Martin Axenrot's Drum Setup on Opeth's Sorceress (2016) | MetalForge

Frequently Asked Questions

What drum kit did Martin Axenrot use on Opeth's Sorceress?

Martin Axenrot recorded Opeth's Sorceress (2016) using the Pearl Reference Series kit that he had established for Heritage (2011) and Pale Communion (2014): twin 22"x18" bass drums, 10" and 12" rack toms, 14" and 16" floor toms. He paired the Pearl kit with Meinl Byzance cymbals (14" Traditional Medium Hi-Hats, 16" Thin Crash, 18" Medium Thin Crash, 19" Dark Crash, 22" Traditional Medium Ride) and Pearl Demon Drive direct-drive twin pedals. Tracked at Fascination Street Studios in Örebro, Sweden, produced by Mikael Åkerfeldt. Sorceress was the first Opeth album released on Nuclear Blast Records.

How does Sorceress differ from Heritage and Pale Communion in terms of drumming?

Sorceress expands the dynamic range established on Heritage and Pale Communion by reintroducing heavier riff passages and more assertive drumming across key tracks. Heritage was the most restrained of the three — minimal twin-kick, no China/Dark crash, maximum prog-rock restraint. Pale Communion was the most compositionally ambitious — the "Eternal Rains Will Come" breakdown is the prog era's technical peak. Sorceress is the most dynamically wide — soft prog passages alongside assertive heavy sections that bring the Watershed-era vocabulary back into play. The 19" Dark Crash reappears more prominently than on either Heritage or Pale Communion, the twin kicks are used more assertively on heavier tracks, and the snare backbeats hit harder when the arrangement demands it. The Pearl Reference Series and Meinl Byzance setup is the same across all three albums; what changes is how Axenrot deploys his range within each.

Why did Opeth sign with Nuclear Blast for Sorceress?

Opeth moved from Roadrunner Records to Nuclear Blast for Sorceress after their Roadrunner contract concluded. Nuclear Blast was one of the world's leading metal labels by 2016, with distribution and promotional infrastructure that better served Opeth's commercial ambitions in the prog-rock era. The label move did not change the creative approach — Sorceress was still produced by Mikael Åkerfeldt at Fascination Street Studios in Örebro, with the same Pearl Reference Series and Meinl Byzance drum setup as Heritage and Pale Communion. The #1 chart debuts in Sweden and Norway validated the move commercially.

How does Martin Axenrot's dynamic range compare across the Opeth prog trilogy?

Across Heritage (2011), Pale Communion (2014), and Sorceress (2016), Axenrot's dynamic range expands with each album. Heritage established the restrained end of the spectrum: jazz brushes, ride-forward phrasing, minimal kick, no aggressive crashes. Pale Communion introduced more melodic ambition — the "Eternal Rains Will Come" breakdown is technically demanding — but remained largely within Heritage's restrained vocabulary. Sorceress expanded both ends of the range: the soft passages are as restrained as Heritage, while the heavy passages bring back assertive kick work, dark crash accents, and snare attack that hadn't appeared since Watershed. By Sorceress, Axenrot had developed the full progressive drummer's vocabulary — capable of covering the entire dynamic spectrum within a single album and, on the title track, within a single song.

How does Sorceress connect to Pale Communion in the Axenrot discography?

Sorceress (2016) follows Pale Communion (2014) as the third and final chapter of Opeth's mid-2010s prog trilogy, all sharing the Pearl Reference Series kit, Meinl Byzance cymbals, and Fascination Street Studios production. Where Pale Communion was the artistic peak — most compositionally refined, Steven Wilson mixing — Sorceress is the expanded-vocabulary consolidation: the prog identity settled as Opeth's default mode, with heavier passages reintroduced to broaden the range. Together the three albums trace Axenrot's complete development as a progressive drummer. For the full arc, see [Heritage drum setup](/articles/heritage-drum-setup), [Pale Communion drum setup](/articles/pale-communion-drum-setup), and [Martin Axenrot's drummer profile](/drummer/martin-axenrot).