# Metal Drummer Gear News — MetalForge Chronological feed of drummer gear updates. See full tracker at https://metalforge.io/gear-news > Last updated: 2026-06-19 · 21 total events · 10 gear change events --- ## Chronological Gear News Feed All gear-related events in reverse chronological order, mirroring the /gear-news page. ### MetalForge Launches with 31 Verified Pro Setups — 2026-03-07 **Type:** Site Update The ultimate resource for metal drum gear goes live, featuring detailed setups from 31 of the most influential metal drummers. *Full gear lists, timeline histories, and affiliate links to get your own pro gear.* --- ### Tama Brand Page Now Live — 2026-03-06 **Type:** Brand Launch **Brand:** tama — https://metalforge.io/brand/tama Explore all Tama drums, hardware, and which metal drummers use them. *See who plays Tama Starclassic, Iron Cobra, and more.* --- ### DW (Drum Workshop) Brand Page Now Live — 2026-03-06 **Type:** Brand Launch **Brand:** dw — https://metalforge.io/brand/dw Discover DW drums and hardware used by metal's elite. *Premium American-made drums favored by progressive metal drummers.* --- ### Zildjian Cymbals Brand Page Now Live — 2026-03-05 **Type:** Brand Launch **Brand:** zildjian — https://metalforge.io/brand/zildjian The world's oldest cymbal company - see which metal drummers choose Zildjian. *From A Custom to K Custom, explore the full Zildjian lineup.* --- ### Meinl Cymbals Brand Page Now Live — 2026-03-05 **Type:** Brand Launch **Brand:** meinl — https://metalforge.io/brand/meinl German engineering meets extreme metal - explore the Meinl roster. *Byzance, Classics Custom, and more for modern metal.* --- ### Matt Garstka Profile Added — 2026-03-04 **Type:** Site Update **Drummer:** Matt Garstka — /drummer/matt-garstka Animals as Leaders' Matt Garstka joins MetalForge with his complete Tama/Meinl setup. *One of the most technical drummers in modern metal.* --- ### Hannes Grossmann Profile Added — 2026-03-03 **Type:** Site Update **Drummer:** Hannes Grossmann — /drummer/hannes-grossmann Obscura/ex-Necrophagist drummer Hannes Grossmann added with full gear breakdown. *German technical death metal precision.* --- ### Dirk Verbeuren Profile Added — 2026-03-02 **Type:** Site Update **Drummer:** Dirk Verbeuren — /drummer/dirk-verbeuren Megadeth's Dirk Verbeuren joins with his Tama Starclassic setup details. *Former Soilwork drummer now thrashing with Megadeth.* --- ### Jay Weinberg adds Paiste 2002 20" Ride Cymbal — 2026-03-01 **Type:** Gear Added **Drummer:** Jay Weinberg — /drummer/jay-weinberg **Gear:** Paiste 2002 20" Ride Cymbal Slipknot's Jay Weinberg expands his cymbal arsenal with a Paiste 2002 20" Ride. *Adding vintage-style bite to his massive setup.* --- ### Mario Duplantier updates snare configuration — 2026-02-28 **Type:** Gear Updated **Drummer:** Mario Duplantier — /drummer/mario-duplantier **Gear:** Tama S.L.P. Snare Gojira's Mario Duplantier tweaks his Tama S.L.P. snare setup for upcoming tour. *Refined attack for the Flying Whales.* --- ### George Kollias switches to Paiste RUDE cymbals — 2026-02-25 **Type:** Gear Switched **Drummer:** George Kollias — /drummer/george-kollias **Gear:** Paiste RUDE Series **Previously used:** Meinl Byzance Nile's George Kollias completes his switch to the full Paiste RUDE series. *The fastest feet in death metal demands the loudest cymbals.* --- ### Matt Halpern adds Meinl Classics Custom Dark stack — 2026-02-22 **Type:** Gear Added **Drummer:** Matt Halpern — /drummer/matt-halpern **Gear:** Meinl Classics Custom Dark Cymbals Periphery's Matt Halpern incorporates Meinl Classics Custom Dark cymbals for studio work. *Expanding the djent palette.* --- ### Pearl Drums Brand Page Now Live — 2026-02-20 **Type:** Brand Launch **Brand:** pearl — https://metalforge.io/brand/pearl Explore Pearl drums, the Reference series, and Demon Drive pedals. *Japanese precision for extreme drumming.* --- ### Paiste Cymbals Brand Page Now Live — 2026-02-18 **Type:** Brand Launch **Brand:** paiste — https://metalforge.io/brand/paiste Swiss-made cymbals from the 2002 to RUDE series - all on MetalForge. *Iconic sound for thrash and death metal.