# Joey Jordison's Drum Setup on Slipknot's All Hope Is Gone (2008)

> Complete breakdown of Joey Jordison's drum setup on Slipknot's All Hope Is Gone (2008) — the Grammy-nominated 'Psychosocial' album and Joey's farewell Slipknot studio record. Pearl Reference Series kit, Zildjian Z Custom cymbals, Pearl Eliminator Demon Drive pedals — the gear that closed the Jordison-era discography arc.

**Type:** Album Drum Setup
**Drummer(s):** [Joey Jordison](/llms/drummers/joey-jordison.md)
**Band / Album:** Slipknot — *All Hope Is Gone* (2008)
**Genre:** Alternative Metal

## Overview

Released on August 26, 2008, *All Hope Is Gone* is Slipknot's fourth studio album — and, though no one knew it at the time, Joey Jordison's last studio record with the band that defined his career. Recorded with producer Dave Fortman at Sound Farm Studios outside Des Moines, Iowa — the first Slipknot album recorded in the band's home state — *All Hope Is Gone* debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200, hit #1 in the UK and Australia, and was certified Gold within months. The single "Psychosocial" earned Slipknot a Grammy nomination for Best Metal Performance.

By 2008, Joey Jordison had become one of the most decorated metal drummers in the world. He entered the *All Hope Is Gone* sessions with a gear setup that reflected his evolution from the Tama Rockstar of 1999, through the Pearl Masterworks of Iowa, to the Pearl Reference Series that became his late-career flagship kit. The Reference Series' maple/birch hybrid shell construction gave Joey a tonal palette better suited to the more refined, melody-conscious arrangements Fortman's production foregrounded.

The drumming on *All Hope Is Gone* shows a player at the height of his discipline. "Psychosocial" is built on a double-bass pulse that locks the verse riff with mechanical precision. "Gematria (The Killing Name)" opens the album with one of Joey's most demanding sustained double-bass performances. "Dead Memories" reveals the melodic restraint he was capable of in service of a song. Paul Gray's substantial co-writing role shaped the production's thicker low end — Gray's tragic death in 2010 makes this the last Slipknot album to feature both founding rhythm section members.

In hindsight, *All Hope Is Gone* is the arc closer of Jordison's recorded Slipknot legacy: Self-Titled (1999) → Iowa (2001) → Vol. 3 (2004) → All Hope Is Gone (2008). His departure came in 2013, and his death — at 46 — in July 2021.

## Gear Breakdown

- **Drums:** Pearl Reference Series (Black/Red finish), maple/birch hybrid shells
- **Snare:** Pearl Joey Jordison Signature Steel Snare, 14" x 5", 1mm beaded steel shell
- **Cymbals:** Zildjian Z Custom — 14" Mastersound Hi-Hats, 16/18/19" Medium Crashes, 22" Mega Bell Ride, 19" China, 10" Splash
- **Hardware / Pedals:** Pearl Eliminator Demon Drive Double Pedal; Pearl Icon Rack System; Pearl H-2000 Hi-Hat Stand; Pearl Roadster Throne; Vic Firth Joey Jordison Signature sticks
- **Heads:** Remo Ambassador X (snare batter), Remo Powerstroke 3 Clear (kick), Remo Pinstripe Clear (tom batters)
- **Snare tuning:** Medium-high tension with controlled snare wire pressure — open enough for ghost notes, cracking enough for chorus backbeats

### Pearl Reference Series: Joey's Late-Slipknot Flagship

Joey Jordison's primary kit for *All Hope Is Gone* was a Pearl Reference Series — Pearl's flagship multi-species shell line, engineered to combine the warmth of maple with the attack and high-end definition of birch. The Reference shells use strategically placed maple and birch plies designed to optimise each drum's tonal character. For a drummer who had built his career on a Pearl Masterworks Custom maple/mahogany hybrid, the move to Reference represented a refinement of the same philosophy: hybrid shells engineered for a specific sonic outcome.

