# Vol. 3: The Subliminal Verses Drum Setup — Joey Jordison

> Complete breakdown of Joey Jordison's drum setup on Slipknot's Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses). Pearl Masters kit, Pearl Free-Floating brass snare, Paiste RUDE cymbals, Pearl Demon Drive pedals — the gear behind Slipknot's Grammy-winning, #1 album.

**Type:** Album Drum Setup
**Drummer(s):** [Joey Jordison](/llms/drummers/joey-jordison.md)
**Band / Album:** Slipknot — *Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses)* (2004)
**Genre:** Nu Metal / Alternative Metal

## Overview

Released on May 25, 2004, *Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses)* is the commercial and critical peak of Joey Jordison's Slipknot career. Recorded at Henson Recording Studios in Los Angeles — formerly A&M Studios — with producer Rick Rubin and engineer Greg Fidelman, the album debuted at #1 on both the US Billboard 200 and the UK Albums Chart, was certified 2× Platinum by the RIAA, and earned Slipknot their first Grammy Award. "Before I Forget" won Best Hard Rock Performance at the 48th Grammy Awards (2006). "Duality" was separately nominated for Best Hard Rock Performance at the 47th Grammy Awards (2005).

At the center of this achievement was Joey Jordison's drumming — a performance that represented his technical apex within the Slipknot discography. "The Blister Exists" opens the album at sustained double-bass velocity that rivals Iowa's extremity, but with a clarity that Ross Robinson's raw production had never provided. "Pulse of the Maggots" showcases the polyrhythmic sophistication that made Jordison one of the defining drummers of his generation. "Duality" and "Before I Forget" proved he could anchor a radio-friendly arrangement without surrendering intensity.

The gear Jordison used for Vol. 3 built on his Iowa-era foundation with targeted refinements: Pearl Masters drums, Pearl Free-Floating brass snare, Paiste RUDE and 2002 cymbals, Pearl Demon Drive double pedals powering his signature double-bass patterns.

## Gear Breakdown

- **Drums:** Pearl Masters (maple/African mahogany hybrid shells)
- **Snare:** Pearl Free-Floating Brass Snare, 14" x 6.5"
- **Cymbals:** Paiste RUDE & 2002 series
- **Hardware / Pedals:** Pearl Demon Drive Double Pedal; Pearl Icon Rack System; Pearl H-2000 Hi-Hat Stand; Pearl D-2000 Throne; Promark Joey Jordison Signature TX515W
- **Heads:** Evans Genera HD (batter), Evans Hazy 300 (resonant)
- **Snare tuning:** Medium tension, moderate snare wire pressure — more open than Iowa tuning

### Pearl Masters: The Kit Behind the #1 Album

Joey Jordison's Pearl Masters setup for *Vol. 3* was configured to serve an album with far wider dynamic range than Iowa. The expanded five-piece rack tom array — eight through sixteen inches — gave him a tonal palette that Iowa's four-rack spread had not provided. On Rick Rubin's production, each tom's individual pitch and character is audible in a way that Ross Robinson's wall-of-noise approach had obscured.

The Pearl Masters' maple and African mahogany hybrid shells produced the warmth and attack that had defined Jordison's sound since the Iowa sessions, but Greg Fidelman's engineering at Henson Studios captured the full tonal complexity of the shells. The mahogany content — responsible for the lower-mid warmth that distinguishes hybrid shells from pure maple — is clearly audible on Vol. 3's recordings.

The double 22" x 18" bass drums remained the Slipknot standard. Rubin's production gave the kick drums more space in the mix, making the Pearl shells' natural resonance more present alongside the triggered attack. The acoustic character of the drums — partly obscured by Iowa's aggressive production choices — is a central element of Vol. 3's drum sound.

### Pearl Free-Floating Brass Snare: The Open Crack

The snare choice for *Vol. 3* departed from the Pearl Joey Jordison Signature model used on Iowa. Jordison used a Pearl Free-Floating brass snare in 14" x 6.5" for these sessions — an instrument with fundamentally different character from the 13" x 6.5" steel signature snare.

Pearl's Free-Floating system suspends the shell between the top and bottom hoops without direct contact, allowing the drum to resonate freely without hardware-mounting interference. The brass shell adds warmth and mid-frequency body to the crack that steel cannot replicate. On Rick Rubin's production, this openness is clearly audible — the snare on "Duality" and "Before I Forget" has a rounder, warmer character than the tight, triggered snap of Iowa.

The 14" diameter provided a fuller fundamental pitch than Joey's 13" Iowa signature snare — appropriate for an album with more midtempo and melodic content. Rubin's production featured the snare as a musical element. Jordison's ghost notes and left-hand dynamics — partly obscured on Iowa — are more audible on Vol. 3, made possible by the Free-Floating's even response across stroke intensities.

