# Arin Ilejay's Drum Setup on Avenged Sevenfold's Hail to the King (2013) > Complete breakdown of Arin Ilejay's drum setup on Avenged Sevenfold's Hail to the King (2013). DW Collector's Series kit, Zildjian A Custom cymbals, DW 9000 double pedal — the gear behind A7X's #1 Billboard 200 album. **Type:** Album Drum Setup **Drummer(s):** [Arin Ilejay](/llms/drummers/arin-ilejay.md) **Band / Album:** Avenged Sevenfold — *Hail to the King* (2013) **Genre:** Heavy Metal ## Overview Released on August 27, 2013, "Hail to the King" debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 — Avenged Sevenfold's commercial peak and the album that cemented them as one of the most commercially successful metal bands of the 21st century. It is also the only full studio album recorded by Arin Ilejay as A7X's official drummer, making it the definitive document of his tenure behind the kit. Ilejay joined Avenged Sevenfold in 2011 under the weight of an impossible task: permanently replacing Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan, the band's founding drummer and one of the most technically gifted and beloved figures in modern heavy metal. After The Rev's death in December 2009, Dream Theater's Mike Portnoy had stepped in to record the Nightmare album (2010) as a tribute. Ilejay, then a young drummer from the post-hardcore band Confide, was chosen as the permanent replacement — a role that put him under intense scrutiny from one of metal's most passionate fanbases. His response on Hail to the King was disciplined and strategic. Rather than attempt to replicate The Rev's technically extravagant, idiosyncratic style, Ilejay and the band leaned into a deliberate classic heavy metal aesthetic — Metallica, Black Sabbath, and Iron Maiden as touchstones. The production, led by Mike Elizondo, prioritized power, clarity, and groove over technical complexity. Songs like "Shepherd of Fire," "This Means War," and the title track drew direct lines to the classic metal canon, and Ilejay's drumming served that vision with authority and confidence. The album debuted at #1 in the US, UK, Ireland, Canada, Brazil, and Finland, eventually going 2× Platinum in the United States. This article covers every component of Arin Ilejay's setup for the Hail to the King sessions and tour, how each piece contributed to the album's arena-scale sound, and what his gear choices reveal about the demands of playing in one of the world's most-watched metal bands. ## Gear Breakdown - **Drums:** DW DW Collector's Series (Tobacco Burst finish) - **Snare:** DW DW Collector's Series 14" x 5.5" Maple/Mahogany Snare, 14" x 5.5" - **Cymbals:** Zildjian — Zildjian A Custom - **Hardware / Pedals:** DW 9000 Series Double Bass Pedal; Vic Firth American Classic 5A; DW 9000 Series Hi-Hat Stand; Roc-N-Soc Nitro Original - **Heads:** Remo Ambassador Coated (batter), Remo Ambassador Snare Side (resonant) - **Snare tuning:** Medium tension for power and cut in heavy metal guitar environments ### Arin Ilejay's Studio Kit: DW Collector's Series Arin Ilejay's DW Collector's Series kit is the flagship of DW's production lineup and one of the most widely used professional kits in mainstream metal. The Collector's Series is built from North American Hard Rock Maple — chosen for its combination of attack, projection, and tonal clarity that serves arena-scale metal better than smaller studio kits. The Tobacco Burst finish was Ilejay's choice for the Hail to the King era — a warm, classic aesthetic that matched the album's deliberate nod to the visual language of 1980s heavy metal. DW's shell construction method uses precision bearing edges machined to tolerances that determine the drum's tuning range and resonance characteristics. The double bass drum configuration was a practical requirement for A7X's live show. Two 22" x 18" kick drums provided the low-frequency mass that projects across arena floors. Three rack toms (10", 12", 14") and two floor toms (16", 18") gave Ilejay sufficient range for A7X's expansive arrangements — from the galloping double-bass patterns of "This Means War" to the straightforward heavy metal power of the title track. Ilejay's style on Hail to the King prioritized punch and authority over complexity. The DW Collector's attack-focused character aligned with the album's production philosophy: big, direct, classic. Songs like "Shepherd of Fire" and "Doing Time" demanded drums that could anchor arena arrangements without clutter. ### The Snare: DW Collector's Maple/Mahogany The snare sound on Hail to the King is authoritative and direct — a dry, punchy crack that anchors each track's groove without excessive sustain. Ilejay's DW Collector's 14" x 5.5" Maple/Mahogany snare sits at the intersection of warmth and attack: the maple provides brightness and cut, the mahogany adds body and warmth, and the 5.5" depth balances power with enough articulation for rapid strokes across faster passages. Mike Elizondo's production approach on Hail to the King prioritized natural drum capture. The snare was tuned in the medium range — enough tension for attack and crack, low enough for the body that classic heavy metal production demands. Songs like "Hail to the King" and "Shepherd of Fire" required a snare that could sit at the front of a dense, layered arrangement without disappearing into the guitar frequencies. The Maple/Mahogany shell combination was a considered choice for the classic aesthetic A7X pursued on this album. Rather than the steel shells used by some metal drummers for maximum brightness, or the pure maple of studio-focused kits, the blended shell delivered a sound that referenced the warmth of vintage heavy metal recordings while maintaining modern projection. ### The Zildjian A Custom Arsenal Arin Ilejay's Zildjian A Custom setup is calibrated for the specific sonic demands of arena-scale heavy metal — cymbals that project across large environments, cut through A7X's frequency-dense guitar mix, and respond consistently under high-volume extended-performance conditions. The A Custom series is manufactured from Zildjian's B20 bronze alloy with a brilliant finish and computer-guided lathing that produces a bright, consistent voice across the full surface area. At the volume levels of A7X's touring operation — venues where stage volume competes with PA systems reinforcing 15,000+ people — cymbal projection and consistency are functional requirements. Multiple crash configurations allowed Ilejay to match the dynamic scale of A7X's arrangements. The 16" for quick accents, the 18" for section endings, the 19" for the climactic moments of "Shepherd of Fire" and "Hail to the King" where the entire band swells to maximum intensity. A seven-piece cymbal setup on an arena stage is not excess — it's geometry: covering a wide physical rig without arm travel that breaks the groove. The 20" A Custom Ride provided clear bell definition for riding passages — a brighter, more forward sound than traditional A Series rides, suited to the album's direct production character. The A Custom China supplied the explosive, trashy accents that punctuate riff endings throughout the album. ## Key Facts - Hail to the King debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 — A7X's first #1 US album - Only full studio album Arin Ilejay recorded as official A7X drummer - DW Collector's Series kit in Tobacco Burst — flagship arena-grade maple shells - Zildjian A Custom cymbals throughout — bright, cutting, built for large-venue projection - Deliberate classic hard rock influence — Sabbath, Metallica, Maiden — distinct from The Rev era - DW Collector's Series — DW's flagship production kit, North American Hard Rock Maple - Tobacco Burst finish — classic visual aesthetic matching the album's heavy metal references - Double bass drums for live flexibility across A7X's full catalogue - Three-rack-tom configuration for fill range across complex arrangements - Arena-calibrated shell dimensions for maximum projection at large-venue volume - Estimated kit value: $4,500-8,000 (shell pack with hardware) - Estimated snare value: $350-600 **Source:** https://metalforge.io/articles/hail-to-the-king-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: 2026-06-25 · Source: [MetalForge.io](https://metalforge.io)*