In Waves Drum Setup: Nick Augusto's Breakthrough Kit (Trivium, 2011) | MetalForge
Nick Augusto recorded In Waves (2011) on a Tama Starclassic Performer B/B kit with a Tama S.L.P. Steel Snare snare.
Complete gear breakdown for Nick Augusto's drum setup on Trivium's In Waves (2011) — the Tama Starclassic kit, Meinl cymbals, and Iron Cobra pedals behind Tr...
Frequently Asked Questions
What kit does Nick Augusto use on In Waves?
On Trivium's In Waves (2011), Nick Augusto played a Tama Starclassic Performer B/B kit with birch/bubinga hybrid shells, configured with a 22" bass drum, two rack toms (10" and 12"), and two floor toms (14" and 16"). This was a scaled-down, four-piece version of the expanded five-tom kit he used on Shogun — a change that matched In Waves' tighter, more direct songwriting. He paired the kit with a Tama S.L.P. steel snare, Meinl MB20 and Classics Custom cymbals, and a Tama Iron Cobra 900 double bass pedal. For the complete drummer profile, see [Nick Augusto at MetalForge](/drummer/nick-augusto).
How does In Waves compare to Shogun in terms of drumming?
In Waves (2011) is a deliberate pivot away from the progressive ambition of Shogun (2008). Where Shogun asked Augusto to navigate 7/8 and 11/8 passages, jazz-influenced sections, and an 11-minute title track across an expanded five-tom DW kit with dark Meinl Byzance cymbals, In Waves compresses his playing into tighter, riff-forward song structures on a leaner four-piece Tama Starclassic kit with brighter Meinl MB20/Classics Custom cymbals. The commercial result was a step forward — In Waves debuted at #13 on the Billboard 200 and gave Trivium their first UK top-20 placement, outperforming Shogun's chart run. For the full Shogun gear breakdown, see [Shogun Drum Setup at MetalForge](/articles/shogun-drum-setup).
What is Nick Augusto's overall drum setup?
Nick Augusto's core setup across his Trivium tenure (2007–2014) centered on Tama drums, Meinl cymbals, and Promark sticks, with specific gear choices shifting between records. On Shogun (2008) he played an expanded DW Performance Series kit with Meinl Byzance cymbals; on In Waves (2011) he moved to a compact Tama Starclassic Performer B/B kit with brighter Meinl MB20/Classics Custom cymbals, a setup he carried into Vengeance Falls (2013). Across all three albums he relied on a Tama Iron Cobra double bass pedal running the Rolling Glide cam. For the full In Waves-through-Vengeance Falls gear breakdown, see [In Waves drum setup at MetalForge](/articles/in-waves-drum-setup).
How did In Waves perform commercially for Trivium?
In Waves debuted at #13 on the Billboard 200 upon its August 2011 release — Trivium's best chart placement at the time — and gave the band their first entry into the UK Albums Chart top 20. It served as the commercial bridge between the more progressive, critically acclaimed Shogun (2008) and the even bigger chart success of Vengeance Falls (2013), which reached #15 on the Billboard 200 and cracked the top 10 in Germany and Finland.