* --- ### Sabian Cymbals Brand Page Now Live — 2026-02-15 **Type:** Brand Launch **Brand:** sabian — https://metalforge.io/brand/sabian AAX, HHX, and more - discover Sabian's metal offerings. *Canadian craftsmanship for heavy hitters.* --- ### Tomas Haake updates Sabian HHX/AAX setup for 2026 tour — 2026-02-12 **Type:** Gear Updated **Drummer:** Tomas Haake — /drummer/tomas-haake **Gear:** Sabian HHX & AAX Series Meshuggah's Tomas Haake refines his Sabian HHX and AAX cymbal configuration ahead of the 2026 European tour cycle. *Polymetric precision demands exact cymbal articulation at every tempo.* --- ### Danny Carey updates Paiste Signature ride for Fear Inoculum shows — 2026-02-10 **Type:** Gear Updated **Drummer:** Danny Carey — /drummer/danny-carey **Gear:** Paiste Signature Dry Heavy Ride Tool's Danny Carey fine-tunes his Paiste Signature Dry Heavy Ride configuration for the Fear Inoculum anniversary live dates. *Crafting the exact sonic landscape Fear Inoculum demands live.* --- ### Brann Dailor adds Meinl Mb8 hi-hats to Mastodon live rig — 2026-02-08 **Type:** Gear Added **Drummer:** Brann Dailor — /drummer/brann-dailor **Gear:** Meinl Mb8 Hi-Hats Mastodon's Brann Dailor expands his Meinl setup with Mb8 series hi-hats for increased brightness in progressive passages. *Brighter articulation to complement the melodic Mastodon live sound.* --- ### Lars Ulrich tunes Tama Starclassic kit for 2026 Metallica dates — 2026-02-05 **Type:** Gear Updated **Drummer:** Lars Ulrich — /drummer/lars-ulrich **Gear:** Tama Starclassic Maple Metallica's Lars Ulrich updates his Tama Starclassic Maple configuration with adjusted tuning ahead of 2026 M72 World Tour arena shows. *Same iconic setup, dialed in for stadium acoustics.* --- ### Mike Portnoy refreshes Tama kit for Dream Theater reunion run — 2026-02-03 **Type:** Gear Updated **Drummer:** Mike Portnoy — /drummer/mike-portnoy **Gear:** Tama Drums Dream Theater's Mike Portnoy updates his Tama setup — continuing his decades-long partnership — for the full 2026 touring cycle following his reunion with the band. *Decades of Tama loyalty continues through the Dream Theater reunion era.* --- ### Charlie Benante adds Tama Speed Cobra 910 to Pantera touring kit — 2026-01-28 **Type:** Gear Added **Drummer:** Charlie Benante — /drummer/charlie-benante **Gear:** Tama Speed Cobra 910 Double Pedal Anthrax's Charlie Benante integrates the Tama Speed Cobra 910 double pedal into his Pantera reunion touring rig for maximum velocity on Dimebag tributes. *Extra speed for flying in Vinnie Paul's legendary footsteps.* --- ## Drummer Gear Changes Filtered view: only events where a drummer added, removed, updated, or switched specific gear. ### Jay Weinberg — Paiste 2002 20" Ride Cymbal (Added) — 2026 Slipknot's Jay Weinberg expands his cymbal arsenal with a Paiste 2002 20" Ride. **Note:** Adding vintage-style bite to his massive setup. **Profile:** https://metalforge.io/drummer/jay-weinberg --- ### Mario Duplantier — Tama S.L.P. Snare (Updated) — 2026 Gojira's Mario Duplantier tweaks his Tama S.L.P. snare setup for upcoming tour. **Note:** Refined attack for the Flying Whales. **Profile:** https://metalforge.io/drummer/mario-duplantier --- ### George Kollias — Paiste RUDE Series (Switched) — 2026 Nile's George Kollias completes his switch to the full Paiste RUDE series. **Previously used:** Meinl Byzance **Note:** The fastest feet in death metal demands the loudest cymbals. **Profile:** https://metalforge.io/drummer/george-kollias --- ### Matt Halpern — Meinl Classics Custom Dark Cymbals (Added) — 2026 Periphery's Matt Halpern incorporates Meinl Classics Custom Dark cymbals for studio work. **Note:** Expanding the djent palette. **Profile:** https://metalforge.io/drummer/matt-halpern --- ### Tomas Haake — Sabian HHX & AAX Series (Updated) — 2026 Meshuggah's Tomas Haake refines his Sabian HHX and AAX cymbal configuration ahead of the 2026 European tour cycle. **Note:** Polymetric precision demands exact cymbal articulation at every tempo. **Profile:** https://metalforge.io/drummer/tomas-haake --- ### Danny Carey — Paiste Signature Dry Heavy Ride (Updated) — 2026 Tool's