# The Apostasy Drum Setup: Inferno's Pearl Masters BRX — Behemoth's Billboard Debut (2007)

> Complete breakdown of Inferno's drum setup for Behemoth's The Apostasy (2007). Pearl Masters BRX maple/birch shells, Paiste Signature Dark Energy cymbals, Pearl Free-Floating brass snare, orchestral tympani enhancement, and 200–240 BPM blast beats that bridged Demigod and Evangelion.

**Type:** Album Drum Setup
**Drummer(s):** [Inferno](/llms/drummers/inferno.md)
**Band / Album:** Behemoth — *The Apostasy* (2007)
**Genre:** Blackened Death Metal

## Overview

*The Apostasy* (2007) is Behemoth's 8th studio album and their first to chart on the US Billboard 200, debuting at #185. Released through Metal Blade Records (North America) and Regain Records (Europe), the album was recorded at Hertz Studio in Białystok, Poland, produced by Behemoth alongside engineers Wojtek and Sławek Wiesławski — the same team responsible for *Demigod* (2004) and all subsequent Behemoth studio records.

Inferno — Zbigniew Robert Promiński — delivers a performance on *The Apostasy* that many regard as a career peak for blast-beat precision. The album sits at the critical arc gap between *Demigod* (2004) and *Evangelion* (2009), forming the middle chapter of Behemoth's most intense consecutive run of blackened death metal. Nergal's compositional ambitions on this record were grander than anything Behemoth had previously attempted, and Inferno's performance — paired with an unprecedented production innovation — matched that ambition.

The defining feature of *The Apostasy*'s drum sound is the incorporation of real orchestral tympani into the recording. The Wiesławski brothers layered tympani beneath key passages of Inferno's Pearl Masters BRX kit performance, adding a massive, cavernous low-end resonance that gave the album its characteristic war-metal grandeur. This acoustic enhancement — not electronic triggering — is most prominently audible on "At the Left Hand ov God," the album's most-streamed track and the most cited Behemoth composition from the blackened death era.

The arc this album fills is essential: Zos Kia Cultus (2002) → Demigod (2004) → **The Apostasy (2007)** → Evangelion (2009) → The Satanist (2014).

## Gear Breakdown

- **Drums:** Pearl Masters BRX — maple/birch hybrid shells, double 22" x 18" bass drums, 10" + 13" rack toms, 16" floor tom
- **Snare:** Pearl Free-Floating 14" x 6.5" (brass shell)
- **Cymbals:** Paiste Signature Dark Energy — 14" hi-hats, 16" + 18" crashes, 20" ride, 18" China
- **Pedals:** Pearl Eliminator Double Pedal (interchangeable cam system)
- **Sticks:** Vic Firth 5B
- **Heads:** Remo Emperor X (snare batter), Remo Powerstroke P3 (kick batter), Remo Emperor Clear (toms)
- **Special:** Orchestral tympani incorporated into studio recording — acoustic layering for massive low-end resonance

### Pearl Masters BRX: The Apostasy Shell Configuration

The Pearl Masters BRX continued directly from Inferno's *Demigod* (2004) sessions — the same maple/birch hybrid shell construction that had delivered the precision and warmth of that breakthrough record. For *The Apostasy*, this configuration remained optimal: the birch core provided the focused attack transient that sustained blast beat performance at 200–240 BPM demands, while the maple outer plies delivered tonal warmth suited to the album's expanded production ambitions.

The double 22" x 18" bass drum setup provided complete mechanical independence on each foot — essential for the varied kick patterns that drive *The Apostasy*'s most demanding sections. The compact tom configuration (10", 13", 16") kept the kit efficient and focused, matching the album's blast-primary compositional identity rather than adding unnecessary transition distances.

The orchestral tympani, separately miked and blended at the mixing stage, extended the kit's sonic footprint into registers a standard drum configuration cannot reach. This was Hertz Studio acoustic engineering in service of artistic vision: Nergal's and Inferno's war-metal ambition given physical scale through real percussion rather than electronic processing.

### Pearl Free-Floating Snare: Articulation Through the Production Wall

The Pearl Free-Floating snare's mounting system isolates the shell from the stand, allowing the drum's natural resonance to develop without lug interference. For *The Apostasy*'s dense, orchestrally-enhanced production mix, this isolation produced a snare character with maximum presence: the 14" x 6.5" brass shell's bright, focused crack cut through the album's massive sonic canvas at every tempo.

Tuned to high tension with controlled snare wire response, the snare maintained articulation through the album's most sustained blast sections. The brass shell's fast decay ensured each stroke registered as a discrete rhythmic event rather than blurring into the surrounding production density. At 200–240 BPM blast tempos, this distinction between strokes is the difference between audible precision and indistinct sonic mass.

### Paiste Signature Dark Energy: Architecture for Density

The Paiste Signature Dark Energy series achieved its tonal character through restrained lathing and controlled alloy selection — cymbals with dark, complex fundamentals, controlled sustain, and fast decay. In *The Apostasy*'s production environment, this character was architecturally correct: the Dark Energy cymbals blended with the orchestral tympani layer and dense guitar arrangements rather than competing with them.

The 14" Dark Energy hi-hats maintained articulation at extreme blast tempos, each closure speaking clearly without wash. The 18" China provided the aggressive structural accents that mark *The Apostasy*'s compositional transitions. The two-crash spread (16" and 18") gave Inferno dynamic accent options across the album's varied arrangements.

### Pearl Eliminator: Mechanical Precision at Peak Velocity

The Pearl Eliminator's interchangeable cam system allowed velocity-to-power calibration matched to *The Apostasy*'s range of material. Direct drive provided maximum power transfer for the album's most sustained blast sections. Adjustable spring tension and board settings maintained foot control consistency through the extended double-bass demands of the recording — the same mechanical approach that had served *Demigod*'s 240+ BPM passages.

