# Abrahadabra — Dimmu Borgir Drum Setup (Daray, 2010)

> The drum setup behind Daray's first studio album as Dimmu Borgir's drummer: Pearl Reference Pure with Paiste RUDE/2002 cymbals, recorded alongside a full orchestra and choir on Abrahadabra (2010).

**Type:** Album Drum Setup
**Drummer(s):** [Daray](/llms/drummers/daray.md)
**Band / Album:** Dimmu Borgir — *Abrahadabra* (2010)
**Genre:** Symphonic Black Metal

## Overview

*Abrahadabra* (released September 22, 2010 through Nuclear Blast) is the album that introduced Daray (Dariusz Brzozowski) as Dimmu Borgir's studio drummer. He had joined the band in 2008 as a replacement for Hellhammer, but *Abrahadabra* was the first time his playing was committed to a Dimmu Borgir studio record — a significant transition given the technical bar Hellhammer had set on the band's prior records, including the orchestral template established on *Death Cult Armageddon* (2003) and formalized further on *In Sorte Diaboli* (2007).

*Abrahadabra* raised the orchestral stakes further still: the album was recorded with the Kringkastingsorkestret (the Norwegian Radio Orchestra) and the Schola Cantorum choir, a combined ensemble of more than 100 musicians and singers layered against the band's core extreme metal instrumentation. Drums and vocals were tracked at Dug Out Studios in Uppsala, Sweden, guitars and bass at Living Room Studios in Oslo, and the orchestral and choir parts at NRK Studios in Oslo — a multi-location production stitched together in the mix rather than a single-room live-band recording. Dimmu Borgir self-produced the album, with mixing handled by the band alongside veteran producer/engineer Andy Sneap.

For Daray, the technical demand was the same one that defines his entire tenure with the band: sustaining blast beats and double-kick patterns at extreme tempos while locking precisely to a fixed orchestral arrangement that cannot adjust to a drummer who rushes or drags. Tracks like "Gateways" — recorded with the full orchestra and choir — required exactly the kind of dynamic control and tempo discipline his Pearl Reference Pure kit and Paiste cymbal setup were built to support, the same rig documented across his full Dimmu Borgir tenure.

This article breaks down the drum setup Daray brought to *Abrahadabra*'s sessions, how it served the album's orchestral integration, and why this record — his first with Dimmu Borgir — set the template for everything that followed through *Eonian* (2018).

## Gear Breakdown

- **Drums:** Pearl Pearl Reference Pure (Custom Black finish)
- **Snare:** Pearl Pearl Reference 14" x 5" Brass, 14" x 5"
- **Cymbals:** Paiste
- **Heads:** Remo Ambassador Coated (batter) — controlled attack with warm fundamental
- **Snare tuning:** Medium-high tension for fast response and upper-frequency cut against dense orchestral arrangements

### Pearl Reference Pure: Daray's Foundation From His First Dimmu Borgir Session Onward

Daray's Pearl Reference Pure kit — the multi-ply maple/birch hybrid shell platform documented across his Dimmu Borgir career — was the foundation of his first studio session with the band. For a drummer stepping into a seat that had just produced *In Sorte Diaboli*'s dense orchestral arrangements, shell consistency was not optional: the Reference Pure's tight-tolerance construction gave every drum uniform resonance under the high-velocity striking that *Abrahadabra*'s blast-beat and double-kick passages demanded.

The double 22" kick configuration anchored the album's rhythmic foundation against the Kringkastingsorkestret's live orchestral tracking. On "Gateways," where a full orchestra and choir sit alongside the band's core instrumentation, kick attack timing had to stay absolutely consistent — any drift between strikes would have produced audible phase conflicts against the orchestral tracks recorded separately at NRK Studios in Oslo. The Reference Pure's response gave Daray that consistency from the first session of his Dimmu Borgir studio career onward.

The custom black finish also carried over from Daray's broader kit setup into the album's visual identity, matching the theatrical staging Dimmu Borgir had built its live reputation on. For a new drummer stepping into one of extreme metal's most demanding studio chairs, *Abrahadabra* established that his gear — not just his technique — could meet the same orchestral-integration bar Hellhammer had set on the band's prior symphonic records.

### Snare: Pearl Reference Brass for Cutting Through Orchestral Density

The brass shell on Daray's Pearl Reference snare produces a bright, fast-decaying crack that was essential on *Abrahadabra* — a record where guitars, keyboards, a full orchestra, and a choir all compete for the same frequency space. Without a shell material capable of cutting cleanly through that density, the snare would have disappeared beneath the Kringkastingsorkestret's string and brass arrangements on tracks like "Gateways."