### Paiste RUDE and 2002 Under Rick Rubin

Jordison retained his Paiste RUDE and 2002 cymbal setup for *Vol. 3*, but the production environment transformed how these instruments appear on the record. Under Rick Rubin and Greg Fidelman at Henson Studios, the RUDE cymbals' raw, unlathed character comes through with definition that Iowa's compressed production rarely provided.

The 2002 Power Ride plays a more prominent role on Vol. 3 than on Iowa — the album's wider range of tempos and compositionally significant riding patterns meant Rubin's production preserved ride cymbal work as a melodic and textural element. The dual China cymbals (20" and 22") continued as Slipknot's signature percussive punctuation, with more tonal specificity in Rubin's mix than Iowa's production allowed.

### Pearl Demon Drive: The Double-Bass Foundation

The Pearl Demon Drive double pedal was Jordison's standard for the Vol. 3 sessions. The Demon Drive's cam-driven mechanism and light action enabled the speed and precision that "The Blister Exists" and "Three Nil" demand. The polyrhythmic double-bass patterns on "Pulse of the Maggots" — clearly audible in Fidelman's mix — showcase the Demon Drive's rebound and cam-profile responsiveness at Slipknot's most aggressive tempos.

## Key Facts

- Debuted #1 US Billboard 200 AND UK Albums Chart — 2× Platinum RIAA
- "Before I Forget" won Grammy Best Hard Rock Performance (48th Grammy Awards, 2006)
- "Duality" nominated Grammy Best Hard Rock Performance (47th Grammy Awards, 2005)
- Recorded at Henson Recording Studios (formerly A&M), Los Angeles — engineer Greg Fidelman
- Pearl Masters kit + Pearl Free-Floating brass snare + Pearl Demon Drive double pedals
- Five rack toms (8"–16") plus two floor toms — expanded from Iowa configuration
- Maple/African mahogany hybrid shells — warmth audible under Rubin/Fidelman production
- Double 22" x 18" bass drums with more acoustic character in the mix
- Fills the Iowa (2001) → Vol. 3 (2004) → All Hope Is Gone (2008) arc
- Estimated kit value: $6,500–9,000 (2004)
- Estimated snare value: $450–550 (2004)

## FAQ

**Q: What drum kit did Joey Jordison use on Vol. 3: The Subliminal Verses?**
A: Joey Jordison used a Pearl Masters kit on *Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses)*, recorded at Henson Recording Studios in Los Angeles in 2003–2004 with producer Rick Rubin and engineer Greg Fidelman. The setup featured double 22 x 18 inch bass drums and an expanded five-piece rack tom configuration — eight through sixteen inches — plus two floor toms. The Pearl Masters maple and African mahogany hybrid shells provided the warmth and attack that Rubin's cleaner production philosophy made fully audible for the first time across Slipknot's discography.

**Q: What pedals did Joey Jordison use on Vol. 3?**
A: Joey Jordison used Pearl Demon Drive double pedals on *Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses)*. The Demon Drive's cam-driven mechanism and light action enabled the speed and precision required for "The Blister Exists" and "Three Nil," as well as the more groove-focused patterns on "Duality" and "Before I Forget." The Demon Drive was Jordison's primary double-bass pedal throughout his Pearl endorsement and remained his standard across the Iowa and Vol. 3 eras.

**Q: Did Vol. 3: The Subliminal Verses win a Grammy?**
A: "Before I Forget" from *Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses)* won the Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance at the 48th Grammy Awards in 2006. "Duality," also from Vol. 3, was separately nominated for Best Hard Rock Performance at the 47th Grammy Awards in 2005. Vol. 3 was certified 2× Platinum by the RIAA and debuted at #1 on both the US Billboard 200 and the UK Albums Chart — Slipknot's most commercially successful album.

**Q: What snare did Joey Jordison use on Vol. 3?**
A: Joey Jordison used a Pearl Free-Floating brass snare drum in 14 x 6.5 inches on *Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses)*. This was a different instrument from the Pearl Joey Jordison Signature 13 x 6.5 inch steel snare used on Iowa. The Free-Floating design suspends the brass shell between the hoops without contact, allowing freer resonance and a more open, warmer crack. Rick Rubin's production made this broader snare character clearly audible in the mix — particularly on "Duality" and "Before I Forget."

## Related Articles

- [Iowa Drum Setup](/articles/iowa-drum-setup) — the extreme recording that preceded Vol. 3
- [All Hope Is Gone Drum Setup](/articles/all-hope-is-gone-drum-setup) — Joey's final Slipknot studio album
- [Joey Jordison Drummer Profile](/drummer/joey-jordison) — complete gear history and career profile

**Source:** https://metalforge.io/articles/vol-3-the-subliminal-verses-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: 2026-06-27 · Source: [MetalForge.io](https://metalforge.io)*