Best Splash Cymbals for Mathcore in 2026 | MetalForge Expert Guide
Discover the best splash cymbals for mathcore drumming. Expert recommendations on bright, fast-decaying accent cymbals for odd-time signature punctuation, featuring the splash setups used by Matt Greiner and Blake Richardson.
Frequently Asked Questions
What splash cymbal does Matt Greiner use?
Matt Greiner of August Burns Red runs 10" and 12" Meinl Byzance Splashes within his broader Byzance touring setup, giving his technical, time-signature-heavy material two distinct accent sizes to work with.
What splash cymbal does Blake Richardson use?
Blake Richardson of Between the Buried and Me plays a 10" Sabian HH Duo Splash within his Sabian touring rig, delivering an adaptable accent voice for BTBAM's genre-hopping, mathcore-adjacent technicality.
Why do mathcore drummers need a splash cymbal more than other genres?
Mathcore's irregular meters and constant tempo shifts give a drummer far fewer predictable moments to work with than a straight-time genre. A splash provides an extra, distinctly voiced accent option so fills and hits inside unpredictable odd-time passages don't all sound tonally identical.
What size splash cymbal is best for mathcore?
10" is the most common mathcore splash size, striking a balance between a sharp, isolated accent and enough body to cut through technical, dense arrangements. Matt Greiner adds a 12" for a fuller secondary accent voice alongside his 10".
What's the best budget splash cymbal for mathcore?
The Zildjian Planet Z Splash (€35-50) and Sabian SBR Splash (€30-45) both use budget B8 bronze but deliver a genuinely usable, bright accent voice for developing drummers, while the Meinl HCS Splash (€25-40) is the most affordable brass-alloy option for a first full beginner cymbal setup.