# We Are Not Your Kind — Slipknot Drum Setup (Jay Weinberg, 2019)

> Grammy-winning WANYK (2019): Jay Weinberg's evolved Pearl Reference Pure, Zildjian A+K Custom hybrid cymbals, DW 9000 double pedal. Complete drum setup breakdown for Slipknot's #1 US/UK album.

**Type:** Album Drum Setup
**Drummer(s):** [Jay Weinberg](/llms/drummers/jay-weinberg.md)
**Band / Album:** Slipknot — *We Are Not Your Kind* (2019)
**Genre:** Nu-Metal / Alternative Metal

## Overview

*We Are Not Your Kind*, released August 9, 2019, is the artistic peak of Jay Weinberg's nine-year tenure with Slipknot — a Grammy-winning #1 album in both the United States and the United Kingdom that showcased the full development of his studio drumming since his debut on *.5: The Gray Chapter* five years earlier.

Produced again by Greg Fidelman, WANYK is a denser, more compositionally ambitious record than its predecessor. Where the Gray Chapter introduced Weinberg as a capable replacement who could handle the established Slipknot template, We Are Not Your Kind found him as a co-author of a new chapter — one that expanded the band's sonic palette with atmospheric passages, heavier polyrhythmic writing, and a production darkness that matched the record's lyrical subject matter.

The album won the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance in 2021, with the track "Nero Forte" taking the honor — one of the most technically demanding drum performances Weinberg committed to tape, featuring rapid polyrhythmic patterns across a complex, shifting arrangement.

The commercial response was equally emphatic: WANYK debuted at #1 on the US Billboard 200 and at #1 in the UK, making it Slipknot's first album to top the American chart. For a band recording their fifth studio album 22 years into their career, it represented a remarkable second wind — driven in no small part by the energy Weinberg brought to the rhythm section.

This article covers the drum gear Jay Weinberg used on *We Are Not Your Kind*: the evolved Pearl Reference Pure shell pack, his hybrid Zildjian A and K Custom cymbal setup, DW 9000 double pedal with Pearl Demon Drive triggers, Evans heads, and Vic Firth signature sticks. For his Gray Chapter setup, see [The Gray Chapter drum setup](/articles/the-gray-chapter-drum-setup). For the complete career overview, see the [Jay Weinberg complete drum setup guide](/articles/jay-weinberg-complete-drum-setup).

## Gear Breakdown

- **Drums:** Pearl Pearl Reference Pure (Custom Slipknot finish (darker than natural Gray Chapter configuration) finish)
- **Snare:** Pearl Pearl Reference Pure 14" Snare, 14" x 6.5"
- **Cymbals:** Zildjian — Zildjian A Series + K Custom Hybrid
- **Hardware / Pedals:** DW 9000 Series Double Bass Pedal; Pearl Demon Drive Triggers; Vic Firth Jay Weinberg Signature; Evans EC2 and EMAD2 series
- **Heads:** Evans EC2 Coated (batter), Evans 300 Snare Side (resonant)
- **Snare tuning:** Higher tension than Gray Chapter — tighter crack for denser WANYK production

### Pearl Reference Pure: The Evolved WANYK Setup

By the time Slipknot entered the studio for *We Are Not Your Kind* in 2018–2019, Jay Weinberg had refined his Pearl Reference Pure setup considerably beyond its Gray Chapter configuration. The most visible change was the expanded tom array: WANYK sessions used a wider tom spread (five rack toms plus two floor toms) compared to the more standard four-rack setup of the debut. This expansion gave Weinberg the full melodic range of fills that the album's more compositionally complex arrangements required.

The Reference Pure's maple/birch hybrid shells continued to deliver the controlled attack and clean sustain that Greg Fidelman's production approach favored. Five years of live touring with the kit had given Weinberg intimate knowledge of how it responded across different acoustic environments — knowledge he applied in the studio to produce performances that translated from the tracking room to the final mix with minimal correction.

One significant evolution was the finish: where the Gray Chapter kit wore a more understated natural finish, the WANYK configuration adopted a darker visual identity aligned with the album's atmospheric aesthetic. Slipknot's live production for the WANYK era was darker and more elaborate than the Gray Chapter tour — the drum kit's appearance was part of this expanded visual package.

The double 22" bass drums remained the foundation, with Weinberg's double-kick technique fully matured by the WANYK sessions. Tracks like "Nero Forte" and "Birth of the Cruel" feature double-bass patterns of exceptional density and precision — the product of years of live performance that had stress-tested the Reference Pure kick shells under real touring conditions.

The floor toms (16" and 18") saw increased compositional use on WANYK compared to the Gray Chapter, with Weinberg incorporating lower-register fill work that served the album's heavier, more orchestral arrangements. The Reference Pure's warm low-end resonance in the floor toms contributed to the album's characteristic density.

