# Pale Communion Drum Setup: Martin Axenrot's 70s Prog Peak

> Discover the drum kit, cymbals, and gear Martin Axenrot used on Opeth's Pale Communion (2014). Complete breakdown of Axenrot's Pearl Reference Series setup, the extended drum breakdown on 'Eternal Rains Will Come', and how Opeth's 70s prog peak became Axenrot's most refined progressive performance.

**Type:** Album Drum Setup
**Drummer(s):** [Martin Axenrot](/llms/drummers/martin-axenrot.md)
**Band / Album:** Opeth — *Pale Communion* (2014)
**Genre:** Progressive Rock / Art Rock
**Label:** Roadrunner Records
**Peak Chart:** #1 Sweden, #3 Norway, #14 UK

## Overview

Released on August 26, 2014 through Roadrunner Records, *Pale Communion* is widely regarded as the artistic peak of Opeth's prog-rock era — the album where *Heritage*'s ambitious genre shift was fully realized and refined. Where *Heritage* had been a bold statement of intent, *Pale Communion* was the confident execution: a six-track, 56-minute record that demonstrated Opeth had genuinely mastered the 1970s progressive rock aesthetic. For Martin Axenrot, *Pale Communion* represents his most disciplined and compositionally sophisticated studio performance.

"Eternal Rains Will Come" — the album's opening track — features an extended drum breakdown that showcases the full Pearl Reference vocabulary: melodic tom phrasing, ride cymbal lead voice, and dynamic storytelling that demonstrates the distance Axenrot had traveled from his Bloodbath and Witchery roots. It is the signature drum moment of Opeth's prog era.

Produced by Mikael Åkerfeldt at Fascination Street Studios, with mixing by Steven Wilson — returning the Wilson-Opeth connection that had defined *Blackwater Park* through *Ghost Reveries* — *Pale Communion* peaked at #1 in Sweden and #3 in Norway, with Grammy consideration submitted in 2015.

## Gear Breakdown

- **Drums:** Pearl Reference Series (maple/mahogany hybrid shells, Natural / Custom Lacquer)
- **Snare:** Pearl Reference Maple Snare, 14" x 5.5"
- **Cymbals:** Meinl Byzance Traditional + Dark series
- **Hardware / Pedals:** Pearl Demon Drive direct-drive twin pedals; Pearl H-2050 Eliminator hi-hat stand; Roc-N-Soc Nitro throne; Vic Firth American Classic 5A
- **Heads:** Remo Ambassador Coated (batter snare), Remo Ambassador Snare Side (resonant), Remo Powerstroke 3 Clear (kicks)
- **Snare tuning:** Medium tension for warm body and ghost-note sensitivity across the album's wide dynamic range

### Pearl Reference Series: The Prog-Era Kit Refined

For *Pale Communion*, Axenrot continued with the Pearl Reference Series setup he had established for [Heritage](/articles/heritage-drum-setup). Three years of touring the *Heritage* material had given him complete fluency with the Pearl Reference's response characteristics, and *Pale Communion* benefits from that accumulated knowledge.

The twin 22" bass drums remained, deployed with sophisticated restraint on most tracks but with more sustained double-bass work on heavier passages like "Cusp of Eternity." The four-tom layout (10", 12" rack, 14", 16" floor) is used with more melodic ambition than on *Heritage* — the "Eternal Rains Will Come" breakdown makes the most extended use of all four toms in the prog era, with Axenrot's melodic phrasing demonstrating the compositional thought that Lopez had pioneered in the *Blackwater Park* era.

### Meinl Byzance: The Ride as Lead Voice

*Pale Communion* leans even more heavily on the 22" Traditional Medium Ride as the primary lead voice. Steven Wilson's mix brings the ride's complex sustain forward in the stereo image, letting its hand-hammered overtones breathe across the arrangements. "Eternal Rains Will Come" opens with the Byzance ride as its primary cymbal voice — a statement of intent that defines the album's approach.

Cymbal setup: 14" Traditional Medium Hi-Hats, 16" Traditional Thin Crash, 18" Traditional Medium Thin Crash, 22" Traditional Medium Ride.

### Recording: Fascination Street + Steven Wilson's Mix

*Pale Communion* was produced by Mikael Åkerfeldt at Fascination Street Studios — the same environment as *Heritage* — with a critical addition: Steven Wilson returned to mix the album. Wilson's renowned clarity and separation gave each element of the drum kit more definition than Åkerfeldt's *Heritage* production had delivered. The snare's ghost notes are more clearly audible. The ride cymbal's overtones are more precisely placed in the stereo image. The kick drums sit with more authority. The result is a drum sound that is warmer than a metal record but more clearly defined than a typical 70s prog reissue.

## The Eternal Rains Will Come Breakdown

The extended drum breakdown in "Eternal Rains Will Come" is the defining drum moment of Opeth's prog era — a passage of sustained melodic tom phrasing across the Pearl Reference Series four-tom layout. The phrase shapes sustain into each other as each stroke rings naturally, building melodic statements rather than isolated attacks. Steven Wilson's mix gives each tom its own defined voice in the stereo image.

This is jazz-influenced progressive drumming in the tradition of Carl Palmer and Bill Bruford, applied to an Opeth arrangement. The section demonstrates the distance Axenrot had traveled from the extreme metal vocabulary of *Watershed*: this is not a metal fill. It is compositional phrasing using percussion as a melodic voice.

