# Hannes Grossmann Drum Setup — Obscura and Alkaloid's Prog-Death Architect

> Hannes Grossmann's complete drum setup: DW Collectors Series kit, Meinl Byzance cymbals, open-handed technique, and the gear behind Obscura and Alkaloid's prog-death metal sound.

**Type:** Kit Breakdown
**Drummer(s):** [Hannes Grossmann](/llms/drummers/hannes-grossmann.md)
**Bands:** Obscura / Alkaloid / ex-Necrophagist
**Genre:** Technical Death Metal / Progressive Death Metal

## Overview

Hannes Grossmann is the drummer for Obscura and Alkaloid, co-founder of both bands, and one of the most technically precise drummers in extreme metal — his DW Collectors Series kit, Meinl Byzance cymbals, and DW 9000 double pedal are the mechanical foundation of two of progressive death metal's defining acts.

Born September 8, 1982, in Freising, Germany, Grossmann represents a rare intersection of classical percussion training, jazz sensibility, and extreme metal execution. His open-handed technique — playing hi-hat with his right hand without crossing over the left — gives him the dynamic freedom that his compositionally demanding music requires. Classical percussion training informs his approach to every dynamic level and phrase shape; his drum parts function as melodic and structural voices within the arrangement, not merely rhythmic support beneath it.

His path through extreme metal is unusually distinguished. He joined Necrophagist in 2001, recording the landmark *Epitaph* (2004) — one of the most influential technical death metal records ever made. In 2007 he co-founded Obscura, recording *Cosmogenesis* (2009) and *Omnivium* (2011): two albums that defined progressive technical death metal as a genre. In 2014 he co-founded Alkaloid, an avant-garde progressive death project that pushes the outermost territory of compositionally ambitious extreme metal. He rejoined Obscura in 2020, with both projects active into the mid-2020s.

## Gear Breakdown

- **Drums:** DW Collectors Series (North American maple, custom configuration)
- **Snare:** DW Collectors 14" x 5.5" Maple
- **Cymbals:** Meinl Byzance Series — 14" Traditional Hi-Hats, 18" & 19" Brilliant Crashes, 21" Traditional Ride
- **Hardware / Pedals:** DW 9000 Series Double Pedal
- **Sticks:** Vic Firth American Classic 5B
- **Heads:** Evans

### DW Collectors Series: Flagship Construction for Prog-Death

Grossmann's DW Collectors Series kit is built to the tolerances that a drummer whose music demands simultaneous classical precision and extreme metal physicality requires. The Collectors Series is DW's flagship production line — custom-built North American maple shells with precisely specified ply counts, bearing edge profiles, and internal finishing that affect resonance, sustain, and attack at every frequency range.

For Grossmann's prog-death application, the DW Collectors maple shells provide the articulate midrange warmth that progressive arrangements demand. Technical death metal at Obscura's level — dense polyrhythmic guitar writing, fretless bass, strings layered over extreme metal foundations — requires a drum sound that can be both brutally forward and dynamically recessive within the same measure. Maple's balance of warmth and brightness achieves this; DW's custom bearing edges allow precise tuning of the sustain contour each part requires.

The double bass drum configuration — two 22" x 18" kick drums — provides the foundation for two-footed patterns his compositions demand. At the tempos of Obscura's "Orbital Elements" and Alkaloid's "The Malkuth Grimoire," each foot must produce identical attack, decay, and pitch consistency. His four-tom spread (10", 12", 14", 16") covers the full melodic range his compositional approach uses — fills that function as melodic counterlines within harmonically complex arrangements.

### Open-Handed Technique and Dynamic Control

Grossmann's open-handed grip is among his most widely discussed technical characteristics. By playing the hi-hat with his right hand and the snare with his left — without the traditional crossed-arm position — he maintains an ergonomic, balanced setup that allows the full dynamic range his music requires. The crossed-arm position limits independent control each hand can exercise; the open-handed setup frees both hands for the precise velocity control that ghost note-dense progressive playing demands.

His formal classical percussion training gives his dynamic vocabulary an unusual precision — classical percussion demands the ability to play at exactly specified dynamic levels and transition between them with control and intention. Applied to technical death metal, this produces a drummer who can play a ghost note at precisely calibrated velocity alongside a full-force blast beat accent within the same measure, and do so consistently across entire recordings.