### The WANYK Crack: Heavier Tuning for Denser Production

The snare approach on *We Are Not Your Kind* reflects the album's overall move toward a denser, darker sound palette. Jay Weinberg retained his Pearl Reference Pure 14" snare — the same basic instrument as the Gray Chapter sessions — but refined the tuning and head selection to serve Fidelman's more atmospheric production approach.

Where the Gray Chapter snare sat with a relatively open, natural tone in a production designed to preserve acoustic character, the WANYK snare tuning moved toward slightly higher tension with tighter snare wire adjustment — producing a crisper, more defined crack that could cut through the album's increased sonic density without excessive processing.

Evans EMAD2 heads (on the kick) and EC2 heads (on the snare batter) gave Weinberg a controlled, consistent response across the recording sessions. The EC2's built-in damping ring eliminated the overtones that would otherwise compete with the album's darker atmospheric elements — tracks like "Solway Firth" and "A Liar's Funeral" feature passages where the drum sound needed to integrate with cinematic elements rather than dominate them.

The trigger integration on WANYK's snare was more sophisticated than the Gray Chapter sessions — Fidelman's production on WANYK used a closer blend of acoustic and sample triggers, with the triggered snare sample adding attack definition precisely calibrated to the album's compression approach. The result is a snare sound that feels simultaneously live and produced — both attributes intentional and audible.

### Zildjian A + K Custom Hybrid: WANYK's Darker Cymbal Character

The most significant equipment evolution between *.5: The Gray Chapter* and *We Are Not Your Kind* is Jay Weinberg's shift from a pure Zildjian A series cymbal setup to a hybrid A and K Custom configuration. This change directly reflects the album's sonic ambitions: where the Gray Chapter's A series cymbals provided clarity and brightness in a relatively straightforward heavy metal production, WANYK's darker, more atmospheric sound required cymbal character with more complexity and warmth.

The K Custom series produces tones that are fundamentally different from the A series. Both use Zildjian's B20 bronze (80% copper, 20% tin), but the K Custom's irregular hammering pattern and partially unlathed surface create complex, multi-layered overtones that the fully lathed A series doesn't produce. In practical terms, K Custom crashes sound darker, fuller, and more enveloping — they bloom rather than cut. In the atmospheric passages of "Solway Firth," "A Liar's Funeral," and "Nero Forte," this character serves the production by adding tonal richness rather than simply punctuating with attack.

Weinberg's hybrid approach was deliberate: he retained A series elements (the 14" hi-hats and 18" China) where brightness and attack were non-negotiable, while substituting K Custom Dark cymbals in the crash and ride positions where the production's darker palette was best served by warmer, more complex overtones. The A hi-hats provide the articulation needed for rapid, precise patterns; the K Custom crashes deliver weight and sustain when the heavier sections demand it.

The K Custom 20" ride gave Weinberg a riding sound with genuine complexity — the bell still defined and usable, but surrounded by a wash of overtones that integrate into WANYK's dense, layered mix rather than sitting on top of it. On "Nero Forte," the Grammy-winning track, this ride character is audible in the verses, providing rhythmic foundation without dominating the track's atmospheric elements.

This hybrid cymbal philosophy — mixing series within the same brand to achieve a target sound — is sophisticated gear thinking that reflects five years of professional development. The Gray Chapter setup was a drummer finding his tools; the WANYK setup was a drummer who knew exactly why each choice served the record.

## Key Facts

- Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance 2021 — "Nero Forte"
- #1 US Billboard 200 and #1 UK — Slipknot's first US #1 album
- Pearl Reference Pure evolved setup — expanded tom configuration vs Gray Chapter
- Hybrid Zildjian A + K Custom cymbal approach for darker tonal character
- DW 9000 double pedal with Pearl Demon Drive triggers for live/studio hybrid
- Evans EC2 and EMAD2 heads throughout — denser batter construction for heavier playing
- Greg Fidelman production again — darker, more atmospheric approach than 2014
- Expanded tom configuration vs Gray Chapter — five rack toms plus two floor toms
- Darker visual finish aligned with WANYK album aesthetic
- Same Reference Pure maple/birch hybrid shells — refined through five years of touring
- Double 22" bass drums — kick technique fully matured by WANYK sessions
- Floor toms more prominent compositionally than on Gray Chapter
- Estimated kit value: $4,000–6,000 (Pearl Reference Pure expanded configuration, 2019)
- Estimated snare value: $400–550 (Pearl Reference Pure snare, 2019)

**Source:** https://metalforge.io/articles/we-are-not-your-kind-drum-setup

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*Last updated: 2026-06-25 · Source: [MetalForge.io](https://metalforge.io)*