# Worship Music Drum Setup: Charlie Benante's Anthrax Gear Breakdown (2011)

> Complete breakdown of Charlie Benante's drum setup on Anthrax's Worship Music (2011). Tama Starclassic Maple, Speed Cobra pedals, and the Grammy-nominated Joey Belladonna reunion album that debuted at #12 on the Billboard 200.

**Type:** Album Drum Setup
**Drummer(s):** [Charlie Benante](/llms/drummers/charlie-benante.md)
**Band / Album:** Anthrax — *Worship Music* (2011)
**Genre:** Thrash Metal

## Overview

Released on September 13, 2011, Anthrax's Worship Music ended one of metal's longest reunion stories: Joey Belladonna — the high-register vocalist who had defined the band's classic era — returned for the first time on a full studio album since Persistence of Time (1990). The reunion delivered. Worship Music debuted at #12 on the US Billboard 200 and received a Grammy nomination for Best Metal Performance at the 54th Grammy Awards (2012) for the track "In the End" — Anthrax's first Grammy nod of the 21st century.

For Charlie Benante, Worship Music marked the debut of his Tama Speed Cobra pedals in an Anthrax studio context. After 26 years on the legendary HP35 Camco chain-drive pedals, Benante switched to Speed Cobras in 2010. Producer Jay Ruston — working with Anthrax at Sphere Studios in North Hollywood — captured the new hardware in its first studio album setting, delivering a drum sound that honored the band's thrash roots while placing them in a modern production context.

The album closes an 18-year gap: Persistence of Time (1990) was the last Belladonna-era Anthrax album before Worship Music. For the next chapter, see the [For All Kings drum setup](/articles/for-all-kings-drum-setup).

## Gear Breakdown

- **Drums:** Tama Starclassic Maple — dual 22" x 18" bass drums, three rack toms, two floor toms
- **Snare:** Tama Charlie Benante Signature, 14" x 6.5" steel shell with die-cast hoops
- **Cymbals:** Paiste — 2002 Sound Edge 14" hi-hats, Signature 16" Fast Crash, 2002 18" Medium Crash, RUDE 19" Crash/Ride, 2002 22" Heavy Ride, 2002 18" China, 2002 10" Splash
- **Hardware / Pedals:** Tama Speed Cobra HP910LN (two single pedals — switched from HP35 Camco in 2010); Tama Iron Cobra Hi-Hat Stand; Tama 1st Chair
- **Sticks:** Vic Firth Charlie Benante Signature / 2B
- **Heads:** Remo Powerstroke 3 Clear (bass drums), Remo Emperor Coated (toms), Evans Power Center (snare batter)
- **Producer:** Jay Ruston at Sphere Studios, North Hollywood, CA
- **Label:** Megaforce Records

### The Belladonna Reunion and Benante's Modern Setup

Worship Music documents Charlie Benante's modern Tama Starclassic Maple configuration at full maturity. The dual 22" x 18" bass drums — deeper than the 16" depth shells of the Among the Living era — deliver the low-end body that Benante's pioneering sustained double bass technique requires. Jay Ruston's production preserved the Starclassic's natural warmth and the Speed Cobra's mechanical precision, placing the drums forward and aggressively in the mix to match Joey Belladonna's powerful, expansive vocal presence.

The Speed Cobra transition was significant: 26 years on HP35 Camcos ended, and Worship Music became the first Anthrax album to capture the lighter, faster longboard design that would define all subsequent Benante recordings. His Grammy-nominated performance on "In the End" demonstrated complete command of the new hardware.

## Key Facts

- Released September 13, 2011 — Joey Belladonna's return, first full album since Persistence of Time (1990)
- Grammy nominated: Best Metal Performance for "In the End" (54th Grammy Awards, 2012)
- Debuted #12 US Billboard 200
- First Anthrax album recorded with Tama Speed Cobra pedals (switched from HP35 Camco in 2010)
- Produced by Jay Ruston at Sphere Studios, North Hollywood — first Anthrax/Ruston collaboration
- Tama Starclassic Maple with dual 22" x 18" bass drums — Star-Cast mounting preserves shell resonance
- Paiste 2002/Signature/RUDE cymbal configuration — long-term Paiste endorsement
- For the follow-up album, see [For All Kings drum setup](/articles/for-all-kings-drum-setup)
- For the 1993 groove-metal era, see [Sound of White Noise drum setup](/articles/sound-of-white-noise-drum-setup)

**Source:** https://metalforge.io/articles/worship-music-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: 2026-06-29 · Source: [MetalForge.io](https://metalforge.io)*