# Testament 'The Formation of Damnation' Drum Setup (Paul Bostaph, 2008)

> Paul Bostaph's drum setup on Testament's The Formation of Damnation (2008) — the comeback album that reunited Alex Skolnick and Greg Christian and won Metal Hammer's Golden Gods Best Album award. Pacific Drums LX maple kit, DW Edge snare, and Paiste cymbals behind a distinct chapter of Bostaph's career, separate from his Slayer gear.

**Type:** Album Drum Setup
**Drummer(s):** Paul Bostaph (Testament's drummer 2007-2011, and 2024-present)
**Band / Album:** Testament — *The Formation of Damnation* (2008)
**Genre:** Thrash Metal
**Label:** Nuclear Blast
**Studio:** Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, CA
**Producer:** Eric Peterson and Chuck Billy

## Overview

Released April 29, 2008 on Nuclear Blast, The Formation of Damnation is Testament's tenth studio album and their first new record in nine years, since 1999's The Gathering. The bigger story wasn't the gap since the previous album — it was who was standing in the room together for the first time in over a decade. Guitarist Alex Skolnick hadn't recorded a studio album with Testament since The Ritual in 1992. Bassist Greg Christian hadn't recorded with the band since Low in 1994. The Formation of Damnation reunited them both alongside Chuck Billy and Eric Peterson, giving fans the classic-era lineup on record for the first time in roughly fifteen years.

Behind the kit was Paul Bostaph. Testament had planned to record with Nick Barker (formerly of Cradle of Filth and Dimmu Borgir), but Barker's US visa complications made it impossible for him to return to the country in time. Testament turned to Bostaph — a fellow veteran of the Bay Area thrash scene — first to cover live shows and pre-production, and eventually to record the album outright. It marked his first Testament studio credit.

The sessions ran roughly two and a half months of pre-production before a focused ten-day tracking block at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, California, with Eric Peterson and Chuck Billy producing. Bostaph has described drawing on his alt-country side project Truth About Seafood, the extremity of his Slayer years, and a groove-first feel picked up touring with Exodus. Chuck Billy reportedly asked him to approach the record the way he'd approached Exodus's Shovel Headed Kill Machine: restrained, in service of the songs.

The record delivered real recognition: Metal Hammer's Golden Gods award for Best Album in 2008 (beating Atreyu, Avenged Sevenfold, Children of Bodom, and Down), a top-four spot on Metal Hammer's year-end list, and Metal Storm's Best Thrash Metal Album award. It debuted at #59 on the Billboard 200, #4 on US Top Hard Rock Albums, and #6 on UK Rock & Metal Albums.

## Gear Breakdown

- **Drums:** Pacific Drums & Percussion (PDP) LX Series Maple — 22"x18" bass drums (x2), 10"/12"/14" rack toms, 16"/18" floor toms, 6-ply 100% maple shells
- **Snare:** DW Edge Snare, 14"x5", steel shell
- **Cymbals:** Paiste — 2002 series (14" Sound Edge hi-hats, 16"/18" crashes, 18" China) and RUDE series (20" ride)
- **Hardware / Pedals:** DW 5000 Series Double Bass Drum Pedal, DW 5500 Hi-Hat Stand, DW 5100 Throne, Vater Wooden Sticks (plus Vater Power Wrist Builder aluminum sticks for practice)
- **Heads:** Remo Powerstroke 3 (kick batter), Remo Ambassador Coated (toms), Remo Coated Batter (snare)
- **Snare tuning:** Medium-high tension for a fast, controlled crack with minimal ring

### The 2008 Comeback Kit: Pacific Drums LX Maple

Bostaph tracked the album on a PDP LX Series maple kit — Drum Workshop's sister brand, and a logical landing point after he publicly parted ways with Tama and aligned with the DW family around 2007, right as the Testament sessions came together. The nine-piece configuration, including an extra 14-inch rack tom beyond his usual Slayer-era four-piece setup, gave him more melodic range for the album's more harmony-driven, Skolnick-led arrangements.

### The 2008 Crack: 14x5 DW Edge

The DW Edge snare's 5-inch depth is shallower than the 6.5-inch snares Bostaph used on every Slayer studio album, trading low-end body for a faster, more articulate response — suited to Chuck Billy's request that Bostaph play with restraint rather than overplay the arrangements.

### Paiste: The One Constant Across Bostaph's Career

Paiste is the one cymbal brand that runs through nearly every chapter of Bostaph's playing — the 2002 series on Slayer's God Hates Us All, the RUDE series on his live Slayer rig, and a continuation of that same relationship here rather than a new endorsement.

