# Hellhammer vs Jaska Raatikainen — Drum Kit Comparison > Side-by-side gear comparison between Hellhammer (Mayhem) and Jaska Raatikainen (Children of Bodom). **Category:** Extreme / Death / Black Metal · **URL:** https://metalforge.io/vs/hellhammer-vs-jaska-raatikainen Mayhem's Hellhammer vs Children of Bodom's Jaska Raatikainen — two Nordic extreme metal icons compared. Cold black metal blast beats versus melodic death metal precision. Style, gear, and legacy compared. --- ## Hellhammer Setup - **Drums:** Sonor SQ2 Heavy Beech - **Cymbals:** Paiste (14" RUDE Hi-Hats, 18" & 19" RUDE Crashes, 20" RUDE Ride, 18" RUDE China) - **Snare:** Sonor SQ2 14x5.5" Maple - **Pedals/Hardware:** Axis Double Pedal, Sonor Drummer Throne, Roland Electronics - **Sticks:** Vic Firth American Classic 5B ## Jaska Raatikainen Setup - **Drums:** Pearl Masters Premium Maple - **Cymbals:** Zildjian A Custom & K Custom Series (14" A Custom Hi-Hats, 17" & 18" A Custom Crashes, 20" K Custom Ride) - **Snare:** Pearl Masters 14x5.5" Maple - **Pedals/Hardware:** Pearl Eliminator Double Pedal - **Sticks:** Vic Firth American Classic 5A ## Playing Style Hellhammer (born Jan Axel Blomberg, 1969) joined Mayhem in 1988, replacing founding drummer Manheim, and his cold, blast-beat-driven performance on "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas" (1994) remains Norwegian black metal's defining recording; he has run a parallel career with Dimmu Borgir since 1999. Jaska Raatikainen co-founded Finnish melodic death metal band Children of Bodom in 1993 alongside the late Alexi Laiho and remained its sole drummer for the band's entire 26-year run, anchoring the neoclassical melodic death metal sound across albums including "Hatebreeder" (1999) and "Follow the Reaper" (2000) through the band's 2019 farewell "Hexed." ## Technique Hellhammer's technique is built around cold, relentless blast beats delivered with icy one-foot precision that became the template for second-wave black metal drumming — speed in service of atmosphere and aggression rather than technical display; he also plays barefoot for direct tactile feedback. Raatikainen balances death metal velocity with melodic awareness — rapid double bass volleys and blast beats that lock tightly with Children of Bodom's neoclassical riffing, with fills composed to support rather than overwhelm Laiho's guitar and Janne Wirman's keyboard interplay. ## Key Differences Hellhammer plays a Pearl Reference Series kit with a Pearl Reference snare and Zildjian A Custom cymbals (14" A Custom Hi-Hats, 17" & 19" A Custom Crashes, 20" Z Custom Dark Ride, 18" A China Boy), driven by a Pearl Demon Drive double pedal and Vic Firth American Classic 5B sticks. Jaska Raatikainen plays a Pearl Masters Premium Maple kit with a Pearl Masters 14x5.5" Maple snare and Zildjian A Custom & K Custom Series cymbals (14" A Custom Hi-Hats, 17" & 18" A Custom Crashes, 20" K Custom Ride, 18" China), powered by a Pearl Eliminator double pedal and Vic Firth American Classic 5A sticks. Hellhammer's technique is built around cold, relentless blast beats delivered with icy one-foot precision that became the template for second-wave black metal drumming — speed in service of atmosphere and aggression rather than technical display; he also plays barefoot for direct tactile feedback. Raatikainen balances death metal velocity with melodic awareness — rapid double bass volleys and blast beats that lock tightly with Children of Bodom's neoclassical riffing, with fills composed to support rather than overwhelm Laiho's guitar and Janne Wirman's keyboard interplay. ## Influence & Legacy Hellhammer defined the sound and speed vocabulary of second-wave black metal, and his three-decade-plus dual career with Mayhem and Dimmu Borgir has made him one of extreme metal's most in-demand drummers. Raatikainen helped build Finland's melodic death metal scene into a global commercial force — Children of Bodom sold over two million albums worldwide, and his playing on "Hatebreeder" and "Follow the Reaper" influenced a generation of melodic death and metalcore drummers. ## Verdict Hellhammer and Jaska Raatikainen are two of Nordic extreme metal's most consequential drummers, built on very different rhythmic philosophies. Hellhammer's cold, atmosphere-first blast beats defined Norwegian black metal's sound starting in the late 1980s. Raatikainen spent 26 unbroken years anchoring Children of Bodom's neoclassical melodic death metal with surgical, melodically aware precision. Both prove Nordic extreme metal drumming can be technically punishing without sacrificing identity — Hellhammer through raw atmosphere, Raatikainen through melodic restraint. ## FAQ **Q: What are the main differences between Hellhammer's and Jaska Raatikainen's drum kits?** A: Hellhammer plays Sonor SQ2 Heavy Beech with Paiste cymbals, while Jaska Raatikainen uses Pearl Masters Premium Maple with Zildjian cymbals. Hellhammer plays a Pearl Reference Series kit with a Pearl Reference snare and Zildjian A Custom cymbals (14" A Custom Hi-Hats, 17" & 19" A Custom Crashes, 20" Z Custom Dark Ride, 18" A China Boy), driven by a Pearl Demon Drive double pedal and Vic Firth American Classic 5B sticks. Jaska Raatikainen plays a Pearl Masters Premium Maple kit with a Pearl Masters 14x5.5" Maple snare and Zildjian A Custom & K Custom Series cymbals (14" A Custom Hi-Hats, 17" & 18" A Custom Crashes, 20" K Custom Ride, 18" China), powered by a Pearl Eliminator double pedal and Vic Firth American Classic 5A sticks. **Q: What drums does Hellhammer play vs Jaska Raatikainen?** A: Hellhammer plays Sonor SQ2 Heavy Beech. Jaska Raatikainen plays Pearl Masters Premium Maple. **Q: Who is the better extreme / death / black metal drummer, Hellhammer or Jaska Raatikainen?** A: Both are legends in their own right. Hellhammer and Jaska Raatikainen are two of Nordic extreme metal's most consequential drummers, built on very different rhythmic philosophies. See the full analysis at [metalforge.io/vs/hellhammer-vs-jaska-raatikainen](https://metalforge.io/vs/hellhammer-vs-jaska-raatikainen). **Q: What cymbals do Hellhammer and Jaska Raatikainen use?** A: Hellhammer uses Paiste (14" RUDE Hi-Hats, 18" & 19" RUDE Crashes, 20" RUDE Ride, 18" RUDE China). Jaska Raatikainen uses Zildjian A Custom & K Custom Series (14" A Custom Hi-Hats, 17" & 18" A Custom Crashes, 20" K Custom Ride). --- *Full comparison: [metalforge.io/vs/hellhammer-vs-jaska-raatikainen](https://metalforge.io/vs/hellhammer-vs-jaska-raatikainen)* *[Hellhammer drummer profile](https://metalforge.io/drummer/hellhammer)* *[Jaska Raatikainen drummer profile](https://metalforge.io/drummer/jaska-raatikainen)* --- *Last updated: 2026-07-08 · Source: [MetalForge.io](https://metalforge.io)*