What bass drums do metal drummers use across different subgenres?

Lars Ulrich of Metallica plays a Tama Starclassic Birch, Gene Hoglan (Death, Testament, Dethklok) plays a DW Collector's Series, George Kollias of Nile plays a custom Pearl Masterworks, and Tomas Haake of Meshuggah runs dual Sonor SQ2 Heavy Beech shells. Most run a single 22"x18" bass drum with a double pedal.

What size bass drum is best for metal generally?

22"x18" is the cross-genre standard, balancing enough low-end weight for downtuned riffing with fast response for double bass work. Some drummers, like Tomas Haake, run dual 24" shells for maximum sub-bass presence when their material calls for it.

Birch or maple bass drum for metal?

Birch (Lars Ulrich's Tama Starclassic) gives a punchy, focused attack that cuts through dense guitar mixes. Maple (Gene Hoglan's DW Collector's, George Kollias's Pearl Masterworks) delivers warmer, fuller low-end projection. Choose based on whether cutting attack or warm fullness matters more for your material.

Do I need dual bass drums for metal, or is a double pedal enough?

A single shell with a quality double pedal is the standard across most metal subgenres and most of the drummers in this guide. Tomas Haake's dual 24" Sonor SQ2 setup is a deliberate exception for maximum resonant low end, not a general requirement.

What bass drum head is best for metal?

Reinforced batter heads - Evans EMAD or Remo Powerstroke 3 - are the metal standard across nearly every subgenre. Both handle sustained double bass abuse far better than standard single-ply heads while adding useful attack and durability.