Best Drum Pedals for Symphonic Metal 2026 | MetalForge Guide
Best double bass pedals for symphonic metal. What Daray (Pearl Demon Drive), Hellhammer (Axis Double Pedal), Frost (Tama Iron Cobra Power Glide), and Jaska Raatikainen (Pearl Eliminator) actually use — from budget to pro.
Frequently Asked Questions
What drum pedal does Daray from Dimmu Borgir use?
Daray plays a Pearl Demon Drive double pedal as part of his Tama Starclassic Performer B/B rig — the pedal carried over unchanged when Daray switched his kit from Pearl to Tama in 2014.
What pedal does Hellhammer use?
Hellhammer plays an Axis Double Pedal — part of his Sonor SQ2 Heavy Beech setup since 1999, valued for its precision engineering and extreme-tempo reliability.
What pedal does Frost from Satyricon use?
Frost plays a Tama Iron Cobra Power Glide pedal alongside his Tama Starclassic Bubinga kit since 2013, chosen for the dynamic control needed to move between blast-beat storms and symphonic arrangements' atmospheric restraint.
What pedal did Jaska Raatikainen use in Children of Bodom?
Jaska Raatikainen played a Pearl Eliminator double pedal from 2004's "Are You Dead Yet?" through Children of Bodom's 2019 dissolution, paired with his Pearl Masters Premium Maple kit (he ran Tama Starclassic gear from 1999-2004) — proof of the Eliminator's reliability across every studio album from that era.
Direct drive or chain drive for symphonic metal?
Both work at the highest level. Daray's Pearl Demon Drive and Hellhammer's Axis Double Pedal — both direct-drive — suit drummers whose material leans toward maximum blast-beat reliability. Frost's chain-drive Tama Iron Cobra Power Glide and Raatikainen's Pearl Eliminator prove that dynamic sensitivity and long-term durability serve orchestral complexity just as effectively.