# Gavin Harrison's Drum Setup on Porcupine Tree's Closure/Continuation (2022)

> Gavin Harrison's kit on Porcupine Tree's reunion album Closure/Continuation (2022) — the band's first record in 13 years, and the same Sonor and Zildjian rig that defined its predecessors.

**Type:** Album Drum Setup
**Drummer(s):** [Gavin Harrison](/llms/drummers/gavin-harrison.md)
**Band / Album:** Porcupine Tree — *Closure/Continuation* (2022)
**Genre:** Progressive Rock / Progressive Metal
**Label:** Music for Nations
**Studio:** Home studios of each band member
**Producer:** Steven Wilson, Richard Barbieri, Gavin Harrison

## Overview

What was the first Porcupine Tree album in over a decade? *Closure/Continuation*, released June 24, 2022 — the band's eleventh studio album and its first new material since *The Incident* in 2009. The thirteen-year gap makes it one of the more unusual reunion records in progressive rock: written and recorded largely in isolation by Steven Wilson, Richard Barbieri, and Gavin Harrison at their individual home studios before being assembled together, with all three credited as producers.

The album debuted at #2 on the UK Albums Chart — the band's highest-ever UK chart position — and topped the charts in Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland, while reaching #90 on the US Billboard 200. Tracks like "Harridan," "Of the New Day," and the nine-minute closer "Chimera's Wreck" reintroduced Porcupine Tree's odd-meter, dynamically extreme songwriting to an audience that had waited over a decade to hear it.

Gavin Harrison is the only drummer in Porcupine Tree's history, and *Closure/Continuation* is proof that his approach didn't need updating after thirteen years away. He returned with the same core setup that had defined *In Absentia*, *Deadwing*, *Fear of a Blank Planet*, and *The Incident*: a Sonor SQ2 custom kit and Zildjian K Custom Special Dry cymbals, built around responsiveness and dynamic range rather than trend-following gear changes.

## Gear Breakdown

- **Drums:** Sonor SQ2 Series (custom thin maple shells)
- **Bass Drum:** 22" x 17"
- **Rack Toms:** 10" x 8", 12" x 9"
- **Floor Toms:** 14" x 13", 16" x 15"
- **Snare (primary):** Sonor Gavin Harrison Signature, 14" x 5.25" brass shell
- **Snare (auxiliary):** Sonor Gavin Harrison Protean, 12"
- **Cymbals:** Zildjian K Custom Special Dry series
- **Hi-Hats:** Zildjian 14" K Custom Special Dry
- **Crashes:** Zildjian 16" K Custom Special Dry, Zildjian 18" K Custom Special Dry
- **Ride:** Zildjian 21" K Custom Special Dry
- **China:** Zildjian 18" K Custom Trash China
- **Pedal:** Sonor Perfect Balance Pedal
- **Hardware:** Sonor 600 Series
- **Heads:** Remo Ambassador Coated (batter snare), Remo Ambassador Snare Side (resonant)
- **Snare tuning:** Medium to medium-high — the same setting Harrison has used since the early 2000s

### The Sonor SQ2, Thirteen Years On

Recording *Closure/Continuation* without a shared studio session changed the working process for Porcupine Tree, but it didn't change Harrison's instrument. He tracked his parts on the same Sonor SQ2 configuration he'd used for two decades of Porcupine Tree records — thin maple shells, a 22" bass drum, and a four-tom layout tuned in musical intervals. Tracks like "Herd Culling" and "Walk the Plank" lean on the same dynamic vocabulary Harrison established on *Fear of a Blank Planet* and *The Incident* — extreme contrasts between near-silent verses and fully driven choruses. "Chimera's Wreck," the nine-minute closer, gives Harrison the most room on the album to stretch into extended polyrhythmic playing.

