# Ben Koller vs Blake Richardson — Mathcore Chaos vs Progressive Complexity | MetalForge > Side-by-side comparison between Ben Koller (Converge) and Blake Richardson (Between the Buried and Me). **Category:** Progressive Metal · **URL:** https://metalforge.io/vs/ben-koller-vs-blake-richardson Two of the most technically demanding drummers in post-hardcore and progressive metal, approaching complexity from opposite directions. Ben Koller channels chaos-driven, emotionally raw intensity into Converge's unpredictable mathcore assault. Blake Richardson channels composed, architectural complexity into Between the Buried and Me's genre-hopping progressive epics. --- ## At a Glance | Spec | Ben Koller | Blake Richardson | |------|-----------|-------------------| | Drums | Tama Starclassic Maple | Tama Starclassic Bubinga (Custom Finish) | | Cymbals | Zildjian K Dark Series | Sabian HHX & AAX Series | | Snare | Tama S.L.P. 14x6" Brass | Tama STARPHONIC 14x6" Brass | | Pedals | Tama Iron Cobra 900 Double Pedal | Twin Tama Iron Cobra Power Glide Single Pedals | | Sticks | Vic Firth American Classic 5B | Vic Firth American Classic 3A | --- ## Gear Deep Dive ### Ben Koller Setup - **Drums:** Tama Starclassic Maple - **Cymbals:** Zildjian K Dark Series (14" K Dark Thin Hi-Hats, 18" & 19" K Dark Medium Thin Crashes, 21" K Custom Ride, 18" K China) - **Snare:** Tama S.L.P. 14x6" Brass - **Pedals/Hardware:** Tama Iron Cobra 900 Double Pedal, Tama Throne - **Sticks:** Vic Firth American Classic 5B Ben Koller's Tama Starclassic Maple kit favors a raw, open approach built for the unrelenting sonic brutality Converge has delivered for over two decades. His Tama S.L.P. 14x6" Brass snare delivers a sharp, cutting crack that slices through Converge's dense guitar assault, while the Zildjian K Dark Series cymbals — dry, trashy, and fast-decaying — suit the sudden dynamic swings and tempo shifts that define mathcore. A Tama Iron Cobra 900 double pedal anchors the kit for the sustained, blistering tempos Koller maintains through Converge's most demanding live sets. This is a setup built for organic, visceral impact rather than trigger-augmented precision. ### Blake Richardson Setup - **Drums:** Tama Starclassic Bubinga (Custom Finish) - **Cymbals:** Sabian (14" HHX Evolution Hi-Hats, 18" HHX Evolution Crash, 17" & 21" AAX Holy Chinas, 21" HH Raw Bell Dry Ride, 10" HH Duo Splash, 9" Radia Cup Chime) - **Snare:** Tama STARPHONIC 14x6" Brass - **Pedals/Hardware:** Twin Tama Iron Cobra Power Glide Single Pedals, Tama Hardware - **Sticks:** Vic Firth American Classic 3A Blake Richardson's Tama Starclassic Bubinga kit is prized for its dense, focused tone and tight low end — exactly what progressive metal's constantly shifting time signatures demand. His Tama STARPHONIC 14x6" Brass snare delivers the cutting crack that drives BTBAM's blast beats and odd-meter grooves, while Sabian's HHX and AAX cymbals, including the distinctive 17" and 21" AAX Holy Chinas, provide the tonal range needed for genre-spanning compositions. Twin Tama Iron Cobra Power Glide single pedals power his independent double-kick patterns — a setup engineered for exacting, repeatable execution of technically dense written parts. --- ## Style & Technique Comparison Ben Koller joined Converge in late 1999 and became central to the band's mathcore evolution, driving landmark records including *Jane Doe* (2001), *You Fail Me* (2004), *Axe to Fall* (2009), and *The Dusk in Us* (2017). His playing thrives on abrupt tempo shifts and blast beats colliding with sludgy breakdowns, favoring a loose, explosive attack and gut-level feel over rehearsed precision — exactly what gives Converge's mathcore its dangerous, live-wire energy. Beyond Converge, Koller co-founded heavy rock band Mutoid Man with Stephen Brodsky of Cave In and joined the supergroup Killer Be Killed alongside members of Mastodon, The Dillinger Escape Plan, and Soulfly. Blake Richardson has drummed for Between the Buried and Me since 2005, fusing death metal blast beats, jazz sophistication, and experimental textures within single songs across *Colors* (2007), *The Great Misdirect* (2009), and the two-part *Automata* (2018) and *Colors II* (2021). His technique is rooted in composed complexity — metric modulation, odd time signatures, and jazz-informed ghost notes meticulously arranged to serve BTBAM's genre-hopping compositions, requiring exacting consistency night after night rather than in-the-moment improvisation. The