In the Court of the Dragon Drum Setup: Alex Bent's UK Top-5 Trivium Album (2021) | MetalForge
Alex Bent recorded In the Court of the Dragon (2021) on a Pearl Reference Series kit with a Pearl Reference Snare snare.
Complete gear breakdown for Alex Bent's drum setup on Trivium's In the Court of the Dragon (2021). Pearl Reference kit, Meinl Byzance cymbals, and the progre...
Frequently Asked Questions
What drum kit did Alex Bent use on In the Court of the Dragon?
Alex Bent used the same matte black Pearl Reference Series kit on In the Court of the Dragon (2021) that he'd played since his 2017 Trivium debut — double 22" x 18" bass drums, 10" and 12" rack toms, and 14" and 16" floor toms with maple/birch hybrid shells. It was his third consecutive Trivium album on the identical configuration. See the [Alex Bent drummer profile](/drummer/alex-bent) for his full gear history.
How did In the Court of the Dragon perform commercially?
In the Court of the Dragon peaked at #4 on the UK Albums Chart, Trivium's strongest UK chart performance since Shogun in 2008. The album was released October 8, 2021 on Roadrunner Records, produced by Josh Wilbur and recorded at Full Sail University in Orlando in the fall of 2020.
What is Alex Bent's cymbal setup on In the Court of the Dragon?
Alex Bent played Meinl Byzance Brilliant series cymbals on In the Court of the Dragon: 14" Medium Hi-Hats, 16", 18", and 19" Medium Thin Crashes, a 21" Medium Ride, and an 18" China. It's his fullest Byzance Brilliant setup across his three Trivium albums, adding a third crash size to cover the wider dynamic range of the record's longer, multi-section songs.
How does In the Court of the Dragon compare to What the Dead Men Say?
In the Court of the Dragon (2021) pushes further into progressive songwriting than What the Dead Men Say (2020), built around longer, multi-section tracks like the nearly eight-minute title track and the closer "The Phalanx" — the most structurally ambitious Trivium material since Shogun (2008). Alex Bent's gear stayed identical across both records, but the extended song forms demanded more sustained double-bass stamina and a fuller cymbal setup. See the [What the Dead Men Say drum setup article](/articles/trivium-what-the-dead-men-say-drum-setup) for the preceding chapter.
Who produced In the Court of the Dragon?
In the Court of the Dragon was produced by Josh Wilbur, who also produced The Sin and the Sentence (2017) and What the Dead Men Say (2020) — all three of Alex Bent's studio albums with Trivium to that point. It was recorded at Full Sail University in Orlando, Florida, in the fall of 2020.