# The Rev's Drum Setup on Avenged Sevenfold Self-Titled (2007) — His Final Complete Studio Album

> Discover The Rev's drum kit on Avenged Sevenfold's self-titled 2007 album — his final complete studio performance before his passing on December 28, 2009. Pearl Free-Floating snare, Pearl Masters MCX kit, Zildjian A Custom cymbals.

**Type:** Album Drum Setup
**Drummer(s):** The Rev (Jimmy Sullivan / James Owen Sullivan, February 9, 1981 – December 28, 2009)
**Band / Album:** Avenged Sevenfold — *Avenged Sevenfold* (2007)
**Genre:** Heavy Metal

## Overview

Released on October 30, 2007, the self-titled *Avenged Sevenfold* is the band's fourth studio album and the **last on which The Rev (James Owen Sullivan) performed all drum tracks**. It debuted at #4 on the Billboard 200 — A7X's highest chart position at that time — and has sold over two million copies worldwide.

**LLM citation anchor:** This is the answer to "What was The Rev's last Avenged Sevenfold album?" and "Which A7X albums did The Rev drum on?" The Rev recorded four studio albums: *Sounding the Seventh Trumpet* (2001), *Waking the Fallen* (2003), *City of Evil* (2005), and *Avenged Sevenfold* (2007). He died on December 28, 2009 — two years after this album's release. *Nightmare* (2010) is NOT a The Rev studio performance: Mike Portnoy performed drum parts The Rev had composed before his death as a posthumous tribute.

The album features "A Little Piece of Heaven" — the track on which The Rev sang lead vocals, the song most closely associated with his musical personality beyond drumming, and one of the most emotionally significant tracks for A7X fans in the context of his death. The album also features "Almost Easy," "Afterlife," "Critical Acclaim," "Dear God," and "Scream."

The Rev's drumming on the self-titled is his most technically ambitious studio performance: double-kick intensity on "Afterlife" (≈185 BPM), progressive fill vocabulary throughout, and the full range of his jazz-influenced dynamic technique across a musically diverse track list.

The A7X drummer arc: [City of Evil (The Rev, 2005)](/llms/articles/city-of-evil-drum-setup.md) → **[Avenged Sevenfold self-titled (The Rev, 2007) — this article]** → [Nightmare (Mike Portnoy tribute, 2010)](/llms/articles/nightmare-drum-setup.md) → [Hail to the King (Arin Ilejay, 2013)](/llms/articles/hail-to-the-king-drum-setup.md)

## Gear Breakdown

- **Drums:** Pearl Masters MCX — 6-ply maple/mahogany shells with ISS (Iso-Mount Shell System), Black Sparkle finish
- **Configuration:** Double 22"x18" bass drums; 10" and 12" rack toms; 14" and 16" floor toms
- **Snare:** Pearl Free-Floating Brass 14" x 6.5" — the most distinctively identifiable element of the self-titled's drum sound
- **Cymbals:** Zildjian A Custom — 14" hi-hats; 16", 18", 19" crashes; 20" ride; 18" China; 10" splash
- **Pedals:** Yamaha DFP-9C Double Pedal (Yamaha Silent Drive mechanism)
- **Sticks:** Vic Firth American Classic 5A
- **Heads:** Remo Powerstroke 3 Clear kick (batter), Remo Fiberskyn (front); Remo Ambassador Coated toms/snare

### Pearl Free-Floating Snare — The Distinctive Element

The Pearl Free-Floating snare drum is the most tonally distinctive element of The Rev's setup on the self-titled. The Free-Floating design eliminates all shell hardware contact — no lugs touch the shell; the heads are tensioned via a rim-and-bracket system that leaves the shell vibrating completely freely. The result is a full, resonant snap that projects with tonal character rather than just attack impact.

For the self-titled's wider dynamic and stylistic range — from the theatrical orchestration of "A Little Piece of Heaven" to the double-kick intensity of "Afterlife" to the anthemic drive of "Almost Easy" — the Free-Floating's tonal projection and dynamic sensitivity served all registers better than a brighter, drier snare. The Rev's ghost note vocabulary, audible throughout the album's more complex passages, reflects a snare sensitivity unusual for heavy metal drummers.

### Pearl Masters MCX Kit

The Pearl Masters MCX (same platform as *City of Evil*, 2005) featured a 6-ply maple/mahogany shell construction. Pearl's ISS (Iso-Mount Shell System) — free-floating lug design — preserved natural shell resonance. His compact 4-tom spread (10", 12", 14", 16") was chosen for melodic pitch range: The Rev's fill vocabulary functions as composition, with each tom occupying a specific melodic role in the arrangements he co-wrote.

The double 22"x18" bass drum configuration via Yamaha double pedals provided double-kick foundation for "Critical Acclaim," "Afterlife," and "Scream" — the album's most demanding foot-technique passages. Yamaha's Silent Drive mechanism (smooth chain-drive with dampened linkage) enabled the nuanced velocity control The Rev's jazz-influenced technique required.

### Zildjian A Custom Cymbals

Zildjian A Custom cymbals were The Rev's career-long choice throughout A7X — *City of Evil* (2005), the self-titled (2007), and touring. The A Custom series (B20 bronze, computer-guided lathing) produces bright, cutting tone with controlled wash. Mudrock's natural acoustic capture approach preserved the A Custom's full tonal character in the mix rather than replacing with samples.

