# Nightmare Drum Setup — Mike Portnoy's Tribute Performance for Avenged Sevenfold (2010)

> Complete breakdown of Mike Portnoy's drum gear on Avenged Sevenfold's Nightmare (2010). Tama Starclassic Maple kit, Paiste/Sabian hybrid cymbals — the story of how Dream Theater's drummer stepped in as tribute fill-in after The Rev's death.

**Type:** Album Drum Setup
**Drummer(s):** [Mike Portnoy](/llms/drummers/mike-portnoy.md) (guest/tribute fill-in)
**Band / Album:** Avenged Sevenfold — *Nightmare* (2010)
**Genre:** Heavy Metal

## Overview

Released on July 27, 2010, *Nightmare* is Avenged Sevenfold's fifth studio album and one of the most emotionally charged records in modern heavy metal history. It was recorded following the death of founding drummer Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan, who died on December 28, 2009, at age 28. The Rev had already composed drum parts for most of the album before his death. The band reached out to Mike Portnoy — then Dream Theater's drummer and a personal friend of The Rev — to record those parts in his honor.

Portnoy's role on *Nightmare* is unique: a guest fill-in who was not auditioning for the position, not joining the band, and not imposing his own creative identity on the recording. His task was to learn The Rev's compositions as faithfully as possible and deliver them with the technical authority the tribute demanded.

The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 — Avenged Sevenfold's first US chart-topper — and went Multi-Platinum in the United States. The Grammy-nominated single "So Far Away" was a tribute ballad dedicated directly to The Rev. The album reached the UK Top 3 and remains a landmark in A7X's catalog, bridging [The Rev era] → **Nightmare (Portnoy 2010)** → [Hail to the King (Ilejay 2013)](/llms/articles/hail-to-the-king-drum-setup.md).

## Gear Breakdown

- **Drums:** Tama Starclassic Maple (2010 touring configuration, transparent black / midnight blue sparkle finish)
- **Snare:** Tama Starclassic Maple 14" x 6.5"
- **Cymbals:** Paiste/Sabian hybrid — Paiste 2002 crashes and china; Sabian HHX crashes and ride
- **Hardware / Pedals:** DW 9000 Double Pedal; Vic Firth Mike Portnoy Signature sticks; DW 9000 Hi-Hat Stand; Tama Power Tower Rack; Tama 1st Chair Throne
- **Heads:** Remo Powerstroke 3 Clear kick (batter), Remo Fiberskyn (front); Remo Ambassador Coated toms/snare
- **Snare tuning:** Medium tension — balanced attack and sensitivity for wide dynamic range

### The 2010 Guest Kit: Tama Starclassic Maple

For the *Nightmare* sessions, Mike Portnoy brought a Tama Starclassic Maple kit — his 2010 touring configuration. The Starclassic Maple's warmth and sustain suited the emotional weight of A7X's arrangements, particularly the Grammy-nominated ballad "So Far Away." Where Portnoy's Starclassic Bubinga (his Dream Theater studio kit of the era) delivered sharper attack and faster decay for technical prog-metal, the maple shells' warmer fundamental tone supported the melodic, tonally rich drum compositions The Rev had written.

The configuration was Portnoy's established large-format touring setup: double 22"x18" bass drums, five rack toms (8" through 14"), and three floor toms (14", 16", 18"). The Rev used an expansive kit himself, so Portnoy's full rig covered The Rev's original drum parts without compromise.

### The 2010 Hybrid Cymbal Rig: Paiste and Sabian

Portnoy's cymbal configuration for the *Nightmare* sessions was a Paiste/Sabian hybrid drawn from his 2010 touring arsenal:

- **Paiste 2002 14" Hi-Hats** — bright, assertive character
- **Sabian HHX 16" Crash** — fast, complex for quick accent transitions
- **Paiste 2002 17" Crash** — medium crash, primary left-side position
- **Sabian HHX 18" Crash** — fuller wash for section endings
- **Paiste 2002 19" Crash** — climactic crash for the heaviest moments
- **Sabian HHX 21" Ride** — complex, dark wash for atmospheric passages
- **Paiste 2002 18" China** — explosive accents for riff punctuation
- **Sabian HHX 10" Splash** — fast fill accents

The Sabian HHX elements provided the dark complexity suited to *Nightmare*'s atmospheric material ("So Far Away," "Fiction"). The Paiste 2002's brighter, more direct character projected through the heavy guitar layers on "Nightmare," "God Hates Us," and "Natural Born Killer."

