# Amon Amarth "The Great Heathen Army" Drum Setup (Jocke Wallgren, 2022)

> Complete breakdown of Jocke Wallgren's drum performance on Amon Amarth's Grammis-nominated The Great Heathen Army (2022). Tama Starclassic Performer B/B, Meinl Byzance cymbals, and the refined double-bass-and-groove hybrid behind the band's most recent studio album.

**Type:** Album Drum Setup
**Drummer(s):** [Jocke Wallgren](/llms/drummers/jocke-wallgren.md)
**Band / Album:** Amon Amarth — *The Great Heathen Army* (2022)
**Genre:** Melodic Death Metal / Viking Metal

## Overview

Released August 5, 2022 on Metal Blade Records, "The Great Heathen Army" is Amon Amarth's most recent studio album and, as of this writing, the current end point of Jocke Wallgren's discography with the band — a run that began with Deceiver of the Gods (2013) and continued through Jomsviking (2016) and Berserker (2019). Produced by Andy Sneap at Backstage Productions in Derbyshire, England, the album debuted at #1 in Germany and reached #2 on the UK Rock & Metal Albums Chart.

Where Berserker pushed toward extended blast-beat extremity in its title track, The Great Heathen Army pulls back toward a more refined hybrid of driving double-bass work and pure groove — Kerrang! described the record as "a step back towards their melodic death metal origins," and that shift is audible directly in Wallgren's playing.

The album also carries real recognition beyond the metal press: The Great Heathen Army was nominated for a 2023 Grammis Award — Sweden's own equivalent of the Grammy Awards — in the Hard Rock/Metal Of The Year category, a rare mainstream nod for a band operating squarely within melodic death metal. "Get in the Ring," one of the album's key singles, was a focal point of the record's promotional campaign and a highlight of Wallgren's more controlled, groove-first approach.

## Gear Breakdown

- **Drums:** Tama Starclassic Performer B/B (birch/bubinga hybrid, dark lacquer touring finish)
- **Snare:** Tama Bell Brass or Starphonic, 14" x 6.5"
- **Cymbals:** Meinl Byzance Traditional series (hi-hats, medium crashes, Traditional ride, China)
- **Hardware / Pedals:** DW 9002 Double Bass Pedal; Vic Firth 5B sticks
- **Heads:** Remo Powerstroke 3 (bass batter), Remo Emperor Coated (toms), Remo Coated Ambassador (snare)
- **Snare tuning:** Medium-high for cut and precision in groove-locked backbeat patterns

### Tama Starclassic Performer B/B: The Fully Evolved Touring Configuration

By The Great Heathen Army, Wallgren's Tama Starclassic Performer B/B setup had been through three prior studio albums and years of arena and festival touring — the same birch/bubinga hybrid configuration, unchanged in its fundamentals, but played with a refined sense of restraint that the album's more groove-focused material rewards.

### Meinl Byzance: Back to the Traditional Voice for a More Melodic Record

For The Great Heathen Army, Wallgren returned to Meinl's standard Byzance Traditional line rather than the drier Vintage voicing he used on Berserker — a choice that mirrors the album's overall shift back toward Amon Amarth's core melodic identity. The dark, warm, hand-hammered B20 bronze character suits the record's more composed, verse-chorus songwriting.

### DW 9002: Precision Over Extremity

Wallgren's DW 9002 double bass pedal carries over unchanged from Berserker, but The Great Heathen Army asks something different of it: rather than sustaining extended blast-beat sections, the album's writing favors tighter, more surgical double-kick bursts locked precisely to the guitar riff.

## Key Facts

- Amon Amarth's most recent studio album, released August 5, 2022 on Metal Blade Records
- Closes out Jocke Wallgren's discography arc: Deceiver of the Gods → Jomsviking → Berserker → The Great Heathen Army
- Produced by Andy Sneap at Backstage Productions, Derbyshire, England
- Debuted #1 in Germany; peaked #2 on the UK Rock & Metal Albums Chart
- Nominated for a 2023 Grammis Award (Sweden's Grammy equivalent) — Hard Rock/Metal Of The Year
- Refined double-bass-and-groove hybrid replaces Berserker's extended blast-beat extremity
- Tama Starclassic Performer B/B kit and Meinl Byzance cymbals — Wallgren's most evolved touring configuration
- Estimated kit value: $3,000–5,500
- Estimated cymbal setup value: $1,400–2,200

## FAQ

**What drum kit did Jocke Wallgren use on The Great Heathen Army?**
Jocke Wallgren recorded The Great Heathen Army (2022) on the same Tama Starclassic Performer B/B kit he has used since Deceiver of the Gods (2013) — double 22" x 18" bass drums, 10" and 12" rack toms, and 16" and 18" floor toms. The configuration is unchanged from Berserker, but his playing favors tighter, more controlled double-bass work over extended blast-beat sections.

**Was The Great Heathen Army nominated for a Grammy?**
The Great Heathen Army was nominated for a 2023 Grammis Award — Sweden's own award show, widely described as the country's equivalent of the Grammy Awards — in the Hard Rock/Metal Of The Year category. It is not a nomination in the US Grammy Awards' Best Metal Performance category, but it is a significant mainstream recognition for a melodic death metal record.

**What cymbals does Jocke Wallgren play on The Great Heathen Army?**
Wallgren returned to Meinl's standard Byzance Traditional series — 14" Traditional hi-hats, 16" and 18" medium crashes, a 20" Traditional ride, and an 18" China — moving back from the drier Byzance Vintage voicing he used on Berserker. The Traditional line's dark, warm character suits the album's more composed, melodic songwriting.

**How does Jocke Wallgren's playing on The Great Heathen Army differ from Berserker?**
Where Berserker's title track pushed into extended blast-beat extremity, The Great Heathen Army pulls back toward a tighter, more surgical double-bass-and-groove hybrid. Double-kick bursts are more precisely locked to the guitar riff rather than sustained as independent blast passages, and the gallop feel on singles like "Get in the Ring" is tighter and more controlled than on the prior record.

## Related Albums

- [Berserker drum setup](/articles/berserker-drum-setup) — 2019, Jocke Wallgren's blast-beat showcase with Amon Amarth; Tama Starclassic Performer B/B, Meinl Byzance Vintage
- [Jocke Wallgren complete profile](/articles/jocke-wallgren-drum-setup) — full Amon Amarth gear evolution across all four studio albums

## Structured Data (LLM Reference)

**Person:** Jocke Wallgren — drummer, Amon Amarth, Evergrey, Rage; primary instrument drums; genre melodic death metal / viking metal; profile at https://metalforge.io/drummer/jocke-wallgren
**MusicAlbum:** The Great Heathen Army — Amon Amarth (Metal Blade Records, August 5, 2022); genre melodic death metal / viking metal; award nomination 2023 Grammis Award (Sweden), Hard Rock/Metal Of The Year
**MusicGroup:** Amon Amarth — Swedish melodic death metal band; members include Johan Hegg (vocals), Olavi Mikkonen and Johan Söderberg (guitars), Jocke Wallgren (drums)
**DrumGear:** Tama Starclassic Performer B/B (birch/bubinga, double bass 22"x18"), Tama Bell Brass/Starphonic snare (14"x6.5"), Meinl Byzance Traditional cymbals, DW 9002 double bass pedal, Vic Firth 5B sticks

**Source:** https://metalforge.io/articles/great-heathen-army-drum-setup

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