What bass drums do metalcore drummers use?

Nick Augusto of Trivium plays a Pearl Reference Pure, Art Cruz of Lamb of God plays a Ludwig Classic Oak, and Travis Orbin recorded Periphery's self-titled debut on an SJC Custom bass drum. All three run a single 22"x18" bass drum with a double pedal.

What size bass drum is best for metalcore?

22"x18" is the metalcore standard - it's what Nick Augusto, Art Cruz, and Travis Orbin all play, balancing breakdown weight with the fast response needed for technical double-bass runs.

What bass drum shell is best for breakdown-heavy metalcore?

Art Cruz's Ludwig Classic Oak is built for exactly that - a dense oak shell delivers the weighted, aggressive punch that anchors Lamb of God's breakdown-heavy groove-metalcore riffing better than a thinner, more sensitive shell.

What bass drum shell is best for technical, fast-switching metalcore?

Nick Augusto's thin 6-ply maple Pearl Reference Pure, with no reinforcement ring, gives the instant, articulate response needed to switch cleanly between a weighted breakdown hit and a rapid double-bass technical run.

What bass drum head is best for metalcore?

Reinforced batter heads - Evans EMAD or Remo Powerstroke 3 - are the metalcore standard. Both handle the genre's relentless double bass abuse and dynamic range far better than standard single-ply heads.