# Derek Roddy vs Travis Orbin — Drum Kit Comparison > Side-by-side gear comparison between Derek Roddy (Hate Eternal / Nile) and Travis Orbin (Darkest Hour / ex-Periphery). **Category:** Extreme / Death / Black Metal · **URL:** https://metalforge.io/vs/derek-roddy-vs-travis-orbin Derek Roddy (Hate Eternal) vs Travis Orbin (ex-Periphery): brutal death metal blast beat mastery compared to prog-djent hyper-precision at extreme tempos. Who plays the fastest extreme metal drumming? --- ## Derek Roddy Setup - **Drums:** Tama Starclassic Bubinga - **Cymbals:** Meinl Byzance & Mb20 Series (14" Byzance Heavy Hi-Hats, 18" & 19" Mb20 Heavy Crashes, 21" Mb20 Heavy Ride, 18" Byzance China) - **Snare:** Tama SLP Black Brass 14x6.5" - **Pedals/Hardware:** Tama Speed Cobra 910 Double Pedal - **Sticks:** Vic Firth Derek Roddy 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 Derek Roddy built his reputation across Hate Eternal, Nile, and Malevolent Creation as one of brutal death metal's pioneering speed-and-endurance specialists, renowned for blast beats and one-footed bass drum techniques delivered with relentless extremity. His playing helped define what modern technical death metal drumming sounds like at its most physically demanding. Travis Orbin rose to prominence as the original studio drummer on Periphery's self-titled 2010 debut album, a record that helped define the djent movement — his complex polyrhythmic patterns and precise double bass work at extreme tempos established a new template for technical progressive metal drumming before he moved on to thrash band Darkest Hour. ## Technique Roddy's technique centers on raw blast-beat velocity and stamina — his single-stroke and one-footed bass drum approaches are built for sustained brutality across entire death metal albums, and his instructional books and DVDs have made his methods a reference point for extreme metal drummers worldwide. Orbin's technique is built for polymetric complexity at speed — combining precise double bass work with creative use of electronic triggers and odd-meter phrasing, his playing demands not just raw tempo but the ability to navigate shifting time signatures without losing the hyper-precise pocket that djent requires. ## Key Differences Derek Roddy plays a Tama Starclassic Bubinga kit with a Tama SLP Black Brass 14x6.5" snare and Meinl Byzance & Mb20 Series cymbals, powered by a Tama Speed Cobra 910 double pedal built for sustained blast-beat endurance. Travis Orbin plays SJC Custom Drums with an SJC Custom 14x6.5" Maple snare and Zildjian K Custom Series cymbals, paired with a DW 9000 Series double pedal and a Roland SPD-SX sampling pad for the electronic triggers central to his sound. Roddy's technique centers on raw blast-beat velocity and stamina — his single-stroke and one-footed bass drum approaches are built for sustained brutality across entire death metal albums, and his instructional books and DVDs have made his methods a reference point for extreme metal drummers worldwide. Orbin's technique is built for polymetric complexity at speed — combining precise double bass work with creative use of electronic triggers and odd-meter phrasing, his playing demands not just raw tempo but the ability to navigate shifting time signatures without losing the hyper-precise pocket that djent requires. ## Influence & Legacy Roddy is widely regarded as one of extreme metal's pioneering speed specialists, with his instructional content shaping how a generation of death metal drummers approach blast beats and bass drum technique. Orbin's performance on Periphery's 2010 debut is frequently cited as a foundational djent drumming statement, and his "Travis Orbin Drum" YouTube channel — where he posts studio playthroughs — has made his hyper-precise, polyrhythmic approach influential among modern progressive metal and djent drummers, with influences from Gene Hoglan, Tomas Haake, and Matt Garstka feeding back into his own widely studied style. ## Verdict Derek Roddy and Travis Orbin represent extreme speed from two different corners of metal drumming. Roddy is brutal death metal's blast-beat endurance specialist, built for raw velocity and sustained punishment across entire albums. Orbin is prog-djent's hyper-precision pioneer, built for navigating polyrhythmic complexity at extreme tempos without sacrificing the tight pocket the genre demands. Both answer "who plays the fastest extreme metal drumming?" — Roddy through pure blast-beat brutality, Orbin through technically layered speed. ## FAQ **Q: What are the main differences between Derek Roddy's and Travis Orbin's drum kits?** A: Derek Roddy plays Tama Starclassic Bubinga with Meinl cymbals, while Travis Orbin uses SJC Custom Drums with Zildjian cymbals. Derek Roddy plays a Tama Starclassic Bubinga kit with a Tama SLP Black Brass 14x6.5" snare and Meinl Byzance & Mb20 Series cymbals, powered by a Tama Speed Cobra 910 double pedal built for sustained blast-beat endurance. Travis Orbin plays SJC Custom Drums with an SJC Custom 14x6.5" Maple snare and Zildjian K Custom Series cymbals, paired with a DW 9000 Series double pedal and a Roland SPD-SX sampling pad for the electronic triggers central to his sound. **Q: What drums does Derek Roddy play vs Travis Orbin?** A: Derek Roddy plays Tama Starclassic Bubinga. Travis Orbin plays SJC Custom Drums. **Q: Who is the better extreme / death / black metal drummer, Derek Roddy or Travis Orbin?** A: Both are legends in their own right. Derek Roddy and Travis Orbin represent extreme speed from two different corners of metal drumming. See the full analysis at [metalforge.io/vs/derek-roddy-vs-travis-orbin](https://metalforge.io/vs/derek-roddy-vs-travis-orbin). **Q: What cymbals do Derek Roddy and Travis Orbin use?** A: Derek Roddy uses Meinl Byzance & Mb20 Series (14" Byzance Heavy Hi-Hats, 18" & 19" Mb20 Heavy Crashes, 21" Mb20 Heavy Ride, 18" Byzance 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/derek-roddy-vs-travis-orbin](https://metalforge.io/vs/derek-roddy-vs-travis-orbin)* *[Derek Roddy drummer profile](https://metalforge.io/drummer/derek-roddy)* *[Travis Orbin drummer profile](https://metalforge.io/drummer/travis-orbin)* --- *Last updated: 2026-06-30 · Source: [MetalForge.io](https://metalforge.io)*