Testament 'The Formation of Damnation' Drum Setup (Paul Bostaph, 2008) | MetalForge

Frequently Asked Questions

What drums does Paul Bostaph use on The Formation of Damnation?

Paul Bostaph recorded Testament's The Formation of Damnation (2008) on a Pacific Drums & Percussion (PDP) LX Series maple kit — a nine-piece setup with two 22x18-inch bass drums, 10", 12", and 14" rack toms, and 16" and 18" floor toms. His snare was a 14x5 DW Edge steel snare, shallower than the 14x6.5 snares he used across every Slayer studio album. His cymbals were Paiste, in the 2002 and RUDE lines he relied on for most of his career.

What's different about Paul Bostaph's Testament gear compared to his Slayer setups?

Nearly everything except the cymbal brand. Bostaph's Slayer albums used DW Collector's Series (Diabolus in Musica, 1998), Tama Starclassic Maple (God Hates Us All, 2001), and Pearl Masters Maple Complete (Repentless, 2015) — none of which appear on The Formation of Damnation. Instead, he tracked the Testament album on a Pacific Drums & Percussion LX Series kit with a DW Edge snare, reflecting his move away from Tama and into the DW family around 2007. Paiste cymbals are the one constant that carries across both bands.

Was The Formation of Damnation Grammy-nominated?

No — The Formation of Damnation was not nominated for a Grammy Award. It did win real industry recognition: Metal Hammer's Golden Gods award for Best Album in 2008 (beating releases from Atreyu, Avenged Sevenfold, Children of Bodom, and Down), a top-four placement on Metal Hammer's year-end albums list, and Metal Storm's Best Thrash Metal Album award for 2008. Testament has never received a Grammy nomination for this record or its lead single, 'More Than Meets the Eye.'

Why did Paul Bostaph end up drumming on a Testament album?

Testament had planned to record The Formation of Damnation with drummer Nick Barker (formerly of Cradle of Filth and Dimmu Borgir), but US visa complications prevented Barker from returning to the country in time. The band turned to Paul Bostaph — a longtime peer from the same Bay Area thrash scene — first to cover live shows and pre-production, and the arrangement turned into his first full Testament studio credit. He remained with the band from 2007 through 2011, departing before Dark Roots of Earth (2012), when Gene Hoglan took over the drum chair.

What made The Formation of Damnation a comeback album for Testament?

It was Testament's first studio album in nine years, since 1999's The Gathering, and the first to reunite guitarist Alex Skolnick (who hadn't recorded with the band since 1992's The Ritual) and bassist Greg Christian (who hadn't recorded with the band since 1994's Low) alongside Chuck Billy and Eric Peterson. That reunion of the band's most recognized lineup, combined with Paul Bostaph stepping into the drum chair, made The Formation of Damnation feel like a full restart rather than just another studio release.