# Inferno's Drum Setup on Behemoth's I Loved You at Your Darkest (2018)

> Complete breakdown of Inferno's drum setup for Behemoth's I Loved You at Your Darkest (2018). Discover the Tama Starclassic kit, Aquarian heads, Meinl cymbals, and Axis Longboard pedals that powered the follow-up to The Satanist.

**Type:** Album Drum Setup
**Drummer(s):** [Inferno](/llms/drummers/inferno.md)
**Band / Album:** Behemoth — *I Loved You at Your Darkest* (2018)
**Genre:** Blackened Death Metal

## Overview

When Behemoth set out to follow *The Satanist* — the 2014 album that had been named Album of the Year by virtually every major metal publication and earned a Grammy nomination — they faced a creative challenge of the highest order. The answer arrived on October 5, 2018: *I Loved You at Your Darkest*, the eleventh studio album from the Polish blackened death metal pioneers.

Released through Metal Blade Records in North America, Nuclear Blast in mainland Europe, and Mystic Production in Poland, the album debuted at number one on the Polish OLiS chart and reached number 65 on the US Billboard 200 — Behemoth's highest US chart position to that point. It also marked a deliberate sonic evolution, introducing experimental choral textures, child-vocal samples on the opening "Solve" instrumental and the closing "We Are the Next 1000 Years," and a broader arrangement palette designed to push Behemoth's sound forward.

At the rhythmic foundation was Inferno — Zbigniew Robert Promiński — whose 21st year as Behemoth's drummer found him at the peak of his powers. The album was tracked at Hertz Studios in Białystok, Poland (drums/core tracking), with mixing and additional work at Dugout Studios in Sweden under producer Daniel Bergstrand (Meshuggah, In Flames, Strapping Young Lad). This dual-studio approach reflected the album's expanded sonic ambitions: Hertz captured the raw acoustic performance, while Bergstrand at Dugout shaped the final sound.

## Gear Breakdown

- **Drums:** Tama Starclassic Bubinga / Star Series (Custom studio configuration)
- **Snare:** Tama Starclassic / Bell Brass Snare, 14" x 5.5" or 14" x 6.5"
- **Cymbals:** Meinl — Byzance + Mb20 series
- **Hardware / Pedals:** Axis A-Longboard Double Pedals (one per bass drum); Tama Speed Cobra Hi-Hat Stand; Tama 1st Chair Round Rider throne; Vic Firth / Pro-Mark sticks
- **Heads:** Aquarian Hi-Energy (snare batter), Aquarian Force I (kick batter), Aquarian Response II (toms)
- **Snare tuning:** High tension for maximum clarity at blast beat tempos

### Inferno's Tama Starclassic / Star Series: The ILYAYD Configuration

For *I Loved You at Your Darkest*, Inferno worked primarily with a Tama Starclassic Bubinga / Star Series configuration. The decision to use Tama — rather than the Pearl Reference Pure kit he relies on for Behemoth's live performances — continued the studio-versus-stage philosophy established on *The Satanist*: the studio kit is chosen for its recorded tonal character, while the live rig is chosen for the demands of touring production.

The Starclassic Bubinga's shell construction delivers a distinctive low-end depth that suited the album's broadened sonic ambitions. *I Loved You at Your Darkest* introduced choral textures, orchestral arrangements, and atmospheric passages that needed a drum sound capable of grounding those expanded elements without competing with them. The bubinga shells provided exactly that — warm, full-bodied fundamentals that sit beneath the arrangement rather than fighting against it.

The double 22" x 18" bass drum configuration remained Inferno's standard. Two independent kicks rather than a double pedal on a single drum is non-negotiable for Behemoth's tempos. Across tracks like "Wolves ov Siberia," "God = Dog," and "Bartzabel," Inferno's independent bass drum work delivers the rhythmic propulsion the album's most aggressive sections demand.

### Tama Signature Snare: Cutting Through the Mix

For *I Loved You at Your Darkest*, Inferno chose a Tama snare in the 14" x 5.5" to 14" x 6.5" range — sized for the balance between depth and immediate response that extreme metal recording demands. The snare batter head — Aquarian Hi-Energy — is critical: two plies with a reinforcing dot in the center, built for high-tension, attack-focused applications precisely like extreme metal. The high tuning approach ensures each stroke speaks with clarity in the dense mix Daniel Bergstrand crafted at Dugout Studios.

### Meinl Byzance + Mb20: The ILYAYD Cymbal Palette

Inferno is a Meinl signature artist, and his cymbal selection for *I Loved You at Your Darkest* combined two of Meinl's premier metal-oriented series: Byzance and Mb20. The Byzance series provides hand-hammered, dark tonal character — exactly the quality that suits Behemoth's apocalyptic sonic identity. The Mb20 series provides the cutting projection power needed at extreme metal volume. Together they cover every dynamic situation the album presents, from the choral-textured opener "Solve" through the most aggressive blast sections of "Wolves ov Siberia" and "God = Dog."

### Axis A-Longboard Pedals: Foot Speed Foundation

Inferno is well known for using Axis A-Longboard pedals — the longboard footboard design redistributes pedal motion in a way that favors sustained high-tempo work. Operating two independent 22" bass drums, Inferno deploys an independent Longboard on each drum rather than a linked double pedal system. The independence allows each foot to apply precisely the right pressure and angle for its specific drum — essential for the precision that sustained blast beats at 200+ BPM require. Axis is the established gold standard for extreme metal foot speed.

## Key Facts

- Recorded at Hertz Studios, Białystok, Poland (drums/tracking) and Dugout Studios, Sweden (mixing)
- Produced by Daniel Bergstrand (Meshuggah, In Flames) with Behemoth
- Tama Starclassic / Star Series kit with double 22" x 18" bass drums
- Meinl Byzance + Mb20 cymbal selection — Inferno is a Meinl signature artist
- Axis Longboard pedals — chosen for sustained blast beat speed and control
- Aquarian heads throughout: Hi-Energy snare batter, Force I kick batter, Response toms
- Released October 5, 2018 — Metal Blade / Nuclear Blast / Mystic Production
- Number one on Polish OLiS chart; number 65 US Billboard 200 (band's highest US position to that point)
- Follow-up to *The Satanist* (2014) — Album of the Year, Grammy-nominated
- Features experimental choral textures and child-vocal samples on "Solve" and "We Are the Next 1000 Years"
- Estimated kit value: $4,000–6,500 (Tama Starclassic Bubinga / Star Series professional configuration)
- Estimated snare value: $500–850 (Tama professional snare)
- Estimated cymbal value: $1,800–2,800 total (Meinl Byzance + Mb20 selection)

**Source:** https://metalforge.io/articles/i-loved-you-at-your-darkest-drum-setup

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*Last updated: 2026-06-26 · Source: [MetalForge.io](https://metalforge.io)*