# George Kollias Drum Setup: Nile's 'Those Whom the Gods Detest' (2009) Gear Breakdown

> Discover the exact drum kit, cymbals, and pedals George Kollias used on Nile's best-selling album 'Those Whom the Gods Detest' (2009) — Pearl Reference Maple, Meinl Byzance, and Pearl Demon Drive at their peak.

**Type:** Album Drum Setup
**Drummer(s):** [George Kollias](/llms/drummers/george-kollias.md)
**Band / Album:** Nile — *Those Whom the Gods Detest* (2009, Nuclear Blast)
**Genre:** Technical Death Metal / Brutal Death Metal

## Overview

Released on October 30, 2009, on Nuclear Blast Records, Nile's sixth studio album "Those Whom the Gods Detest" is the band's best-charting and most commercially successful record. It entered the German charts at No. 54, the Swiss charts, and the US Billboard Heatseekers chart — remarkable reach for uncompromising technical death metal. Allmusic awarded it 4 out of 5 stars; Metal Music Archives rates it 9/10.

For George Kollias, "Those Whom the Gods Detest" marks a pivotal gear transition: by this album, he had moved from his earlier Tama/DW configuration to a Pearl Reference Maple kit paired with Pearl Demon Drive pedals — the platform that would define his career-peak performances. The shift to Pearl was not simply a sponsorship move; the Reference Maple's construction and the Demon Drive's engineering suited the specific demands of Kollias's heel-toe technique at 240–280 BPM in ways his prior gear could not fully match.

Tracks like "Those Whom the Gods Detest," "Kafir!," "The Eye of Ra," and "Permitting the Noble Dead to Descend to the Underworld" showcase the full range of what Kollias can do — from gravity blast barrages to measured melodic passages where the kit's tonal character comes forward. The Meinl Byzance cymbal setup, in its mature Kollias configuration, provided the articulation and musical complexity the album's Egyptian-themed compositions demanded.

## Gear Breakdown

- **Drums:** Pearl Reference Maple (22" bass drums ×2, 10/12/14" rack toms, 16" floor tom)
- **Snare:** Pearl Free-Floating 14" × 6.5" (steel shell, Free-Floating suspension system)
- **Cymbals:** Meinl Byzance series — 14" Medium hi-hats, 17"/18"/19" crashes, 20" Medium ride, 18" China
- **Pedals:** Pearl Demon Drive double bass drum pedal (direct-drive mechanism)
- **Hi-Hat Stand:** Pearl H-2050 Eliminator
- **Throne:** Pearl D-3500 Roadster Drum Throne
- **Sticks:** Vic Firth George Kollias Signature (SGK)
- **Heads:** Remo Ambassador Coated (tom batter), Remo Powerstroke 3 (kick batter)

### Pearl Reference Maple — The 2009 Kit

By the "Those Whom the Gods Detest" sessions, George Kollias had transitioned to the Pearl Reference Maple — a significant upgrade from his earlier Tama Starclassic configuration used on *Annihilation of the Wicked* (2005). The Reference Maple uses Pearl's SST (Superior Shell Technology) multi-ply maple construction, maximizing resonance efficiency while maintaining focused attack for death metal at extreme tempos.

The Reference Maple's tonal character sits between pure-maple warmth and harder-shell projection — well-suited for Kollias's playing, where the kit must deliver clear blast beat articulation and musically resonant tom passages alike. The double 22" kick configuration remained non-negotiable: two independent bass drums give per-foot control and independent resonance that no double pedal can replicate at 270+ BPM.

Pearl's OptiMount tom suspension system allowed rack toms to resonate freely, preserving the pitch definition that Nile's Egyptian-influenced compositions demand. The compact configuration — 10", 12", 14" rack toms plus 16" floor tom — keeps travel distances manageable at maximum playing speed.

