Top 7 Metal Drummers Playing DW Kits | MetalForge

The metal drummers with verified DW (Drum Workshop) kit setups, ranked. Brann Dailor's Collector's Series, Mike Portnoy's 16-year DW era, Paul Bostaph, Derek Roddy, Matt Greiner, Hannes Grossmann, and Kevin Talley — sourced from MetalForge's own gear guides, not guesswork.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which metal drummers play DW (Drum Workshop) drum kits?

Brann Dailor (Mastodon) runs a DW Collector's Series Maple kit, and Mike Portnoy played DW Collector's Maple for sixteen years (1994-2010) before returning to Tama. Paul Bostaph (Slayer), Derek Roddy (Hate Eternal), Matt Greiner (August Burns Red, 2010-2022), Hannes Grossmann (Obscura, on 2009's "Cosmogenesis"), and Kevin Talley round out MetalForge's documented DW artists.

Why does this list rank 7 drummers instead of 10?

Every entry on this list requires a DW relationship that's independently verifiable against MetalForge's own gear guides, drummer-by-kit-model pages, or biographies — not a generic or conflicting brand mention. Only seven drummers in MetalForge's database currently clear that bar for DW specifically, so this ships as an honest top 7 rather than a padded top 10, the same standard applied to the companion Zildjian cymbal list.

Did any of these drummers play DW before switching to another brand?

Yes — DW is often a mid-career chapter rather than a lifelong brand in MetalForge's data. Mike Portnoy moved from DW back to Tama in 2010, Hannes Grossmann moved from DW to Tama after 2009's "Cosmogenesis," and Matt Greiner moved from DW to Pearl after 2022, making DW a common bridge brand between Tama and Pearl chapters in these drummers' careers.

Gear Deep Dives & Articles

1. Brann Dailor — DW Collector's Series Maple — Mastodon's melodic architect. Brann Dailor is a longtime DW Drums endorser, running a DW Collector's Series Maple kit in custom blue finish with a matching DW Collector's Series 14"x6.5" Maple snare and a DW 9000 Series double pedal — a large setup built to accommodate his expansive, melodic tom work across Mastodon's progressive sludge catalog. Dailor earns rank #1 as the most extensively documented current DW artist on this list.
2. Mike Portnoy — Sixteen years on DW Collector's Maple, bookended by Tama. Mike Portnoy played a DW Collector's Maple kit (22"x18" dual bass, 10"x7", 12"x8", 14"x12", 16"x14" toms) from 1994 to 2010, a sixteen-year stretch covering Dream Theater's most celebrated album run, before returning to the Tama Starclassic kits he started on. Portnoy earns rank #2 for the longest single-brand DW tenure documented in MetalForge's gear data, even though Tama bookends it on both sides.
3. Raymond Herrera — DW Collector's Series — closing out Slayer's final chapter. Paul Bostaph has used Pearl, Tama, and DW Drums across his career, settling into a DW Collector's Series Maple/Mahogany kit with a DW 14"x6.5" Collector's Maple snare and DW 9000 Series double pedal for Slayer's Final World Tour, including the band's last-ever show at the Forum in Los Angeles in November 2019. Bostaph earns rank #3 for closing out Slayer's four-decade recording career on DW.
4. Derek Roddy — DW Collector's and Performance Series — extreme metal's reference setup. Derek Roddy has notable endorsements including DW Drums and Vater Drumsticks, running DW Collector's or Performance Series kits with a DW 14"x5.5" Maple or Brass snare and DW 9000 or Axis double pedals across Hate Eternal and his extensive session and touring work. Roddy earns rank #4 for a DW setup built specifically for extreme metal's playability and efficiency demands.
5. Martin Axenrot — DW Collector's and Performance Maple — August Burns Red's 2010-2022 era. Matt Greiner played a DW Collector's Maple kit from 2010 and a DW Performance Maple kit through 2022 across August Burns Red's touring and recording work, before moving to his current Pearl Reference Pure setup with his own Pearl signature snare. Greiner earns rank #5 for a well-documented, decade-plus DW chapter in one of metalcore's most technical bands.
6. Hannes Grossmann — DW Collector's Series — Obscura's "Cosmogenesis" breakthrough. Hannes Grossmann played a DW Collector's Series all-maple 5-piece shell pack on Obscura's 2009 breakthrough "Cosmogenesis," before moving to the Tama Starclassic Maple kit he plays today. Grossmann earns rank #6 for a documented DW chapter behind one of technical death metal's most acclaimed albums.
7. Kevin Talley — A career built across Pearl, Tama, and DW. Kevin Talley has used Pearl, Tama, or DW kits at various points across a prolific death metal career spanning Dying Fetus, Misery Index, and Six Feet Under, favoring whichever setup could handle brutal death metal's extreme demands. Talley earns rank #7 for a documented, if less brand-exclusive, DW relationship across one of extreme metal's busiest touring careers.

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