--- name: "Jaska Raatikainen" band: "Children of Bodom" page_type: "gear_evolution" profile_url: "https://metalforge.io/drummer/jaska-raatikainen" evolution_url: "https://metalforge.io/drummers/jaska-raatikainen/evolution" source: "https://metalforge.io" last_updated: "2026-06-30" --- # Jaska Raatikainen Drum Kit Evolution — Complete Timeline Jaska Raatikainen co-founded Children of Bodom (originally Inearthed) with Alexi Laiho in 1993 and drummed on every album the band released across its 26-year career, from "Something Wild" (1997) to "Hexed" (2019). His gear evolution is one of steady refinement rather than reinvention — a Pearl Masters Premium Maple kit and Pearl Eliminator double pedal that grew from a developing endorsement into the fully dialed-in platform behind Children of Bodom's defining melodic death metal catalog. This timeline documents that 26-year, ten-album journey. See also: [Jaska Raatikainen drummer profile](/llms/drummers/jaska-raatikainen.md), [Jaska Raatikainen drum setup breakdown](/llms/articles/jaska-raatikainen-drum-setup.md), [Hatebreeder drum setup](/llms/articles/hatebreeder-drum-setup.md), [Follow the Reaper drum setup](/llms/articles/follow-the-reaper-drum-setup.md) --- ## Something Wild / Hatebreeder Era (1997–1999) **Albums:** Something Wild (1997); Hatebreeder (1999) **Tours:** Early Children of Bodom European club tours 1997–1999 Raatikainen co-founded what became Children of Bodom with Alexi Laiho in 1993, and the band's 1997 debut "Something Wild" established the neoclassical speed metal meets death metal template. "Hatebreeder" (1999) brought international recognition, blending keyboard-driven neoclassical melodies with death metal aggression. His double-bass work on tracks like "Children of Bodom" and "Warheart" set the technical template the band would refine for two decades. - **Drums:** Pearl drums (developing endorsement) — standard production shells - **Snare:** Pearl snare, tuned medium-bright - **Cymbals:** Zildjian A Series — early relationship, developing toward A Custom - **Hardware:** Pearl pedals — early double-kick configuration - **Sticks:** Vic Firth sticks — standard configuration - **Heads:** Remo standard heads, coated/clear configuration - **Estimated kit cost (original):** ~$2,000 **Key developments:** - Co-founded Inearthed (later Children of Bodom) with Alexi Laiho in 1993 - "Something Wild" (1997) — debut album establishing the band's sound - "Hatebreeder" (1999) brought international recognition - Developing Pearl drums and Zildjian cymbals endorsements > "Hatebreeder was the album where people outside Finland started paying attention. We had to deliver live, and that meant the drumming had to be airtight." — *Terrorizer Magazine, 2000* --- ## Follow the Reaper / Hate Crew Deathroll Era (2000–2003) **Albums:** Follow the Reaper (2000); Hate Crew Deathroll (2003) **Tours:** Children of Bodom European and US club tours 2000–2003 "Follow the Reaper" (2000) is widely considered Children of Bodom's defining statement, with tracks like "Needled 24/7" and "Sixpounder" demonstrating Raatikainen's ability to sustain complex double-kick patterns against shifting guitar meters. "Hate Crew Deathroll" (2003), the band's commercial peak, pushed the newly adopted Pearl Eliminator pedal and Pearl Masters Premium Maple kit through an unrelenting touring schedule. - **Drums:** Pearl Masters Premium Maple *(upgrade — flagship endorsement solidified, six-ply all-maple shells)* - **Snare:** Pearl Masters 14"×5.5" Maple *(upgrade)* - **Cymbals:** Zildjian A Custom *(upgrade — hi-hats, crashes; developing K Custom ride relationship)* - **Hardware:** Pearl Eliminator Double Bass Pedal *(new — interchangeable cam system)* - **Sticks:** Vic Firth American Classic 5A *(new — established signature stick)* - **Heads:** Remo Emperor/Ambassador - **Estimated kit cost (original):** ~$4,500 **Key developments:** - "Follow the Reaper" (2000) — widely considered Children of Bodom's defining album - "Hate Crew Deathroll" (2003) — the band's commercial peak - Pearl Masters Premium Maple and Pearl Eliminator double pedal established as core gear - Vic Firth American Classic 5A sticks adopted > "Needled 24/7 and Sixpounder need a pedal that responds exactly the same way every single time. The Eliminator's cam system let me dial that in." — *Rhythm Magazine, 2001* --- ## Are You Dead Yet? / Blooddrunk Era (2005–2008) **Albums:** Are You Dead Yet? (2005); Blooddrunk (2008) **Tours:** Ozzfest 2006; Children of Bodom European and US tours 2005–2008 "Are You Dead Yet?" (2005) achieved the widest mainstream reach of any Children of Bodom album. Raatikainen adapted to slightly more accessible song structures without abandoning the technical double-bass vocabulary that defined earlier material. "Blooddrunk" (2008) continued that evolution, and his full Zildjian A Custom/K Custom cymbal setup reached its established configuration. - **Drums:** Pearl Masters Premium Maple — consistent touring configuration - **Snare:** Pearl Masters 14"×5.5" Maple — confirmed configuration - **Cymbals:** Zildjian A Custom crashes, K Custom ride *(new — full setup established)* - **Hardware:** Pearl Eliminator double bass pedal — confirmed configuration - **Sticks:** Vic Firth American Classic 5A — continued - **Heads:** Remo Emperor/Ambassador — continued - **Estimated kit