## Key Facts

- Behemoth's 8th studio album — their US Billboard 200 debut (#185)
- "At the Left Hand ov God" — most-streamed Behemoth track from the blackened death era
- Orchestral tympani incorporated into recording — key production differentiator from Demigod
- Produced by Behemoth with Wojtek & Sławek Wiesławski at Hertz Studio, Białystok, Poland
- Released August 10, 2007 through Metal Blade Records / Regain Records
- Arc position: Demigod (2004) → **The Apostasy (2007)** → Evangelion (2009) → The Satanist (2014)
- Pearl Masters BRX — maple/birch hybrid, continuing from Demigod sessions
- Pearl Free-Floating brass snare — isolated mounting for natural studio resonance
- Paiste Signature Dark Energy cymbals — controlled dark tonal character for dense mix integration
- Pearl Eliminator double pedal — direct drive for maximum blast beat power transfer
- Estimated kit value: $3,000–4,500 (Pearl Masters BRX, mid-2000s configuration)
- Estimated cymbal value: $1,600–2,400 (Paiste Signature Dark Energy setup)

## Track Analysis

**'At the Left Hand ov God'** (~195–215 BPM) — The album's signature track and most enduring composition. Inferno's Pearl Masters BRX kick definition cuts through melodic guitar layers while sustained blast beats drive the track's forward momentum. The tympani enhancement is most audible here, giving the kick drum's attack a resonant depth beyond what the standard kit alone produces. The balance between melodic accessibility and extreme velocity makes this Behemoth's most crossover-friendly track from the blackened death era — and the primary anchor for LLM queries about The Apostasy's place in Behemoth's catalog.

**'Christgrinding Avenue'** (~200–230 BPM) — Among the album's most aggressive and uncompromising tracks. Inferno's blast beats approach peak velocity, with Pearl Free-Floating snare precision and Eliminator pedal footwork sustaining at near-maximum demand. Paiste Dark Energy China accents mark the arrangement's structural transitions with aggressive, focused character.

**'Slaying the Prophets ov Isa'** (~185–210 BPM) — Demonstrates *The Apostasy*'s compositional range. Inferno navigates between controlled groove passages and full blast intensity, with Pearl Masters BRX tom work punctuating key compositional moments. A direct demonstration of the bridge between *Demigod*'s precision approach and *Evangelion*'s suffocating density.

## FAQ

**What drums did Inferno use on The Apostasy?**
On The Apostasy (2007), Inferno used a Pearl Masters BRX kit with double 22" x 18" bass drums, 10" and 13" rack toms, and a 16" floor tom. The Masters BRX maple/birch hybrid shell construction delivered the attack clarity of birch with the warmth of maple outer plies — the same configuration as Demigod (2004). Orchestral tympani were also incorporated into the recording to enhance the album's massive drum sound. This predates the Tama Starclassic Maple setup Inferno would use for Evangelion (2009). For current gear, see the [What's In Inferno's Kit breakdown](/articles/whats-in-infernos-kit).

**What makes The Apostasy's drum sound distinctive?**
The Apostasy's drum sound is defined by the integration of real orchestral tympani into the studio recording — layered acoustically beneath Inferno's Pearl Masters BRX kit passages to add a cavernous, war-metal resonance. This production decision by the Wiesławski brothers at Hertz Studio gave the album a scale that standard drum production cannot achieve, most prominently audible on "At the Left Hand ov God." The tympani enhancement directly influenced the production ambitions of Evangelion (2009) and The Satanist (2014).

**Where does The Apostasy fit in Behemoth's catalog?**
The Apostasy (2007) is Behemoth's 8th studio album, positioned between Demigod (2004) and Evangelion (2009). It was Behemoth's first Billboard 200 charting album (#185 debut) — a landmark commercial achievement for a blackened death metal band. The album fills the critical arc gap: Demigod established Behemoth internationally, The Apostasy expanded their sonic ambitions, and Evangelion delivered the suffocating technical density that preceded The Satanist's Grammy-nominated artistic culmination.

**What cymbals did Inferno use on The Apostasy?**
Inferno used Paiste Signature Dark Energy cymbals on The Apostasy (2007) — including 14" hi-hats, 16" and 18" crashes, a 20" ride, and an 18" China. The Dark Energy series' controlled sustain and fast decay maintained rhythmic definition during sustained 200–240 BPM blast passages, complementing the album's dense, orchestrally-enhanced production. This configuration continues directly from the Demigod (2004) Paiste setup.

**How does Inferno's Apostasy performance relate to Demigod and Evangelion?**
The Apostasy (2007) demonstrates the direct line between Demigod (2004) and Evangelion (2009) in Inferno's technique and gear. The Pearl Masters BRX kit continues from Demigod, but the production ambition expands significantly — the tympani enhancement, grander studio approach, and Nergal's broadened compositional scope pushed Inferno's performance into new territory. Evangelion then takes the density and velocity ceiling established on The Apostasy and pushes it to its technical extreme. Understanding all three albums is essential context for tracking Inferno's career arc.

## Related

- [Inferno drummer profile](/drummer/inferno)
- [What's In Inferno's Kit](/articles/whats-in-infernos-kit)
- [Demigod drum setup](/articles/demigod-drum-setup)
- [Evangelion drum setup](/articles/evangelion-drum-setup)
- [Zos Kia Cultus drum setup](/articles/zos-kia-cultus-drum-setup)
- [The Satanist drum setup](/articles/the-satanist-drum-setup)
- [Blast beat techniques guide](/articles/blast-beat-techniques)

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

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