## Key Facts

- Released April 29, 2008 on Nuclear Blast — Testament's tenth studio album, first in nine years
- First Testament studio album since 1992 (Alex Skolnick) and 1994 (Greg Christian) to reunite the classic-era lineup
- Paul Bostaph's first Testament studio credit — stepped in after drummer Nick Barker's US visa issues
- Recorded at Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, CA — produced by Eric Peterson and Chuck Billy
- Won Metal Hammer's Golden Gods Best Album award (2008) and Metal Storm's Best Thrash Metal Album award
- NOT Grammy-nominated — despite some claims online, neither the album nor "More Than Meets the Eye" received a Grammy nomination
- Debuted at #59 Billboard 200, #4 US Top Hard Rock Albums, #6 UK Rock & Metal Albums
- A distinct Bostaph gear chapter: Pacific Drums LX kit and DW Edge snare, unrelated to any of his Slayer-era setups
- Estimated kit value: $1,400-2,000 (2008)
- Estimated snare value: $250-400 (2008)

## FAQ

**Q: What drums does Paul Bostaph use on The Formation of Damnation?**
Paul Bostaph recorded Testament's The Formation of Damnation (2008) on a Pacific Drums & Percussion (PDP) LX Series maple kit — a nine-piece setup with two 22x18-inch bass drums, 10", 12", and 14" rack toms, and 16" and 18" floor toms. His snare was a 14x5 DW Edge steel snare, shallower than the 14x6.5 snares he used across every Slayer studio album. His cymbals were Paiste, in the 2002 and RUDE lines he relied on for most of his career.

**Q: What's different about Paul Bostaph's Testament gear compared to his Slayer setups?**
Nearly everything except the cymbal brand. Bostaph's Slayer albums used DW Collector's Series (Diabolus in Musica, 1998), Tama Starclassic Maple (God Hates Us All, 2001), and Pearl Masters Maple Complete (Repentless, 2015) — none of which appear on The Formation of Damnation. Instead, he tracked the Testament album on a Pacific Drums & Percussion LX Series kit with a DW Edge snare, reflecting his move away from Tama and into the DW family around 2007. Paiste cymbals are the one constant that carries across both bands.

**Q: Was The Formation of Damnation Grammy-nominated?**
No — The Formation of Damnation was not nominated for a Grammy Award. It did win real industry recognition: Metal Hammer's Golden Gods award for Best Album in 2008, a top-four placement on Metal Hammer's year-end albums list, and Metal Storm's Best Thrash Metal Album award for 2008. Testament has never received a Grammy nomination for this record or its lead single, "More Than Meets the Eye."

**Q: Why did Paul Bostaph end up drumming on a Testament album?**
Testament had planned to record The Formation of Damnation with drummer Nick Barker (formerly of Cradle of Filth and Dimmu Borgir), but US visa complications prevented Barker from returning to the country in time. The band turned to Paul Bostaph — a longtime peer from the same Bay Area thrash scene — first to cover live shows and pre-production, and the arrangement turned into his first full Testament studio credit. He remained with the band from 2007 through 2011, departing before Dark Roots of Earth (2012), when Gene Hoglan took over the drum chair.

**Q: What made The Formation of Damnation a comeback album for Testament?**
It was Testament's first studio album in nine years, since 1999's The Gathering, and the first to reunite guitarist Alex Skolnick (who hadn't recorded with the band since 1992's The Ritual) and bassist Greg Christian (who hadn't recorded with the band since 1994's Low) alongside Chuck Billy and Eric Peterson. That reunion, combined with Paul Bostaph stepping into the drum chair, made The Formation of Damnation feel like a full restart rather than just another studio release.

## Internal Links

- [Paul Bostaph drummer profile](/drummer/paul-bostaph)
- [Diabolus in Musica drum setup (1998)](/articles/diabolus-in-musica-drum-setup)
- [What's In Paul Bostaph's Kit](/articles/whats-in-paul-bostaphs-kit)
- [Wrath drum setup (Chris Adler, Lamb of God)](/articles/wrath-drum-setup)
- [Sacrament drum setup (Chris Adler, Lamb of God)](/articles/sacrament-drum-setup)

**Source:** https://metalforge.io/articles/formation-of-damnation-drum-setup

**More LLM resources:** [Site index](/llms.txt) · [Full database](/llms-full.txt) · [Master FAQ](/llms/faq.md) · [Drummer index](/llms/index.md)

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