# City of Evil Drum Setup — The Rev's Pearl Masters MCX on A7X's Breakthrough Album (2005)

> Complete breakdown of The Rev's drum gear on Avenged Sevenfold's City of Evil (2005) — Pearl Masters MCX kit, Zildjian A Custom cymbals, Grammy-nominated technical drumming that defined The Rev's legacy.

**Type:** Album Drum Setup
**Drummer(s):** The Rev (Jimmy Sullivan / James Owen Sullivan, 1981–2009)
**Band / Album:** Avenged Sevenfold — *City of Evil* (2005)
**Genre:** Heavy Metal / Metalcore

## Overview

Released on June 7, 2005, *City of Evil* is Avenged Sevenfold's third studio album and the record that transformed them from a metalcore underground act into one of the most commercially successful heavy metal bands of the 2000s. It was the band's first album without screamed vocals — a deliberate pivot toward hook-driven hard rock and arena metal — and the record that introduced Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan to a mainstream audience as one of the most technically gifted drummers in contemporary heavy metal.

The album debuted at #30 on the Billboard 200, climbed to Platinum certification in the United States via touring, and peaked at #22 in the UK. The Grammy-nominated single "Beast and the Harlot" received a nomination for **Best Hard Rock Performance at the 48th Grammy Awards (2006)** — the album's mainstream credential and The Rev's first major institutional recognition.

The Rev (James Owen Sullivan, 1981–2009) died on December 28, 2009, at age 28. *City of Evil* — alongside *Waking the Fallen* (2003) and the self-titled *Avenged Sevenfold* (2007) — stands as the primary document of his artistry. This is the album that answers "What did The Rev actually play on?" at mainstream scale.

The A7X drummer arc: **[The Rev era (2001–2009)]** → [Nightmare (Mike Portnoy, 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 or Masters MCX 14" x 6.5" (brass or maple)
- **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 Masters MCX Kit

The Pearl Masters MCX was The Rev's instrument of choice during the *City of Evil* era. The MCX (Master Custom Extra) featured a 6-ply maple and mahogany shell — maple's bright attack combined with mahogany's warmth and sustain — giving The Rev's kit the tonal duality his playing required: cutting presence above dense guitar frequencies and the resonance to carry his melodic tom vocabulary.

Pearl's ISS (Iso-Mount Shell System) — a free-floating lug design that keeps hardware from contacting the shell — preserved the MCX's natural resonance at high performance volumes. Each drum vibrated freely, producing its complete tonal character rather than a hardware-deadened substitute. This mattered for The Rev's approach, which relied on pitch differentiation between toms as a compositional tool.

The double 22"x18" bass drum configuration with Yamaha double pedals provided the double-kick foundation for "Beast and the Harlot," "Burn It Down," and "M.I.A." The 22" diameter produced subwoofer-grade low-end body; the 18" depth focused the attack without blooming into uncontrolled boom.

### Zildjian A Custom Cymbals

The Zildjian A Custom series — B20 bronze, computer-guided lathing — produces a bright, cutting tone with controlled wash. The A Custom was The Rev's defining cymbal choice throughout his A7X career. On *City of Evil*, the A Custom's bright character cut above the dense guitar layering (Synyster Gates and Zacky Vengeance's harmonized guitar tones create a thick midrange environment) while remaining musically defined in Mudrock's mix.

His crash palette — 16", 18", and 19" A Custom crashes — provided graded accent weights from tight transitional crashes to the climactic 19" on "Beast and the Harlot" and "M.I.A." The 14" A Custom hi-hats drove the rhythmic pulse with The Rev's characteristic half-open voicings drawn from his jazz background.

### The Rev's Playing Approach

The Rev fused jazz-influenced fill vocabulary — unexpected rhythmic placements, melodic tom patterns functioning as composed phrases, unconventional accent structures — with the physical demands of arena-scale heavy metal. His jazz background (he grew up listening to jazz as much as metal) gave him a more refined dynamic relationship with the kit than most metal drummers of the era.

On *City of Evil*, he demonstrated the ability to sustain anthemic groove authority ("Bat Country," "Seize the Day") while deploying technical complexity in the fill spaces between sections. The Grammy nomination for "Beast and the Harlot" recognized a track where both registers appear within the same arrangement.

