# Lars Ulrich's Drum Setup on Metallica's 72 Seasons (2023) > Full gear breakdown for Metallica's 72 Seasons (2023) — Lars Ulrich's Tama Starclassic Maple kit, signature Tama snare, Zildjian A Custom cymbals, and why this is his last studio album before Eloy Casagrande joined as live drummer. **Type:** Album Drum Setup **Drummer(s):** [Lars Ulrich](/llms/drummers/lars-ulrich.md) **Band / Album:** Metallica — *72 Seasons* (2023) **Genre:** Heavy Metal / Thrash Metal ## Overview Released on April 14, 2023, "72 Seasons" is Metallica's eleventh studio album and, to date, the band's most recent full-length recording. The title refers to the first 18 years of a person's life and the formative experiences that shape an adult's entire outlook. Musically, the album leaned back into the sustained aggression and extended song structures of the band's thrash-era catalog, with tracks like the title cut and "Room of Mirrors" built around galloping, high-tempo patterns that recall the "...And Justice for All" era. 72 Seasons debuted at number one in more than 30 countries and reached number two on the Billboard 200 in the United States. Produced by longtime collaborator Greg Fidelman at Metallica's own HQ studio in San Rafael, California, the album was tracked between March 2021 and November 2022. For Lars Ulrich, 72 Seasons carries a significance that only became clear after the fact: it is his most recent studio recording with Metallica. In October 2023, months after the album's release, Brazilian drummer Eloy Casagrande — formerly of Sepultura — joined Metallica's M72 World Tour as a live co-drummer for the band's largest stadium shows. That arrangement makes 72 Seasons the last Metallica studio album recorded entirely by Lars alone before the Eloy era of Metallica's live show began. ## Gear Breakdown - **Drums:** Tama Starclassic Maple, all-maple shells with StarCast Mounting System (black finish, chrome hardware) - **Snare:** Tama LU1465 Lars Ulrich Signature Snare, 14" x 6.5", steel shell with die-cast hoops - **Cymbals:** Zildjian A Custom — 14" hi-hats, 16" and 18" crashes, 20" ride, 18" China - **Hardware / Pedals:** Tama Iron Cobra 900 Power Glide double pedal; Tama Roadpro hi-hat stand; Roc-N-Soc Nitro Original throne; Ahead Lars Ulrich Signature sticks - **Heads:** Remo Ambassador Coated (snare batter), Remo Ambassador Snare Side (resonant), Remo Powerstroke 3 Clear (kick) - **Snare tuning:** Medium-high tension for attack and cut through downtuned guitars ### Lars's Studio Kit: Tama Starclassic Maple For 72 Seasons, Lars Ulrich recorded on the Tama Starclassic Maple kit that has been his primary studio setup since the Hardwired... to Self-Destruct sessions — a warmer, more resonant alternative to the Starclassic Birch he used on Death Magnetic. The configuration is a compact single-kick setup: a 22"x18" bass drum run with a double pedal, 10" and 12" rack toms, and 14" and 16" floor toms — essentially the same core kit Lars has used across every album since Death Magnetic (2008). This is also the same core drum kit configuration Lars used on the M72 World Tour that followed the album's release, closely paralleling the tonal choices documented in Eloy Casagrande's M72 live setup. ### The LU1465: Still Lars's Go-To Lars's snare choice on 72 Seasons is the same Tama LU1465 Lars Ulrich Signature snare he has used since re-adopting it for Death Magnetic in 2008. The 14"x6.5" steel shell with die-cast hoops delivers the bright, cutting crack that has defined his sound for nearly two decades of Metallica recordings — consistent across Death Magnetic, Hardwired... to Self-Destruct, and 72 Seasons. ### Zildjian A Custom: A Decade-and-a-Half Constant Lars's cymbal setup is the same Zildjian A Custom configuration he has used since Death Magnetic. The bright, cutting A Custom sound has consistently cut through Metallica's dense guitar mixes across three studio albums and continues into the 72 Seasons material. ## Key Facts - Metallica's most recent studio album — released April 14, 2023 - Debuted #1 in more than 30 countries, #2 on the Billboard 200 - Recorded at Metallica's own HQ studio in San Rafael, CA with producer Greg Fidelman - Return to thrash-influenced songwriting and tempos - Lars Ulrich's last studio album before Eloy Casagrande joined as M72 live co-drummer in October 2023 (Lars remains Metallica's sole studio drummer) - Gear setup essentially unchanged since the Hardwired era: Tama Starclassic Maple, LU1465 signature snare, Zildjian A Custom - Estimated kit value: $4,000-5,500 - Estimated snare value: $300-450 - Estimated cymbal setup value: $1,800-2,200 total ## FAQ **What drums does Lars Ulrich use on 72 Seasons?** Lars Ulrich recorded 72 Seasons (2023) on his Tama Starclassic Maple kit — the same core setup he has used since Hardwired... to Self-Destruct in 2016. The configuration is a compact single-kick setup: a 22x18 inch bass drum run with an Iron Cobra 900 Power Glide double pedal, 10 and 12 inch rack toms, and 14 and 16 inch floor toms. He paired it with his Tama LU1465 Lars Ulrich Signature snare and Zildjian A Custom cymbals, recorded at Metallica's own HQ studio in San Rafael, CA with producer Greg Fidelman. **Is 72 Seasons Lars Ulrich's last Metallica album?** 72 Seasons (2023) is Metallica's most recent studio album and, as of this writing, Lars Ulrich's last studio recording with the band. It is not his last album as Metallica's drummer — he remains the band's sole studio drummer. What makes 72 Seasons a notable dividing line is that it was released before Eloy Casagrande joined Metallica's M72 World Tour as a live co-drummer for the tour's largest stadium shows starting in October 2023. **Why did Metallica add a second drummer after 72 Seasons?** In October 2023, Metallica brought in Eloy Casagrande — the former Sepultura drummer — as a co-drummer for select, larger-scale shows on the M72 World Tour. The arrangement was designed to add live power on the tour's biggest stadium dates rather than to replace Lars Ulrich, who remained Metallica's sole studio drummer throughout and continued performing on every date of the tour. **How does the 72 Seasons drum sound compare to Death Magnetic?** Both albums represent a deliberate return to thrash-influenced tempos and songwriting. Death Magnetic (2008) used Tama Starclassic Birch shells for a brighter, more attack-forward tone. 72 Seasons (2023) uses Tama Starclassic Maple, adopted around the Hardwired era, giving the album a warmer, fuller low end. Both albums use the same Tama LU1465 signature snare and Zildjian A Custom cymbals. **What cymbals did Lars Ulrich use on 72 Seasons?** Lars Ulrich used Zildjian A Custom cymbals throughout 72 Seasons — the same series he has used since Death Magnetic in 2008. His setup includes 14 inch A Custom hi-hats, 16 and 18 inch A Custom crashes, a 20 inch A Custom ride, and an 18 inch A Custom China. **Source:** https://metalforge.io/articles/72-seasons-drum-setup **More LLM resources:** [Site index](/llms.txt) · [Full database](/llms-full.txt) · [Master FAQ](/llms/faq.md) · [Drummer index](/llms/index.md) *Last updated: 2026-07-01 · Source: [MetalForge.io](https://metalforge.io)*