Hellhammer's Drum Setup on Dimmu Borgir's In Sorte Diaboli (2007) | MetalForge

Frequently Asked Questions

What drum kit did Hellhammer use on Dimmu Borgir's In Sorte Diaboli?

Hellhammer played a Pearl Reference Series kit on In Sorte Diaboli (2007), configured with double 22" × 18" bass drums, three rack toms (10", 12", 14"), and two floor toms (16", 18"). The Pearl Reference Series is his long-running endorsement kit — hybrid maple/birch/maple shell construction producing a focused fundamental with the projecting attack character that symphonic black metal arrangements require. His snare was a Pearl Free-Floating Brass 14" × 6.5". For a complete career-spanning gear breakdown, see the [Hellhammer drum setup guide](/articles/hellhammer-drum-setup).

What cymbals did Hellhammer use on In Sorte Diaboli?

Hellhammer played Sabian HHX cymbals on In Sorte Diaboli — his long-documented endorsement series. The setup included 14" HHX Hi-Hats, 16"/18"/19" HHX Evolution Crashes, a 21" HHX Raw Bell Dry Ride, and a 19" HHX Chinese. The HHX series is Sabian's hand-hammered professional line, engineered for the bright, cutting projection that symphonic black metal demands — capable of projecting structural accents above the dense orchestral keyboard and choir arrangements that define the album.

Was In Sorte Diaboli Hellhammer's first Dimmu Borgir studio album?

Yes — In Sorte Diaboli (2007) was Hellhammer's first Dimmu Borgir studio album as primary drummer. He had been the band's live drummer since 1999, but the prior studio records — Spiritual Black Dimensions (1999), Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia (2001), and Death Cult Armageddon (2003) — were tracked by Nicholas Barker, while subsequent live touring duties at various points had been handled by Reno Killerich. In Sorte Diaboli formalized Hellhammer's role at the center of Dimmu Borgir's studio architecture.

Where was In Sorte Diaboli recorded?

In Sorte Diaboli was recorded at Studio Fredman in Gothenburg, Sweden — the facility built and operated by producer Fredrik Nordström, whose discography includes In Flames, At the Gates, Arch Enemy, Opeth, Soilwork, and dozens of other defining extreme metal records. Production credit on the album was shared between Nordström and Dimmu Borgir themselves, with the band exercising greater hands-on control over the final sonic architecture than on prior releases. The album was released April 24, 2007 through Nuclear Blast Records.

How successful was In Sorte Diaboli commercially?

In Sorte Diaboli debuted at #43 on the Billboard 200 — the highest US chart position any Norwegian black metal record had ever achieved at the time of its release. It confirmed Dimmu Borgir's position as the most commercially successful act the genre had ever produced, following the success of Death Cult Armageddon (2003) and extending the band's mainstream reach further into the US market. The album also charted strongly across Europe, particularly in Germany and the Nordic countries.