## Key Track Analysis

- **Eternal Rains Will Come** — The album's defining drum track. Extended melodic tom breakdown across all four Pearl Reference toms. Byzance ride carries the opening groove. Steven Wilson's mix gives the breakdown section sharp clarity. The most technically demanding drum moment of the Heritage / Pale Communion / Sorceress trilogy.
- **Cusp of Eternity** — *Pale Communion*'s heaviest track. Twin-kick double bass makes a more prominent appearance than anywhere on *Heritage*. The Pearl Demon Drive delivers fast, precise response for the sustained kick patterns.
- **River** — Album centerpiece spanning 10+ minutes. Ride cymbal as primary voice throughout. Ghost note patterns under acoustic passages demonstrate the Lopez vocabulary preserved. The Byzance ride carries the atmospheric content across long sections.
- **Voice of Treason** — More aggressive passages closer to the *Watershed* vocabulary. Demonstrates the dynamic range *Pale Communion* commands at its peaks.

## Pale Communion in Context: Heritage Refined

| Element | Heritage (2011) | Pale Communion (2014) |
|---------|-----------------|----------------------|
| Kit | Pearl Reference Series | Pearl Reference Series (same) |
| Compositional ambition | Jazz-restrained throughout | Eternal Rains breakdown extends the vocabulary |
| Production | Åkerfeldt solo (warm/ambient) | Åkerfeldt + Steven Wilson mix (clearer, more defined) |
| Dynamic range | Restrained end of spectrum | Wider — soft passages + heavier peaks |
| Grammy consideration | None | Submitted in 2015 |

For the full arc: [Watershed drum setup](/articles/watershed-drum-setup), [Heritage drum setup](/articles/heritage-drum-setup), [Sorceress drum setup](/articles/sorceress-drum-setup).

## FAQ

**Q: What drum kit did Martin Axenrot use on Opeth's Pale Communion?**
Martin Axenrot recorded *Pale Communion* (2014) using the Pearl Reference Series — twin 22"x18" bass drums, 10" and 12" rack toms, 14" and 16" floor toms. He paired the Pearl kit with Meinl Byzance cymbals (14" Traditional Medium Hi-Hats, 16" Thin Crash, 18" Medium Thin Crash, 22" Traditional Medium Ride) and Pearl Demon Drive direct-drive twin pedals. Tracked at Fascination Street Studios in Örebro, produced by Mikael Åkerfeldt and mixed by Steven Wilson.

**Q: What happens on the drum breakdown in 'Eternal Rains Will Come'?**
The extended drum breakdown in "Eternal Rains Will Come" is the defining drum moment of Opeth's prog era. The passage features sustained melodic tom phrasing across the Pearl Reference Series four-tom layout — a flowing series of fills that function as a melodic statement rather than rhythmic transition. Steven Wilson's mix gives each tom its own voice, and the Pearl Reference's natural resonance lets each stroke sustain into the next. It is jazz-influenced progressive drumming in the tradition of Carl Palmer and Bill Bruford, applied to an Opeth arrangement.

**Q: How does Pale Communion compare to Heritage in terms of drumming?**
*Pale Communion* is a refinement of *Heritage*'s approach — same Pearl Reference Series kit, same Meinl Byzance cymbals, same 70s prog-rock context. The differences are in execution and production: *Pale Communion* is more compositionally ambitious — the "Eternal Rains Will Come" breakdown has no equivalent on *Heritage* — and Steven Wilson's mix brings more clarity and separation to the drum kit than Åkerfeldt's *Heritage* production delivered. *Pale Communion* is also slightly heavier at its peaks, demonstrating greater dynamic range.

**Q: How does Axenrot's drumming change across Opeth's prog era?**
Across *Heritage*, *Pale Communion*, and *Sorceress*, Axenrot's drumming evolves from extreme metal technician to complete progressive drummer. *Heritage* established restrained prog vocabulary. *Pale Communion* added compositional ambition — the "Eternal Rains Will Come" breakdown is technically demanding. *Sorceress* expanded both ends of the range, with soft passages as restrained as *Heritage* and heavy passages bringing back assertive kick work. By *Sorceress*, Axenrot covered the full progressive drummer's vocabulary.

**Q: How does Pale Communion connect to Heritage and Sorceress?**
*Pale Communion* (2014) sits at the center of Opeth's prog trilogy: following [Heritage](/articles/heritage-drum-setup) (2011) and preceding [Sorceress](/articles/sorceress-drum-setup) (2016). *Heritage* was the genre pivot. *Pale Communion* was the artistic peak — *Heritage*'s direction fully realized. *Sorceress* was the consolidation — the prog identity settled as Opeth's default mode, with heavier passages reintroduced. See the [Martin Axenrot drummer profile](/drummer/martin-axenrot) for the complete career arc.

## Related Articles

- [Heritage drum setup](/articles/heritage-drum-setup) — The prog pivot (2011)
- [Sorceress drum setup](/articles/sorceress-drum-setup) — The Nuclear Blast era (2016)
- [Watershed drum setup](/articles/watershed-drum-setup) — Axenrot's Opeth debut (2008)
- [Martin Axenrot drummer profile](/drummer/martin-axenrot) — Complete career overview

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

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