God Hates Us All Drum Setup: Slayer's 9/11 Album Gear Breakdown (2001) | MetalForge

Frequently Asked Questions

What drums were used on Slayer's God Hates Us All?

The drums on God Hates Us All (2001) were a Tama Starclassic Maple kit in Piano Black finish, with two 22x18-inch bass drums, 10" and 12" rack toms, and 16" and 18" floor toms. The all-maple shells delivered a warmer, deeper tone than the Tama Artstar II birch setup of the classic Reign in Blood era, suited to Matt Hyde's modern production approach at The Warehouse Studio in Vancouver.

Was God Hates Us All really released on September 11, 2001?

Yes. God Hates Us All was released by American Recordings on Tuesday, September 11, 2001 — the same morning as the World Trade Center attacks. The release date was an accident of scheduling; the album had been finished weeks earlier. The coincidence of an album titled "God Hates Us All" with a bloody, vandalized-Bible cover arriving on that specific day created one of the strangest release-date overlaps in metal history. Slayer did not adjust marketing or release timing in response.

Was Dave Lombardo on God Hates Us All?

No. God Hates Us All (2001) was recorded by Paul Bostaph during the long period of Dave Lombardo's absence from Slayer. Lombardo had departed after Seasons in the Abyss (1990) and would not return until Christ Illusion (2006). God Hates Us All is the last Slayer studio album before Lombardo's return, and it represents the commercial peak of the Bostaph-era Slayer output (peaking at #28 on the Billboard 200).

Who produced God Hates Us All?

God Hates Us All was produced by Matt Hyde, known for his work with Porno for Pyros, Bad Religion, and a range of harder-edged rock acts. Hyde brought a thicker, more layered drum sound to the sessions than the dry, minimal production aesthetic of Rick Rubin's 1980s Slayer records. The album was tracked at The Warehouse Studio in Vancouver, Canada — Bryan Adams' historic facility built inside a 100-year-old former courthouse.

How did God Hates Us All chart commercially?

God Hates Us All debuted and peaked at #28 on the Billboard 200 — Slayer's highest US chart position at the time of release, beating Diabolus in Musica's #31 from 1998. The album was certified Gold by the RIAA in subsequent years. Despite the release-date overlap with September 11, 2001, the album's commercial performance was strong, and it remains one of the most successful Slayer studio records of the post-Reign in Blood era.