Dirk Verbeuren's Drum Setup on Soilwork's 'Natural Born Chaos' (2002) | MetalForge
Dirk Verbeuren recorded Natural Born Chaos (2002) on a Tama Starclassic Performer kit with a Tama Starclassic Steel Snare snare.
The breakthrough album that put Dirk Verbeuren's technical drumming on the melodic death metal map. Full breakdown of the Tama Starclassic Performer kit, Mei...
Frequently Asked Questions
What drum kit did Dirk Verbeuren use on Soilwork's 'Natural Born Chaos'?
For Soilwork's 2002 breakthrough album, Dirk Verbeuren played a Tama Starclassic Performer kit with birch/maple hybrid shells, featuring a 22" x 18" bass drum, 10" and 12" rack toms, and 14" and 16" floor toms. He paired it with a Tama Starclassic steel snare, Meinl Byzance cymbals, and a Tama Iron Cobra 900 double pedal — the same core setup he used on 'Stabbing the Drama' three years later. For his current touring setup, see the [Dirk Verbeuren drummer profile](/drummer/dirk-verbeuren).
Was 'Natural Born Chaos' Dirk Verbeuren's breakthrough album?
Yes. Although 'Natural Born Chaos' (2002) was actually Verbeuren's second Soilwork album — he debuted on 'A Predator's Portrait' (2001) — it was the release that brought Soilwork, and Verbeuren's drumming, to a much wider international audience. The lead single 'Rejection Role' received heavy MTV2 and European rotation, and the album is widely credited as the moment Soilwork became a flagship act of the early-2000s melodic death metal wave. See the [What's In Dirk Verbeuren's Kit article](/articles/whats-in-dirk-verbeurens-kit) for the full arc of his career.
Who produced Soilwork's 'Natural Born Chaos'?
'Natural Born Chaos' was produced by Fredrik Nordström at Studio Fredman in Gothenburg, Sweden. Nordström was one of the architects of the Gothenburg melodic death metal sound, having also produced landmark albums for In Flames, At the Gates, and Dark Tranquillity. His work on 'Natural Born Chaos' gave Soilwork a more polished, melody-forward production than their earlier releases.
How does 'Natural Born Chaos' compare to 'Stabbing the Drama'?
Both albums feature Dirk Verbeuren on the same core setup — a Tama Starclassic Performer kit, Meinl Byzance cymbals, and a Tama Iron Cobra double pedal. 'Natural Born Chaos' (2002) was Soilwork's commercial breakthrough and only Verbeuren's second album with the band, leaning into melodic, keyboard-driven songwriting. 'Stabbing the Drama' (2005), covered in the [Stabbing the Drama Drum Setup article](/articles/stabbing-the-drama-drum-setup), came three albums later with a punchier, more contemporary production from Jens Bogren and Daniel Bergstrand. Verbeuren's technical approach — rapid fills, dark Byzance cymbal voicing, steady double bass — remained consistent across both.