Best Cymbals for Metal: Brands, Series & Budget Guide | MetalForge
Why metal favours brighter, cutting B8-or-heavier-cutting-B20 cymbal setups — plus recommended series by budget tier and the confirmed setups legendary metal...
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best cymbal brand for metal?
There is no single best brand — Zildjian, Sabian, Paiste, and Meinl all show up extensively across our verified metal drummer roster, each with its own metal-relevant series (Zildjian A/K/Z Custom, Sabian AAX/HHX, Paiste RUDE/2002, Meinl Byzance/Mb20). See the brand pages below for positioning and which confirmed drummers play each one.
B20 or B8 cymbals for metal?
Most professional metal drummers on our verified roster play cast B20 bronze (or a comparable cast alloy) for its durability and professional tone, but B8 sheet bronze is a genuinely usable, brighter, more affordable entry point. See the /cymbals/alloys guide for the full trade-off breakdown.
What is the best budget cymbal setup for metal?
A durable, cutting starting point at any budget is a set of medium-heavy hi-hats, two or three crashes of different sizes, a ride with a pronounced bell for blast-beat patterns, and at least one china for aggressive accents. See the budget tiers above for which alloy/series tier fits that setup at your price point.
What cymbals do professional metal drummers actually use?
See the confirmed setups on the /cymbals hub — it pulls directly from our verified drummer-to-cymbal database, not guesses. Every entry links to the drummer's full profile, and the brand pages below break down which series each drummer plays.