# Are You Dead Yet? Drum Setup: Jaska Raatikainen's Gear on Children of Bodom's 2005 Album

> Discover the exact drum kit, cymbals, and gear Jaska Raatikainen used on Children of Bodom's Are You Dead Yet? (2005). Complete breakdown of the Pearl Masters Premium Maple kit, Zildjian A Custom cymbals, and Pearl Eliminator double pedal behind CoB's most commercially successful album.

**Type:** Album Drum Setup
**Drummer(s):** [Jaska Raatikainen](/llms/drummers/jaska-raatikainen.md)
**Band / Album:** Children of Bodom — *Are You Dead Yet?* (2005)
**Genre:** Melodic Death Metal

## Overview

Released on September 26, 2005, *Are You Dead Yet?* is Children of Bodom's fifth full-length album and their most commercially successful record — debuting at number 56 on the Finnish charts. The album documented a deliberate shift in approach: more mid-paced grooves, shorter song structures, and a streamlined production that brought CoB's sound to a broader audience. Recorded at Astia Studio in Imatra, Finland with Anssi Kippo, it marked the beginning of a new gear era for Jaska Raatikainen.

*Are You Dead Yet?* is the gear transition album in Raatikainen's CoB discography — the point where the Tama Starclassic Maple / Paiste 2002 / Tama Iron Cobra combination of the band's commercial peak gave way to Pearl Masters Premium Maple / Zildjian A Custom / Pearl Eliminator, the setup that would define his sound for the remainder of Children of Bodom's career.

The Pearl Masters' six-ply maple construction brought a more focused, immediate attack compared to the Starclassic's warmer character. The Zildjian A Custom's multi-stage lathing produced a brighter, more defined cymbal sound than the Paiste 2002's CuSn8 alloy. The Pearl Eliminator's interchangeable cam system offered adjustability suited to the album's more varied rhythmic approach. Together, they produced a different tonal character that suited *Are You Dead Yet?*'s more groove-oriented, commercially accessible brief.

## Gear Breakdown

- **Drums:** Pearl Masters Premium Maple (debut Pearl album — transitioning from Tama Starclassic Maple)
- **Snare:** Pearl Masters 14" x 5.5" Maple Snare
- **Cymbals:** Zildjian — Zildjian A Custom / Zildjian K Custom
- **Hardware / Pedals:** Pearl Eliminator Double Pedal (debut — replacing Tama Iron Cobra); Vic Firth American Classic 5A; Remo Emperor Coated; Remo Powerstroke 3
- **Heads:** Remo Emperor Coated (batter), Remo Ambassador Snare Side (resonant)
- **Snare tuning:** Medium — balancing attack for groove work with body for dynamic range

### Pearl Masters Premium Maple: The Beginning of the Pearl Era

For *Are You Dead Yet?*, Jaska Raatikainen transitioned to the Pearl Masters Premium Maple — Pearl's professional-grade shell line and the beginning of an endorsement relationship that would carry through the remainder of Children of Bodom's career.

Pearl's Masters Premium Maple shells are built around a six-ply all-maple construction with tighter manufacturing tolerances than the Tama Starclassic. The result is a more focused, immediate attack with less sustain resonance — well-suited to the more mid-paced, groove-oriented arrangements that *Are You Dead Yet?* favoured.

The double bass drum configuration — twin 22" x 18" kick drums — remained central to Raatikainen's setup, now paired with the Pearl Eliminator. Even with *Are You Dead Yet?*'s shift toward more accessible tempos, Children of Bodom's arrangements still required the double-kick foundation as a structural element: tracks like "In Your Face" and "Are You Dead Yet?" deploy double-bass patterns as dynamic punctuation within groove-centred arrangements.

### Zildjian A Custom and K Custom: Precision from a Different Angle

Jaska Raatikainen's cymbal setup on *Are You Dead Yet?* marked the transition from Paiste 2002 / Sound Edge to Zildjian A Custom and K Custom — a combination that would define his sound through the remainder of CoB's catalog.

The Zildjian A Custom series uses a multi-stage lathing process producing a brighter, more defined sound than the Paiste 2002's CuSn8 character. The A Custom's brilliant finish delivers precision and immediacy — more cutting in the upper frequencies, with a faster decay that keeps the cymbal mix clean in dense arrangements.

The Zildjian K Custom 20" ride brought a darker, more complex character — its warmer bell and body sound creating textural contrast with the A Custom crashes. This classic Zildjian A Custom / K Custom pairing balances cut and warmth across different cymbal functions and remained Raatikainen's configuration through CoB's final albums.

### Pearl Eliminator: The New Double Kick Foundation

The Pearl Eliminator double pedal was Raatikainen's transition from the Tama Iron Cobra — and the beginning of a Pearl hardware relationship that carried through CoB's career. The Eliminator's key distinction is its interchangeable cam system: multiple cam profiles allow the drummer to dial in a specific feel, from linear round cam for even response to asymmetric cam for increased power or speed.

On *Are You Dead Yet?*, the Eliminator's adjustability suited the album's more varied rhythmic approach compared to the sustained-velocity focus of the Tama era. Groove passages at moderate tempos and the return to full double-kick intensity when "In Your Face" demanded it were both served by the same pedal with different cam configurations.

## Historical Context

*Are You Dead Yet?* (2005) filled the gear gap between *Hate Crew Deathroll* (2003) and *Blooddrunk* (2008), documenting the most significant gear transition in Raatikainen's CoB career. The Tama Starclassic era — which had defined CoB's sound from *Follow the Reaper* (2000) through *Hate Crew Deathroll* — gave way to the Pearl endorsement setup that would carry through *Hexed* (2019).

The album's commercial success (#56 Finland) validated the adjusted approach and broadened the band's audience, even as some long-term fans preferred the technical extremity of earlier records. For Raatikainen, the gear transition matched the artistic pivot: different drums, different cymbals, different pedal — and a different musical brief.

## Key Facts

- Released September 26, 2005 — Children of Bodom's fifth album and most commercially successful
- Debuted at #56 on Finnish charts — CoB's commercial peak at time of release
- Pearl Masters Premium Maple — debut Pearl album, beginning of endorsement era
- Zildjian A Custom and K Custom — transition from Paiste 2002 / Sound Edge of Hate Crew Deathroll
- Pearl Eliminator double pedal — replaces Tama Iron Cobra of the Tama era
- Recorded at Astia Studio, Imatra with Anssi Kippo — third consecutive CoB album in this environment
- Pearl Masters' focused attack suits groove-oriented arrangements of the album's commercial approach
- Estimated kit value: $2,200–4,500 (Pearl Masters Premium Maple shell pack, 2005)
- Part of the arc: Hate Crew Deathroll (2003) → **Are You Dead Yet? (2005)** → Blooddrunk (2008)

## Related Articles

- [Hate Crew Deathroll drum setup (2003)](/articles/hate-crew-deathroll-drum-setup) — Tama Starclassic / Paiste 2002 / Iron Cobra at its commercial peak
- [Blooddrunk drum setup (2008)](/articles/blooddrunk-drum-setup) — Pearl era established, return to aggression
- [Jaska Raatikainen drummer profile](/drummer/jaska-raatikainen) — complete gear history across CoB's career

**Source:** https://metalforge.io/articles/are-you-dead-yet-drum-setup

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