How Lars Ulrich’s Drums Made “Enter Sandman” A Metal Masterpiece
Few bands have reshaped the sound of heavy music like Metallica. And while their early thrash records built a loyal following, it was “Enter Sandman” that catapulted them into the mainstream — turning them from underground heroes into global icons.
Released in 1991 on The Black Album, “Enter Sandman” opens with one of the most recognizable tom grooves in metal. Lars Ulrich’s drum parts may seem straightforward, but they’re packed with subtle nuances that often get overlooked.
Join Drumeo’s Brandon Toews as he breaks down Lars Ulrich’s drumming on “Enter Sandman.” From the iconic tom intro to the signature fills in the bridge and outro, to the drum sound that defined a generation, we’ll explore how Lars’s vision behind the kit helped shape one of the most legendary metal songs of all time.
Learn How To Play “Enter Sandman” On The Drums!
► https://www.drumeo.com/trial-yt?vid=FJZV9XOyk1g
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Chapters:
00:00 – Intro
01:34 – How Metallica Wrote The Song
02:43 – A New Musical Direction
03:27 – Introducing Bob Rock
04:48 – The Iconic Tom Intro
06:33 – Breaking Down The Hi-Hat Grooves
07:23 – The Half-Time Pre-Chorus
07:40 – How Lars Expands The Tom Groove
09:00 – The Flam Fill
09:16 – The Guitar Solo Fill
09:42 – The Bridge Tom Fill
09:58 – Breaking Down The Outro
11:04 – The Live TAMA Drum Kit
11:29 – The Studio Gretsch Drum Kit
12:20 – The Legacy Of “Enter Sandman”
13:01 – Why “Enter Sandman” Matters To Drummers
17:40 – Final Thoughts
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@facundosoler2200
January 19, 2026 at 9:47 pm
Drummers love Lars. That's all there is to say about it. He became an expert on his instrument and kept growing with each album. Great feel and great compositions.
@zucchero001
January 19, 2026 at 9:47 pm
It reminds me of what a great composer of drum parts Lars was… this is just the culmination point of all the amazing parts he did…
@WilliamRHiguera
January 19, 2026 at 9:47 pm
It would be great to have the same breakdown for any of And justice for all song.
@catthebeautyhunter
January 19, 2026 at 9:47 pm
The only things I know about drums are from this channel but I ADORE Metallica and saw them live in Dallas, TX for their 72 Seasons world tour. I was floored at how epic the sound was. Once they finished playing, Lars came off the stage and was quickly robed from a bathrobe that had been sitting in a cooler chest. He rocks HARD and can’t even imagine what kind of memory it must take but also sheer power and physical stamina. Metallica TOTALLY RUUUULLLEEESSS!!!
@LucaGoesOffroad
January 19, 2026 at 9:47 pm
When did he un-learn how to play? I saw them live 1 month ago in Abu Dhabi, biggest disappointment ever, people were leaving , and Lars did't get 1 single fill right… And 2 weeks before I saw live some REAL musicians (Deep Purple), so the contrast was even more striking….
@damirosmic1987
January 19, 2026 at 9:47 pm
…and no bass at all…
@HBmowers69
January 19, 2026 at 9:47 pm
Maybe that’s how it turned out, but not until tons of work cut and pasting when Lars is late and early, and late, and early….well you get the picture. He’s not a genius drummer. He is a genius at marketing.
@Steve-O_FPV
January 19, 2026 at 9:47 pm
F Metallica. When the soul of Metallica died (Cliff Burton) they should have thrown in the towel because their music went to crap after that. Since then they have done nothing that could match the raw power Ride the Lightning or Master. And Justice was their introduction to commercialized sound built to play on the radio. Lars couldn't hold a beat to save his life. They had to edit and splice the drum tracks to give them rhythm.
@JacobEjgaard
January 19, 2026 at 9:47 pm
Lars is a joke in Denmark
@joshwhitaker4893
January 19, 2026 at 9:47 pm
I just want to say thank you for not using AI. I absolutely cannot stand AI. The black album was the last good metallica album they have made in my opinion.
@TheRealLastPony
January 19, 2026 at 9:47 pm
It’s still true for current generations. Enter Sandman is on the most played list of my son and his friends when they play drums.
I asked them why and they said it’s appealing because of its massive sound.
In addition it is easy to start with and play along to right away. Replacing the tricky parts with something that still sounds good enough. The more skillful they got, the more parts and fills they learned to play in the original way.
@philipspencer1834
January 19, 2026 at 9:47 pm
One thing I have learned…🤔
Brandon, you are a brilliant drummer! 👍
@never2late_mtb349
January 19, 2026 at 9:47 pm
All the early songs I learned were Metallica. This is one of my favourites for one very simple reason. It's fun to play. Music should be enjoyable, and reachable. Enter Sandman, check.
@pascalcooper4518
January 19, 2026 at 9:47 pm
That is the most disappointing album I’ve ever heard. Even my mom made fun of that garbage.
@bernhardpucher
January 19, 2026 at 9:47 pm
Lars' biggest contribution to Metal isn't his drumming, though he's definitely influential. What Lars has an amazing understanding of is his feel for song structure and his ability to bring all the elements together into a unified, cohesive piece. If he chose to, I think he could be a wicked producer.
@tonyak8354
January 19, 2026 at 9:47 pm
Can't say fuck without censorship?
@gusszgsGuss
January 19, 2026 at 9:47 pm
This is needed, big time. I’m so sick of the haters. They (Metallica) changed the face of metal, created the wave everyone else is riding. Lars was the biggest factor in all this.
I feel a good percentage of the haters are still barking about the whole Napster thing. Give it up people!
@matt8264
January 19, 2026 at 9:47 pm
How about how they ripped off the riff from Exile?
@athousanddeathss
January 19, 2026 at 9:47 pm
Glad to see videos that aren’t criticising him. I get that some of the criticism is his fault, but without him, no Metallica, and I wouldn’t have wanted to pick up the drums in the first place
@StarDogChamp
January 19, 2026 at 9:47 pm
Its so weird ow the internet social media virus spread the "Lars is not a very good drummer" idea. I would love to hear just about any drummer play Master Of Puppets without blinking. The creative grooves he creates instead of the usual monotonous tyranny of the snare drum and the unpredictability of his musical fills makes him one of my favorite drummers.
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