# Aquiles Priester vs Navene Koperweis — Power Metal Speed vs Technical Djent Precision > Side-by-side career and gear comparison between Aquiles Priester and Navene Koperweis — Brazilian neoclassical power metal virtuosity versus machine-precise technical death metal and djent complexity. **Category:** Progressive Metal · **URL:** https://metalforge.io/vs/aquiles-priester-vs-navene-koperweis Angra's Aquiles Priester vs Entheos/ex-Animals as Leaders' Navene Koperweis: Brazilian neoclassical power metal virtuosity compared to machine-precise technical death metal and djent complexity. Gear, technique, and legacy compared. --- ## Aquiles Priester Setup - **Drums:** Pearl Reference Series - **Snare:** Pearl Reference 14"x6.5" Brass - **Cymbals:** Sabian HHX & AAX Series - **Pedals/Hardware:** Pearl Demon Drive double pedal ## Navene Koperweis Setup - **Drums:** DW Performance Series - **Snare:** DW Performance 14"x6.5" Steel - **Cymbals:** Meinl Byzance Extra Dry (five-piece spread) - **Sticks:** Vic Firth American Classic 5B ## Career Overview Aquiles Priester is a Brazilian drummer best known for his work with neoclassical power metal band Angra (2000-2012, 2023-present) and W.A.S.P. (2014-2021), celebrated worldwide for blazing double bass speed, meticulous precision, and energetic showmanship built around Angra's soaring, melodic songwriting. Navene Koperweis (born 1985, San Jose, California) built his reputation in technical death metal with The Faceless and Animosity before joining instrumental djent pioneers Animals as Leaders in 2010 for the "Weightless" (2011) touring cycle, departing in 2012 — when Matt Garstka took over the drum chair — to found progressive metal outfit Entheos and build a parallel career as a producer and session drummer for Job for a Cowboy and Machine Head. ## Playing Style Priester's technique centers on sustained double bass velocity and showmanship — his ability to hold blazing tempos across extended passages while layering complex fills without losing the melodic, neoclassical feel Angra's power metal demands has made him a benchmark for the genre. Koperweis employs machine-precise polyrhythms and blast-beat fluency shaped by his technical death metal roots, blending that foundation with an electronic production sensibility and djent-influenced rhythmic complexity that distinguishes his playing from purely acoustic-minded technical drummers. ## Key Differences Aquiles Priester plays a Pearl Reference Series kit with a Pearl Reference 14"x6.5" Brass snare and Sabian HHX & AAX Series cymbals, powered by a Pearl Demon Drive double pedal built for sustained high-speed double bass work. Navene Koperweis endorses DW Drums and Meinl Byzance cymbals, running a DW Performance Series kit with a DW Performance 14"x6.5" steel snare and a five-piece Meinl Byzance Extra Dry cymbal spread, paired with Vic Firth American Classic 5B sticks. ## Influence & Legacy Priester has won numerous awards from Brazilian and international music publications and is considered one of the most celebrated power metal drummers in the world, with his Angra tenure helping establish Brazil as a major force in neoclassical power metal. Koperweis has shaped modern djent and technical death metal through his foundational tenure on Animals as Leaders' "Weightless," his ongoing work fronting Entheos, and session credits for Job for a Cowboy and Machine Head — building a reputation as a restless technical innovator willing to move between acoustic and electronic-informed extremity. ## Verdict Aquiles Priester and Navene Koperweis both epitomize technical mastery, but built on different foundations. Priester is power metal's neoclassical speed virtuoso, sustaining blazing double bass and showmanship across two decades with Angra's melodic, soaring compositions. Koperweis is technical death metal and djent's restless innovator, moving from The Faceless and Animosity through Animals as Leaders' foundational "Weightless" into Entheos' progressive, electronic-inflected territory. Both answer the question of who represents extreme-technical metal drumming's outer edge — Priester through speed and melody, Koperweis through machine-precise polyrhythmic complexity. ## FAQ **Q: How does Aquiles Priester compare to Navene Koperweis?** A: Aquiles Priester (Angra) is a Brazilian neoclassical power metal drummer renowned for blazing double bass speed and showmanship. Navene Koperweis (Entheos, ex-Animals as Leaders) is a technical death metal and djent drummer known for machine-precise polyrhythms and blast-beat fluency. Priester represents power metal's speed tradition; Koperweis represents technical death metal and djent's rhythmic complexity. **Q: What bands has Navene Koperweis played in?** A: Navene Koperweis played in technical death metal bands The Faceless and Animosity before joining Animals as Leaders in 2010 for the "Weightless" touring cycle. He departed in 2012 to found progressive metal band Entheos and has since worked as a producer and session drummer for Job for a Cowboy and Machine Head. **Q: What gear do Aquiles Priester and Navene Koperweis use?** A: Aquiles Priester plays a Pearl Reference Series kit with Sabian HHX & AAX Series cymbals and a Pearl Demon Drive double pedal. Navene Koperweis plays a DW Performance Series kit with a DW Performance steel snare and Meinl Byzance Extra Dry cymbals. **Q: Who replaced Navene Koperweis in Animals as Leaders?** A: Matt Garstka replaced Navene Koperweis as Animals as Leaders' drummer in 2012, following the "Weightless" touring cycle. Garstka has since recorded "The Joy of Motion" (2014) and "The Madness of Many" (2016) with the band. --- *Full comparison: [metalforge.io/vs/aquiles-priester-vs-navene-koperweis](https://metalforge.io/vs/aquiles-priester-vs-navene-koperweis)* *[Aquiles Priester drummer profile](https://metalforge.io/drummer/aquiles-priester)* *[Navene Koperweis drummer profile](https://metalforge.io/drummer/navene-koperweis)* *[Aquiles Priester vs Blake Richardson comparison](https://metalforge.io/vs/aquiles-priester-vs-blake-richardson)* *[Navene Koperweis vs Ben Koller comparison](https://metalforge.io/vs/navene-koperweis-vs-ben-koller)* --- *Last updated: 2026-07-09 · Source: [MetalForge.io](https://metalforge.io)*