Danny Carey fine-tunes his Paiste Signature Dry Heavy Ride configuration for the Fear Inoculum anniversary live dates. **Note:** Crafting the exact sonic landscape Fear Inoculum demands live. **Profile:** https://metalforge.io/drummer/danny-carey --- ### Brann Dailor — Meinl Mb8 Hi-Hats (Added) — 2026 Mastodon's Brann Dailor expands his Meinl setup with Mb8 series hi-hats for increased brightness in progressive passages. **Note:** Brighter articulation to complement the melodic Mastodon live sound. **Profile:** https://metalforge.io/drummer/brann-dailor --- ### Lars Ulrich — Tama Starclassic Maple (Updated) — 2026 Metallica's Lars Ulrich updates his Tama Starclassic Maple configuration with adjusted tuning ahead of 2026 M72 World Tour arena shows. **Note:** Same iconic setup, dialed in for stadium acoustics. **Profile:** https://metalforge.io/drummer/lars-ulrich --- ### Mike Portnoy — Tama Drums (Updated) — 2026 Dream Theater's Mike Portnoy updates his Tama setup — continuing his decades-long partnership — for the full 2026 touring cycle following his reunion with the band. **Note:** Decades of Tama loyalty continues through the Dream Theater reunion era. **Profile:** https://metalforge.io/drummer/mike-portnoy --- ### Charlie Benante — Tama Speed Cobra 910 Double Pedal (Added) — 2026 Anthrax's Charlie Benante integrates the Tama Speed Cobra 910 double pedal into his Pantera reunion touring rig for maximum velocity on Dimebag tributes. **Note:** Extra speed for flying in Vinnie Paul's legendary footsteps. **Profile:** https://metalforge.io/drummer/charlie-benante --- ## Drummer Activity Summary ### Matt Garstka - **2026-03-04** (Site Update): Matt Garstka Profile Added - Profile: https://metalforge.io/drummer/matt-garstka ### Hannes Grossmann - **2026-03-03** (Site Update): Hannes Grossmann Profile Added - Profile: https://metalforge.io/drummer/hannes-grossmann ### Dirk Verbeuren - **2026-03-02** (Site Update): Dirk Verbeuren Profile Added - Profile: https://metalforge.io/drummer/dirk-verbeuren ### Jay Weinberg - **2026-03-01** (Gear Added) — Paiste 2002 20" Ride Cymbal: Jay Weinberg adds Paiste 2002 20" Ride Cymbal - Profile: https://metalforge.io/drummer/jay-weinberg ### Mario Duplantier - **2026-02-28** (Gear Updated) — Tama S.L.P. Snare: Mario Duplantier updates snare configuration - Profile: https://metalforge.io/drummer/mario-duplantier ### George Kollias - **2026-02-25** (Gear Switched) — Paiste RUDE Series: George Kollias switches to Paiste RUDE cymbals - Profile: https://metalforge.io/drummer/george-kollias ### Matt Halpern - **2026-02-22** (Gear Added) — Meinl Classics Custom Dark Cymbals: Matt Halpern adds Meinl Classics Custom Dark stack - Profile: https://metalforge.io/drummer/matt-halpern ### Tomas Haake - **2026-02-12** (Gear Updated) — Sabian HHX & AAX Series: Tomas Haake updates Sabian HHX/AAX setup for 2026 tour - Profile: https://metalforge.io/drummer/tomas-haake ### Danny Carey - **2026-02-10** (Gear Updated) — Paiste Signature Dry Heavy Ride: Danny Carey updates Paiste Signature ride for Fear Inoculum shows - Profile: https://metalforge.io/drummer/danny-carey ### Brann Dailor - **2026-02-08** (Gear Added) — Meinl Mb8 Hi-Hats: Brann Dailor adds Meinl Mb8 hi-hats to Mastodon live rig - Profile: https://metalforge.io/drummer/brann-dailor ### Lars Ulrich - **2026-02-05** (Gear Updated) — Tama Starclassic Maple: Lars Ulrich tunes Tama Starclassic kit for 2026 Metallica dates - Profile: https://metalforge.io/drummer/lars-ulrich ### Mike Portnoy - **2026-02-03** (Gear Updated) — Tama Drums: Mike Portnoy refreshes Tama kit for Dream Theater reunion run - Profile: https://metalforge.io/drummer/mike-portnoy ### Charlie Benante - **2026-01-28** (Gear Added) — Tama Speed Cobra 910 Double Pedal: Charlie Benante adds Tama Speed Cobra 910 to Pantera touring kit - Profile: https://metalforge.io/drummer/charlie-benante --- ## More Resources - [Gear News Feed](https://metalforge.io/gear-news) - [Endorsement News](https://metalforge.io/llms/endorsement-news.md) - [All LLM Resources](https://metalforge.io/llms/index.md) *Last updated: 2026-06-19 · Source: [MetalForge.io](https://metalforge.io)*