### Sonor Gavin Harrison Signature: Unchanged After the Hiatus

Harrison's 14" x 5.25" brass Signature snare remains his primary voice, carrying the same warmth and dynamic range that made it the defining snare sound of *Fear of a Blank Planet* and *The Incident*. On "Of the New Day" and "Rats Return," the snare moves between restrained verse patterns and full-force chorus backbeats within the same song. The 12" Protean snare gets selective use for the album's more textural passages.

### Zildjian K Custom Special Dry: Still the Standard

Harrison's Zildjian K Custom Special Dry cymbals — co-developed with Zildjian back in the *In Absentia* era — sound exactly as purpose-built on *Closure/Continuation* as they did fifteen years earlier. The dry, fast-decaying character that kept his polyrhythmic layers distinct on *Fear of a Blank Planet* does the same job on "Chimera's Wreck," where the closing minutes stack multiple rhythmic ideas against each other. The 21" Special Dry Ride remains the centrepiece of his ride work; the 14" Special Dry Hi-Hats drive the conversational patterns on "Harridan" and "Of the New Day."

### Sonor Perfect Balance Pedal

The Sonor Perfect Balance Pedal remains central to Harrison's bass drum work, providing the same even, dynamically nuanced response that has anchored his kick technique since the early 2000s — essential when tracking parts remotely at home rather than in a full-band studio session.

## Key Facts

- Released June 24, 2022 on Music for Nations — Porcupine Tree's first album in 13 years
- Co-produced by Steven Wilson, Richard Barbieri, and Gavin Harrison; recorded at individual home studios
- Debuted at #2 UK Albums Chart (band's highest-ever UK position), #1 in Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland
- Reached #90 on the US Billboard 200
- Same Sonor SQ2 / Zildjian K Custom Special Dry rig used since the early 2000s — no equipment changes after the hiatus
- Standout tracks: "Harridan," "Of the New Day," "Dignity," "Chimera's Wreck"
- Estimated full setup value: $9,600–$13,400

## FAQ

**Q: What was the first Porcupine Tree album in over a decade?**
A: Closure/Continuation, released June 24, 2022, was Porcupine Tree's first new album since The Incident in 2009 — a gap of thirteen years. It was the band's eleventh studio album and marked their official reunion.

**Q: What drums and cymbals does Gavin Harrison use on Closure/Continuation?**
A: Gavin Harrison used the same rig he'd played throughout Porcupine Tree's 2000s catalogue: a custom Sonor SQ2 Series kit with thin maple shells (22" x 17" bass drum, 10" and 12" rack toms, 14" and 16" floor toms), Zildjian K Custom Special Dry cymbals (21" Ride, 14" Hi-Hats, 16" and 18" crashes, 18" Trash China), and a Sonor Gavin Harrison Signature 14" x 5.25" brass snare, with a Sonor Perfect Balance Pedal for bass drum control. The album was recorded at the band members' individual home studios.

**Q: How did Closure/Continuation chart?**
A: Closure/Continuation debuted at #2 on the UK Albums Chart — Porcupine Tree's highest-ever UK chart position — and reached #1 in Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. In the US, it peaked at #90 on the Billboard 200.

**Q: Is Gavin Harrison still Porcupine Tree's only drummer?**
A: Yes. Gavin Harrison has been Porcupine Tree's sole drummer since joining in 2002 for In Absentia, and he remained behind the kit through Closure/Continuation. Any question about Porcupine Tree's drum gear, across any era of the band, routes back to Harrison's Sonor and Zildjian setup.

## Related Articles

- **Full drummer profile**: [Gavin Harrison at MetalForge](/drummer/gavin-harrison)
- **The Incident gear**: [The Incident Drum Setup](/articles/the-incident-drum-setup)
- **Fear of a Blank Planet gear**: [Fear of a Blank Planet Drum Setup](/articles/fear-of-a-blank-planet-drum-setup)
- **Gavin Harrison kit guide**: [Gavin Harrison Porcupine Tree Drum Setup](/articles/gavin-harrison-porcupine-tree-drum-setup)