No Prayer for the Dying Drum Setup: Nicko McBrain's Gear on Iron Maiden's Only UK #1 Single (1990) | MetalForge
Nicko McBrain recorded No Prayer for the Dying (1990) on a Yamaha Recording Custom kit with a Yamaha Recording Custom Snare snare.
The complete gear breakdown for Iron Maiden's No Prayer for the Dying (1990). Discover Nicko McBrain's tightly tuned Yamaha Recording Custom kit and Paiste 2...
Frequently Asked Questions
What drum kit did Nicko McBrain use on No Prayer for the Dying?
Nicko McBrain recorded No Prayer for the Dying (1990) on the same Yamaha Recording Custom kit he'd played since Somewhere in Time (1986), tuned tighter and drier for the session, and his usual Paiste 2002 cymbals. The tighter tuning suited the rawer, more live-sounding production the band pursued at Barnyard Studios; the gear itself stayed consistent with his previous two albums. For his full gear history, see the [Nicko McBrain drummer profile](/drummer/nicko-mcbrain).
When did Iron Maiden release No Prayer for the Dying?
No Prayer for the Dying was released on October 1, 1990, on EMI. It was recorded in June 1990 at Barnyard Studios — a barn on bassist Steve Harris's Essex property, wired for recording using the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio — with longtime producer Martin Birch. The album debuted at number two on the UK Albums Chart and was the first Iron Maiden record to feature guitarist Janick Gers, who replaced Adrian Smith during pre-production.
What is Iron Maiden's only UK number one single?
"Bring Your Daughter... to the Slaughter," from No Prayer for the Dying, is Iron Maiden's only UK number one single. Originally written for the 1989 film A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child and re-recorded for the album, it was released as a single in December 1990 and entered the UK Singles Chart at number one, where it stayed for two weeks. It remains the sole chart-topping single of the band's career, despite decades of top-ten hits.
Why does No Prayer for the Dying sound different from Nicko McBrain's other Iron Maiden albums?
No Prayer for the Dying was recorded in a barn using the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio rather than a conventional studio, and the band deliberately pursued a rawer, more stripped-down sound than Seventh Son of a Seventh Son. Nicko McBrain kept his usual Yamaha Recording Custom kit and Paiste 2002 cymbals but tuned the kit noticeably tighter and drier — giving producer Martin Birch a punchier, drier tone suited to the untreated live-room acoustics without any change of gear.
How does No Prayer for the Dying compare to Seventh Son of a Seventh Son?
The two albums represent opposite production philosophies. Seventh Son of a Seventh Son (1988) was a polished, synthesizer-layered concept album recorded at Musicland Studios in Munich. No Prayer for the Dying (1990) was a deliberate reaction against that — a leaner, rawer record tracked in a barn with a mobile studio rig, following Adrian Smith's departure and Janick Gers's arrival. Nicko McBrain's drumming shifted accordingly: from the dynamic, restrained playing and warm, open-tuned Yamaha tone of Seventh Son to the punchier, tighter-tuned Yamaha setup on No Prayer, with the same Paiste 2002 cymbals throughout. See the [Seventh Son of a Seventh Son drum setup article](/articles/seventh-son-drum-setup) for the preceding chapter.