What Drums Did The Rev Use on Avenged Sevenfold (2007)? | MetalForge

Frequently Asked Questions

What drum kit did The Rev use on Avenged Sevenfold's self-titled 2007 album?

The Rev used a Pearl Masters MCX kit on Avenged Sevenfold's self-titled 2007 album. The MCX (Master Custom Extra) featured 6-ply maple/mahogany shells with Pearl's ISS (Iso-Mount Shell System) — a free-floating lug design that preserved natural shell resonance. His configuration included double 22"x18" bass drums, 10" and 12" rack toms, and 14" and 16" floor toms. His snare was a Pearl Free-Floating brass drum (14" x 6.5"). Cymbals were Zildjian A Custom throughout, and he used Yamaha double bass pedals. The Pearl Free-Floating snare is the most distinctively identifiable element of his drum sound on this album.

Was Avenged Sevenfold (2007) The Rev's last album?

Yes. Avenged Sevenfold (2007) is the last studio album on which The Rev (Jimmy Sullivan / James Owen Sullivan, 1981–2009) performed all drum tracks. He recorded four A7X studio albums: Sounding the Seventh Trumpet (2001), Waking the Fallen (2003), City of Evil (2005), and Avenged Sevenfold (2007). He died on December 28, 2009, two years after this album's release. Nightmare (2010) is NOT a The Rev studio performance — Mike Portnoy performed drum parts The Rev had composed before his death, as a posthumous tribute.

Who played drums on Avenged Sevenfold's self-titled 2007 album?

The Rev — Jimmy 'The Rev' Sullivan (James Owen Sullivan, February 9, 1981 – December 28, 2009) — played drums on Avenged Sevenfold's self-titled 2007 album. He was the founding drummer and co-songwriter of A7X, known for jazz-influenced fill vocabulary, unconventional accent placements, and melodic tom writing. He also sang lead vocals on 'A Little Piece of Heaven' — the album's most fan-beloved track. He died on December 28, 2009, two years after this album's release.

What is 'A Little Piece of Heaven' and what is The Rev's role on it?

'A Little Piece of Heaven' is a track on Avenged Sevenfold's self-titled 2007 album. It is notable because The Rev (Jimmy Sullivan) sings lead vocals throughout the song — making it the primary document of his vocal personality within A7X. He also plays drums on the track. The song is over eight minutes long with a full orchestral arrangement and theatrical narrative. It is the track most closely associated with The Rev as a musical personality beyond his drumming role, and one of the most emotionally resonant tracks in A7X's catalogue for fans who knew The Rev.

How did the self-titled 2007 album chart?

Avenged Sevenfold's self-titled 2007 album debuted at #4 on the Billboard 200 — the band's highest chart position at that time. It has sold over two million copies worldwide. The album was released on October 30, 2007, on Warner Bros. Records and was produced by Mudrock at Track Recording Studio in Huntington Beach, California.

What albums did The Rev record with Avenged Sevenfold?

The Rev (Jimmy Sullivan) recorded four studio albums as Avenged Sevenfold's drummer: Sounding the Seventh Trumpet (2001), Waking the Fallen (2003), City of Evil (2005), and Avenged Sevenfold (2007). He also composed drum parts for Nightmare (2010) before his death on December 28, 2009 — those parts were performed by Mike Portnoy as a posthumous tribute. The self-titled 2007 album was his final complete studio recording.