# Alex Bent vs Jason Bittner — Trivium vs Overkill Drumming Compared | MetalForge > Side-by-side comparison between Alex Bent (ex-Trivium) and Jason Bittner (Overkill, ex-Shadows Fall). **Category:** Thrash Metal / NWOAHM · **URL:** https://metalforge.io/vs/alex-bent-vs-jason-bittner Ex-Trivium's Alex Bent vs Overkill's Jason Bittner pits two drummers from opposite ends of the New Wave of American Heavy Metal spectrum against each other. Bent joined Trivium in 2017, bringing technical death metal precision from Brain Drill and Arkaik to modern metalcore. Bittner spent nearly a decade and a half defining Shadows Fall's NWOAHM sound before stepping into thrash royalty with Overkill in 2017 — the same year Bent joined Trivium. This comparison covers technique, gear, band context, and career trajectory across both drummers' catalogs. --- ## At a Glance | Spec | Alex Bent | Jason Bittner | |------|-----------|----------------| | Drums | Pearl Reference Series (Matte Black) | Tama Starclassic Performer B/B | | Cymbals | Meinl Byzance Brilliant Series | Sabian HHX / HH Series | | Snare | Pearl Reference 14x6.5" Maple/Birch | Tama Starphonic Steel 14x6.5" | | Pedals | Axis Percussion Double Pedal | DW 9002 Double Bass Pedal | | Sticks | Various 5B | Vic Firth 5B | --- ## Gear Deep Dive ### Alex Bent Setup - **Drums:** Pearl Reference Series (Matte Black, maple/birch hybrid shells) - **Cymbals:** Meinl Byzance Brilliant Series (14" Medium Hi-Hats, 16", 18" & 19" Medium Thin Crashes, 21" Medium Ride, 18" China) - **Snare:** Pearl Reference 14x6.5" Maple/Birch - **Pedals/Hardware:** Axis Percussion double pedals for extreme speed - **Sticks:** Various 5B Alex Bent's Pearl Reference Series kit was engineered to translate his technical death metal precision to arena scale for Trivium, balancing maple's warmth with birch's cutting attack across "The Sin and the Sentence" (2017) and "In the Court of the Dragon" (2021) — full breakdown in [What's In Alex Bent's Kit](https://metalforge.io/articles/whats-in-alex-bents-kit). His Axis Percussion double pedals, favored by extreme-metal specialists for their speed, drove the blistering footwork inherited from his Brain Drill and Arkaik days. ### Jason Bittner Setup - **Drums:** Tama Starclassic Performer B/B (birch/bubinga hybrid shells, dual 22"x18" bass drums) - **Cymbals:** Sabian HHX / HH Series (14" HHX Hi-Hats, 16" & 18" HHX Crashes, 20" HH Ride) - **Snare:** Tama Starphonic Steel 14x6.5" - **Pedals/Hardware:** DW 9002 Double Bass Pedal - **Sticks:** Vic Firth 5B Jason Bittner's Tama Starclassic Performer B/B kit is built for the dual demands of NWOAHM and thrash — the birch/bubinga hybrid shells provide the attack and warmth needed to cut through both Shadows Fall's dense, down-tuned arrangements and Overkill's classic thrash guitar wall. His Tama Starphonic Steel snare delivers sharp, high-frequency crack, while a DW 9002 double bass pedal drives the sustained double-kick patterns central to both bands — full breakdown in [Jason Bittner's Drum Kit & Gear Setup](https://metalforge.io/articles/jason-bittner-drum-setup). --- ## Style & Technique Comparison Alex Bent joined Trivium in 2017 at age 24, bringing a technical death metal pedigree from Brain Drill, Arkaik, and Battlecross to the modern metal giants' catalog. His background gave him the tools to blend extreme blast beats and intricate fills with the melodic accessibility Trivium's songwriting demands, a versatility built through drum competitions and jazz band training before he ever joined a signed act — recording "The Sin and the Sentence" (2017), "What the Dead Men Say" (2020), "In the Court of the Dragon" (2021), and "Struck Dead" (2025) before departing in October 2025. Jason Bittner built his reputation as the engine behind Shadows Fall's technical ambition within the NWOAHM scene, fusing thrash-tempo double-bass patterns with metalcore's groove and melody across landmark records including "The Art of Balance" (2002) and the Grammy-nominated "The War Within" (2004). His powerful, driving double bass and tight, punchy snare work — influenced by thrash pioneers Dave Lombardo, Nicko McBrain, and Vinnie Paul — translated