How to Sound Like Jaska Raatikainen — Drum Gear & Setup Guide | MetalForge
Replicate Jaska Raatikainen's Children of Bodom drum sound. Gear list, settings, and technique tips to get that signature tone.
Frequently Asked Questions
What drum kit did Jaska Raatikainen use?
Jaska Raatikainen was a Pearl endorser throughout Children of Bodom's career, playing Pearl Masters Custom drums with maple or maple-birch shells. His setup typically featured double 22" bass drums, two rack toms (10" and 12"), and two floor toms (14" and 16"). The Pearl Masters Custom maple shells provided the warm attack that suited Children of Bodom's melodic context.
What cymbals did Jaska Raatikainen use?
Jaska Raatikainen used Zildjian A series cymbals — known for their bright, cutting, and musically versatile character. His setup included 14" A New Beat hi-hats, 17" and 18" A crashes, a 20" A Medium Ride, and an 18" A China. The A series' clear, defined response suited Children of Bodom's melodic production context where cymbals needed to cut through keyboards and two guitars.
What is the guitar synchronization technique in Children of Bodom?
Jaska Raatikainen's guitar synchronization technique involves building drum patterns — particularly triplet and 16th-note patterns — that mirror Alexi Laiho's guitar picking rhythms. The kick drum lands on the same triplet subdivisions as the guitar's string attacks, creating a locked, unified feel. This requires learning the guitar part before constructing the drum pattern, rather than playing standard beats over the composition.
How did Jaska Raatikainen's style differ from pure death metal drummers?
Raatikainen's approach was fundamentally more musical than pure technical death metal drumming. While he could play blast beats and double bass at death metal tempos, his defining characteristic was compositional awareness — how the drum part relates to the guitar melodies, keyboard harmonies, and song structure. His fills often mirror the contour of guitar phrases rather than serving as purely technical demonstrations. He was a song drummer who happened to play extreme metal.
What Children of Bodom songs should I learn to study Jaska Raatikainen's technique?
Start with 'Bodom Beach Terror' from Follow the Reaper (2000) for hi-hat power stroke technique and basic groove approach. Then study 'Follow the Reaper' for guitar-synchronized triplet patterns — the defining Raatikainen technique. 'Needled 24/7' from Hate Crew Deathroll (2003) demonstrates his speed-groove balance. Finally, 'Hate Crew Deathroll' shows his controlled authority in a mid-tempo context. These four songs cover his primary technical range.