---
name: "Navene Koperweis"
band: "Entheos"
page_type: "gear_evolution"
profile_url: "https://metalforge.io/drummer/navene-koperweis"
evolution_url: "https://metalforge.io/drummers/navene-koperweis/evolution"
source: "https://metalforge.io"
last_updated: "2026-07-04"
---

# Navene Koperweis Drum Kit Evolution — Complete Timeline

Navene Koperweis built his technical foundation in the Bay Area grindcore underground with Animosity before a two-year run in Animals as Leaders helped invent djent's riff-locked drumming language on "Weightless" (2011). After leaving to co-produce the band's "The Joy of Motion," he founded Entheos in 2015 with vocalist Chaney Crabb, establishing the DW Performance Series / Meinl Byzance rig that has carried through four Entheos albums and session work for Machine Head and Whitechapel.

See also: [Navene Koperweis drummer profile](/llms/drummers/navene-koperweis.md) · [Navene Koperweis gear history](/llms/gear-history/navene-koperweis.md)

---

## Animosity & Early Grindcore Roots (2003–2009)

**Albums:** Animosity: Empires (2005), Animosity: Animal (2007), The Faceless: Akeldama (2006, guest)
**Tours:** Animosity touring circuit (2003–2008)

Koperweis started drumming at age 11 and cut his teeth professionally in the Bay Area grindcore/death metal band Animosity, appearing on "Empires" (2005) and "Animal" (2007) for Metal Blade. He also contributed to The Faceless' "Akeldama" (2006). This underground period built the speed and technical control that later defined his djent innovations, though — as is typical for extreme metal drummers working the club circuit before a major endorsement — no single fixed gear brand from these years is publicly documented.

- **Drums:** Various grindcore/death metal-circuit kits — no single fixed brand documented
- **Snare:** Standard steel snares, varied by session
- **Cymbals:** Varied by session, no fixed brand documented
- **Hardware:** Standard touring hardware, pedal setup varied by gig
- **Sticks:** Standard hickory sticks, varied by session (pre-Vic Firth era)
- **Heads:** Standard session heads, varied by engagement
- **Estimated kit cost (original):** ~$1,800

**Key developments:**
- Started playing drums at age 11 in San Jose, California
- Built technical foundation drumming for grindcore/death metal band Animosity
- Recorded Empires (2005) and Animal (2007) for Metal Blade
- No fixed gear endorsement documented prior to joining Animals as Leaders

---

## Animals as Leaders / Weightless Era (2010–2012)

**Albums:** Animals as Leaders: Weightless (2011)
**Tours:** Animals as Leaders World Tour 2011–2012

**Q: What was Navene Koperweis's role in Animals as Leaders?**
A: Koperweis joined Animals as Leaders in 2010 and recorded "Weightless" (2011), a landmark record that helped define djent's drumming vocabulary. His performance on "Tooth and Claw" introduced the riff-locked double-bass approach — rewriting the kick pattern to match each guitar riff rather than applying a fixed template — that would become his signature. Meinl Cymbals, the one brand constant across his entire career, entered the picture during this era, while his drum and hardware setup remained undocumented tour-grade gear as he built his reputation on the progressive metal festival circuit.

- **Drums:** Various touring/session kits — no single fixed brand documented
- **Snare:** Varied by engagement, no fixed snare documented
- **Cymbals:** Meinl Byzance Series — dark, hand-hammered B20 bronze
- **Hardware:** Standard touring double pedal, no fixed brand documented
- **Sticks:** Vic Firth American Classic 5B
- **Heads:** Standard touring heads, no fixed brand documented
- **Estimated kit cost (original):** ~$3,200 (inflation-adjusted to 2026: ~$4,300)

**Key developments:**
- Joined Animals as Leaders in 2010
- Recorded Weightless (2011), a djent-genre landmark
- "Tooth and Claw" introduced his riff-locked double-bass technique
- Meinl Cymbals endorsement began — the one constant across his entire career

---

## Founding Entheos / DW Performance Era (2012–2016)

**Albums:** Entheos: Primal EP (2015), Entheos: The Infinite Nothing (2016)
**Tours:** Entheos early touring cycle (2015–2016)

**Q: When did Navene Koperweis found Entheos?**
A: Koperweis left Animals as Leaders in 2012 to pursue other musical interests, later returning to co-produce the band's "The Joy of Motion" (2014). He adopted the DW Performance Series maple/mahogany kit that would become his long-term drum endorsement, and in 2015 founded Entheos alongside vocalist (and wife) Chaney Crabb, releasing the "Primal" EP — the first release to fully establish his compositional, riff-locked style under his own creative direction. "The Infinite Nothing" (2016), Entheos's full-length debut, followed on Spinefarm Records.

