# Human Drum Setup: Sean Reinert's Jazz-Death Masterpiece > Complete breakdown of Sean Reinert's revolutionary drum performance on Death's Human. The gear, techniques, and jazz influences that changed death metal forever. **Type:** Album Drum Setup **Drummer(s):** Sean Reinert **Band / Album:** Death — *Human* (1991) **Genre:** Progressive Death Metal ## Overview Released on October 22, 1991, Death's "Human" didn't just push death metal forward—it redefined what the genre could be. At the heart of this transformation sat 20-year-old Sean Reinert, a drummer whose jazz training and progressive sensibilities would change extreme metal drumming forever. Chuck Schuldiner, metal's most restless visionary, had assembled a dream team for this album: guitarists Paul Masvidal (who would co-found Cynic with Reinert), bassist Steve DiGiorgio, and Reinert himself. But it was the drummer's contribution that most dramatically set Human apart from everything in death metal. Where death metal drumming in 1991 meant blast beats and relentless aggression, Reinert brought ride cymbal work, ghost notes, dynamic shading, and polyrhythmic complexity straight from jazz vocabulary. The result was an album that thrash fans, prog fans, and jazz fans could all appreciate—a technical masterpiece that proved extreme music didn't require sacrificing musicality. Recorded at Morrisound Recording in Tampa with legendary producer Scott Burns, Human became the template for progressive death metal. Every technical death metal band since owes something to what Reinert laid down in those sessions. Sean Reinert passed away on January 24, 2020, at just 48 years old. This article celebrates his revolutionary work on Human—the gear, the techniques, and the vision that changed heavy music. ## Gear Breakdown - **Drums:** Tama Tama Artstar II (Natural Wood finish) - **Snare:** Tama Tama Artstar II Birch / Bell Brass (session options), 14" x 5.5" - **Cymbals:** Zildjian — Zildjian A / K Series - **Hardware / Pedals:** DW 5000 Double Pedal; Tama Iron Cobra Series (or equivalent); Roc-N-Soc Standard; Vic Firth American Classic 5A - **Heads:** Remo Ambassador Coated (batter), Remo Ambassador Snare Side (resonant) - **Snare tuning:** Medium-high tension for sensitivity and ghost note clarity ### Reinert's Tama Recording Setup Sean Reinert's kit for the Human sessions was a Tama Artstar II—the same series favored by many metal drummers of the era, but configured and played in a way no death metal drummer had approached before. The single bass drum setup was deliberate. Unlike his death metal contemporaries who favored double bass drums for visual impact, Reinert used a single 22" bass drum with a double pedal. This wasn't a limitation—it was a statement. His approach to double bass wasn't about sheer speed; it was about integrating it into musical phrases with jazz-like dynamics. The three rack toms (10", 12", 13") and single floor tom (16") gave Reinert plenty of options for his signature fills—flowing, musical passages that moved around the kit like jazz comping rather than typical metal tom rolls. Tama's Artstar II birch shells provided the attack and projection needed for death metal's demands while maintaining the warmth and complexity required for Reinert's subtle approach. The drums had presence without being overbearing—crucial for an album where every instrument occupies its own sonic space. What made Reinert's kit special wasn't the equipment itself, but what he did with it. These were standard professional drums transformed by extraordinary technique and musical vision. ### The Snare Sound That Defined Progressive Death The snare sound on Human is one of its most distinctive elements—crisp, articulate, with enough body to hold its own against DiGiorgio's fretless bass and the twin guitar attack, yet sensitive enough for Reinert's ghost notes and dynamic playing. The primary snare was likely a Tama birch snare from the Artstar line, tuned medium-high for sensitivity and clarity. What sets this snare sound apart from typical death metal is how it's played: Reinert used the full dynamic range of the drum, from whisper-quiet ghost notes to full rim shots, often within the same phrase. Producer Scott Burns, who engineered virtually every classic Florida death metal album of this era, captured the snare with his signature clarity. Close-miking with an SM57 was standard, but the snare sound on Human has more depth and dimension than typical Burns productions—likely because Reinert's playing demanded capturing more nuance. The tuning was crucial. Too high and the drum would sound thin during blast sections; too low and the ghost notes would disappear into the mix. Reinert found the sweet spot that allowed his jazzy approach to translate while maintaining the power Human's heaviest moments required. ### The Jazz Vocabulary: Zildjian Arsenal Sean Reinert's cymbal selection reveals his jazz foundation more than any other element of his setup. While most death metal drummers in 1991 favored heavy, durable cymbals, Reinert chose instruments that could handle both explosive metal crashes and nuanced jazz playing. The ride cymbal was the cornerstone of his sound on Human. Unlike death metal drummers who used ride cymbals primarily for bell accents, Reinert actually RODE his ride—the sustained cymbal patterns during verses and transitions were unprecedented in the genre. His choice of a drier, more articulate ride (likely a K Custom or similar) allowed each stick stroke to speak clearly without excessive wash. Listen to tracks like "Cosmic Sea" and you'll hear ride cymbal work that wouldn't be out of place on a jazz fusion record. This was revolutionary: death metal drummers simply didn't play this way in 1991. The 14" Quick Beat hi-hats provided the versatility Reinert needed—tight and cutting for fast patterns, but musical and complex when played half-open. His hi-hat technique incorporated jazz vocabulary: opening and closing for effect, playing the edge versus the top, varying stick angle for different timbres. The crash cymbals were musical instruments, not just noise makers. Reinert chose medium-weight cymbals that could cut through guitars but also decay musically. His crash placement was compositional, not just aggressive. ## Key Facts - Recorded at Morrisound Recording with producer Scott Burns - Sean Reinert was only 20 years old during these sessions - First death metal album to extensively incorporate jazz drumming vocabulary - Featured Paul Masvidal and Steve DiGiorgio alongside Chuck Schuldiner - Widely considered the birth of progressive death metal - Single bass drum with double pedal—unusual for 1991 death metal - Three rack toms for melodic fill options - Birch shells for balanced attack and warmth - Setup reflected jazz sensibilities within metal context - Relatively compact kit focused on musicality over visual spectacle - Estimated kit value: $2,500-3,500 (1991) - Estimated snare value: $300-450 (1991) **Source:** https://metalforge.io/articles/human-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: 2026-06-16 · Source: [MetalForge.io](https://metalforge.io)*