# John Otto Drum Setup: Limp Bizkit's 'Still Sucks' (2021) Gear Breakdown

> Discover the drum kit, cymbals, and gear John Otto used on Limp Bizkit's surprise 2021 comeback album 'Still Sucks' — the OCDP kit and Zildjian cymbals behind a decade-in-the-making release and the band's 2020s revival.

**Type:** Album Drum Setup
**Drummer(s):** [John Otto](/llms/drummers/john-otto.md)
**Band / Album:** Limp Bizkit — *Still Sucks* (2021)
**Genre:** Nu-Metal

## Overview

Released October 31, 2021 on Suretone Records, "Still Sucks" is Limp Bizkit's sixth studio album and the band's first full-length in a decade since "Gold Cobra" (2011). Work on the record had begun as early as 2012, but the album lingered unfinished for nine years before Fred Durst and co-producer Zakk Cervini brought it to completion. Its arrival was announced only days ahead of the Halloween release, with guitarist Wes Borland confirming the news on social media — a surprise-release strategy that generated an outsized wave of attention for a band many assumed had quietly retired from recording.

The album's lead single "Dad Vibes," premiered live at Lollapalooza in August 2021 before its September release, became an unlikely viral and critical moment — Loudwire later named it the top rock song of that year. Tracks like "Out of Style," "Dirty Rotten Bizkit," "Turn It Up, Bitch," and "Goodbye" mix the aggressive, riff-driven nu-metal of the band's commercial peak with a self-aware sense of humor about their own reputation — the title itself is a wink at decades of critical dismissal.

Through the album's decade-long gestation, lineup stability, and eventual release, John Otto remained exactly what he had been since 1994: the one drummer Limp Bizkit has ever had. By 2021, his OCDP kit, Zildjian cymbals, and Gibraltar hardware were unchanged from the "Gold Cobra" era — the same groove-first, jazz-informed foundation applied to a comeback album that proved the band's audience was not only still there, but larger than expected. "Still Sucks," along with Limp Bizkit's subsequent 2024 reunion touring, confirmed a genuine 2020s revival for one of nu-metal's most unlikely commercial survivors.

This article covers Otto's mature OCDP rig, Zildjian cymbal setup, and the drumming behind Limp Bizkit's most improbable comeback record.

## Gear Breakdown

- **Drums:** Orange County Drum and Percussion OCDP Custom Kit (Custom finish, 2021 touring configuration finish)
- **Snare:** Orange County Drum and Percussion OCDP Custom Snare, 14" x 6.5"
- **Cymbals:** Zildjian — Zildjian A Series and A Custom Series
- **Hardware / Pedals:** Gibraltar Professional Series; Zildjian 5A Wood Tip
- **Heads:** Remo Coated Ambassador (batter), Remo Diplomat Snare Side (resonant)
- **Snare tuning:** Medium-high tension — consistent with Otto's setup since the Gold Cobra era

### OCDP, Unchanged: The Comeback Rig

John Otto's Orange County Drum and Percussion (OCDP) kit on "Still Sucks" is the same setup he had used since well before "Gold Cobra" (2011) — a decade of gradual sessions never required a gear change, because Otto's touring and studio rig had already reached its mature form years earlier. The maple shell construction delivers the same warm, full-bodied punch that anchored the band's 2011 reunion record, now applied to material that leans even harder into the band's aggressive, riff-forward identity.

Tracks like "Dirty Rotten Bizkit" and "Turn It Up, Bitch" demand the same chugging, groove-locked low end that "Gold Cobra"'s harder tracks required, while "Dad Vibes" and "Out of Style" give Otto room for the more syncopated, hip-hop-influenced fills that have defined his playing since "Three Dollar Bill, Y'all$" in 1997. The four-tom configuration — unchanged across 24 years of recordings — gave Otto a familiar physical setup even as the album itself spent nine years in intermittent development.

The gap between "Gold Cobra" and "Still Sucks" is the longest in Limp Bizkit's discography, yet Otto's kit configuration shows no discontinuity at all — a testament to a drummer who settled on his ideal setup long before this record's sessions even began.

### The Snare: Same Crack, New Decade

"Still Sucks" calls for the same authoritative crack John Otto's custom OCDP snare delivered on "Gold Cobra" a decade earlier. On riff-heavy tracks like "Dirty Rotten Bizkit" and "Barnacle," the snare anchors the backbeat with the same medium-high tension and cutting projection that has defined Otto's sound since the band's commercial peak.

Even on an album built partly around Fred Durst and Wes Borland leaning into self-aware, sometimes goofy nu-metal bravado, Otto's playing retains the ghost-note sensitivity that separates him from purely metal-trained drummers. "Empty Hole" and "Don't Change" give him room to bring that subtler touch back into the mix, a continuation of the dynamic range he's shown since "Significant Other."

