Opvs Contra Natvram Drum Setup: Inferno's Arsenal on Behemoth's 2022 Album | MetalForge

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Behemoth's latest album, and what drums does Inferno use on it?

Behemoth's most recent studio album is Opvs Contra Natvram, released September 16, 2022 through Nuclear Blast. Inferno's drum setup for the album is a Pearl Masters MCX kit in a custom black finish, configured with double 22" x 18" bass drums, 10" and 12" rack toms, and 14" and 16" floor toms. This marks a shift from the Tama Starclassic kits documented on The Satanist (2014) and I Loved You at Your Darkest (2018). For the drummer's complete career and gear history, see the [Inferno drummer profile](/drummer/inferno).

How does Inferno's gear on Opvs Contra Natvram differ from The Satanist era?

The gear shifted on nearly every front. On The Satanist (2014), Inferno used a Tama Starclassic Maple kit, a Pearl Masterworks snare, and Meinl Classics Custom Dark cymbals. On Opvs Contra Natvram (2022), he moved to a Pearl Masters MCX kit in custom black, a Pork Pie brass snare, and Paiste 2002 Black cymbals — a brighter, harder-edged cymbal voice replacing the darker, more blended Meinl setup. The production also changed hands, from the Wiesławski brothers at Hertz Studio to a scattered multi-studio approach mixed by Joe Barresi. See the full comparison at the [The Satanist drum setup](/articles/the-satanist-drum-setup) article.

What is Inferno's tuning approach on Opvs Contra Natvram?

Inferno tunes his Pork Pie brass snare to medium-high tension with a controlled, dry snare wire response, prioritizing clarity over ring at the album's blast beat tempos. The brass shell's natural brightness allowed a slightly lower tuning than the brighter, tighter setups of prior albums while still cutting cleanly through tracks like The Deathless Sun and Disinheritance. The approach is consistent with Inferno's long-standing philosophy across the arc — from I Loved You at Your Darkest through Opvs Contra Natvram — of tuning for stroke-by-stroke legibility at extreme tempo over maximum resonance.

What cymbals does Inferno use on Opvs Contra Natvram?

Inferno uses the Paiste 2002 Black series on Opvs Contra Natvram — 14" hi-hats, 16" and 18" crashes, a 20" ride, and an 18" China, all in the series' all-black finish. This is the first Behemoth album in Inferno's studio catalog to move away from Meinl cymbals since Zos Kia Cultus (2002), trading the darker, blended Meinl Byzance and Classics Custom Dark tone of The Satanist and I Loved You at Your Darkest for a brighter, more cutting cymbal voice that matches Joe Barresi's harder-edged mix.