Gabe Helguera

Gabe Helguera — American drummer — is part of I Prevail in the line-up that consolidated the band as one of the most listened-to in American heavy rock. His function in the repertoire is more complex than conventional metalcore demands. I Prevail's tracks alternate between sections of extreme weight with guttural vocals, wide melodic choruses and passages of electronic programming — each calling for a different rhythmic treatment. The drums mark those transitions, and are what keeps the song from sounding like a collage of disconnected parts. There is also the demand for precision the band's production imposes. I Prevail works with overlaid layers and elaborate studio arrangements, which means the drums have to fit into an exact rhythmic grid for the rest of the arrangement to work — an approach closer to studio work than to the freedom of a live band. Helguera took part in the period when the group reached its biggest numbers, with records that entered the American charts and earned Grammy nominations.