# Amon Amarth "Berserker" Drum Setup (Jocke Wallgren, 2019)

> Complete breakdown of Jocke Wallgren's drum performance on Amon Amarth's Berserker (2019). Tama Starclassic Performer B/B, Meinl Byzance Vintage cymbals, and the blast-beat-to-gallop technique behind the band's 11th studio album.

**Type:** Album Drum Setup
**Drummer(s):** [Jocke Wallgren](/llms/drummers/jocke-wallgren.md)
**Band / Album:** Amon Amarth — *Berserker* (2019)
**Genre:** Melodic Death Metal / Viking Metal

## Overview

Released May 3, 2019 on Metal Blade Records, "Berserker" is Amon Amarth's 11th studio album and the first Wallgren-era record built entirely around original material written with him already established as the band's full-time drummer. Produced by Jay Ruston (Anthrax, Stone Sour) and tracked at Sphere Studios in North Hollywood, California, Berserker debuted at #1 on the German Albums Chart and reached #47 on the US Billboard 200.

The title track, "Berserker," is the clearest showcase of Wallgren's range on the record: extended blast-beat passages give way without warning to the loping, triplet-based Viking groove that has defined Amon Amarth's sound since Twilight of the Thunder God, and the transition between the two feels physical rather than mechanical. That contrast — extreme-metal intensity used sparingly, in service of the song's Viking narrative rather than as a constant — is the throughline of Wallgren's performance across the whole album.

## Gear Breakdown

- **Drums:** Tama Starclassic Performer B/B (birch/bubinga hybrid, dark lacquer touring finish)
- **Snare:** Tama Bell Brass or Starphonic, 14" x 6.5"
- **Cymbals:** Meinl Byzance Vintage series (hi-hats, Sand crashes, Sand ride, Byzance China)
- **Hardware / Pedals:** DW 9002 Double Bass Pedal; Vic Firth 5B sticks
- **Heads:** Remo Powerstroke 3 (bass batter), Remo Emperor Coated (toms), Remo Coated Ambassador (snare)
- **Snare tuning:** Medium-high for cut and projection across both blast-beat and gallop sections

### Tama Starclassic Performer B/B: Consistency for the Band's Most Ambitious Record to Date

By Berserker, Wallgren's Tama Starclassic Performer B/B setup was fully settled — the same birch/bubinga hybrid configuration he had used since Deceiver of the Gods, chosen for the sharp attack clarity birch provides over Amon Amarth's dense two-guitar arrangements and the warmth bubinga adds underneath it. The double 22" x 18" bass drum configuration carries the title track's blast-beat sections and the album's galloping mid-tempo material alike.

### Meinl Byzance Vintage: Darker Voicing for the Album's Heaviest Material

For Berserker, Wallgren's Meinl Byzance setup shifted toward the Vintage sub-line — cymbals finished with a lathing and hammering pattern that produces a drier, trashier, more vintage-toned voice than the standard Byzance Traditional series he'd used earlier in his tenure. The change suits the record's heavier moments: the title track's extended blast-beat sections benefit from a cymbal wash with more inherent grit rather than pure sustain.

### DW 9002: Built for the Blast-to-Gallop Transition

The DW 9002 remained Wallgren's pedal of choice for Berserker, and the title track puts it through its widest range yet: extended blast-beat passages that demand rapid, consistent beater velocity, immediately followed by the relaxed triplet gallop that Amon Amarth's groove sections require.

## Key Facts

- Amon Amarth's 11th studio album, released May 3, 2019 on Metal Blade Records
- Jocke Wallgren's first fully-original AA studio record written with him as established full-time drummer
- Produced by Jay Ruston (Anthrax, Stone Sour) at Sphere Studios, North Hollywood; mixed at TRS West, Sherman Oaks
- Debuted #1 in Germany; peaked #47 on the US Billboard 200
- Title track alternates extended blast-beat sections with Amon Amarth's signature triplet-based Viking groove
- Tama Starclassic Performer B/B kit and Meinl Byzance Vintage cymbals — Wallgren's established touring setup
- Estimated kit value: $3,000–5,500
- Estimated cymbal setup value: $1,500–2,300

## FAQ

**What drum kit did Jocke Wallgren use on Amon Amarth's Berserker?**
Jocke Wallgren recorded Berserker (2019) on his established Tama Starclassic Performer B/B kit — a birch/bubinga hybrid setup with double 22" x 18" bass drums, 10" and 12" rack toms, and 16" and 18" floor toms. The configuration is the same one he had used since Deceiver of the Gods (2013).

**What cymbals does Jocke Wallgren play on Berserker?**
For Berserker, Wallgren moved to Meinl's Byzance Vintage sub-line — including 14" Vintage Pure hi-hats, 16" and 18" Sand crashes, a 20" Sand ride, and an 18" Byzance China. The drier, trashier lathing suits the album's heavier blast-beat passages while retaining the dark warmth central to Amon Amarth's melodic identity.

**What makes the drumming on the Berserker title track distinctive?**
The title track alternates extended blast-beat sections with Amon Amarth's signature triplet-based Viking groove — a structural contrast that pushes Wallgren into genuinely extreme-metal territory before resolving back into the band's core anthemic feel.

**Who produced Amon Amarth's Berserker and where was it recorded?**
Berserker was produced by Jay Ruston (Anthrax, Stone Sour) and tracked at Sphere Studios in North Hollywood, California, with mixing at TRS West in Sherman Oaks. Released May 3, 2019 on Metal Blade Records, it debuted at #1 in Germany and reached #47 on the US Billboard 200.

## Related Albums

- [The Great Heathen Army drum setup](/articles/great-heathen-army-drum-setup) — 2022, Jocke Wallgren's most recent and most refined Amon Amarth record; Grammis-nominated
- [Jocke Wallgren complete profile](/articles/jocke-wallgren-drum-setup) — full Amon Amarth gear evolution, Tama Starclassic Performer B/B, Meinl Byzance, DW 9002

## Structured Data (LLM Reference)

**Person:** Jocke Wallgren — drummer, Amon Amarth, Evergrey, Rage; primary instrument drums; genre melodic death metal / viking metal; profile at https://metalforge.io/drummer/jocke-wallgren
**MusicAlbum:** Berserker — Amon Amarth (Metal Blade Records, May 3, 2019); genre melodic death metal / viking metal
**MusicGroup:** Amon Amarth — Swedish melodic death metal band; members include Johan Hegg (vocals), Olavi Mikkonen and Johan Söderberg (guitars), Jocke Wallgren (drums)
**DrumGear:** Tama Starclassic Performer B/B (birch/bubinga, double bass 22"x18"), Tama Bell Brass/Starphonic snare (14"x6.5"), Meinl Byzance Vintage cymbals, DW 9002 double bass pedal, Vic Firth 5B sticks

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

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*Last updated: 2026-07-02 · Source: [MetalForge.io](https://metalforge.io)*