Tuned to medium-high tension, the snare's short sustain and defined attack meant every hit registered as a distinct rhythmic event rather than blending into the album's dense orchestral wash — the same requirement that governs Daray's snare choice across his entire Dimmu Borgir tenure, not a one-album adjustment.

### Paiste RUDE and 2002: Durability for a Debut Studio Session

Daray's Paiste RUDE and 2002 cymbal setup — the same combination documented across his Dimmu Borgir career — gave *Abrahadabra* the dynamic range to move between the album's thunderous extreme metal passages and the passages built to sit alongside orchestral strings and choir without frequency clash. The RUDE series' thick construction provided the durability and bell definition needed for a debut studio session where every performance had to hold up against Hellhammer's prior orchestral-integration standard.

The 15" Sound Edge Hi-Hats' open, shimmering character — produced by the wavy-edge design that reduces air seal between the cymbals — integrated cleanly with *Abrahadabra*'s keyboard and orchestral arrangements, particularly on the more atmospheric passages of "Gateways" where a stiffer, drier hi-hat sound would have fought the orchestration rather than supporting it.

## Key Facts

- Daray's first studio album with Dimmu Borgir, released September 22, 2010 (Nuclear Blast)
- Recorded with the Kringkastingsorkestret (Norwegian Radio Orchestra) and Schola Cantorum choir — 100+ musicians and singers
- Tracked across three locations: Dug Out Studios (Uppsala), Living Room Studios (Oslo), NRK Studios (Oslo, orchestra/choir)
- Self-produced by Dimmu Borgir, mixed with Andy Sneap
- Pearl Reference Pure kit and Paiste RUDE/2002 cymbals — the same touring and studio rig documented across Daray's Dimmu Borgir tenure
- "Gateways" is the album's key orchestra-and-choir showcase track
- Pearl Reference Pure — Daray's studio and touring kit since joining Dimmu Borgir in 2008
- Custom black finish carried through to Dimmu Borgir's theatrical live staging
- Double 22" kick configuration for sustained double-bass patterns locked to orchestral tracking
- First studio use of this kit on a Dimmu Borgir record — set the template continued on Eonian (2018)
- Estimated kit value: $3,500–6,000 (Pearl Reference Pure shell pack)
- Estimated snare value: $350–550 (Pearl Reference brass snare)

## Frequently Asked Questions

**Q: What drum kit did Daray use on Abrahadabra?**

A: Daray played his Pearl Reference Pure kit in custom black finish on Abrahadabra (2010) — his first studio album with Dimmu Borgir. The double 22" kick configuration and multi-ply maple/birch shell construction gave him the consistent response needed to lock against the Kringkastingsorkestret (Norwegian Radio Orchestra) and Schola Cantorum choir tracked separately at NRK Studios in Oslo. For his complete gear breakdown across his full Dimmu Borgir tenure, see the [Daray drum setup guide](/articles/daray-drum-setup).

**Q: Was Abrahadabra Daray's first studio album with Dimmu Borgir?**

A: Yes. Daray joined Dimmu Borgir in 2008 as Hellhammer's replacement, but Abrahadabra (2010) was the first time his drumming was recorded for a Dimmu Borgir studio album. He went on to record Eonian (2018) as his second studio album with the band, alongside years of international touring in between.

**Q: How was the orchestra recorded on Abrahadabra?**

A: The Kringkastingsorkestret (Norwegian Radio Orchestra) and Schola Cantorum choir — a combined ensemble of more than 100 musicians and singers — were recorded at NRK Studios in Oslo, separately from the core band tracking. Drums and vocals were recorded at Dug Out Studios in Uppsala, Sweden, and guitars/bass at Living Room Studios in Oslo, with the parts assembled together in the mix rather than performed live in one room. That separation placed extra weight on Daray's tempo consistency, since the orchestral and choir tracks could not adjust to any drift in his timing.

**Q: What cymbals does Daray play on Abrahadabra?**

A: Daray's Abrahadabra cymbal setup is the same Paiste RUDE and 2002 combination documented across his Dimmu Borgir career: 15" Sound Edge Hi-Hats, 16" RUDE and 18" 2002 crashes, a 22" RUDE Power Ride, and a 2002 China. The RUDE series' durability and bell definition suit the album's heaviest passages, while the Sound Edge Hi-Hats' open character integrates with the orchestral and choir arrangements on tracks like "Gateways."

**Source:** https://metalforge.io/articles/abrahadabra-drum-setup

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*Last updated: 2026-07-09 · Source: [MetalForge.io](https://metalforge.io)*