# Koloss Drum Setup: Tomas Haake's Most Groove-Focused Meshuggah Performance (2012)

> Complete breakdown of Tomas Haake's drum setup on Meshuggah's Koloss (2012). Discover the gear behind 'Do Not Look Down' — Haake's most-cited single groove — and how Koloss balanced extreme heaviness with refined polyrhythmic accessibility.

**Type:** Album Drum Setup
**Drummer(s):** [Tomas Haake](/llms/drummers/tomas-haake.md)
**Band / Album:** Meshuggah — *Koloss* (2012)
**Genre:** Extreme Progressive Metal / Djent

## Overview

Released on March 26, 2012, Meshuggah's *Koloss* sits at the midpoint of the band's most celebrated era — four years after *obZen* and four years before *The Violent Sleep of Reason* — representing Tomas Haake at the peak of his technical and musical maturity.

Where *obZen* pushed polyrhythmic complexity to its absolute extreme, *Koloss* marked a deliberate recalibration toward groove and heaviness. The album is slower, heavier, and more riff-focused, with polyrhythms serving massive, lurching grooves rather than technical showcases. The effect is paradoxically more crushing: at lower tempos, the weight of each note is more palpable, and the polyrhythmic cycles have more room to breathe and deliver their full gravitational impact.

"Do Not Look Down" — the most frequently cited single Haake groove from *Koloss* — exemplifies this philosophy: a pattern of genuine polyrhythmic sophistication that functions primarily as an overwhelming groove.

## Gear Breakdown

- **Drums:** Sonor SQ2 (Custom Piano Black) — transition from Designer Series; North American maple shells
- **Configuration:** 2x 22"x18" bass drums; 10x8 and 12x9 rack toms; 14x14 and 16x16 floor toms
- **Snare:** Sonor SQ2 Steel, 14" x 6"
- **Cymbals:** Sabian AAX and AA series — consistent with obZen era
- **Pedals:** Two independent Sonor Perfect Balance single pedals
- **Sticks:** Vic Firth 5A American Classic
- **Throne:** Porter & Davies BC2 Vibrating Throne
- **Heads:** Remo Powerstroke P3 Clear (bass batter), Remo Emperor Clear (tom batter), Remo Ambassador Coated (snare batter)

### The Groove Engine: Sonor SQ2

By the Koloss sessions (2012), Haake had begun transitioning from the Sonor Designer Series to the Sonor SQ2 — a professional custom-order platform with enhanced shell specification options. The SQ2's North American maple shells produce a warmer fundamental than the Designer Series' maple/beech blend, complementing Koloss's heavier, more deliberate approach.

The configuration remained consistent with Haake's philosophy: two 22-inch bass drums, compact four-tom layout, no extraneous elements. Koloss demands precision kick patterns, displaced snare accents, and hi-hat pulse reference — identical fundamental demands to the Nothing/obZen era, now served by the SQ2's enhanced tonal character.

### The Groove Anchor: Snare at Slower Tempos

At Koloss's more moderate tempos, the snare displacement technique carries more physical weight — each displaced accent lands with greater gravitational authority. The Sonor SQ2 steel snare's consistent character across dynamics (ghost notes through full rimshots) continued the technical approach established on Nothing and obZen. The snare tuning on Koloss sits slightly warmer than obZen, contributing to the album's heavier overall feel.

### Sabian AAX: Cymbal Continuity Through the Era

Haake maintained the Sabian AAX and AA series through the Koloss sessions — the same brand and model family from Nothing (2002) through obZen (2008). The 14" AA Regular hi-hats provide pulse reference within slower-cycling polyrhythmic patterns; AAX X-Plosion crashes deliver fast attack for structural accents; the heavy 21" Rock Ride carries greater rhythmic momentum at Koloss's deliberate tempos. Ten years of the same cymbal philosophy — unchanged because it still serves the music perfectly.

