# Brann Dailor's Drum Setup on Mastodon's Remission (2002)

> Mastodon's debut full-length on Relapse Records. Brann Dailor's first full LP recording — DW Collector's Series kit before the Tama endorsement era, Zildjian A cymbals, raw Southern sludge metal production by Fredrik Nordström at Studio Fredman, Gothenburg.

**Type:** Album Drum Setup
**Drummer(s):** [Brann Dailor](/llms/drummers/brann-dailor.md)
**Band / Album:** Mastodon — *Remission* (2002)
**Genre:** Sludge Metal

## Overview

Released on June 11, 2002, Mastodon's *Remission* is the debut full-length that opened the entire Mastodon discography arc. [Brann Dailor](/drummer/brann-dailor)'s first full LP recording captures his jazz-influenced drumming in a raw Relapse Records sludge metal context — before the progressive polyrhythm complexity of [Crack the Skye](/articles/crack-the-skye-drum-setup) or the fills-as-lead-instrument approach of [Blood Mountain](/articles/blood-mountain-drum-setup). Produced by Fredrik Nordström at Studio Fredman in Gothenburg, Sweden. A historically significant debut that established the entire Mastodon arc.

## Gear Breakdown

- **Drums:** DW Collector's Series (pre-Tama endorsement), 22"/10"/12"/14"/16"
- **Snare:** DW 14x6.5 Black Nickel over Steel
- **Cymbals:** Zildjian A Series (early career) — 14" hi-hats, 16" and 18" crashes, 20" ride, 18" China
- **Hardware / Pedals:** Pearl Eliminator Double Pedal; Vic Firth 5A American Classic
- **Heads:** Remo Ambassador Coated (batter), Remo Ambassador Snare Side (resonant)
- **Snare tuning:** High tension — direct attack for sludge metal riffing

### The DW Collector's Series: Before the Tama Era

For the *Remission* sessions, Brann Dailor used a DW Collector's Series kit — his setup before Mastodon established the Tama endorsement relationship that would define the band's gear through the Leviathan and Blood Mountain years. The DW Collector's Series, built at DW's California workshop from premium maple shells, gave Dailor a warm, resonant instrument capable of producing musical tom pitches even in the densest sludge metal context.

The maple shell construction is significant for understanding *Remission*'s drum sound. Even in 2002, before Dailor's melodic tom philosophy became the defining characteristic of Mastodon's progressive sound, the DW maple shells provided the tonal quality that made his fills sound musical rather than merely percussive. The overtone development of maple shells is audible throughout *Remission*'s more complex drum passages, pointing toward the fuller expression of that approach on [Blood Mountain](/articles/blood-mountain-drum-setup) four years later.

What makes the DW Collector's Series kit historically interesting is its position in Dailor's gear timeline. This is the instrument that appears on the record that introduced Mastodon to the world. Every subsequent gear choice — the Tama endorsement, the specific DW configurations on [Crack the Skye](/articles/crack-the-skye-drum-setup), the current Tama Starclassic setup — follows from this starting point. Studying the *Remission* gear is studying where [Brann Dailor](/drummer/brann-dailor)'s career as a recording artist begins.

### The Snare: Raw Attack in a Sludge Metal Context

The snare drum on *Remission* is one of the album's most immediately recognizable sonic signatures. The DW 14x6.5 Black Nickel over Steel snare is tuned for maximum impact — a direct, cutting attack that drives the sludge metal grooves without ambiguity. Steel shells respond quickly and with brightness, a different character from the warmer snare tones of later DW or Tama instruments in Dailor's career. On *Remission*, that brightness and attack is exactly right.

Fredrik Nordström's production at Studio Fredman captured the snare with the directness that characterises Gothenburg's metal recording approach. The result is a snare sound that feels physically present — more raw and less processed than the drum sounds on Mastodon's major-label albums — and that suits the Relapse Records aesthetic of the early 2000s underground metal world.