directly into Overkill's classic thrash gallop when he joined the band in 2017, recording "The Wings of War" (2019) and "Scorched" (2023). --- ## Key Differences The core divergence is origin story and role: Bent came up through the technical death metal underground before landing a scrutinized modern-metal drum chair at 24, while Bittner spent nearly fifteen years co-architecting an entire NWOAHM sound with Shadows Fall before proving his thrash pedigree could carry one of the genre's most demanding full-time chairs in Overkill. Gear reflects each context. Bent's Pearl Reference kit and Meinl Byzance Brilliant cymbals are voiced for the cutting clarity Trivium's guitar-forward modern metal arrangements require. Bittner's Tama Starclassic Performer B/B kit and Sabian HHX/HH cymbals are tuned for durability and cutting brightness across both NWOAHM's dense guitar textures and thrash's high-tempo velocity. --- ## Influence & Legacy Bent elevated Trivium's rhythmic complexity across four albums over eight years, proving a technical death metal background from underground bands like Brain Drill could translate directly into mainstream modern metal success before his departure in October 2025. Bittner helped define early-2000s NWOAHM's rhythmic vocabulary during Shadows Fall's commercial peak before seamlessly stepping into thrash metal royalty with Overkill, becoming one of the rare drummers to anchor top-tier bands across two adjacent but distinct American heavy metal subgenres simultaneously. --- ## Verdict Alex Bent and Jason Bittner represent NWOAHM-adjacent drumming from two different generations and angles. Bent brought outsider technical death metal precision to Trivium's increasingly ambitious modern metal songwriting across eight years and four albums. Bittner spent over two decades proving that groove-first, road-tested power translates seamlessly from Shadows Fall's metalcore breakthrough to Overkill's veteran thrash institution. Both answer "who is the better NWOAHM-era drummer?" from opposite ends of the technical-versus-pocket spectrum. --- ## FAQ **Q: Who is the better NWOAHM drummer, Alex Bent or Jason Bittner?** A: Both represent NWOAHM-adjacent metal from different angles. Alex Bent (ex-Trivium) brought technical death metal blast beats and intricate fills to modern metalcore across four albums from 2017-2025. Jason Bittner (Overkill, ex-Shadows Fall) built his reputation on powerful, groove-first double bass and tight snare work across Shadows Fall's metalcore peak and Overkill's thrash catalog. Bent wins on technical complexity; Bittner wins on genre-spanning consistency and longevity. **Q: What bands did Jason Bittner and Alex Bent play in?** A: Jason Bittner played in Shadows Fall (1999-2015), Flotsam and Jetsam (2013-2017), and has drummed for Overkill since 2017. Alex Bent played in Brain Drill, Arkaik, Battlecross, and Dragonlord before joining Trivium in 2017, departing in October 2025 after nine years and four studio albums. **Q: What gear do Alex Bent and Jason Bittner use?** A: Alex Bent played a Pearl Reference Series kit with a Pearl Reference maple/birch snare and Meinl Byzance Brilliant Series cymbals, powered by Axis Percussion double pedals. Jason Bittner plays a Tama Starclassic Performer B/B kit with a Tama Starphonic Steel snare and Sabian HHX/HH Series cymbals, driven by a DW 9002 double bass pedal. **Q: Is Alex Bent still in Trivium?** A: No — Alex Bent departed Trivium in October 2025 after nine years and four studio albums, including "The Sin and the Sentence" (2017) and "Struck Dead" (2025). Jason Bittner remains Overkill's drummer, a role he has held since 2017. --- *Full comparison: [metalforge.io/vs/alex-bent-vs-jason-bittner](https://metalforge.io/vs/alex-bent-vs-jason-bittner)* *[Alex Bent drummer profile](https://metalforge.io/drummer/alex-bent)* *[Jason Bittner drummer profile](https://metalforge.io/drummer/jason-bittner)* *[Jay Weinberg vs Alex Bent comparison](https://metalforge.io/vs/jay-weinberg-vs-alex-bent)* *[Metalcore/Djent genre guide](https://metalforge.io/genre/metalcore)* --- *Last updated: 2026-07-01 · Source: [MetalForge.io](https://metalforge.io)*