### Meinl Byzance: Warm Complexity for Compositional Drumming

Grossmann plays Meinl Byzance cymbals — hand-hammered B20 bronze with natural patina finish that produces warm, complex, harmonically rich sounds suited to his compositional sensibility.

The 14" Byzance Traditional Hi-Hats are foundational to his open-handed technique. Played without the crossed-arm position, they produce warm, defined articulation for high-density hi-hat patterns. The Traditional series' layered, complex tone integrates naturally in the harmonic density of Obscura's and Alkaloid's recordings — bright, harsh hi-hats would fight these arrangements; the Byzance Traditional's warmth complements them.

The Byzance Brilliant crash configuration spans two sizes. The Brilliant finish brightens the Byzance's natural warmth — increasing projection while retaining harmonic complexity. The 18" provides fast-responding primary accent capability; the 19" covers larger dynamic peaks. The 21" Byzance Traditional Ride offers dark, controlled wash with distinct bell presence — a versatile riding surface for Alkaloid's most compositionally complex sections.

### Obscura and Alkaloid Context

**Obscura** (co-founded 2007): *Cosmogenesis* (2009) and *Omnivium* (2011) remain two of progressive technical death metal's defining records. Grossmann's drumming on both albums demonstrated the open-handed technique and compositional drum-part approach that have become his signatures. His return to Obscura in 2020 and *A Dying Wish* (2021) placed him back at the centre of one of the scene's most respected bands.

**Alkaloid** (co-founded 2014): A supergroup-calibre project featuring members from Obscura, Necrophagist, Aborted, and Dark Fortress. *The Malkuth Grimoire* (2015), *Liquid Anatomy* (2018), and *Numen* (2023) push progressive death metal's structural and harmonic vocabulary to areas where genre labels begin to lose meaning. *Numen* in particular is Grossmann's most compositionally ambitious recorded work.

**Necrophagist** (2001–2004): *Epitaph* (2004) remains one of technical death metal's most studied recordings, establishing Grossmann's international reputation before Obscura's formation.

## Key Facts

- Co-founder of Obscura (2007) and Alkaloid (2014) — two pillars of progressive death metal
- Classical percussion degree and formal training informs compositional drum-part approach
- Open-handed technique: hi-hat played right-handed without crossing over snare hand
- Operates his own recording studio in Germany — producer and mixer for numerous metal albums
- DW Collectors Series current primary kit; earlier career setup included Tama Starclassic Maple
- Meinl Byzance cymbals consistent across career configurations
- Necrophagist's *Epitaph* (2004) remains a technical death metal landmark
- *Cosmogenesis* (2009) and *Omnivium* (2011) with Obscura are progressive death metal essentials
- Alkaloid's *Numen* (2023) represents the most compositionally ambitious work of his career
- Endorsements: DW Drums, Meinl Cymbals, Vic Firth

## FAQ

**What drum kit does Hannes Grossmann use?**
Hannes Grossmann plays a DW Collectors Series drum kit — DW's flagship production line with custom North American maple shells, double 22" bass drums, and a four-tom spread (10", 12", 14", 16"). The Collectors construction provides the acoustic precision his technical and compositional demands require. For his complete profile: [Hannes Grossmann at MetalForge](/drummer/hannes-grossmann).

**What makes Hannes Grossmann's technique unique?**
Three characteristics distinguish Grossmann's technique: his open-handed hi-hat grip (right hand plays hi-hat without crossing over the left, maximising dynamic independence), his classical-percussion-trained dynamic control (precise velocity gradations from ghost notes to full-force accents within the same phrase), and his compositional approach (drum parts designed as melodic and structural voices within the arrangement, not technical demonstrations parallel to the music). His producer experience also informs his gear choices — he selects cymbals and drums with recording outcomes in mind, not just live performance.

**What cymbals does Hannes Grossmann use?**
Hannes Grossmann plays Meinl Byzance cymbals: 14" Byzance Traditional Hi-Hats (warm, articulate voicing for open-handed technique), 18" and 19" Byzance Brilliant Crashes (fast-responding accents with harmonic warmth), and a 21" Byzance Traditional Ride (dark, controlled character for progressive riding patterns). The Byzance series' hand-hammered B20 bronze construction produces harmonically rich sound that integrates naturally in dense progressive metal mixes. For more: [Hannes Grossmann at MetalForge](/drummer/hannes-grossmann).

**Source:** https://metalforge.io/articles/hannes-grossmann-drum-setup

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*Last updated: 2026-06-19 · Source: [MetalForge.io](https://metalforge.io)*