Nothing Drum Setup: Tomas Haake's Polyrhythmic Blueprint (Meshuggah, 2002) | MetalForge

Frequently Asked Questions

What drum kit did Tomas Haake use on Meshuggah's Nothing?

Tomas Haake recorded Meshuggah's Nothing (2002) on a Sonor Designer Series kit — the same platform he maintained through live Catch 33 performances (2005) and the obZen recording sessions (2008). The configuration featured maple shells with beech reinforcement rings, two 22x18 inch bass drums driven by two independent single Sonor Perfect Balance pedals, 10x8 and 12x9 inch rack toms, and 14x14 and 16x16 inch floor toms. Cymbals were Sabian AAX and AA series. The Sonor Designer Series' articulate attack and controlled sustain were essential for maintaining definition in the extreme low-frequency environment created by Meshuggah's 8-string guitars tuned to F# standard.

What is the snare displacement technique on Nothing?

The snare displacement technique on Meshuggah's Nothing refers to Tomas Haake placing snare accents at non-standard positions within the bar — moving the accent away from conventional beats 2 and 4 to create the illusion of continuously shifting time signatures. Haake maintains the true 4/4 pulse internally while his snare patterns cycle through extended metric arcs. The listener perceives what sounds like constantly rotating meter, but the underlying pulse is strict 4/4 throughout. This technique — snare displacement over a maintained pulse — became the defining characteristic of djent, the genre that grew from Meshuggah's influence in the years after Nothing was recorded.

Why is Meshuggah's Nothing historically important for drummers?

Meshuggah's Nothing (2002) is historically important because it established the polyrhythmic snare displacement blueprint that defined the djent genre. Tomas Haake's drumming on the album — kick patterns cycling through multi-bar arcs, snare accents displaced for metric illusion, hi-hat maintaining the true pulse — provided the rhythmic vocabulary that djent would name and codify years later. The album also documented Haake's first recordings with 8-string guitars in extreme downtuning, demonstrating that drum performance could anchor music in a sonic environment of unprecedented density. Nothing sits between the Chaosphere era and the entirely programmed Catch 33, making it a critical reference for understanding Haake's development.

How does Nothing's drum setup compare to obZen?

The drum setup on Nothing (2002) and obZen (2008) is built on the same foundation: Sonor Designer Series kit, Sabian AAX/AA cymbals, two Sonor Perfect Balance single pedals, and Vic Firth 5A sticks. The gear platform was consistent across this six-year period, making the differences between the two albums a matter of technique and musical ambition rather than equipment. obZen pushed further with the 'Bleed' pattern's continuous 32nd-note bass drum pattern — a six-month practice project that Nothing's patterns didn't demand. Both albums are essential for understanding how Haake developed the polyrhythmic vocabulary that defines Meshuggah.

Was Nothing the first Meshuggah album with 8-string guitars?

Yes, Nothing (2002) was the first Meshuggah album recorded with 8-string guitars — Fredrik Thordendal and Mårten Hagström used custom 8-string instruments tuned to F# standard, which at the time was an almost unprecedented choice in metal production. The extreme downtuning created a sonic density that demanded a corresponding recalibration of the drum approach. Tomas Haake's polyrhythmic patterns on Nothing function partly as a response to the guitar sonic mass — the drums needed to cut through, anchor, and interact with frequencies far lower than conventional metal had previously explored. This sonic territory set the stage for the djent movement's subsequent use of extended-range guitars.