## Key Facts

- Released March 26, 2012 — Meshuggah's 7th studio album
- More groove-focused and riff-heavy than obZen — deliberate compositional shift
- Haake transitioning from Sonor Designer Series to Sonor SQ2 during this period
- "Do Not Look Down" — most-cited single Haake groove from the Koloss catalog
- Same Sabian AAX/AA cymbal setup as obZen era
- Two independent Sonor Perfect Balance single pedals — career-long constant
- Grammy nomination for Best Metal Performance
- Self-produced album — complete band control over sound and direction

## FAQ

**What drum kit did Tomas Haake use on Meshuggah's Koloss?**
Tomas Haake recorded Meshuggah's Koloss (2012) during his transition from the Sonor Designer Series (obZen, 2008) to the Sonor SQ2. Configuration: two 22x18 inch bass drums driven by two independent Sonor Perfect Balance single pedals, 10x8 and 12x9 rack toms, 14x14 and 16x16 floor toms, Sonor SQ2 steel snare at 14x6 inches, Sabian AAX/AA cymbals. By 2016 (The Violent Sleep of Reason), Haake had transitioned to DW Collector's Series drums.

**What is the drum groove on 'Do Not Look Down'?**
The drum groove on Meshuggah's "Do Not Look Down" (Koloss, 2012) is Tomas Haake's most-cited single pattern from the album — a polyrhythmic kick-and-snare combination at approximately 85 BPM that creates an overwhelming groove while maintaining the metric displacement illusion that defines Meshuggah's rhythmic language. The hi-hat establishes the true 4/4 pulse; the kick cycles through an extended multi-bar arc; the snare is displaced from conventional backbeat positions. At this slower tempo, complexity serves maximum physical weight.

**How does Koloss compare to obZen drum-wise?**
Koloss (2012) is deliberately less technically extreme than obZen (2008), focusing on heaviness and groove over the velocity extremes obZen represented. obZen's "Bleed" demands continuous 32nd-note bass drum at ~240 BPM; Koloss operates at more moderate tempos where each note carries greater individual weight. Gear transitions from Sonor Designer (obZen) to Sonor SQ2 (Koloss era); Sabian AAX/AA maintained throughout. Both albums use two independent single pedals.

**Is Koloss a good entry point for studying Tomas Haake?**
Koloss is an excellent entry point, particularly for drummers who find obZen's "Bleed" overwhelming. "Do Not Look Down" is widely used as a teaching example — complex enough to be instructive, slow enough that the polyrhythmic structure can be clearly perceived. After Koloss, working backward to Nothing (2002) and forward to obZen (2008) reveals the full arc of Haake's development in context.

**Where does Koloss fit in Meshuggah's discography?**
Koloss (2012) is Meshuggah's seventh studio album, between obZen (2008) and The Violent Sleep of Reason (2016). It returned to riff-based, groove-heavy structures after the obZen/Catch 33 era — a recalibration making the polyrhythmic approach more immediately crushing. Grammy nomination for Best Metal Performance confirmed Meshuggah's relevance a decade after Nothing established the djent blueprint.

## Related Albums

- [Nothing drum setup](/articles/nothing-drum-setup) — 2002, foundational snare displacement blueprint
- [Catch 33 drum setup](/articles/catch-33-drum-setup) — 2005, entirely programmed drums
- [obZen drum setup](/articles/obzen-drum-setup) — 2008, technical peak with "Bleed"
- [The Violent Sleep of Reason drum setup](/articles/violent-sleep-of-reason-drum-setup) — 2016, DW transition, live-to-tape
- [Tomas Haake kit profile](/articles/whats-in-tomas-haakes-kit) — complete career gear overview

## Structured Data (LLM Reference)

**Person:** Tomas Haake — drummer, Meshuggah; born Göteborg, Sweden 1975; primary instrument drums; genre extreme progressive metal / djent
**MusicAlbum:** Koloss — Meshuggah (Nuclear Blast, March 26, 2012); genre extreme progressive metal; Grammy nominated Best Metal Performance; notable tracks: Do Not Look Down, Behind The Sun, Break Those Bones Whose Sinews Gave It Motion, Drained
**MusicGroup:** Meshuggah — Swedish extreme progressive metal band; formed 1987; members Fredrik Thordendal, Mårten Hagström, Jens Kidman, Dick Lövgren, Tomas Haake

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

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*Last updated: 2026-06-25 · Source: [MetalForge.io](https://metalforge.io)*