foot Speed

8. Foot Consistency (or meter)

 

Q: What can I win?

A: Due to the fact there were no signed contestants, there are 1st & 2nd place winners in the unsigned division.

The first place winner will win a new set of Trick Dominator double bass pedals!

The second place winner will receive a set of Sabian Cymbals from MetalInjection & Seventh Void. Plus, a gift package from Nuclear Blast Records that includes the following CD's:

Belphegor – Bondage Goat Zombie
Arsis – We are the Nightmare
Kataklysm – Prevail
Meshuggah – Chaosphere (Re-loaded)
Meshuggah – Obzen
Keep of Kalessin – Kolossus
All Shall Perish – Awaken the Dreamers
Psycroptic – Ob(Servant)
Sylosis – Conclusion of an Age
Enslaved – Vertebrae
Hackneyed – Death Prevails
Along with some other swag…