# Emperor of Sand Drum Setup: Brann Dailor's Grammy-Winning Kit on Mastodon's 2017 Masterpiece

> Discover the exact drum kit, cymbals, and gear Brann Dailor used to record Mastodon's Grammy-winning Emperor of Sand (2017). Full breakdown of the Tama Starclassic Maple kit, Meinl Byzance cymbals, Iron Cobra single pedal, and the melodic single-kick approach behind progressive metal's most emotionally resonant album.

**Type:** Album Drum Setup
**Drummer(s):** [Brann Dailor](/llms/drummers/brann-dailor.md)
**Band / Album:** Mastodon — *Emperor of Sand* (2017)
**Genre:** Progressive Sludge Metal

## Overview

Released on March 31, 2017, Mastodon's *Emperor of Sand* is a concept album about mortality and loss — a wanderer sentenced to death, traversing a desert and encountering forces that mirror the band's own experiences with cancer diagnoses affecting family members and loved ones. The album won **Best Metal Performance at the 2018 Grammy Awards** for "Sultan's Curse," Mastodon's first Grammy win, confirming what critics had already recognised: *Emperor of Sand* is among the most emotionally sophisticated heavy albums of the decade.

For [Brann Dailor](/drummer/brann-dailor), *Emperor of Sand* represents a compositional turning point. After the double-kick complexity of [Crack the Skye](/articles/crack-the-skye-drum-setup) (2009) and the expansive prog architecture of earlier records, Dailor deliberately simplified his bass drum approach — returning to single kick — and redirected that creative energy into melodic, groove-centred playing and expanded vocal responsibilities. On tracks like "Show Yourself" and "Ancient Kingdom," he anchors both the rhythm section and the vocal harmonies simultaneously, demonstrating a discipline and musicality that elevates the album's emotional impact.

The gear Dailor used for the *Emperor of Sand* sessions reflects this philosophical shift. The Tama Starclassic Maple kit — warm, resonant, and melodically capable — provided the canvas for a drum performance built around feel and musical storytelling rather than technical velocity. The Meinl Byzance cymbal palette continued from the *Crack the Skye* era but expanded in range, adding atmospheric depth and emotional colour that suited the album's desert-and-death concept.

This article breaks down every piece of gear Dailor used during the *Emperor of Sand* sessions: the Tama Starclassic kit that became his defining instrument, the Meinl Byzance cymbals that coloured the album's vast emotional range, and the Iron Cobra single pedal that drove one of Mastodon's most groove-forward performances.

## Gear Breakdown

- **Drums:** Tama Tama Starclassic Maple (Custom wrap finish finish)
- **Snare:** Tama Tama Starphonic or Artstar Snare, 14" x 6.5"
- **Cymbals:** Meinl — Meinl Byzance Series (expanded range)
- **Hardware / Pedals:** Tama Iron Cobra Single Pedal; Tama Iron Cobra Hi-Hat Stand; Roc-N-Soc Nitro Throne; Meinl Stick & Brush
- **Heads:** Evans UV1 Coated (batter), Evans Hazy 300 (resonant)
- **Snare tuning:** Medium-high tension — tuned for crack and projection with ghost note sensitivity

### The Tama Starclassic Maple: Brann's Melodic Single-Kick Canvas

For the *Emperor of Sand* sessions, Brann Dailor anchored his setup around a Tama Starclassic Maple kit — returning to a single bass drum configuration after the double-kick architecture of the [Crack the Skye](/articles/crack-the-skye-drum-setup) era. The Starclassic Maple is Tama's flagship maple-shell series, featuring 100% pure maple shells built with Tama's proprietary Star-Cast mounting system that allows shells to resonate freely without the restriction of traditional lug mounting.

The maple shell construction was the correct choice for this album's emotional character. *Emperor of Sand* is Mastodon's most melodically accessible record — concept album ambition married to radio-ready song architecture — and the Starclassic's warm, fundamental-rich tone allowed Dailor's kit to sing through the mix without imposing the aggressive, punching character of a birch or poplar shell. When he cascades through the tom runs on "Roots Remain" or anchors the groove on "Show Yourself," the shells produce melodic pitches that register as musical content rather than rhythmic noise.

The single bass drum configuration is the most significant structural change from his earlier Mastodon work. On *Emperor of Sand*, Dailor committed to single-kick playing throughout — a deliberate compositional choice that forced greater creativity in his foot patterns and placed the rhythmic emphasis on groove, feel, and musical conversation with the vocal and guitar lines rather than on bass drum velocity or technical complexity. The single 22" kick, driven by the Tama Iron Cobra pedal, produces a full, round fundamental that anchors the album without the mechanical doubling effect of a double-kick setup.

