How to Sound Like Kevin Talley — Drum Gear & Setup Guide | MetalForge
Replicate Kevin Talley's Dying Fetus / Misery Index / Six Feet Under drum sound. Gear list, settings, and technique tips to get that signature tone.
Frequently Asked Questions
What made Kevin Talley's blast beats different from other brutal death metal drummers?
Talley layered a polyrhythmic, triplet-grouped kick pattern under a straight 16th-note snare pulse, giving his blasts a rhythmic complexity and groove that most straight-16th blast beats lack. This technique, showcased on Dying Fetus's Destroy the Opposition, became a reference point for technical brutal death metal drumming.
What gear does Kevin Talley use?
Talley plays a Pearl Masters Premium Legend kit with all-maple shells, a 14" x 5.5" Pearl Masters Maple snare, Sabian AAX cymbals, a Pearl Eliminator double pedal, and Vic Firth American Classic 5B sticks — a setup built for fast attack and articulation at extreme tempo.
How fast are Kevin Talley's blast beats?
Talley's blast beats regularly exceed 200 BPM, with some passages pushing past 240 BPM, sustained across full songs rather than short bursts — a combination of raw speed and endurance.
How do I build the endurance for Talley-style blast beats?
Extend the duration of a fixed-tempo double bass exercise before increasing speed. Most drummers who plateau on blast beats have the top-end speed but lack the endurance to sustain it — build duration first, then push tempo.
Can I get Kevin Talley's sound on a budget kit?
Yes. Focus on tight, dry tuning with heavy muffling for a short, punchy attack, and prioritize an all-maple or maple-adjacent shell pack. Technique — hand/foot independence and endurance — matters more than gear tier for reaching blast-beat speed.