Relentless Reckless Forever Drum Setup: Jaska Raatikainen's Gear on Children of Bodom's 2011 Album | MetalForge

Frequently Asked Questions

What drums did Jaska Raatikainen use on Relentless Reckless Forever?

On *Relentless Reckless Forever* (2011), Jaska Raatikainen used Pearl Masters MCX drums — an evolved Pearl Masters shell construction from the Premium Maple configuration of earlier albums, brought to its most refined expression on this seventh CoB studio record. The setup centered on twin 22" x 18" bass drums, rack toms (10" and 12"), and floor toms (14" and 16") in the MCX's improved maple construction. For Raatikainen's complete gear history across Children of Bodom's career, see the [Jaska Raatikainen drummer profile](/drummer/jaska-raatikainen).

What pedals did Jaska Raatikainen use on Relentless Reckless Forever?

Jaska Raatikainen used the Pearl Eliminator double pedal on *Relentless Reckless Forever* (2011) — the same pedal that had debuted on *Are You Dead Yet?* (2005), now six years into settled familiarity. The Eliminator's cam geometry and chain-drive response were deeply familiar hardware by the *Relentless Reckless Forever* sessions, and the confidence is audible in the double-kick authority on tracks like "Shovel Knockout." See the [Jaska Raatikainen full kit guide](/articles/jaska-raatikainen-drum-setup) for his complete pedal history.

What cymbals did Jaska Raatikainen use on Relentless Reckless Forever?

On *Relentless Reckless Forever* (2011), Jaska Raatikainen used Zildjian A Custom and K Custom cymbals — A Custom 14" hi-hats, A Custom crashes (17" and 18"), a K Custom 20" ride, and an A Custom 18" China. This was the same settled configuration established on *Are You Dead Yet?* (2005) and refined through *Blooddrunk* (2008), now fully at home in the Sonic Pump Studios acoustic environment. For cymbal history context, see the [Blooddrunk drum setup article](/articles/blooddrunk-drum-setup).

How does Relentless Reckless Forever fit in the Children of Bodom drum setup arc?

*Relentless Reckless Forever* (2011) represents the Pearl Masters era at peak refinement — the most settled and confident Pearl-era recording in CoB's catalog before Jaska Raatikainen's later gear developments. It follows *Blooddrunk* (2008) as the second full Nuclear Blast album and precedes *Halo of Blood* (2013). The gear is continuous with the settled Pearl / Zildjian / Eliminator configuration that began on *Are You Dead Yet?*, but the MCX shell construction and six years of accumulated familiarity produce the most controlled Pearl-era drum sound. See the [Jaska Raatikainen drummer profile](/drummer/jaska-raatikainen) and the [Follow the Reaper drum setup](/articles/follow-the-reaper-drum-setup) for the full CoB arc.