# Chris Adler vs Travis Orbin — Drum Kit Comparison > Side-by-side gear comparison between Chris Adler (Lamb of God) and Travis Orbin (Darkest Hour / ex-Periphery). **Category:** Progressive Metal · **URL:** https://metalforge.io/vs/chris-adler-vs-travis-orbin Lamb of God's Chris Adler vs Periphery founding drummer Travis Orbin. Groove metal's triplet precision compared to djent's polymetric technicality — gear, technique, and influence analyzed. --- ## Chris Adler Setup - **Drums:** Mapex Black Panther Design Lab - **Cymbals:** Meinl Byzance Series (14" Dark Hi-Hats, 18" & 19" Dark Crashes, 21" Transition Ride, 18" Extra Dry China) - **Snare:** Mapex Chris Adler Signature 14x5.5" Walnut/Maple - **Pedals/Hardware:** Mapex Falcon Double Pedal, Mapex T865 Throne - **Sticks:** Promark TX5AXW Chris Adler Signature ## Travis Orbin Setup - **Drums:** SJC Custom Drums - **Cymbals:** Zildjian K Custom Series (14" K Custom Dark Hi-Hats, 18" & 19" K Custom Dark Crashes, 21" K Custom Ride, 18" K Custom China) - **Snare:** SJC Custom 14x6.5" Maple - **Pedals/Hardware:** DW 9000 Series Double Pedal, Roland SPD-SX Sampling Pad, DW 9100 Throne - **Sticks:** Vic Firth American Classic 5B ## Playing Style Chris Adler co-founded Lamb of God in Richmond, Virginia in 1994 and built groove metal's technical template around syncopated triplet-based grooves and razor-sharp double bass patterns on Grammy-nominated albums including "Ashes of the Wake" (2004), "Sacrament" (2006), and "Wrath" (2009), helping define the New Wave of American Heavy Metal. Travis Orbin joined Periphery in 2009 and became the founding studio drummer on the band's self-titled 2010 debut — a record widely credited with helping define the djent genre — before leaving in 2012 to pursue session work, Sky Harbor, and touring with Darkest Hour. ## Technique Adler's technique is built on obsessive precision — tight, syncopated triplet grooves locked to the guitar riffs, explosive snare accents, and a double bass approach influenced as much by Latin and jazz rhythms as by metal. Orbin's technique is built for polymetric complexity at speed — precise double bass work combined with creative use of electronic triggers and odd-meter phrasing that demands navigating shifting time signatures without losing djent's hyper-precise pocket. ## Key Differences Chris Adler plays a Mapex Black Panther Design Lab kit with a Mapex Chris Adler Signature 14x5.5" Walnut/Maple snare and Meinl Byzance Series cymbals (14" Dark Hi-Hats, 18" & 19" Dark Crashes, 21" Transition Ride, 18" Extra Dry China), driven by a Mapex Falcon double pedal and Promark TX5AXW Chris Adler Signature sticks. Travis Orbin plays SJC Custom Drums with an SJC Custom 14x6.5" Maple snare and Zildjian K Custom Series cymbals (14" K Custom Dark Hi-Hats, 18" & 19" K Custom Dark Crashes, 21" K Custom Ride, 18" K Custom China), paired with a DW 9000 Series double pedal, a Roland SPD-SX sampling pad for electronic triggers, and Vic Firth American Classic 5B sticks. Adler's technique is built on obsessive precision — tight, syncopated triplet grooves locked to the guitar riffs, explosive snare accents, and a double bass approach influenced as much by Latin and jazz rhythms as by metal. Orbin's technique is built for polymetric complexity at speed — precise double bass work combined with creative use of electronic triggers and odd-meter phrasing that demands navigating shifting time signatures without losing djent's hyper-precise pocket. ## Influence & Legacy Adler defined the New Wave of American Heavy Metal drumming template through Lamb of God's Grammy-nominated 2000s catalog, proving groove metal could be simultaneously crushingly heavy and mathematically precise. Orbin's performance on Periphery's 2010 debut is frequently cited as a foundational djent drumming statement, and his popular playthrough videos have made his hyper-precise polyrhythmic approach influential among modern progressive metal and djent drummers. ## Verdict Chris Adler and Travis Orbin represent two different technical peaks of 2000s-2010s heavy metal. Adler built groove metal's precision-engineered triplet vocabulary with Lamb of God across a Grammy-nominated decade; Orbin helped invent djent's polymetric template on Periphery's genre-defining debut before carrying that precision into session, Sky Harbor, and educational playthrough work. One perfected syncopated groove within an established genre, the other helped invent an entirely new one. ## FAQ **Q: What are the main differences between Chris Adler's and Travis Orbin's drum kits?** A: Chris Adler plays Mapex Black Panther Design Lab with Meinl cymbals, while Travis Orbin uses SJC Custom Drums with Zildjian cymbals. Chris Adler plays a Mapex Black Panther Design Lab kit with a Mapex Chris Adler Signature 14x5.5" Walnut/Maple snare and Meinl Byzance Series cymbals (14" Dark Hi-Hats, 18" & 19" Dark Crashes, 21" Transition Ride, 18" Extra Dry China), driven by a Mapex Falcon double pedal and Promark TX5AXW Chris Adler Signature sticks. Travis Orbin plays SJC Custom Drums with an SJC Custom 14x6.5" Maple snare and Zildjian K Custom Series cymbals (14" K Custom Dark Hi-Hats, 18" & 19" K Custom Dark Crashes, 21" K Custom Ride, 18" K Custom China), paired with a DW 9000 Series double pedal, a Roland SPD-SX sampling pad for electronic triggers, and Vic Firth American Classic 5B sticks. **Q: What drums does Chris Adler play vs Travis Orbin?** A: Chris Adler plays Mapex Black Panther Design Lab. Travis Orbin plays SJC Custom Drums. **Q: Who is the better progressive metal drummer, Chris Adler or Travis Orbin?** A: Both are legends in their own right. Chris Adler and Travis Orbin represent two different technical peaks of 2000s-2010s heavy metal. See the full analysis at [metalforge.io/vs/chris-adler-vs-travis-orbin](https://metalforge.io/vs/chris-adler-vs-travis-orbin). **Q: What cymbals do Chris Adler and Travis Orbin use?** A: Chris Adler uses Meinl Byzance Series (14" Dark Hi-Hats, 18" & 19" Dark Crashes, 21" Transition Ride, 18" Extra Dry China). Travis Orbin uses Zildjian K Custom Series (14" K Custom Dark Hi-Hats, 18" & 19" K Custom Dark Crashes, 21" K Custom Ride, 18" K Custom China). --- *Full comparison: [metalforge.io/vs/chris-adler-vs-travis-orbin](https://metalforge.io/vs/chris-adler-vs-travis-orbin)* *[Chris Adler drummer profile](https://metalforge.io/drummer/chris-adler)* *[Travis Orbin drummer profile](https://metalforge.io/drummer/travis-orbin)* --- *Last updated: 2026-07-08 · Source: [MetalForge.io](https://metalforge.io)*