Dirk Verbeuren's Drum Setup on Megadeth's 'The Sick, the Dying... and the Dead!' (2022) | MetalForge

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Megadeth's newest album?

As of 2026, Megadeth's most recent studio album is "The Sick, the Dying... and the Dead!", released September 2, 2022 on Dave Mustaine's Tradecraft label via Universal Music Enterprises. It is the band's sixteenth studio album and the first to be built from the ground up around drummer Dirk Verbeuren, who joined in 2016 during the touring cycle for "Dystopia" — an album whose drum parts were recorded entirely by Chris Adler, not Verbeuren. The album debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200, Megadeth's eighth top-10 album.

Did Megadeth win a Grammy for "We'll Be Back"?

No — "We'll Be Back" was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance at the 65th Grammy Awards (February 2023), but the award went to Ozzy Osbourne featuring Tony Iommi for "Degradation Rules." Other nominees that year included Ghost, Muse, and Turnstile. This marked Megadeth's second Verbeuren-era nomination in the category, following the band's actual win for "Dystopia" at the 59th Grammy Awards in 2017.

What drums does Dirk Verbeuren play on 'The Sick, the Dying... and the Dead!'?

Dirk Verbeuren recorded the album on a Tama Starclassic Maple Custom kit with two genuine 22" x 18" bass drums (rather than his usual single-kick-plus-double-pedal touring setup), 10", 12", and 13" rack toms, and 16" and 18" floor toms. His snare was his own Tama Signature Series model, a 14" x 5.5" steel drum built to his specifications. Cymbals came from two Meinl lines — Byzance Brilliant Heavy Hammered and Classics Custom Dark — giving him both bright and dark tonal options across the kit.

What albums has Dirk Verbeuren recorded with Megadeth?

Dirk Verbeuren has recorded one studio album with Megadeth to date: "The Sick, the Dying... and the Dead!" (2022), his actual studio debut with the band, on which he also earned his first Megadeth songwriting credits. Megadeth's prior album, "Dystopia" (2016), which won the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance, was recorded entirely by Chris Adler (Lamb of God) — Verbeuren joined during that album's touring cycle but did not play on the studio recording. For the full breakdown of Adler's Grammy-winning performance, see the [Dystopia Drum Setup article](/articles/dystopia-drum-setup).

Who produced 'The Sick, the Dying... and the Dead!'?

The album was produced by Dave Mustaine and longtime Megadeth collaborator Chris Rakestraw, who had previously co-produced "Super Collider" (2013) and "Dystopia" (2016). It was mixed by Josh Wilbur (Lamb of God, Gojira, Trivium) and mastered by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound. Recording took place primarily at Dave Mustaine's home studio in Nashville, Tennessee, following pre-production sessions in Franklin, Tennessee that began in May 2019.