Immutable Drum Setup: Tomas Haake's 2022 Sonor SQ2 Kit Breakdown | MetalForge

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Tomas Haake play on Immutable?

On Meshuggah's Immutable (2022), Tomas Haake played his established Sonor SQ2 Heavy Beech custom kit in Meshuggah-spec configuration — a single 24x18 inch bass drum driven by two independent single pedals, 10x8, 12x9, and 14x12 inch rack toms, and 16x16 and 18x18 inch floor toms. His snare was a Sonor Tomas Haake Signature at 14x6.5 inches. The Heavy Beech shells deliver the hard, articulate attack essential for Meshuggah's downtuned, polyrhythmic music. This configuration is the same platform he used on The Violent Sleep of Reason (2016) and, before that, Koloss and obZen — further dialed in during the COVID-enforced production delay.

What cymbals did Meshuggah use on Immutable?

Tomas Haake used his established Sabian HHX/AAX setup on Immutable: Sabian HHX 14 inch Compression Hi-Hats (his own signature design), a Sabian AAX 18 inch X-Plosion crash, a Sabian HHX 19 inch Evolution crash, a Sabian HHX 21 inch Raw Bell Dry Ride, and a Sabian HHX 18 inch Chinese. The HHX series provides the darker, more complex overtones Haake favors, while the AAX series adds brightness and quick response for accents — the same dual-line approach he's used since the obZen/Koloss era.

How does Immutable differ from obZen gear-wise?

Immutable (2022) and obZen (2008) represent fourteen years of steady refinement, not gear-switching, for Tomas Haake. On obZen, Haake played Sonor Designer Series maple/beech shells with Sabian AAX/AA cymbals and two independent Sonor Perfect Balance single pedals. By Immutable, the kit had evolved to the Sonor SQ2 Heavy Beech platform (harder attack, denser shell) he adopted during the Koloss era, cymbals had shifted to Sabian's HHX/AAX combination (including his signature HHX Compression Hi-Hats), and the pedals evolved to two independent Tama Speed Cobra single pedals — but the two-single-pedal philosophy itself never changed. The Porter & Davies BC2 throne and Remo head selection remain consistent across both albums — anchors in a setup that evolved gradually rather than switching brands wholesale.

Did Tomas Haake change his pedal setup for Immutable?

No — Immutable continues Haake's long-standing pedal philosophy. For his entire career, including obZen and every album since, Haake has used two completely independent Tama Speed Cobra single pedals rather than a double pedal, prioritizing absolute foot independence with no mechanical linkage between his feet. The COVID production delay gave him additional time to keep that already-dialed-in feel fully embedded in his muscle memory before entering the studio.

What album is Immutable on and when was it released?

Immutable is Meshuggah's tenth studio album, released on April 1, 2022 on Atomic Fire Records — their first album on the label after decades with Nuclear Blast. The album was originally planned for release around 2020 but was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, which inadvertently gave Tomas Haake additional time to refine his drum setup and integrate new hardware. The album earned a Grammy nomination for Best Metal Performance for the track "The Abysmal Eye" at the 2023 Grammy Awards.