# Jason Bittner's Drum Kit & Gear Setup — Shadows Fall / Overkill

> Complete breakdown of Jason Bittner's drum setup across Shadows Fall and Overkill. Tama Starclassic Performer B/B kit, Sabian HHX cymbals, DW 9002 double pedal, and the NWOAHM/thrash hybrid technique behind The Art of Balance and The Electric Age.

**Type:** Kit Breakdown
**Drummer(s):** [Jason Bittner](/llms/drummers/jason-bittner.md)
**Band / Album:** Shadows Fall / Overkill
**Genre:** NWOAHM / Thrash Metal

## Overview

Jason Bittner is the drummer of Shadows Fall and, since 2012, the full-time sticksman for New Jersey thrash legends Overkill — a dual role that makes him one of the most versatile and prolific drummers in American heavy metal. Over two decades behind the kit with Shadows Fall, Bittner helped define the New Wave of American Heavy Metal: a genre that fused the groove and melody of metalcore with the technical velocity and aggression of classic thrash.

His double-bass work, polyrhythmic coordination, and facility for weaving thrash-tempo kick patterns beneath metalcore arrangements gave Shadows Fall their characteristic intensity on definitive albums The Art of Balance (2002) and The War Within (2004). His playing drew equal influence from thrash pioneers like Charlie Benante and Dave Lombardo and from the accelerated metalcore vocabulary developing simultaneously in New England's metal underground.

The Overkill appointment in 2012 confirmed what the metal community already knew: Bittner could play straight thrash at the highest level. His debut album with Overkill, The Electric Age (2012), dropped immediately into the band's top-tier catalog. Today Bittner holds both chairs simultaneously — Overkill's road and studio drummer while Shadows Fall remains active for reunion and touring activity.

## Gear Breakdown

- **Drums:** Tama Starclassic Performer B/B (birch/bubinga shells)
- **Snare:** Tama Starphonic Steel 14" x 6.5"
- **Cymbals:** Sabian — HHX and HH Series
- **Hardware / Pedals:** DW 9002 Double Bass Pedal; Vic Firth 5B sticks
- **Heads:** Remo Ambassador Coated (toms, batter), Remo Powerstroke 3 (bass, batter)
- **Snare tuning:** Medium-high for articulate cut through NWOAHM and thrash guitar density

### Tama Starclassic Performer B/B: NWOAHM and Thrash in One Kit

Jason Bittner's Tama Starclassic Performer B/B kit is the physical foundation of his dual NWOAHM/thrash approach. The "B/B" designation specifies Tama's birch/bubinga hybrid shell construction: the outer birch plies provide focused attack with controlled sustain, while the inner bubinga ply introduces warmth and additional fundamental resonance.

Configuration: two 22" x 18" bass drums in double kick configuration, 10" and 12" rack toms, 14" and 16" floor toms. The double bass drum setup drives the sustained double-kick patterns that both Shadows Fall and Overkill demand — at NWOAHM tempos for polyrhythmic groove, at thrash velocities for relentless forward momentum.

The birch/bubinga combination suits both contexts: birch attack definition for thrash precision and metalcore articulation, bubinga warmth for the tonal body that supports NWOAHM's more melodic arrangement character. A purely birch kit would sound thin against Shadows Fall's layered guitar; a purely maple kit would lose definition at Overkill's thrash tempos. The Starclassic Performer B/B navigates both demands from a single platform.

### Sabian HHX / HH Cymbals

Bittner's Sabian HHX and HH cymbal setup is engineered around the acoustic challenge of cutting through both bands' guitar environments. Sabian's HHX series — hand-hammered B20 bronze — emphasizes upper harmonics that project above the mid-frequency density of both NWOAHM layered arrangements and thrash's dense rhythm guitar.

- **Sabian HHX 14" Hi-Hats**: Bright, cutting response for 16th-note patterns at both NWOAHM and thrash tempos
- **Sabian HHX 16" Crash**: Fast attack, quick decay for rapid accent work
- **Sabian HHX 18" Crash**: Fuller crash for major section boundaries and climactic moments
- **Sabian HH 20" Ride**: Defined bell for thrash ride patterns; wash for NWOAHM's more open contexts
- **Sabian HHX China**: Aggressive trash accent for the most intense breakdown and thrash passages

The HH ride's defined bell is particularly suited to Overkill's thrash context, where bell accents cut through the guitar mass to mark rhythmic divisions — the same function Charlie Benante's Paiste ride bell serves in Anthrax's thrash arrangements.

