Kiss of Death Drum Setup: Mikkey Dee's Gear on Motörhead's 2006 Album | MetalForge
Mikkey Dee recorded Kiss of Death (2006) on a Pearl Reference Series kit with a Pearl Reference Steel Snare snare.
Discover the exact drum kit, cymbals, and gear Mikkey Dee used on Motörhead's Kiss of Death (2006) — the album where he switched from Tama to Pearl drums. Co...
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Mikkey Dee switch from Tama to Pearl drums?
Mikkey Dee switched from Tama to Pearl Reference Series drums for the *Kiss of Death* (2006) sessions, after more than a decade playing Tama kits that began with [*Bastards*](/articles/bastards-drum-setup) in 1993 and continued through [*Inferno*](/articles/inferno-drum-setup) in 2004. The Pearl Reference Series became his primary kit for nearly the next ten years, refined further across *Motörizer* (2008) and later albums before reaching its final form on [*Bad Magic*](/articles/bad-magic-drum-setup) in 2015. See the [Mikkey Dee drummer profile](/drummer/mikkey-dee) for the complete gear timeline.
What drum kit did Mikkey Dee use on Kiss of Death?
On *Kiss of Death* (2006), Mikkey Dee played a Pearl Reference Series kit in piano black lacquer finish, with a 22" x 18" bass drum, three rack toms (10", 12", 14"), and a single 16" floor tom. This was a leaner configuration than the four-tom, dual-floor-tom setup he'd later use on [*Bad Magic*](/articles/bad-magic-drum-setup), built with maple/birch hybrid shells for fuller low-mid resonance than his previous Tama Starclassic kit.
What guest musicians appear on Kiss of Death?
*Kiss of Death* (2006) features several notable guest contributions: Poison guitarist C.C. DeVille added a guitar solo, Alice in Chains bassist Mike Inez contributed additional bass, and Ignite/H2O vocalist Zoltán Téglás provided backing vocals. Despite the outside talent, Mikkey Dee's drumming remained the connective tissue holding the record together — the same economical, powerhouse pocket playing that had defined his Motörhead tenure since his 1993 debut.
How did Kiss of Death perform commercially?
*Kiss of Death* charted at #4 in Germany — Motörhead's highest German chart position up to that point in the band's career — alongside a UK entry at #45, a Switzerland entry at #26, and a Billboard 200 appearance at #82 in the United States. It was Motörhead's ninth album released through Steamhammer/SPV and the fifteenth studio album of the band's career overall.