# The Book of Souls Drum Setup: Nicko McBrain's Gear on Iron Maiden's UK #1 Double Album

> The complete gear breakdown for Iron Maiden's The Book of Souls (2015) — their first double album and fifth UK #1. Discover the Sonor SQ2 kit, Paiste Signature cymbals, and the single-pedal performance behind 'Empire of the Clouds,' recorded before Bruce Dickinson's cancer diagnosis and released after his recovery.

**Type:** Album Drum Setup
**Drummer(s):** [Nicko McBrain](/llms/drummers/nicko-mcbrain.md)
**Band / Album:** Iron Maiden — *The Book of Souls* (2015)
**Genre:** Heavy Metal / Progressive Metal
**Chart Peak:** #1 UK (5th UK chart-topper), #4 US Billboard 200

## Overview

Released on September 4, 2015, The Book of Souls is Iron Maiden's sixteenth studio album and their first-ever double album — 92 minutes across 11 tracks, debuting at number one in the UK (the band's fifth UK chart-topper) and number four on the US Billboard 200, their strongest first-week US sales since Nielsen began tracking in 1991.

The album was recorded at Guillaume Tell Studio in Paris between September and December 2014, much of it written on the spot in the studio rather than arriving fully arranged. Weeks after recording wrapped, vocalist Bruce Dickinson was diagnosed with a Stage 3 tumor at the base of his tongue in early 2015. He underwent seven weeks of radiation and chemotherapy and was declared cancer-free in May 2015 — months before the album's September release. The band delayed the supporting tour to let him fully recover, turning The Book of Souls' rollout into one of Iron Maiden's most emotionally charged album cycles.

For Nicko McBrain, the record arrived at a moment of gear transition. After business difficulties with longtime partner Premier came to a head in mid-2014, Nicko returned to Sonor — the brand he'd played from the late 1980s until 1992 — recording the album on a new Sonor SQ2 kit built, in his words, to "exactly what I had twenty-two years ago: same sizes, same wood." The album also contains "Empire of the Clouds," an 18-minute, piano-led epic written by Dickinson that became the longest song in Iron Maiden's catalog.

The Book of Souls fills the arc between [The Final Frontier (2010)](/articles/final-frontier-drum-setup) and [Senjutsu (2021)](/articles/senjutsu-drum-setup) — one of the most historically significant records of Nicko McBrain's four-decade tenure behind the kit.

## Gear Breakdown

- **Drums:** Sonor SQ2 (natural wood finish, gold-tone hardware) — Nicko's return to Sonor after 22 years with Premier
- **Snare:** Sonor Nicko McBrain Signature, 14" x 6.5", maple shell
- **Cymbals:** Paiste Signature series (unchanged through the drum-brand switch), including a 22" Heavy China
- **Hardware / Pedals:** Sonor single bass drum pedal; Roc-N-Soc Nitro Throne; Vic Firth Nicko McBrain Signature sticks
- **Heads:** Remo Ambassador Coated (batter), Remo Powerstroke 3 Clear (kick)
- **Snare tuning:** Medium-high tension, tuned for natural resonance rather than a tight, gated attack

### Sonor SQ2 — A Homecoming, and the Biggest Kit of His Career

After business troubles at Premier in mid-2014 left Nicko McBrain without a drum manufacturer, he called Sonor — the company he'd left in 1992 — and asked for a kit built to "exactly what I had twenty-two years ago: same sizes, same wood." The result was a Sonor SQ2 in natural wood finish with gold-tone hardware.

The configuration was the largest of his recording career: a nine-tom array — six rack toms (6, 8, 10, 12, 13, and 14 inch) and three floor toms (16, 18, and 20 inch) — around a single 22-inch bass drum. Nicko has joked there was "nowhere to put anything" once cymbals were added. Producer Kevin Shirley miked the kit with a deliberately natural, wide-open approach, favoring open mic technique over heavy gating: "You don't want to start taping things and take the ring out of the drums."

The single 22-inch bass drum carried on unchanged through the brand switch — Nicko has always credited his single-pedal approach to a career built on locking in with bass players rather than chasing raw speed.

### Paiste Signature Cymbals — The One Constant

While the drums changed manufacturers, the cymbals didn't. Paiste Signature remained Nicko's setup: 15" Sound Edge hi-hats, a three-crash configuration (16, 18, 19 inch), a 22" Power Ride, a 22" Heavy China, and a 10" Splash.

The Heavy China was the standout gear choice on the record. On the title track, "The Book of Souls," Nicko used it on the off-beat to drive the song's tribal, Mayan-mythology-inspired groove — a choice he later described simply as what "felt right" for that arrangement. For the subsequent Book of Souls World Tour, Paiste built Nicko an elaborate Signature Reflector cymbal set inspired by the tour's Mayan stage design, but that expanded touring rig came after this album's studio sessions.