### Zildjian: The Same Setup, 24 Years Running

John Otto's Zildjian cymbal setup on "Still Sucks" is, once again, essentially the same lineup he first recorded with in 1997 — 14" hi-hats and a crash/ride/china spread built around the A and A Custom series. Across a nine-year gestation period for the album itself, Otto's cymbal choices never needed revisiting; the setup had already been refined to serve exactly the kind of riff-driven, groove-first nu-metal "Still Sucks" delivers.

The 18" China sees heavy use on the album's hardest tracks — "Dirty Rotten Bizkit," "Turn It Up, Bitch" — underlining the trashy, aggressive accents that mark Limp Bizkit's return to its more direct, less experimental sound. The A Custom crash's faster response continues to serve the record's hookier moments, including "Dad Vibes," giving Otto's cymbal work the same dynamic range across aggression and melody that has defined his entire recorded career.

## Key Facts

- Released October 31, 2021 on Suretone Records — Limp Bizkit's first album in a decade
- Produced by Fred Durst and Zakk Cervini; songs date back to sessions started in 2012
- Surprise Halloween release announced only days in advance
- Lead single "Dad Vibes" premiered at Lollapalooza 2021 and topped Loudwire's year-end rock chart
- John Otto's OCDP kit and Zildjian cymbal setup, unchanged from the Gold Cobra era
- Otto remains the only drummer in Limp Bizkit's history across all six studio albums
- Same mature OCDP custom kit used continuously since well before Gold Cobra (2011)
- Maple shells provide the warm punch suited to the album's harder-edged, riff-driven tracks
- Same four-tom configuration Otto has used since his 1997 debut
- No gear changes despite the album's decade-long, on-and-off recording process
- Double-kick configuration available live for the band's 2020s touring cycle
- Estimated kit value: $2,500–5,000 (OCDP custom kit, 2021 era)
- Estimated snare value: $400–700 (OCDP custom snare, 2021 era)

## Frequently Asked Questions

**Q: What drum kit did John Otto use on Still Sucks?**

A: On Limp Bizkit's "Still Sucks" (2021, Suretone Records), John Otto played the same mature custom Orange County Drum and Percussion (OCDP) kit he'd used since the "Gold Cobra" era — maple shells with a single 22" bass drum on record (plus a double-kick configuration used live), 10" and 12" rack toms, and 14" and 16" floor toms, paired with his long-running Zildjian A and A Custom cymbal setup. Full drummer profile: [John Otto at MetalForge](/drummer/john-otto). Preceding album: [Gold Cobra drum setup](/articles/gold-cobra-drum-setup).

**Q: Why did Still Sucks take so long to release?**

A: "Still Sucks" (2021) had material dating back to sessions that began in 2012, but the album spent roughly nine years in intermittent development before Fred Durst and co-producer Zakk Cervini brought it to completion. It arrived as a surprise Halloween release on October 31, 2021 — Limp Bizkit's first full studio album in a decade since "Gold Cobra" (2011). See: [Gold Cobra drum setup](/articles/gold-cobra-drum-setup).

**Q: What was the lead single from Still Sucks?**

A: "Dad Vibes" was the lead single from "Still Sucks" (2021), premiered live at the end of Limp Bizkit's Lollapalooza performance on August 2, 2021 before its official release on September 30, 2021. Loudwire later ranked it the number one rock song of 2021. John Otto's groove-first drumming on the track anchors its unexpectedly viral appeal.

**Q: What cymbals did John Otto use on Still Sucks?**

A: John Otto used Zildjian A Series and A Custom Series cymbals on "Still Sucks" (2021) — 14" hi-hats, 16" A Custom and 18" A Series crashes, a 20" A Series ride, and an 18" A Series China — the same lineup he first recorded with on "Three Dollar Bill, Y'all$" in 1997. The China cymbal sees heavy use on the album's hardest tracks, underlining the band's return to a more direct, aggressive nu-metal sound. See: [John Otto at MetalForge](/drummer/john-otto).

**Q: How does John Otto's drumming on Still Sucks compare to his earlier albums?**

A: John Otto's core approach on "Still Sucks" (2021) — groove-first, single-kick on record, jazz-informed ghost notes — is unchanged from his 1997 debut and from "Gold Cobra" (2011), despite the decade-long gap between those two records. His playing gave the album's sessions, recorded in pieces over roughly nine years, a consistent rhythmic identity. Full technique breakdown: [John Otto at MetalForge](/drummer/john-otto). Compare: [John Otto's complete drum setup](/articles/john-otto-drum-setup).

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

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*Last updated: 2026-07-06 · Source: [MetalForge.io](https://metalforge.io)*