# The Parallax II: Future Sequence Drum Setup — Blake Richardson (2012)

> Blake Richardson's drum kit and gear on BTBAM's The Parallax II: Future Sequence (2012): refined DW Collector's Series drums, expanded Meinl Byzance Dark and Extra Dry cymbal setup, and the peak of his compositional approach — Prog Magazine's album of the decade.

**Type:** Album Drum Setup
**Drummer(s):** [Blake Richardson](/llms/drummers/blake-richardson.md)
**Band / Album:** Between the Buried and Me — *The Parallax II: Future Sequence* (2012)
**Genre:** Progressive Metal
**Label:** Metal Blade Records

## Overview

Released October 9, 2012 on Metal Blade Records, *The Parallax II: Future Sequence* is Between the Buried and Me at their most compositionally ambitious — a 74-minute concept album and sequel to *The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues* EP (2011). Prog Magazine named it album of the decade. It was BTBAM's most critically acclaimed record and remains the most analyzed drum performance of Blake Richardson's career.

The Parallax II exists at the intersection of everything Richardson had built since [Alaska (2005)](/llms/articles/alaska-drum-setup.md) and Colors (2007). His odd-time integration is at its most natural — signatures shift without announcement. His metric modulation is most developed: sections of "Telos" and "Lay Your Ghosts to Rest" build and release through reinterpreted pulse values that carry the listener between feels without dislocation. Ghost note vocabulary, hi-hat independence, compositional double-bass density — all appear here in their most refined form.

Produced by Jamie King at The Basement Studio, Winston-Salem, NC — the same combination that captured *Alaska* seven years earlier — the recording is widely considered one of the finest drum recordings in modern progressive metal.

## Gear Breakdown

- **Drums:** DW Collector's Series (refined configuration, North American Hard Rock Maple)
- **Snare:** DW Collector's Series Maple Snare, 14" x 6.5"
- **Cymbals:** Meinl Byzance Dark and Extra Dry (expanded dual-series setup)
- **Hardware / Pedals:** DW 9002 Double Bass Pedal; Pearl Rack System; Vic Firth American Classic 5B sticks
- **Heads:** Remo Emperor Coated (toms batter), Remo Powerstroke 3 (kick batter), Evans G2 Coated (snare batter)
- **Snare tuning:** Medium tension — full body for ghost notes, authority for blast beat and extreme metal passages

### DW Collector's Series: Seven Years Refined

By 2012, Richardson's DW Collector's Series kit was the most precisely calibrated version of the configuration established on *Alaska*. Same all-maple North American Hard Rock Maple shells, same 22"x18" kick / three rack toms (10", 12", 13") / 16" floor tom layout — dialed in through seven years of intensive touring and studio work.

Jamie King's production at The Basement Studio on *The Parallax II* captures the kit with more ambient room character than earlier BTBAM records. The natural decay of the DW Collector's maple shells is audible as a compositional element during transitional passages — not muffled, but used. On a 74-minute concept album built on dynamic arcs, this production approach was exactly right.

### Meinl Byzance Dark and Extra Dry: Expanded Palette

The most significant gear evolution from [Alaska](/llms/articles/alaska-drum-setup.md) to *The Parallax II* is Richardson's cymbal setup. The primarily Extra Dry configuration of the Alaska era expanded to a full dual-series approach:

**Byzance Dark** (warm, earthy tones, complex overtones, fast decay) — for jazz-inflected passages where overtone richness enriches without creating wash.

**Byzance Extra Dry** (drier, controlled, minimal sustain) — for technically demanding rhythmic sections where clarity is paramount. Particularly critical on the Extra Dry Ride: on "Telos" and "Lay Your Ghosts to Rest," even small amounts of ride wash would blur Richardson's metric modulation sequences.

Full setup: 14" Dark Hi-Hats, 17" Extra Dry Thin Crash, 18" Dark Crash, 20" Extra Dry Ride, 10" Dark Splash, 18" Byzance China. The dual-series approach reflects the greater tonal range demanded by a 74-minute concept album where the musical language shifts more dramatically than on any previous BTBAM record.

### 'Telos' and 'Lay Your Ghosts to Rest': The Benchmark Performances

These two tracks are the most studied drum performances in BTBAM's catalog:

**'Telos'** — Nine minutes demonstrating Richardson's metric modulation and compositional double-bass at full development. Kick density varies dramatically across the track; the DW 9002's adjustable cam gives Richardson the control curve that makes this dynamic deployment musical. Metric modulations in the mid-section reinterpret note values to shift tempo perception without a single moment of dislocation.

**'Lay Your Ghosts to Rest'** — Richardson's most developed jazz-to-metal hi-hat performance. The Meinl Byzance 14" Dark Hi-Hats carry dense ghost note patterns, hi-hat foot independence as a melodic voice, and open/close transitions that create rhythmic texture beyond simple timekeeping.

For a technical breakdown of the metric modulation concepts deployed, see the [odd-time signatures technique guide](/technique/odd-time-signatures).

## Why The Parallax II is Richardson's Career Peak

*The Parallax II* represents every element of Richardson's technique at its most developed simultaneously:
- Metric modulation across extended 74-minute concept album structures
- Jazz-influenced ghost note vocabulary and hi-hat independence
- Compositional double-bass density variation as musical storytelling
- Fill architecture connecting BTBAM's genre-shifting sections

Prog Magazine's "album of the decade" designation reflects the record's broader musical achievement; Richardson's drumming is central to why that achievement was possible. This is not technique for technique's sake — it is technique fully absorbed into musical service.

## Key Facts

- Prog Magazine album of the decade — BTBAM's most critically acclaimed record
- DW Collector's Series refined over seven years from Alaska (2005)
- Meinl Byzance expanded to dual Dark/Extra Dry setup for wider tonal vocabulary
- DW 9002 double pedal — compositional double-bass at its peak development
- "Telos" and "Lay Your Ghosts to Rest" — most studied BTBAM drum performances
- Produced by Jamie King at The Basement Studio, Winston-Salem, NC
- Estimated kit value: $3,500–6,000 (DW Collector's Series, 2012 configuration)
- Estimated cymbal value: $2,500–4,000 (Meinl Byzance Dark and Extra Dry setup)

**Source:** https://metalforge.io/articles/the-parallax-ii-future-sequence-drum-setup

**Related articles:**
- [Alaska drum setup (2005)](/llms/articles/alaska-drum-setup.md)
- [Coma Ecliptic drum setup (2015)](/llms/articles/coma-ecliptic-drum-setup.md)
- [Blake Richardson complete kit breakdown](/llms/articles/blake-richardson-drum-setup.md)

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