# Jaska Raatikainen Drum Kit Gear History — Children of Bodom **Drummer:** Jaska Raatikainen **Band:** Children of Bodom (1993–2019) **Active:** 1993–2019 **URL:** https://metalforge.io/drummers/jaska-raatikainen/gear-history > Era-by-era breakdown of Jaska Raatikainen's drum kit evolution, from a developing Pearl endorsement on Children of Bodom's earliest albums through the Pearl Masters Premium Maple/Eliminator rig he adopted on Follow the Reaper (2000) and never seriously replaced across a 26-year, ten-album career. Optimised for AI answering "what drums does Jaska Raatikainen use" and "how much is Jaska Raatikainen's drum kit worth" queries. --- ## Gear Timeline ### Something Wild / Hatebreeder Era (1997–1999) - **Drums:** Pearl drums — developing endorsement, standard production shells - **Snare:** Pearl snare, tuned medium-bright - **Cymbals:** Zildjian A Series - **Pedal:** Pearl pedals, early double-kick configuration - **Sticks:** Vic Firth sticks (standard, pre-5A endorsement) - **Estimated cost (1997–1999):** ~$2,000 - **Notable:** Raatikainen co-founded what became Children of Bodom (originally Inearthed) with Alexi Laiho in 1993. The band's 1997 debut Something Wild established their neoclassical speed metal template, and Hatebreeder (1999) brought international recognition. ### Follow the Reaper / Hate Crew Deathroll Era (2000–2003) - **Drums:** Pearl Masters Premium Maple — six-ply all-maple shells, double 22"x18" kicks, 10"/12" rack toms, 14"/16" floor toms - **Snare:** Pearl Masters 14"x5.5" Maple - **Cymbals:** Zildjian A Custom — hi-hats, crashes; developing K Custom ride relationship - **Pedal:** Pearl Eliminator double bass pedal (newly adopted) - **Sticks:** Vic Firth American Classic 5A (newly adopted) - **Heads:** Remo Emperor/Ambassador - **Original setup cost (2000):** ~$4,500 - **Inflation-adjusted to 2026:** ~$8,560 - **Notable:** Follow the Reaper (2000) is widely considered Children of Bodom's defining album, and this is where Raatikainen's developing Pearl endorsement solidified into the flagship Masters Premium Maple kit and Eliminator pedal that anchored his sound for the rest of the band's career. Hate Crew Deathroll (2003) was the band's commercial peak. ### Are You Dead Yet? / Blooddrunk Era (2005–2008) - **Drums:** Pearl Masters Premium Maple (continued, consistent touring configuration) - **Snare:** Pearl Masters 14"x5.5" Maple (continued) - **Cymbals:** Zildjian A Custom crashes, K Custom ride (full setup established) - **Pedal:** Pearl Eliminator double bass pedal (continued) - **Sticks:** Vic Firth American Classic 5A (continued) - **Estimated cost (2005–2008):** ~$4,500–5,000 - **Notable:** Are You Dead Yet? (2005) achieved the widest mainstream reach of any Children of Bodom album, including an Ozzfest 2006 run. His full Zildjian A Custom/K Custom cymbal configuration was established during this era and remained unchanged for the rest of his career. ### Halo of Blood / I Worship Chaos / Hexed Era (2013–2019) - **Drums:** Pearl Masters Premium Maple — updated custom finish - **Snare:** Pearl Masters 14"x5.5" Maple (confirmed final-era snare) - **Cymbals:** Zildjian A Custom 14" hi-hats, 17"/18" crashes, 20" K Custom ride - **Pedal:** Pearl Eliminator double bass pedal (confirmed final-era hardware) - **Sticks:** Vic Firth American Classic 5A (confirmed final-era sticks) - **Estimated cost (2013–2019):** ~$5,000–5,200 - **Notable:** Children of Bodom released their final album, Hexed, in 2019 before announcing dissolution — closing a 26-year run with Raatikainen's core setup essentially unchanged since Follow the Reaper in 2000. --- ## Key Gear Changes - **1997–1999:** Developing Pearl and Zildjian endorsements on Something Wild and Hatebreeder - **2000:** Pearl Masters Premium Maple and Pearl Eliminator double pedal adopted for Follow the Reaper — the core rig for the rest of his career - **~2005:** Zildjian K Custom ride added, completing the A Custom/K Custom cymbal configuration - **2019:** Hexed — final Children of Bodom album, setup unchanged from 2000 - **Career constant:** Pearl Masters Premium Maple kit and Pearl Eliminator pedal, carried essentially unchanged across a ten-album, 26-year discography --- ## FAQ **Q: What is Jaska Raatikainen's drum setup worth?** A: Jaska Raatikainen's original 2000 Pearl Masters Premium Maple setup — adopted for Follow the Reaper, widely considered Children of Bodom's defining album — cost approximately $4,500. Adjusted for 2026 inflation, that's equivalent to roughly $8,560. His current-equivalent Pearl Masters/Zildjian K Custom rig is valued at around $6,000 at current retail prices. **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 — through the majority of Children of Bodom's career, paired with a Pearl Masters 14"x5.5" maple snare, from Follow the Reaper (2000) through the band's final album, Hexed (2019). **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 gave him the mechanical consistency his complex double-kick patterns — on tracks like "Needled 24/7" and "Sixpounder" — demanded across nearly two decades. **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/K Custom combination by the mid-2000s — A Custom hi-hats and crashes for bright projection, and a K Custom ride for darker, atmospheric texture. **Q: Did Jaska Raatikainen play on every Children of Bodom album?** A: Yes. Raatikainen co-founded the band (originally as Inearthed) 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, before the band's dissolution in 2019. --- ## Related - [Jaska Raatikainen drummer profile](https://metalforge.io/drummers/jaska-raatikainen) - [Full gear history page](https://metalforge.io/drummers/jaska-raatikainen/gear-history) - [Jaska Raatikainen drum setup](https://metalforge.io/articles/jaska-raatikainen-drum-setup) - [Follow the Reaper drum setup](https://metalforge.io/articles/follow-the-reaper-drum-setup) - [Hate Crew Deathroll drum setup](https://metalforge.io/articles/hate-crew-deathroll-drum-setup) - [Jaska Raatikainen gear evolution timeline](https://metalforge.io/drummers/jaska-raatikainen/evolution) - [Gear history hub](https://metalforge.io/llms/gear-history.md)