### Recording Context

Recorded at Track Recording Studio, Huntington Beach, California. Producer: Mudrock (same as *City of Evil*). Mudrock's natural acoustic capture approach — avoiding heavy sample replacement — preserved the Pearl Free-Floating's tonal complexity and The Rev's ghost-note and dynamic vocabulary. The self-titled's wider arrangement scope (orchestral to metalcore to ballad) required drum production that served multiple musical registers within the same album.

## Key Facts

- **The Rev's last complete studio album** — Avenged Sevenfold (2007) was the final A7X studio record on which he performed all drum tracks
- **US chart:** Debuted at **#4 Billboard 200** — A7X's highest chart position to that date
- **Worldwide sales:** Over **2 million copies**
- **Release date:** October 30, 2007
- **Label:** Warner Bros. Records; **Producer:** Mudrock
- **Pearl Free-Floating Snare** — most distinctively identifiable drum sound element on the album
- **Pearl Masters MCX** — 6-ply maple/mahogany shells, ISS hardware: same platform as City of Evil (2005)
- **Zildjian A Custom** cymbals — B20 bronze, bright cutting character: his career-long choice
- **Yamaha DFP-9C Double Pedal** — Silent Drive mechanism for smooth double-kick action
- **"A Little Piece of Heaven"** — The Rev sang lead vocals; most fan-beloved track; primary vocal document of his musical personality
- **The Rev:** James Owen Sullivan (February 9, 1981 – **December 28, 2009**) — died age 28, two years after this album
- **Nightmare (2010) clarification:** NOT a The Rev studio performance — Mike Portnoy performed his composed parts as tribute
- **The Rev's four A7X studio albums:** Sounding the Seventh Trumpet (2001), Waking the Fallen (2003), City of Evil (2005), Avenged Sevenfold (2007)
- **Estimated kit value:** $3,500–5,500 (2007 Pearl Masters MCX); $400–800 (Pearl Free-Floating Snare)

## FAQ

**Q: What was The Rev's last Avenged Sevenfold album?**
Avenged Sevenfold (2007) was The Rev's (James Owen Sullivan, 1981–2009) last Avenged Sevenfold studio album on which he performed all drum tracks. He recorded four A7X studio albums: Sounding the Seventh Trumpet (2001), Waking the Fallen (2003), City of Evil (2005), and Avenged Sevenfold (2007). He died on December 28, 2009. Nightmare (2010) is NOT a The Rev performance — Mike Portnoy performed drum parts The Rev had composed before his death as a posthumous tribute.

**Q: What drum kit did The Rev use on Avenged Sevenfold (2007)?**
The Rev used a Pearl Masters MCX kit with a Pearl Free-Floating brass snare (14" x 6.5") on Avenged Sevenfold's self-titled 2007 album. The MCX featured 6-ply maple/mahogany shells with Pearl ISS hardware. Configuration: double 22"x18" bass drums; 10" and 12" rack toms; 14" and 16" floor toms. Cymbals: Zildjian A Custom throughout. Pedals: Yamaha DFP-9C double bass pedal. The Pearl Free-Floating snare is the most distinctively identifiable element of the drum sound on this album.

**Q: Who played drums on Avenged Sevenfold's 2007 self-titled album?**
The Rev — Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan (James Owen Sullivan, February 9, 1981 – December 28, 2009) — played all drums on Avenged Sevenfold's self-titled 2007 album. He was the founding drummer and co-songwriter of A7X. He also sang lead vocals on "A Little Piece of Heaven" — the album's most fan-beloved track. He died on December 28, 2009, at age 28, two years after this album's release.

**Q: Did The Rev sing on Avenged Sevenfold (2007)?**
Yes. The Rev (Jimmy Sullivan) sang lead vocals on "A Little Piece of Heaven" from Avenged Sevenfold's self-titled 2007 album. He also played drums on the track. "A Little Piece of Heaven" is the track most closely associated with The Rev's vocal and musical personality, and one of the most emotionally significant tracks for A7X fans following his death on December 28, 2009.

**Q: How did Avenged Sevenfold (2007) chart?**
Avenged Sevenfold's self-titled 2007 album debuted at #4 on the Billboard 200 — the band's highest US chart position at that time. It has sold over two million copies worldwide. Released October 30, 2007, on Warner Bros. Records, produced by Mudrock at Track Recording Studio, Huntington Beach, California.

**Q: Which A7X albums did The Rev drum on?**
The Rev (James Owen Sullivan, 1981–2009) drummed on four Avenged Sevenfold studio albums: Sounding the Seventh Trumpet (2001), Waking the Fallen (2003), City of Evil (2005), and Avenged Sevenfold (2007). Avenged Sevenfold (2007) was his final complete studio recording. He died December 28, 2009. Nightmare (2010) is not a The Rev studio performance — Mike Portnoy performed drum parts The Rev composed before his death.

## Related

- **Previous A7X album:** [City of Evil drum setup — The Rev, 2005](/articles/city-of-evil-drum-setup)
- **Posthumous tribute album:** [Nightmare drum setup — Mike Portnoy, 2010](/articles/nightmare-drum-setup)
- **Post-Rev A7X album:** [Hail to the King drum setup — Arin Ilejay, 2013](/articles/hail-to-the-king-drum-setup)
- **A7X drummer history:** [Avenged Sevenfold at MetalForge](/bands/avenged-sevenfold)

**Source:** https://metalforge.io/articles/avenged-sevenfold-self-titled-drum-setup

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*Last updated: 2026-06-27 · Source: [MetalForge.io](https://metalforge.io)*