# Martin Axenrot vs Martin Lopez — Q&A Comparison | MetalForge

> Structured Q&A: Martin Axenrot (Opeth, 2006–present) vs Martin Lopez (Opeth, 1997–2006 / Soen). The Opeth drummer succession — who replaced Martin Lopez?

**Category:** Progressive Metal · **URL:** https://metalforge.io/vs/martin-axenrot-vs-martin-lopez

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**Q: Who is Martin Lopez?**
A: Martin Lopez (born May 20, 1978) is a Swedish-Uruguayan drummer best known as Opeth's drummer from 1997 to 2006. He joined after leaving Amon Amarth and recorded "My Arms, Your Hearse" (1998), "Still Life" (1999), "Blackwater Park" (2001), "Deliverance" (2002), "Damnation" (2003), and "Ghost Reveries" (2005) — widely considered Opeth's classic era. Health issues forced his departure mid-tour in 2006. In 2010, he co-founded progressive metal band Soen with bassist Steve Di Giorgio.

**Q: Who is Martin Axenrot?**
A: Martin Axenrot (born March 17, 1979, in Stockholm, Sweden) is a Swedish drummer who has been Opeth's drummer since 2006, when he replaced Martin Lopez mid-tour during the "Ghost Reveries" cycle. He made his studio debut on "Watershed" (2008) and has remained Opeth's drummer through "Heritage" (2011), "Pale Communion" (2014), "Sorceress" (2016), and "In Cauda Venenum" (2019). He is also a core member of death metal supergroup Bloodbath since 2008.

**Q: Who replaced Martin Lopez in Opeth?**
A: Martin Axenrot replaced Martin Lopez as Opeth's drummer in 2006, stepping in mid-tour during the "Ghost Reveries" cycle after Lopez departed due to health issues. Axenrot made his studio debut on "Watershed" (2008) and has remained Opeth's drummer ever since — longer than Lopez's original tenure.

**Q: Why did Martin Lopez leave Opeth?**
A: Martin Lopez left Opeth in 2006 due to health issues that forced him to step away mid-tour during the "Ghost Reveries" cycle. He returned to music in 2010 by co-founding the progressive metal band Soen.

**Q: What is the main stylistic difference between Martin Axenrot and Martin Lopez?**
A: Martin Lopez's playing emphasized feel and musicality over pure technicality — jazz-influenced ghost notes, complex hi-hat patterns, and melodic tom work that let Opeth's acoustic passages breathe before the death metal sections detonated. Martin Axenrot brought a heavier, more aggressive attack to the drum chair, informed by his parallel work in death metal supergroup Bloodbath and black/thrash band Witchery, while still honoring the progressive vocabulary Lopez established.

**Q: What drums does Martin Lopez play?**
A: Martin Lopez plays Noble & Cooley Walnut drums with a Noble & Cooley Solid Shell 14"×6" Maple snare.

**Q: What drums does Martin Axenrot play?**
A: Martin Axenrot plays a Sonor SQ2 Series kit built around twin 22"×18" bass drums — a departure from Lopez's single-kick rig — with a Sonor SQ2 14"×5.75" Maple snare.

**Q: What cymbals do Martin Axenrot and Martin Lopez use?**
A: Martin Lopez uses Zildjian K Dark Series cymbals (14" K Dark Thin Hi-Hats, 18" & 20" K Dark Medium Thin Crashes, 22" K Dark Light Ride, 18" K China). Martin Axenrot uses Meinl Byzance cymbals (14" Traditional Medium Hi-Hats, 16"/18"/19" Crashes, 22" Traditional Ride, 18" China).

**Q: What bass drum pedals and sticks do they use?**
A: Martin Lopez uses an Axis Percussion double pedal with Vic Firth American Classic 5A sticks. Martin Axenrot uses a Tama Iron Cobra double pedal with Vic Firth American Classic 5B sticks.

**Q: What albums did Martin Lopez record with Opeth?**
A: Martin Lopez recorded "My Arms, Your Hearse" (1998), "Still Life" (1999), "Blackwater Park" (2001), "Deliverance" (2002), "Damnation" (2003), and "Ghost Reveries" (2005) with Opeth.

**Q: What albums did Martin Axenrot record with Opeth?**
A: Martin Axenrot recorded "Watershed" (2008), "Heritage" (2011), "Pale Communion" (2014), "Sorceress" (2016), and "In Cauda Venenum" (2019) with Opeth.

**Q: What is the verdict — Martin Axenrot vs Martin Lopez?**
A: Martin Lopez and Martin Axenrot represent Opeth's two defining drumming eras, separated by a 2006 mid-tour health crisis. Lopez's jazz-tinged finesse defined Opeth's classic death-metal-meets-progressive-rock identity across six landmark albums. Axenrot's heavier, twin-kick attack carried the band through its most dramatic stylistic evolution and has now outlasted his predecessor's tenure.

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*Full comparison: [metalforge.io/vs/martin-axenrot-vs-martin-lopez](https://metalforge.io/vs/martin-axenrot-vs-martin-lopez)*

*[Martin Axenrot drummer profile](https://metalforge.io/drummer/martin-axenrot)*
*[Martin Lopez drummer profile](https://metalforge.io/drummer/martin-lopez)*

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*Last updated: 2026-06-30 · Source: [MetalForge.io](https://metalforge.io)*