- **Drums:** DW Performance Series — maple/mahogany hybrid shells; 22"x18" bass drums (x2), 10"x8"/12"x9" rack toms, 14"x14"/16"x16" floor toms
- **Snare:** DW Performance 14"x6.5" Steel
- **Cymbals:** Meinl Byzance Series — 15" Dual Hi-Hats, 18"/19" Extra Dry Medium Crashes, 21" Transition Ride, 18" Extra Dry China, 10" Splash *(unchanged from the Animals as Leaders era)*
- **Hardware:** DW 9000 Series Double Pedal
- **Sticks:** Vic Firth American Classic 5B *(unchanged)*
- **Heads:** Evans EMAD Clear (batter), Evans Genera HD Dry (snare), Evans EC2 Clear (toms)
- **Estimated kit cost (original):** ~$8,900 (inflation-adjusted to 2026: ~$11,800)

**Key developments:**
- Left Animals as Leaders in 2012; later returned to co-produce The Joy of Motion (2014)
- Founded Entheos in 2015 with vocalist Chaney Crabb
- Established the DW Performance Series / Meinl Byzance rig that defines his career
- Released Primal EP (2015) and full-length debut The Infinite Nothing (2016)

---

## Mature Entheos & Session Work (2016–Present)

**Albums:** Entheos: Dark Future (2017), Whitechapel: The Valley (2019, session), Entheos: Time Will Take Us All (2023), Entheos: An End to Everything EP (2024)
**Tours:** Entheos touring cycle (2017–present), Job for a Cowboy (session/touring drummer)

**Q: What has Navene Koperweis done since Entheos's debut album?**
A: Koperweis carried the DW Performance / Meinl Byzance rig through Entheos's "Dark Future" (2017) and its most ambitious album, "Time Will Take Us All" (2023), while also branching into session and touring work — playing on Whitechapel's "The Valley" (2019) and serving as Machine Head's session drummer starting in 2021. His electronic production work as "Navene K" continued to inform Entheos's dynamic, restrained passages, most audible on the "An End to Everything" EP (2024). The rig has remained his settled, mature setup across this entire span.

- **Drums:** DW Performance Series *(unchanged)*
- **Snare:** DW Performance 14"x6.5" Steel *(unchanged)*
- **Cymbals:** Meinl Byzance Series *(unchanged — the one constant across his entire recorded career)*
- **Hardware:** DW 9000 Series Double Pedal *(unchanged)*
- **Sticks:** Vic Firth American Classic 5B *(unchanged)*
- **Heads:** Evans (standard package)
- **Estimated kit cost (original):** ~$9,200 (inflation-adjusted to 2026: ~$10,600)

**Key developments:**
- Released Dark Future (2017) and Entheos's most ambitious album, Time Will Take Us All (2023)
- Session drums on Whitechapel's The Valley (2019)
- Became Machine Head's session drummer starting in 2021
- Rig has remained unchanged since the Founding Entheos era

---

## Career Cost Overview

| Era | Years | Kit Cost (Original) | Inflation-Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Animosity & Early Grindcore Roots | 2003–2009 | $1,800 | ~$2,600 |
| Animals as Leaders / Weightless Era | 2010–2012 | $3,200 | ~$4,300 |
| Founding Entheos / DW Performance Era | 2012–2016 | $8,900 | ~$11,800 |
| Mature Entheos & Session Work | 2016–Present | $9,200 | ~$10,600 |

---

## Gear Brand Partnerships Timeline

- **Meinl Byzance Series (cymbals)** — 2010–present (career-long constant since Animals as Leaders)
- **DW Performance Series (drums)** — 2012–present (Entheos tenure)
- **Vic Firth American Classic 5B (sticks)** — 2010–present
- **DW 9000 Series Double Pedal (hardware)** — 2012–present

---

## FAQ

**Q: What drum kit does Navene Koperweis play?**
A: Navene Koperweis plays a DW Performance Series kit with a DW Performance 14"x6.5" Steel snare, Meinl Byzance cymbals, and a DW 9000 Series double pedal — a rig established around Entheos's 2015 Primal EP and carried unchanged through Time Will Take Us All (2023).

**Q: Was Navene Koperweis in Animals as Leaders?**
A: Yes — Koperweis was Animals as Leaders' drummer from 2010 to 2012, recording the djent landmark "Weightless" (2011), including "Tooth and Claw," which introduced his riff-locked double-bass technique. He later returned to co-produce the band's "The Joy of Motion" (2014).

**Q: What bands has Navene Koperweis played in?**
A: Navene Koperweis has drummed for Animosity (2003–2008), Animals as Leaders (2010–2012), and Entheos (2015–present), which he founded with vocalist Chaney Crabb. He has also done session work for Whitechapel and Machine Head.

**Q: What cymbals does Navene Koperweis use?**
A: Koperweis has played Meinl Byzance cymbals since his Animals as Leaders tenure — the one gear relationship that has remained constant across every subsequent era of his career, including his current Entheos setup.

**Q: Does Navene Koperweis produce music besides drumming?**
A: Yes — Koperweis is a prolific electronic producer who releases music as "Navene K," and he runs his own technical death metal project, Fleshwrought, in which he plays all instruments himself.

---

## Related Pages

- [Navene Koperweis Drummer Profile](/llms/drummers/navene-koperweis.md)
- [Navene Koperweis Gear History](/llms/gear-history/navene-koperweis.md)
- [Drummers Using DW Performance Maple](/llms/gear-comparison/drummers-using-dw-performance-maple.md)
- [Metal Drumming Facts & Stats](/llms/facts.md)