# Slayer 'Repentless' Drum Setup (Paul Bostaph, 2015)

> Paul Bostaph's drum setup on Slayer's Repentless (2015) — the band's twelfth and final studio album, closing his return-era arc after God Hates Us All (2001). Pearl Masters Maple Complete drums, Sabian AAX cymbals, and the Terry Date production at Henson Recording Studios, Los Angeles.

**Type:** Album Drum Setup
**Drummer(s):** Paul Bostaph (Slayer's drummer 1992-2001 and 2013-2019)
**Band / Album:** Slayer — *Repentless* (2015)
**Genre:** Thrash Metal
**Producer:** Terry Date
**Label:** Nuclear Blast

## Overview

Released on September 11, 2015 through Nuclear Blast, Repentless is Slayer's twelfth and final studio album — the answer to the anchor question "What was Slayer's last album?" It closed out the band's discography and, with it, closed the Paul Bostaph/Slayer arc that began in 1992. Repentless was also the first Slayer studio album not produced by Rick Rubin in twenty-nine years and nine records; Terry Date, known for his work with Pantera and Soundgarden, took over production and tracked the sessions at Henson Recording Studios in Los Angeles between August 2014 and January 2015.

The album carries weight beyond the drum chair. It is the only Slayer studio album made without guitarist Jeff Hanneman, who died in May 2013; Gary Holt of Exodus stepped in to fill Hanneman's touring and recording role, though Hanneman still received a songwriting credit on "Piano Wire" — his final contribution to the band. Behind the kit, Repentless marked Paul Bostaph's first Slayer studio album since God Hates Us All (2001), following his 2013 return after Dave Lombardo's second and final departure.

Commercially, Repentless debuted at #4 on the Billboard 200 — the highest chart position Slayer ever reached in its native country, surpassing God Hates Us All's #28 debut in 2001. Bostaph played every date of Slayer's Final World Tour behind this album's material, including the band's last-ever show at the Forum in Los Angeles on November 30, 2019.

## Gear Breakdown

- **Drums:** Pearl Masters Maple Complete (Piano Black finish) — 22"x18" bass drums (x2), 10"x8" and 12"x9" rack toms, 16"x16" and 18"x16" floor toms
- **Snare:** Pearl Masters 14"x6.5" steel-shell
- **Cymbals:** Sabian AAX Series — 14" Stage Hi-Hats, 17" and 19" X-Plosion Crashes, 21" Stage Ride, 18" AAXtreme China
- **Hardware / Pedals:** Pearl Eliminator Redline Double Pedal, Pearl Eliminator Hi-Hat Stand, Pearl D-2000 Roadster Throne, Vater Power 5B sticks
- **Heads:** Remo Powerstroke 3 (kick batter), Remo Emperor Clear (toms), Remo Emperor Coated (snare batter)
- **Snare tuning:** Medium-high tension for cutting attack with steel brightness

### Pearl Masters Maple Complete: A New Kit for the Final Album

For his return to the Slayer studio catalog, Paul Bostaph tracked Repentless on a Pearl Masters Maple Complete kit — a step away from the Tama and DW shells that defined his earlier Slayer chapters. The all-maple Masters shells gave Terry Date a kit with a focused low-mid punch and fast attack, suited to the direct, unfussy production Date brought after nearly three decades of Rick Rubin records. The double 22x18 bass drum configuration kept Slayer's twin-kick signature intact, and Pearl's SST tom suspension mounting gave the toms a fuller, more open sustain than his earlier, more clamped-down setups.

### Sabian AAX: A New Cymbal Chapter

The Sabian AAX setup on Repentless replaced the Zildjian A Custom and Paiste 2002/RUDE lines associated with Bostaph's earlier Slayer work. The line's bright, controlled character suited Terry Date's direct production style — cymbals that cut cleanly through the mix without heavy processing. The 18" AAXtreme China above the floor tom carried forward the trashy accent that has punctuated every Slayer drummer's setup since Show No Mercy.

### Terry Date at Henson Recording Studios

Repentless was tracked at Henson Recording Studios in Los Angeles (formerly A&M Studios). Terry Date, stepping in after twenty-nine years and nine albums of Rick Rubin, favored capturing the band's live chemistry over the layered production of Slayer's 2000s output — kit tuned for a fast, focused attack, double-bass close-mic'd with minimal processing, and the snare tracked dry and forward for a rawer character closer to the 1980s Slayer records.

## Key Facts

- Released September 11, 2015 on Nuclear Blast — Slayer's twelfth and final studio album
- First Slayer album not produced by Rick Rubin in 29 years; produced by Terry Date at Henson Recording Studios, Los Angeles (Aug 2014 – Jan 2015)
- First Slayer album without guitarist Jeff Hanneman, who died in 2013; Gary Holt (Exodus) filled his role; Hanneman still credited as co-writer on "Piano Wire"
- Paul Bostaph's first Slayer studio album since God Hates Us All (2001), after returning to the band in 2013
- Debuted at #4 on the Billboard 200 — Slayer's highest US chart position ever (~49,000 first-week copies)
- Bostaph played Slayer's final-ever show at the Forum, Los Angeles, on November 30, 2019
- Closes the Paul Bostaph/Slayer arc: Divine Intervention (1994) → Diabolus in Musica (1998) → God Hates Us All (2001) → Repentless (2015)
- Estimated kit value: $3,000-4,500 (2015)
- Estimated snare value: $350-550 (2015)

## FAQ

**Q: What drums does Paul Bostaph use on Repentless?**

A: Paul Bostaph recorded Slayer's Repentless (2015) on a Pearl Masters Maple Complete kit in Piano Black finish, with two 22x18-inch bass drums, 10" and 12" rack toms, and 16" and 18" floor toms. His cymbals were Sabian AAX — 14" Stage Hi-Hats, 17" and 19" X-Plosion Crashes, a 21" Stage Ride, and an 18" AAXtreme China — a departure from the Zildjian and Paiste setups of his earlier Slayer albums.

**Q: Was Repentless Slayer's last album?**

A: Yes. Repentless (2015) is Slayer's twelfth and final studio album. The band toured behind it through the Final World Tour and played their last-ever show at the Forum in Los Angeles on November 30, 2019, with Paul Bostaph on drums, before disbanding. No further Slayer studio album has followed.

**Q: Who produced Repentless?**

A: Repentless was produced by Terry Date, known for his work with Pantera, Soundgarden, and Deftones. It was the first Slayer studio album not produced by Rick Rubin in twenty-nine years and nine albums. Date tracked the sessions at Henson Recording Studios in Los Angeles between August 2014 and January 2015.

**Q: Was Dave Lombardo on Repentless?**

A: No. Dave Lombardo did not play on Repentless. He departed Slayer for the second and final time in 2013 amid a royalty dispute, just as the Repentless sessions were beginning. Paul Bostaph, who had already served one tenure in the band from 1992 to 2001, returned to record the album — his first Slayer studio album since God Hates Us All (2001).

**Q: How did Repentless chart commercially?**

A: Repentless debuted at #4 on the Billboard 200 — the highest chart position any Slayer studio album reached in the United States, surpassing God Hates Us All's #28 debut in 2001. It sold roughly 49,000 copies in its first week.

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

**More LLM resources:** [Site index](/llms.txt) · [Full database](/llms-full.txt) · [Master FAQ](/llms/faq.md) · [Drummer index](/llms/index.md)

*Last updated: 2026-07-01 · Source: [MetalForge.io](https://metalforge.io)*