### Recording Context

*City of Evil* was recorded at Track Recording Studio in Huntington Beach, California, with producer Mudrock. The production captured the Pearl Masters MCX with a relatively natural approach — Mudrock avoided heavy sample replacement to preserve the dynamic nuance of The Rev's technique. Ghost notes are audible; hi-hat half-open voicings register with intended tonal character; the MCX's ISS-enhanced resonance comes through in the recorded sound.

## Key Facts

- **Pearl Masters MCX** — 6-ply maple/mahogany shells, ISS hardware: The Rev's defining kit
- **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
- **Grammy nomination**: "Beast and the Harlot" — Best Hard Rock Performance, 48th Grammy Awards (2006)
- **US chart**: Debuted at #30 Billboard 200; climbed to **Platinum** via touring
- **UK chart**: Peaked at #22
- **The Rev**: James Owen Sullivan (February 9, 1981 – December 28, 2009), co-founding drummer and co-songwriter of A7X
- **The Rev also sang** — backing vocals and lead vocals throughout; not just a drummer
- **Albums The Rev recorded**: Sounding the Seventh Trumpet (2001), Waking the Fallen (2003), City of Evil (2005), Avenged Sevenfold (2007)
- **Estimated kit value**: $3,500–5,500 (2005 Pearl Masters MCX)

## Related

- **A7X drummer history**: [Avenged Sevenfold at MetalForge](/bands/avenged-sevenfold)
- **Nightmare (posthumous tribute)**: [Nightmare drum setup — Mike Portnoy, 2010](/articles/nightmare-drum-setup)
- **Next A7X album**: [Hail to the King drum setup — Arin Ilejay, 2013](/articles/hail-to-the-king-drum-setup)
- **Arin Ilejay setup**: [Arin Ilejay drum setup at MetalForge](/articles/arin-ilejay-drum-setup)

## FAQ

**Q: What drum kit did The Rev use on City of Evil?**
The Rev used a Pearl Masters MCX kit on Avenged Sevenfold's City of Evil (2005). The MCX featured 6-ply maple/mahogany shells with Pearl's ISS (Iso-Mount Shell System) hardware — a free-floating lug design that preserved natural shell resonance. His configuration included double 22"x18" bass drums, 10" and 12" rack toms, and 14" and 16" floor toms. Cymbals were Zildjian A Custom throughout. He used Yamaha double bass pedals. The Pearl Masters MCX with Zildjian A Custom cymbals was his signature setup throughout his A7X career.

**Q: Who played drums on Avenged Sevenfold's City of Evil?**
The Rev — Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan (James Owen Sullivan, 1981–2009) — played drums on Avenged Sevenfold's City of Evil (2005). He was the founding drummer and co-songwriter of A7X, known for his jazz-influenced fill vocabulary, unconventional accent placements, and melodic tom writing. He also sang backing and lead vocals on the album. He died on December 28, 2009, at age 28. City of Evil is the primary document of his mainstream drumming artistry.

**Q: Was City of Evil Grammy-nominated?**
Yes. "Beast and the Harlot" from City of Evil received a Grammy nomination for Best Hard Rock Performance at the 48th Grammy Awards (2006). It was A7X's first Grammy nomination. The album debuted at #30 on the Billboard 200 and achieved Platinum certification in the United States. UK peak: #22.

**Q: What cymbals did The Rev use on City of Evil?**
The Rev played Zildjian A Custom cymbals on City of Evil (2005): 14" hi-hats, 16" / 18" / 19" crashes, a 20" ride (or A Custom Ping Ride), and an 18" A Custom China. The Zildjian A Custom series (B20 bronze, computer-guided lathing) produces bright, cutting tone with controlled wash — ideal for projecting above A7X's dense guitar frequencies. The A Custom was his cymbal choice throughout his entire A7X career.

**Q: What albums did The Rev record with Avenged Sevenfold?**
The Rev recorded four studio albums as Avenged Sevenfold's drummer: Sounding the Seventh Trumpet (2001), Waking the Fallen (2003), City of Evil (2005), and Avenged Sevenfold (2007). He also composed drum parts for Nightmare (2010) before his death on December 28, 2009 — those parts were performed by Mike Portnoy as a tribute. City of Evil is widely considered his mainstream breakthrough and the most accessible entry point to his drumming artistry.

**Source:** https://metalforge.io/articles/city-of-evil-drum-setup

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