The four-tom melodic palette (10", 12", 13" rack toms plus the 16" floor tom) remained consistent with Dailor's established configuration — three closely spaced rack toms in adjacent pitches for dense melodic resolution, with the floor tom providing the lower interval anchor. For how this setup compares to his earlier gear, see the [Brann Dailor drummer profile](/drummer/brann-dailor).

### The Snare: Crack and Sensitivity in Service of Concept

On *Emperor of Sand*, the snare drum occupies a central emotional role. The album's concept — mortality, loss, a wanderer facing death — demanded a snare sound that could carry grief and weight without becoming purely brutal. Dailor's snare choice reflects this: full, present, and authoritative without the clinical aggression of a tightly cranked metal snare.

Dailor's snare on the *Emperor of Sand* sessions — a Tama model matched to the Starclassic kit era — delivers a full crack with enough body to anchor the album's dynamic range. The 14" x 6.5" configuration provides more fundamental tone than a standard 5.5" snare while maintaining the sensitivity Dailor's ghost note-dense playing requires.

Ghost notes are particularly significant on this album. "Clandestiny" and "Roots Remain" feature extended passages where Dailor weaves ghost notes through the groove to create rhythmic texture that supports the vocal and guitar lines without competing with them. These ghost notes must register clearly — not as noise but as intentional rhythmic content. A well-tuned 6.5" steel snare at medium-high tension gives the resonance for ghost notes to speak while providing the crack needed for the album's more emphatic backbeats.

The snare's role on "Show Yourself" — Mastodon's biggest commercial crossover hit — is worth examining: Dailor tunes and plays the snare to serve the song's infectious forward motion, prioritising groove feel over technical display. This restraint is as impressive as any of his more technically demanding performances. See the [Brann Dailor licks breakdowns](/drummer/brann-dailor/licks) for the snare technique breakdown from this era.

### Meinl Byzance: Expanded Palette for the Desert Concept

Brann Dailor's Meinl Byzance cymbal palette on *Emperor of Sand* represents an expansion of the Byzance setup he established on [Crack the Skye](/articles/crack-the-skye-drum-setup). Where the 2009 sessions used primarily the Traditional series, the *Emperor of Sand* sessions drew from a broader range: Traditional series for the hi-hats and ride, Foundry Reserve for the softer crashes, and Brilliant series accents that added a brighter overtone option to the otherwise dark, warm Byzance character.

The Byzance series' B20 bronze — 80% copper, 20% tin — hand-hammered and lathed using Turkish techniques, produces the dark, complex, bloom-heavy sound that distinguishes Meinl's premium range from bright, aggressive alternatives. For *Emperor of Sand*'s conceptual scope — desert imagery, existential confrontation, the emotional weight of loss — the Byzance palette was the musically correct choice. Bright cymbals would have imposed a clinical aggression that contradicted the album's emotional intimacy; the Byzance's blooming, atmospheric character added emotional resonance to each accent.

The addition of Foundry Reserve crashes in this era is notable. The Foundry Reserve series features an even softer attack and slower bloom than the Traditional series — producing a swell of complex overtones rather than an immediate aggressive crash. On the album's slower, more atmospheric passages, these crashes function almost as orchestral textures rather than rhythmic punctuation, adding emotional weight without interrupting the musical flow.

For drummers studying this album's cymbal approach, the key observation is restraint. Dailor does not crash frequently — each cymbal accent is placed with compositional intent, adding emotional colour at moments that serve the song's narrative. This restraint is as difficult to learn as any technical skill, and the Meinl Byzance palette's nuanced dynamic range makes it possible. See the [Mastodon band page](/bands/mastodon) for the complete discography context.

## Key Facts

- Won Best Metal Performance at the 2018 Grammy Awards for "Sultan's Curse" — Mastodon's first Grammy win
- Concept album about a wanderer facing death — informed by band members' experiences with illness
- Tama Starclassic Maple shells — warm, resonant, melodically capable single-kick setup
- Meinl Byzance expanded range — Traditional, Foundry Reserve, and Brilliant series
- Return to single bass drum: Tama Iron Cobra single pedal — groove and feel over velocity
- Brann Dailor's most vocal-forward album — singing extensive harmonies and lead parts while drumming
- Tama Starclassic Maple — flagship maple shells for warm, resonant melodic tone
- Single 22" bass drum — defining shift from the double-kick setup of Crack the Skye
- Three rack toms (10", 12", 13") for dense melodic resolution
- Star-Cast mounting system allows free shell resonance without lug restriction
- Used across Emperor of Sand studio sessions and the subsequent world tour
- Estimated kit value: $3,500–5,500 (Tama Starclassic Maple shell pack)
- Estimated snare value: $400–800 (Tama Starphonic or Artstar snare)

**Source:** https://metalforge.io/articles/emperor-of-sand-drum-setup

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*Last updated: 2026-06-25 · Source: [MetalForge.io](https://metalforge.io)*