### DW 9000 Pedals

Portnoy used the DW 9000 double bass pedal — his established touring hardware since the *Systematic Chaos* (2007) era. The 9000's roller-bearing cam system and smooth spring action provided the precise velocity control required for The Rev's demanding double-kick compositions.

## Key Facts

- Mike Portnoy served as a tribute guest fill-in on Nightmare — **not an official Avenged Sevenfold member**
- The Rev (Jimmy Sullivan) composed the drum parts before his death on December 28, 2009
- "Fiction" features The Rev on piano and vocals, recorded from a demo he left before his death
- Nightmare debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 — A7X's first US chart-topper
- "So Far Away" received a Grammy nomination
- Multi-Platinum US certification; UK Top 3 chart position
- Tama Starclassic Maple touring kit — warmer, more resonant than Portnoy's DT Bubinga setup
- DW 9000 double pedal — same hardware used on Systematic Chaos (2007) and Black Clouds (2009)
- Portnoy left Dream Theater in September 2010; Nightmare preceded his DT departure
- Estimated kit value: $5,000–8,000 (2010 touring configuration)

## Related

- **Full Mike Portnoy profile**: [Mike Portnoy at MetalForge](/drummer/mike-portnoy)
- **Mike Portnoy kit guide**: [What's in Mike Portnoy's Kit](/articles/whats-in-mike-portnoys-kit)
- **A7X successor album**: [Hail to the King drum setup (Arin Ilejay, 2013)](/articles/hail-to-the-king-drum-setup)
- **Arin Ilejay drum setup**: [Arin Ilejay at MetalForge](/articles/arin-ilejay-drum-setup)
- **Dream Theater arc**: [Systematic Chaos drum setup (Mike Portnoy, 2007)](/articles/systematic-chaos-drum-setup)

## FAQ

**Q: Who played drums on Avenged Sevenfold's Nightmare?**
Mike Portnoy — then the drummer of Dream Theater — played drums on Avenged Sevenfold's Nightmare (2010). He served as a tribute fill-in following the death of founding A7X drummer Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan on December 28, 2009. Portnoy was a personal friend of The Rev and accepted the role to help the band complete the album as a tribute. He did not join Avenged Sevenfold as a permanent member.

**Q: Did Mike Portnoy officially join Avenged Sevenfold?**
No. Mike Portnoy served as a tribute fill-in for the Nightmare (2010) recording and did not officially join Avenged Sevenfold. His role was explicitly temporary — a tribute to his friend The Rev. Arin Ilejay was subsequently chosen as the permanent replacement, recording Hail to the King (2013) before being replaced by Brooks Wackerman, who has been A7X's drummer since 2015.

**Q: What was The Rev's last recorded album?**
Nightmare (2010) is the last Avenged Sevenfold album associated with The Rev (Jimmy Sullivan). He composed the drum parts before his death on December 28, 2009. The track "Fiction" features The Rev on piano and vocals from a demo he recorded before he died. Mike Portnoy performed The Rev's drum compositions throughout the album as a tribute.

**Q: What drums did Mike Portnoy use on Nightmare?**
Mike Portnoy used a Tama Starclassic Maple kit for the Nightmare sessions, with double 22"x18" bass drums, five rack toms (8"–14"), and three floor toms (14"–18"). His cymbal rig was a Paiste/Sabian hybrid. Hardware included DW 9000 double bass pedals and Vic Firth Mike Portnoy Signature sticks.

**Q: Was Nightmare Grammy-nominated?**
Yes. "So Far Away" — the tribute ballad dedicated to The Rev — received a Grammy nomination. The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200, went Multi-Platinum in the United States, and reached the UK Top 3.

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

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*Last updated: 2026-06-27 · Source: [MetalForge.io](https://metalforge.io)*