### Zildjian A Series: Early Career Clarity

Brann Dailor's Zildjian A Series setup on *Remission* reflects his early career cymbal approach — before the Meinl endorsement that would characterise later Mastodon records. The A Series brings brightness, attack, and cutting power that serves *Remission*'s raw sludge metal character precisely.

The hi-hat work demonstrates Dailor's jazz background: open-and-close variations, partial lifts, syncopated accents against the groove rooted in jazz drumming technique applied to sludge metal timekeeping. The China cymbal is used throughout with characteristic aggression — assault rather than atmosphere, reflecting the album's character.

## Key Facts

- Mastodon's debut full-length on Relapse Records — released June 11, 2002
- Brann Dailor's first full LP recording — jazz-influenced approach in raw sludge metal context
- DW Collector's Series kit — pre-Tama endorsement era, maple shells
- Produced by Fredrik Nordström at Studio Fredman, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Rawer, more direct sound than progressive complexity of later Mastodon albums
- Pearl Eliminator double pedal — early career choice before DW 9000 hardware era
- Zildjian A Series cymbals — before the Meinl Byzance endorsement of later records
- Origin point of the full Mastodon discography arc through [Crack the Skye](/articles/crack-the-skye-drum-setup)
- Estimated kit value: $3,000–6,000 (DW Collector's Series shell pack, early 2000s)
- Estimated snare value: $400–700 (DW 14x6.5 Black Nickel over Steel)

## FAQ

**What kit did Brann Dailor use on Remission?**
Brann Dailor recorded Mastodon's Remission (2002) using a DW Collector's Series drum kit — before Mastodon's later Tama endorsement era. The DW Collector's Series maple shells provided warm, resonant tone well suited to Dailor's jazz-influenced playing approach, even in the raw sludge metal context of the debut album. The configuration featured a single 22-inch bass drum and four toms (10, 12, 14, and 16 inch).

**Is Remission Mastodon's first album?**
Yes — Remission (2002) is Mastodon's debut full-length album, released on Relapse Records on June 11, 2002. It followed the band's Lifesblood EP (2001) and established the sludge metal foundation from which Mastodon's later progressive sound would develop. Remission is the origin point of the entire Mastodon discography, making it the essential starting point for understanding the band's musical development through Leviathan (2004), Blood Mountain (2006), and Crack the Skye (2009).

**How does Brann Dailor's drumming on Remission differ from later albums?**
Remission has a rawer, less polished production with more direct sludge metal patterns compared to the complex melodic polyrhythms of Crack the Skye (2009) or the fills-as-lead-instrument approach of Blood Mountain (2006). Dailor's jazz background is audible in the hi-hat work and fill complexity even on Remission, but the overall approach is more physically assertive and less atmospherically sophisticated than his later work. The album reflects an early-career Dailor filtering his musical training through Relapse Records-era underground metal aggression.

**Who produced Mastodon's Remission?**
Remission was produced by Fredrik Nordström at Studio Fredman in Gothenburg, Sweden. Nordström was known for his work with Scandinavian extreme metal bands including At the Gates, In Flames, Dark Tranquillity, and Dimmu Borgir. His production approach gave Remission a clarity within its density that distinguished it from the muddier underground sludge recordings of the era.

**What cymbals did Brann Dailor use on Remission?**
On Remission (2002), Brann Dailor used Zildjian A Series cymbals — his early-career choice before developing the Meinl endorsement relationship that defined later Mastodon records. His setup included 14-inch hi-hats, 16 and 18-inch crash cymbals, a 20-inch ride, and an 18-inch China. This Zildjian setup contrasts notably with the darker, more atmospheric Meinl Byzance cymbals Dailor would use on Crack the Skye (2009).

## Related Content

- [Brann Dailor drummer profile](/drummer/brann-dailor)
- [Blood Mountain drum setup](/articles/blood-mountain-drum-setup) — Mastodon's 2006 Atlantic debut
- [Crack the Skye drum setup](/articles/crack-the-skye-drum-setup) — Mastodon's 2009 masterpiece
- [Brann Dailor vs Mario Duplantier: Progressive Drumming Compared](/llms/vs/brann-dailor-vs-mario-duplantier.md)

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

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