Nightmare Drum Setup — Mike Portnoy's Tribute Performance for Avenged Sevenfold (2010) | MetalForge

Frequently Asked Questions

Who played drums on Avenged Sevenfold's Nightmare?

Mike Portnoy — then the drummer of Dream Theater — played drums on Avenged Sevenfold's Nightmare (2010). He served as a tribute fill-in following the death of founding A7X drummer Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan on December 28, 2009. Portnoy was a personal friend of The Rev and accepted the role to help the band complete their album as a tribute. The Rev had already composed the drum parts before his death; Portnoy learned and recorded those parts faithfully. Portnoy did not join Avenged Sevenfold as a permanent member — his involvement was limited to the Nightmare recording sessions and a brief live stint. For Portnoy's complete gear history and discography, see the [Mike Portnoy drummer profile](/drummer/mike-portnoy).

Did Mike Portnoy officially join Avenged Sevenfold?

No. Mike Portnoy served as a tribute fill-in for the Nightmare (2010) recording and did not officially join Avenged Sevenfold as a permanent member. His involvement was explicitly a one-time tribute to his friend Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan. After the Nightmare sessions and a brief live period, Portnoy ended his time with A7X. The band subsequently held auditions and selected Arin Ilejay as The Rev's permanent replacement; Ilejay recorded Hail to the King (2013) before departing in 2014. Brooks Wackerman has been A7X's drummer since 2015.

What was The Rev's last recorded album?

Nightmare (2010) is the last Avenged Sevenfold album associated with The Rev (Jimmy Sullivan). He wrote the drum parts for the album before his death on December 28, 2009, and the track "Fiction" features The Rev performing on piano and vocals — recorded from a demo he left before he died. The album was completed with Mike Portnoy playing The Rev's drum compositions as a tribute. In this sense, Nightmare is both The Rev's posthumous studio album and a tribute to his compositions performed by another drummer in his honor.

What drums did Mike Portnoy use on the Nightmare album?

Mike Portnoy used a Tama Starclassic Maple kit for the Nightmare (2010) sessions — his 2010 touring configuration featuring double 22"x18" bass drums, five rack toms (8" through 14"), and three floor toms (14", 16", 18"). His cymbal rig was a Paiste/Sabian hybrid, combining Paiste 2002 crashes and china with Sabian HHX crashes and ride. Hardware included the DW 9000 double bass pedal. He played his Vic Firth Mike Portnoy Signature sticks throughout the sessions. For the full Mike Portnoy gear story, see the [Mike Portnoy kit guide](/articles/whats-in-mike-portnoys-kit).

Was Avenged Sevenfold's Nightmare Grammy-nominated?

"So Far Away" — the Grammy-nominated tribute ballad from Nightmare — received Academy recognition for its emotional power and craft. The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200, went Multi-Platinum in the United States, and reached the UK Top 3. Nightmare is Avenged Sevenfold's highest-charting album and one of the most commercially successful heavy metal records of 2010.