cost (original):** ~$4,500 **Key developments:** - "Are You Dead Yet?" (2005) — widest mainstream reach of any Children of Bodom album - Ozzfest 2006 — major US festival exposure - "Blooddrunk" (2008) continued the band's evolution with a heavier sound - Full Zildjian A Custom/K Custom cymbal setup established > "Are You Dead Yet? had to work on rock radio without losing what made us Children of Bodom. The drums still had to hit like a freight train underneath the hooks." — *Metal Hammer, 2005* --- ## Halo of Blood / I Worship Chaos Era (2013–2019) **Albums:** Halo of Blood (2013); I Worship Chaos (2015); Hexed (2019) **Tours:** A Chapter Called Children of Bodom Tour 2019 "Halo of Blood" (2013) marked a return to the band's melodic roots, and "I Worship Chaos" (2015) continued that mature direction — technically demanding but more compositionally focused than the peak-speed material of the early 2000s. Children of Bodom released their final album, "Hexed," in 2019 before announcing dissolution, closing a 26-year run with Raatikainen's gear unchanged at its core since the early 2000s. - **Drums:** Pearl Masters Premium Maple — updated custom finish - **Snare:** Pearl Masters 14"×5.5" Maple — confirmed final-era snare - **Cymbals:** Zildjian A Custom 14" Hi-Hats, 17"/18" Crashes, 20" K Custom Ride — fully documented final configuration - **Hardware:** Pearl Eliminator double bass pedal — confirmed final-era hardware - **Sticks:** Vic Firth American Classic 5A — confirmed final-era - **Heads:** Remo Emperor/Ambassador — confirmed final-era - **Estimated kit cost (original):** ~$5,000 **Key developments:** - "Halo of Blood" (2013) — return to the band's melodic roots - "I Worship Chaos" (2015) — mature, compositionally focused direction - "Hexed" (2019) — final Children of Bodom album before the band's dissolution - "A Chapter Called Children of Bodom" farewell tour closed a 26-year career > "Twenty-six years with the same band, the same guys, mostly the same gear. When something works, you don't fix it — you refine it." — *Modern Drummer Magazine, 2019* --- ## Gear Brand Partnerships Timeline - **Pearl (drums)** — 1997–2019 (developing-era kits → Pearl Masters Premium Maple from 2000 onward) - **Pearl Eliminator (hardware)** — 2000–2019 (interchangeable-cam double bass pedal, the consistent foot platform across two decades) - **Zildjian A / A Custom / K Custom (cymbals)** — 1997–2019 (A Series early career → full A Custom/K Custom setup by the mid-2000s) - **Vic Firth American Classic 5A (sticks)** — 2000–2019 (adopted with the "Follow the Reaper" era, unchanged thereafter) - **Remo (heads)** — throughout career (Emperor/Ambassador configuration) --- ## FAQ **Q: How did Jaska Raatikainen's gear change across Children of Bodom albums?** A: Jaska Raatikainen's gear evolved through steady refinement rather than wholesale changes. He started on a developing Pearl endorsement during "Something Wild" (1997) and "Hatebreeder" (1999), upgraded to the flagship Pearl Masters Premium Maple kit and adopted the Pearl Eliminator double pedal during "Follow the Reaper" (2000) and "Hate Crew Deathroll" (2003), and carried that same core setup — refined with an expanded Zildjian A Custom/K Custom cymbal configuration — through to the band's final album, "Hexed" (2019). **Q: What drum kit did Jaska Raatikainen play in Children of Bodom?** A: Jaska Raatikainen played a Pearl Masters Premium Maple kit — a six-ply all-maple shell pack — throughout the majority of Children of Bodom's career, paired with a Pearl Masters 14"×5.5" maple snare and a compact double-bass tom configuration. **Q: What pedal did Jaska Raatikainen use?** A: Raatikainen used the Pearl Eliminator double bass pedal from "Follow the Reaper" (2000) onward. Its interchangeable cam system let him adjust the pedal's acceleration curve to his heel-up technique, providing the mechanical consistency his complex double-kick patterns demanded across two decades. **Q: Why did Children of Bodom break up?** A: Children of Bodom announced their dissolution in 2019 after a 26-year career, releasing "Hexed" as their final album and playing a farewell tour, "A Chapter Called Children of Bodom." Guitarist and vocalist Alexi Laiho passed away in December 2020. **Q: Did Jaska Raatikainen play on every Children of Bodom album?** A: Yes. Raatikainen co-founded the band with Alexi Laiho in 1993 and performed on every Children of Bodom studio album from "Something Wild" (1997) through "Hexed" (2019) — a complete 26-year, ten-album discography. **Q: What cymbals did Jaska Raatikainen use?** A: Raatikainen used a Zildjian setup that grew from a basic A Series configuration in the late 1990s into a full A Custom and K Custom combination by the mid-2000s — A Custom for bright projection, K Custom ride for darker, atmospheric texture during quieter, neoclassical passages. --- ## Related Pages - [Jaska Raatikainen Drummer Profile](/llms/drummers/jaska-raatikainen.md) - [Jaska Raatikainen Drum Setup Breakdown](/llms/articles/jaska-raatikainen-drum-setup.md) - [Hatebreeder Drum Setup](/llms/articles/hatebreeder-drum-setup.md) - [Follow the Reaper Drum Setup](/llms/articles/follow-the-reaper-drum-setup.md) - [Pearl Drums Brand Guide](/llms/brands/pearl.md) - [Zildjian Cymbal Guide](/llms/brands/zildjian.md) - [Metal Drumming Facts & Stats](/llms/facts.md)