contrast is stark: Koller's difficulty is visceral and unpredictable by design; Richardson's is architectural and precisely repeatable. --- ## Key Differences Koller's Zildjian K Dark cymbals are dry and fast-decaying, built for Converge's sudden dynamic swings. Richardson's Sabian HHX and AAX cymbals are more tonally varied, supporting BTBAM's shifts between death metal aggression and jazz-informed passages within a single song. Pedal philosophy diverges sharply: Koller runs a single Tama Iron Cobra 900 double pedal for sustained blast-beat stamina, while Richardson runs twin Tama Iron Cobra Power Glide single pedals for independent double-kick control across his metric modulation sequences. Both drummers use Tama Starclassic shells and Vic Firth American Classic sticks, but the shell material tells the underlying story: Koller's Maple shells produce a raw, open tone for hardcore's rawness; Richardson's Bubinga shells produce a denser, more focused tone suited to progressive metal's tonal precision. --- ## Influence & Legacy Ben Koller is widely regarded as one of the most respected drummers in extreme and hardcore music. Converge's *Jane Doe* is routinely cited as a genre-defining mathcore record that reshaped how hardcore and metal drummers approach unpredictability and dynamics — a benchmark still studied by extreme music drummers today. Blake Richardson's two-decade run with Between the Buried and Me, citing influences like Terry Bozzio, Dennis Chambers, and Tomas Haake, has made him one of the most creative and technically proficient drummers in modern progressive metal, earning acclaim for genre-blending complexity that continues to influence the technical progressive metal scene. --- ## Verdict Ben Koller and Blake Richardson sit at opposite ends of technical extreme music's spectrum. Koller channels chaos and raw emotional intensity into Converge's unpredictable mathcore assault — his playing feels dangerous because it is built to feel uncontrolled even when it isn't. Richardson channels composed, almost architectural complexity into Between the Buried and Me's genre-hopping progressive epics — his playing feels inevitable because every metric modulation is meticulously arranged. Both are among the most technically demanding drummers in modern heavy music, and the "who is more technically demanding" debate ultimately comes down to whether you value Koller's visceral unpredictability or Richardson's compositional precision. --- ## FAQ **Q: Who is more technically demanding — Koller or Richardson?** A: Both are considered among the most demanding drummers in modern heavy music, but in different ways. Ben Koller (Converge) is demanding because of his loose, explosive, unpredictable attack — he thrives on sudden tempo shifts and dynamic swings that make Converge's mathcore feel dangerous. Blake Richardson (Between the Buried and Me) is demanding because of composed complexity — metric modulation and odd time signatures that must be executed with exacting consistency. Koller's difficulty is visceral; Richardson's is architectural. **Q: What gear do Ben Koller and Blake Richardson use?** A: Ben Koller plays a Tama Starclassic Maple kit with a Tama S.L.P. 14x6" Brass snare and Zildjian K Dark Series cymbals, driven by a Tama Iron Cobra 900 double pedal. Blake Richardson plays a Tama Starclassic Bubinga kit with a Tama STARPHONIC 14x6" Brass snare and Sabian cymbals, powered by twin Tama Iron Cobra Power Glide single pedals. **Q: What bands are Ben Koller and Blake Richardson known for?** A: Ben Koller has drummed for Converge since 1999, and also plays in Mutoid Man and Killer Be Killed. Blake Richardson has been the drummer for Between the Buried and Me since 2005. **Q: What albums showcase Ben Koller's and Blake Richardson's best work?** A: Ben Koller's most acclaimed work is Converge's *Jane Doe* (2001), widely regarded as a genre-defining mathcore record, along with *Axe to Fall* (2009) and *The Dusk in Us* (2017). Blake Richardson's landmark records with Between the Buried and Me include *Colors* (2007), *The Great Misdirect* (2009), and *Colors II* (2021). --- *Full comparison: [metalforge.io/vs/ben-koller-vs-blake-richardson](https://metalforge.io/vs/ben-koller-vs-blake-richardson)* *[Ben Koller drummer profile](https://metalforge.io/drummer/ben-koller)* *[Blake Richardson drummer profile](https://metalforge.io/drummer/blake-richardson)* --- *Last updated: 2026-07-01 · Source: [MetalForge.io](https://metalforge.io)*