### Pearl Free-Floating Snare

Kollias used a Pearl Free-Floating 14" × 6.5" snare during the "Those Whom the Gods Detest" era. Pearl's Free-Floating system suspends the shell independently from the throw-off and lug hardware — the shell resonates without interference from mechanical dampening that conventional snare construction introduces. At 240+ BPM blast beats, this produces faster, more even response across the full head: every stroke cracks identically rather than varying based on where the hardware contacts the shell.

### Pearl Demon Drive Pedals

By 2009, Kollias was performing on Pearl Demon Drive double bass pedals — a major step from the DW 9002 used on *Annihilation of the Wicked*. The Demon Drive's direct-drive mechanism eliminates the mechanical slack of chain-drive systems, providing instant foot-to-beater contact. At 270 BPM kick runs, this difference is audible: the Demon Drive produces more consistent, even-dynamics strokes than chain-drive alternatives. This engineering directly informed Kollias's later Pearl Demon XR co-design collaboration.

### Meinl Byzance Cymbals

The full Byzance configuration: 14" Medium hi-hats (precise articulation at blast speeds), 17"/18"/19" crash spread (dynamic range from quick accent to full climactic crash), 20" Medium ride (clear stick definition for measured passages), and 18" China (aggressive trashy accent for Nile's heaviest transitions). The Byzance B20 bronze formula provides musical complexity that serves Nile's compositions while maintaining the articulation clarity Kollias's extreme-speed playing demands.

## Key Facts

- Nile's best-selling and best-charting album worldwide (2009, Nuclear Blast)
- George Kollias transitions from Tama Starclassic Maple to Pearl Reference Maple
- Pearl Demon Drive direct-drive pedals replace earlier DW 9002 chain-drive
- Meinl Byzance series in mature Kollias configuration throughout
- Key tracks: "Those Whom the Gods Detest," "Kafir!," "The Eye of Ra," "Permitting the Noble Dead"
- Sustained blast beats at 240–270 BPM across the record
- Allmusic: 4/5 · Metal Music Archives: 9/10
- Estimated kit value: $4,500–7,000 (Pearl Reference Maple shell pack, 2009 era)
- Direct predecessor album: [*Annihilation of the Wicked* (2005)](/llms/articles/george-kollias-nile-annihilation-drum-setup.md)

## FAQ

**Q: What drum kit does George Kollias use on Those Whom the Gods Detest?**
A: Pearl Reference Maple with a double 22" kick drum setup, 10/12/14" rack toms, 16" floor tom, and Pearl Free-Floating 14"×6.5" snare. This marks a significant shift from the Tama Starclassic Maple used on *Annihilation of the Wicked* (2005).

**Q: How fast is George Kollias on Those Whom the Gods Detest?**
A: Kollias sustains blast beats at 240–270 BPM, with "Kafir!" representing one of the album's most demanding passages. He is Guinness World Record-certified for sustaining 280 BPM single strokes. The Pearl Demon Drive's direct-drive mechanism provides more consistent kick dynamics at these extremes than the DW 9002 used on his debut Nile album.

**Q: What cymbals does George Kollias use on Those Whom the Gods Detest?**
A: Meinl Byzance series — 14" Medium hi-hats, 17"/18"/19" crashes, 20" Medium ride, and 18" China. The Byzance B20 bronze formula provides musical tone complexity alongside the articulation clarity required at 240+ BPM.

**Q: What pedals does George Kollias use on Those Whom the Gods Detest?**
A: Pearl Demon Drive double bass drum pedals. The Demon Drive's direct-drive mechanism eliminates chain-drive mechanical slack, providing instant foot-to-beater response at 260–270 BPM kick runs. This directly informed Kollias's later Pearl Demon XR co-design.

**Q: Why is Those Whom the Gods Detest significant for death metal drumming?**
A: It is Nile's best-charting and best-selling album, capturing Kollias at career-peak gear maturation with Pearl Reference Maple and Demon Drive. The album demonstrates extreme-speed drumming coexisting with dynamic awareness and polyrhythmic complexity — not merely raw BPM achievement. Allmusic: 4/5; Metal Music Archives: 9/10.

**Source:** https://metalforge.io/articles/those-whom-the-gods-detest-drum-setup

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