### 'Empire of the Clouds' — An 18-Minute Departure

Written and performed on piano by Bruce Dickinson — his first lead piano performance on an Iron Maiden record — "Empire of the Clouds" runs 18 minutes and 1 second, the longest song in the band's history. Nicko's drums enter gradually rather than driving from the first bar, and the mix leans into "a wide-open room sound with a lot of ambience," a deliberate departure from the more compressed, upfront drum sound on the album's heavier tracks.

Recording wrapped in December 2014. Weeks later, Bruce Dickinson was diagnosed with cancer — treatment and recovery played out in the months before anyone outside the band heard these performances.

## Key Facts

- The Book of Souls debuted at #1 UK (5th UK chart-topper) and #4 US Billboard 200 — Iron Maiden's best US first week since 1991
- Iron Maiden's first-ever double album — 92 minutes across 11 tracks
- Recorded at Guillaume Tell Studio, Paris, September–December 2014
- Bruce Dickinson diagnosed with Stage 3 tongue/throat cancer weeks after recording wrapped; declared cancer-free May 2015
- "Empire of the Clouds" (18:01) — the longest song in Iron Maiden's history, Bruce Dickinson's first lead piano performance
- Nicko McBrain's return to Sonor after Premier — Sonor SQ2, nine-tom configuration (the largest of his recording career)
- Paiste Signature cymbals and Vic Firth signature sticks carried through the drum-brand switch unchanged
- Single 22-inch bass drum throughout — the lifelong single-pedal commitment
- Fills the arc between The Final Frontier (2010) and Senjutsu (2021)
- Estimated kit value: $5,000–7,000 (Sonor SQ2 configuration, 2014-2015)

## Internal Links

- [Nicko McBrain Drummer Profile](/drummer/nicko-mcbrain) — complete career gear history and technique
- [The Final Frontier Drum Setup (2010)](/articles/final-frontier-drum-setup) — the preceding chapter in this progressive arc
- [Senjutsu Drum Setup (2021)](/articles/senjutsu-drum-setup) — the following chapter, and Nicko's Sonor SQ1 evolution
- [How to Sound Like Nicko McBrain](/guides/how-to-sound-like-nicko-mcbrain) — technique and gear guide

## FAQ

**What drums does Nicko McBrain use on The Book of Souls?**
Nicko McBrain recorded The Book of Souls (2015) on a new Sonor SQ2 kit — his return to Sonor after leaving Premier following business difficulties in mid-2014. He requested the kit be built to match his early-1990s Sonor specifications: "same sizes, same wood." The configuration was the largest of his recording career, with a nine-tom array (six rack toms and three floor toms) around a single 22-inch bass drum. His snare was a Sonor Nicko McBrain Signature, 14 by 6.5 inches, maple shell. See the [Nicko McBrain drummer profile](/drummer/nicko-mcbrain) for his complete career gear history.

**Why did Nicko McBrain switch from Premier back to Sonor?**
In mid-2014, business difficulties at Premier left Nicko McBrain without a drum manufacturer just as Iron Maiden were preparing to record The Book of Souls. He contacted Sonor — the company he'd played from the late 1980s until 1992 — and worked out a new endorsement deal, asking for a kit built to his old early-1990s specifications. Sonor has remained his drum manufacturer ever since, carrying through to Senjutsu (2021). See the [Senjutsu drum setup article](/articles/senjutsu-drum-setup) for how the relationship evolved into the SQ1.

**Was The Book of Souls recorded before or after Bruce Dickinson's cancer diagnosis?**
The Book of Souls was recorded at Guillaume Tell Studio in Paris between September and December 2014 — before Bruce Dickinson's cancer diagnosis. He was diagnosed with a Stage 3 tumor at the base of his tongue in early 2015, weeks after recording wrapped, underwent seven weeks of radiation and chemotherapy, and was declared cancer-free in May 2015. The album released that September, and the supporting World Tour was delayed into 2016 to allow him to fully recover.

**What is Iron Maiden's longest song, and is it on The Book of Souls?**
Yes. "Empire of the Clouds," the closing track on The Book of Souls, runs 18 minutes and 1 second — the longest song in Iron Maiden's history, longer than "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" from Powerslave. Written and performed on piano by Bruce Dickinson, it was his first lead piano feature on an Iron Maiden record, with Nicko McBrain's drums entering gradually across the extended arrangement.

**Source:** https://metalforge.io/articles/book-of-souls-drum-setup

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*Last updated: 2026-07-01 · Source: [MetalForge.io](https://metalforge.io)*