### DW 9002 Double Bass Pedal

The DW 9002 double bass pedal is Jason Bittner's core hardware choice and the mechanical foundation of the double-kick work that defines his playing in both bands. The 9002's dual-chain drive mechanism provides consistent action across both the primary and slave pedal sides — a critical requirement for the sustained double-bass passages both Shadows Fall and Overkill demand.

At Overkill's thrash tempos, any mechanical variation between the two pedal sides becomes audible as rhythmic unevenness; DW's 9002 engineering prioritizes matched action to support metronomic precision. The pedal's adjustable spring tension and beater weight allow configuration across the range from NWOAHM's syncopated kick patterns to thrash's sustained high-velocity demands.

For double-bass technique context: [double-bass drummers at MetalForge](/technique/double-bass/drummers).

## Live vs. Studio

**Studio (Shadows Fall)**: Close-miked Starclassic B/B shells with Zeuss production (The Art of Balance, The War Within) capturing the birch attack and bubinga warmth distinctly across the dense NWOAHM arrangements. Double-bass patterns layered beneath melodic guitar and dual-tracked rhythm guitar — kick drum clarity essential for the rhythm section to read through the arrangement.

**Studio (Overkill)**: More direct thrash production approach. Kick drums prominent in the mix driving riff-based arrangements. Sabian HHX hi-hats and crashes articulating rhythmic grid above thrash guitar density.

**Live**: DW 9002 consistency across both bands' touring demands — extended sets, varying stage conditions, high-volume venues. Sabian HHX's durability under sustained high-impact playing across both bands' intensive touring schedules.

## Key Facts

- Shadows Fall drummer since 1997 — co-architect of the NWOAHM sound across six studio albums
- Overkill drummer since 2012 — five studio albums and ongoing touring
- Tama Starclassic Performer B/B — birch/bubinga hybrid shells for NWOAHM and thrash dual contexts
- Sabian HHX / HH cymbals — endorsed throughout career with both bands
- DW 9002 double bass pedal — matched dual-chain action for high-velocity double-kick precision
- Vic Firth 5B sticks — weight and durability for extended metal touring
- Key NWOAHM albums: The Art of Balance (2002), The War Within (2004)
- Key Overkill albums: The Electric Age (2012), White Devil Armory (2014), Scorched (2023)
- Estimated full kit value: $2,500–4,500 (Tama Starclassic Performer B/B)
- Estimated cymbal setup value: $1,200–2,000 (Sabian HHX / HH full setup)

## Frequently Asked Questions

**What drums does Jason Bittner use?**
Jason Bittner plays a Tama Starclassic Performer B/B kit in a double bass drum configuration with two 22" kick drums, 10" and 12" rack toms, and 14" and 16" floor toms. The birch/bubinga shell construction provides the focused attack of birch for high-tempo metalcore and thrash drumming combined with the warmth and body of bubinga — suited to both Shadows Fall's NWOAHM arrangements and Overkill's thrash material. Full profile: [Jason Bittner at MetalForge](/drummer/jason-bittner).

**What cymbals does Jason Bittner play?**
Jason Bittner plays Sabian HHX and HH series cymbals. His setup includes Sabian HHX 14" hi-hats, 16" and 18" HHX crash cymbals, an HH 20" ride, and an HHX china cymbal. The HHX series emphasizes upper-frequency harmonics that project above the mid-range density of both Shadows Fall's layered NWOAHM guitar arrangements and Overkill's thrash wall. The HH ride's defined bell is particularly suited to Overkill's thrash context.

**What double bass pedal does Jason Bittner use?**
Jason Bittner uses the DW 9002 double bass pedal. The 9002's dual-chain drive system provides consistent action across both primary and slave pedal sides — critical for the sustained double-bass passages both Shadows Fall and Overkill demand at high velocity. The pedal's adjustability suits NWOAHM's syncopated kick patterns as well as thrash's sustained velocity demands. See [double-bass technique at MetalForge](/technique/double-bass/drummers).

**What bands has Jason Bittner played with?**
Jason Bittner is best known as the drummer for Shadows Fall (joined 1997) and Overkill (joined 2012). With Shadows Fall he recorded six studio albums including The Art of Balance (2002) and The War Within (2004). With Overkill he has recorded five studio albums from The Electric Age (2012) through Scorched (2023). He runs both engagements simultaneously — Overkill's primary touring and studio drummer while maintaining activity with Shadows Fall for reunion work.

**Source:** https://metalforge.io/articles/jason-bittner-drum-setup

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