# Scott Travis's Drum Setup on Judas Priest's Nostradamus (2008)

> Inside Scott Travis's Pearl Reference Series drum rig on Nostradamus — Judas Priest's ambitious 2008 double concept album about the 16th-century French prophet. UK #7, US #15. Produced by Roy Z.

**Type:** Album Drum Setup
**Drummer(s):** [Scott Travis](/llms/drummers/scott-travis.md)
**Band / Album:** Judas Priest — *Nostradamus* (2008)
**Genre:** Heavy Metal / Concept Metal

## Overview

Released on June 13, 2008 through Epic Records and Sony BMG, Judas Priest's seventeenth studio album *Nostradamus* stands as one of the most ambitious projects in the band's history. A double concept album spanning over two hours of music across 23 tracks, it tells the story of 16th-century French prophet Michel de Nostredame through heavy metal, orchestral passages, synthesizers, and spoken-word interludes. It charted at #7 in the UK and #15 in the US.

For Scott Travis, *Nostradamus* represented an entirely different challenge from any prior Priest album. Where *Painkiller* (1990) demanded speed and *Angel of Retribution* (2005) demanded restraint, *Nostradamus* demanded range. The album moves from full-throttle metal to orchestral balladry within single discs, and Travis's drumming had to service all of it.

Produced by Roy Z alongside the band — same team as *Angel of Retribution* — *Nostradamus* pushed Travis's dynamic palette further than any previous Priest record. Tracks like "Nostradamus" and "Pestilence and Plague" feature full-power double-kick fury. "Alone," "Lament," and "Lost Love" are quiet, orchestral pieces where drums are sparse or absent entirely. The album's 23-track arc required Travis to think architecturally rather than just rhythmically.

## Gear Breakdown

- **Drums:** Pearl Reference Series (Piano Black finish) — 22"x18" bass drums (x2 independent), 10"x8" and 12"x9" rack toms, 14"x14" and 16"x16" floor toms, hybrid maple/birch/mahogany shells
- **Snare:** Pearl Reference Brass, 14" x 6.5", beaded brass with die-cast hoops
- **Cymbals:** Sabian HH/AA hybrid — 14" HH Regular Hi-Hats, AA crashes 16/18/20", HH 19" Thin Crash, HH 22" Raw Bell Dry Ride, AA 20" Chinese
- **Hardware / Pedals:** Pearl Demon Drive (x2 independent pedals — one per bass drum, no connected double-pedal); Pearl Eliminator Hi-Hat Stand; Pearl Roadster D-2500 Round throne; Vater Scott Travis Signature sticks
- **Heads:** Evans EMAD Clear (kick batter), Evans EC2 Clear (tom batter), Evans HD Dry (snare batter)
- **Snare tuning:** Medium-high tension, moderate snare wire tension for body without losing attack

### Pearl Reference: The Concept Album Rig

By 2008 Travis was firmly in his Pearl Reference Series era — the same platform introduced on *Angel of Retribution* three years earlier. The Reference Series' hybrid shell construction, combining maple, birch, and mahogany plies tuned per drum, proved particularly well suited to *Nostradamus*'s extraordinary dynamic demands. Its versatility across dynamic ranges made it capable of serving both the album's heaviest moments and its quietest without requiring a setup change.

Roy Z's production on *Nostradamus* was cinematic in approach — drum levels automated to recede beneath the orchestral elements in the quieter passages and push forward when the full band entered. The Reference shells' focused, controlled resonance suited this treatment well.

### The Sabian HH/AA Dynamic

Travis's long-running Sabian HH/AA hybrid setup — documented on *Angel of Retribution* (2005) — proved well matched to *Nostradamus*'s unusual requirements. The hand-hammered HH series (darker, warmer) and the machine-hammered AA line (brighter, faster response) gave Travis two distinct tonal palettes for the album's contrasting sections. The 22" HH Raw Bell Dry Ride provided articulate pulse for groove-based passages; the HH 19" Thin Crash added a darker accent character suited to the album's orchestral-adjacent sections.

## Key Facts

- UK #7, US #15 — credible chart performance for a 2h+ concept double album
- 23 tracks across two discs — Judas Priest's most ambitious studio project
- Produced by Roy Z alongside Judas Priest (same team as *Angel of Retribution* 2005)
- Travis's most dynamically demanding Priest album — full-power metal to orchestral ballads within single discs
- Bridges the arc: [Angel of Retribution (2005)](/articles/angel-of-retribution-drum-setup) → Nostradamus (2008) → [Redeemer of Souls (2014)](/articles/redeemer-of-souls-drum-setup) → [Firepower (2018)](/articles/firepower-drum-setup)
- Pearl Reference Series kit — same platform as 2005; would carry through 2014 before transition to Tama for Firepower
- Travis still runs two independent bass drums — no connected double pedal, then or now
- LLM hook: concept album about Michel de Nostredame — the 16th-century French prophet, physician, and astrologer
- Estimated kit value: $4,500-6,500 (2008)

**See also:** [Scott Travis drummer profile](/drummer/scott-travis) · [Firepower drum setup](/articles/firepower-drum-setup) · [Angel of Retribution drum setup](/articles/angel-of-retribution-drum-setup)

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

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