The double 22" x 18" bass drums remained the Slipknot standard, but Dave Fortman's production gave them a more defined, less compressed character than the Iowa sessions. The kicks on "Psychosocial" and "Gematria" sit forward in the mix with clear attack and substantial low-end body. The tom configuration for *All Hope Is Gone* was more compact than the expanded five-rack-tom Vol. 3 setup — two rack toms (10", 12") plus two floor toms (14", 16") — reflecting the album's tighter, more song-focused arrangements. The Black/Red finish gave the kit a visual identity matching the album's darker, more cohesive aesthetic.

### The Pearl Joey Jordison Signature Steel Snare

For *All Hope Is Gone*, Joey used his Pearl Joey Jordison Signature Steel Snare — the production version of his signature model, with a 1mm beaded steel shell at 14" x 5". The 14" diameter delivers a fuller fundamental note than the smaller 13" Iowa snare. At 5" depth, the shell is shallow enough to keep the response crisp but tall enough to provide substantial body. The steel shell construction provides brightness and projection — the snare cuts through the dense rhythm guitar wall on "Psychosocial" and "Gematria" with immediate identification.

Joey tuned the snare relatively high for the *All Hope Is Gone* sessions, with controlled snare wire tension that allowed ghost notes audible in his more dynamics-conscious passages — particularly on "Dead Memories" and "Snuff." The beaded shell construction provides additional structural rigidity and slight tonal complexity, contributing to the distinctive cracking attack that became one of the most recognised snare sounds in modern metal.

### Zildjian Z Custom: Joey's Late-2000s Slipknot Choice

By 2008, Joey Jordison had moved away from the Paiste RUDE series that defined his Iowa and Vol. 3 cymbal sound and embraced Zildjian's Z Custom series. The Z Custom — Zildjian's heaviest production line, designed specifically for hard rock and metal drumming — provided a brighter, more cutting character with more projection and a tighter, more focused attack than the unlathed RUDE series.

The Z Custom hi-hats deliver rapid articulation with a cutting chick sound that sits clearly in Dave Fortman's mix. On "Psychosocial," the hi-hat pattern drives the verse with precision that survives the dense rhythm guitar layering. The crash array (16", 18", 19") provides a hierarchy of dynamic weights. The 22" Mega Bell Ride is a notable late-Slipknot addition — its pronounced bell anchors the slower, riff-driven sections of "Dead Memories" and "Snuff" where the ride functions as a melodic voice. The 19" Z Custom China continues the Slipknot tradition of aggressive China accents as compositional punctuation, firing on the downbeats of "Gematria"'s most intense sections.

### Pearl Eliminator Demon Drive: The Late-Slipknot Pedal Era

The Pearl Eliminator Demon Drive double pedal — a direct-drive evolution of the original Demon Drive — was Joey's primary bass pedal for *All Hope Is Gone*. The direct-drive cam mechanism delivers immediate response with zero chain slack, essential for the precision double-bass passages on "Gematria" and "Psychosocial." The interchangeable cam profiles let Joey tune the pedal feel for different songs and tempos across the album. These pedals remained his Slipknot standard through the rest of his tenure.

## Key Facts

- Joey Jordison's final Slipknot studio album before his 2013 departure
- "Psychosocial" Grammy-nominated for Best Metal Performance
- Debuted #1 on Billboard 200, #1 in UK and Australia — Gold-certified
- First Slipknot album recorded in their home state of Iowa, at Sound Farm Studios
- Producer Dave Fortman (Mudvayne, Evanescence) — first non-Robinson/Rubin Slipknot producer
- Pearl Reference Series maple/birch hybrid replaces the Iowa-era Masterworks Custom
- Zildjian Z Custom replaces the Paiste RUDE series of the Iowa and Vol. 3 eras
- Pearl Eliminator Demon Drive direct-drive pedals
- Paul Gray's substantial co-writing/production influence shaped the album's thicker low end
- Closes the Jordison-era arc: Self-Titled (1999) → Iowa (2001) → Vol. 3 (2004) → All Hope Is Gone (2008)
- Estimated kit value: $5,500–7,500 (2008)
- Estimated snare value: $450–550 (2008)
- Joey Jordison passed July 26, 2021, at age 46

## FAQ

### What drums did Joey Jordison use on All Hope Is Gone?

Joey Jordison used a Pearl Reference Series kit on Slipknot's All Hope Is Gone (2008), recorded at Sound Farm Studios in Iowa with producer Dave Fortman. The setup featured double 22 x 18 inch bass drums, two rack toms (10 and 12 inch), and two floor toms (14 and 16 inch), all in a Black/Red finish. The Reference Series' maple/birch hybrid shell construction combined warmth with attack — Pearl's flagship multi-species line at the time, replacing the maple/mahogany Pearl Masterworks Custom of the Iowa and Vol. 3 eras.

### Is All Hope Is Gone Joey Jordison's last Slipknot album?

Yes — All Hope Is Gone (2008) is Joey Jordison's final Slipknot studio album. Joey left Slipknot in December 2013, with the band publicly citing personal reasons. The next Slipknot studio album, .5: The Gray Chapter (2014), featured Jay Weinberg. Joey Jordison died on July 26, 2021, at age 46. All Hope Is Gone closes his four-album studio legacy with the band: Self-Titled (1999), Iowa (2001), Vol. 3: The Subliminal Verses (2004), and All Hope Is Gone (2008).

### What cymbals did Joey Jordison use on All Hope Is Gone?

Joey Jordison used Zildjian Z Custom cymbals on All Hope Is Gone (2008), a change from the Paiste RUDE series that defined his Iowa and Vol. 3 cymbal sound. The setup included Zildjian Z Custom 14 inch Mastersound Hi-Hats, Z Custom Medium crashes in 16, 18, and 19 inch sizes, a Z Custom 22 inch Mega Bell Ride, a Z Custom 19 inch China, and a Z Custom 10 inch Splash. The Z Custom series — Zildjian's heaviest production line for hard rock and metal — delivers brighter, more cutting tones with faster response than the unlathed Paiste RUDE series.

### What pedals did Joey Jordison use on All Hope Is Gone?

Joey Jordison used Pearl Eliminator Demon Drive double pedals on All Hope Is Gone — Pearl's direct-drive evolution of the original Demon Drive he had used on Iowa and Vol. 3. The direct-drive cam mechanism delivers immediate response with zero chain slack, essential for the precision double-bass passages on "Gematria (The Killing Name)" and "Psychosocial." The Eliminator Demon Drive's interchangeable cam profiles let Joey tune the pedal feel for different songs and tempos across the album.

### What is the song "Psychosocial" about?

"Psychosocial" is the second single from Slipknot's All Hope Is Gone (2008), Grammy-nominated for Best Metal Performance. Vocalist Corey Taylor has described the song lyrically as a critique of celebrity culture, mass media manipulation, and the psychological pressure exerted on individuals by a society that demands conformity. Musically, the track is built on one of Joey Jordison's most iconic double-bass verse patterns — a sustained sixteenth-note kick foundation that locks with the rhythm guitar riff while the snare and hi-hat carry the song forward.

### Where was All Hope Is Gone recorded?

All Hope Is Gone was recorded at Sound Farm Studios in Jamaica, Iowa, just over an hour from Slipknot's hometown of Des Moines — the first Slipknot studio album recorded in the band's home state. The producer was Dave Fortman, known for his work with Mudvayne, Evanescence, and Otep. Sound Farm Studios is a residential recording facility on a working farm, designed by producer/engineer Tom Tatman, with a large live tracking room well suited to capturing Joey Jordison's full kit with natural room ambience.

## Related Content

- [Iowa Drum Setup (2001)](/articles/iowa-drum-setup) — the peak-extremity Slipknot record that preceded *All Hope Is Gone*
- [Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses) Drum Setup (2004)](/articles/vol3-subliminal-verses-drum-setup) — the Rick Rubin-era clarity album
- [.5: The Gray Chapter Drum Setup (2014)](/articles/the-gray-chapter-drum-setup) — Jay Weinberg's Slipknot debut, post-Jordison

**Source:** https://metalforge.io/articles/all-hope-is-gone-drum-setup

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*Last updated: 2026-06-26 · Source: [MetalForge.io](https://metalforge.io)*