# Hellhammer vs Mikkey Dee — Drum Kit Comparison > Side-by-side gear comparison between Hellhammer (Mayhem) and Mikkey Dee (Scorpions / Motörhead). **Category:** Extreme / Death / Black Metal · **URL:** https://metalforge.io/vs/hellhammer-vs-mikkey-dee Mayhem's Hellhammer vs Motörhead/Scorpions' Mikkey Dee — cold Norwegian black metal precision compared to Sweden's hardest-hitting rock drummer. 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 ## Mikkey Dee Setup - **Drums:** Yamaha Recording Custom - **Cymbals:** Zildjian A Custom & K Series (14" A Custom Hi-Hats, 18" & 19" A Custom Crashes, 22" K Custom Ride, 20" Oriental China) - **Snare:** Yamaha Mikkey Dee Signature 14x8" - **Pedals/Hardware:** Yamaha FP9 Double Pedal, Yamaha Hardware - **Sticks:** Vic Firth Mikkey Dee Signature ## Playing Style Hellhammer (born Jan Axel Blomberg, 1969, Oslo) joined Mayhem in 1988, replacing founding drummer Manheim, and his icy, 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. Mikkey Dee (born Micael Kiriakos Delaoglou, October 31, 1963, in Gothenburg, Sweden) built his early reputation with King Diamond on albums like "Abigail" (1987) before becoming Motörhead's longest-serving drummer, driving the band's uncompromising sound for 23 years from 1992 until Lemmy Kilmister's death in December 2015, then joining Scorpions in 2016. ## Technique Hellhammer's blast beats favor cold, relentless one-foot speed built for atmosphere and aggression over technical display, and he plays barefoot for direct tactile feedback at extreme tempos. Dee's technique blends jazz-trained precision from his King Diamond years with pure rock power — a single massive 24" bass drum rather than a compact double-kick setup delivers the chest-thumping low end that defined Motörhead's live sound, with explosive drum solos and a heavy backbeat built to cut through Lemmy's legendary stage volume. ## 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. Mikkey Dee plays a Yamaha Recording Custom / Oak Custom kit built around a single 24" bass drum with a Yamaha Recording Custom Aluminum or Brass 14x6.5" snare, and Zildjian A Custom cymbals (15" A New Beat Hi-Hats, 18"-20" A Custom Crashes, 22" A Custom Medium Ride, 18" A Custom China, 10" A Custom Splash), driven by a Yamaha FP9 / Flying Dragon pedal and Vic Firth 2B sticks. Hellhammer's blast beats favor cold, relentless one-foot speed built for atmosphere and aggression over technical display, and he plays barefoot for direct tactile feedback at extreme tempos. Dee's technique blends jazz-trained precision from his King Diamond years with pure rock power — a single massive 24" bass drum rather than a compact double-kick setup delivers the chest-thumping low end that defined Motörhead's live sound, with explosive drum solos and a heavy backbeat built to cut through Lemmy's legendary stage volume. ## 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. Dee's 23-year run with Motörhead — Lemmy Kilmister once called him "the best drummer I ever played with" — cemented his status as one of hard rock's most powerful and durable players, a reputation he has carried into Scorpions since 2016. ## Verdict Hellhammer and Mikkey Dee represent two very different definitions of extreme drumming power, both rooted in Nordic and Scandinavian metal traditions. Hellhammer's icy, atmosphere-driven blast beats built Norwegian black metal's vocabulary from 1988 onward. Dee's thunderous, single-kick power drove Motörhead's uncompromising rock assault for 23 years and continues with Scorpions today. One built extreme metal's speed ceiling; the other built rock's loudest, most durable backbone — both remain among Scandinavia's most respected metal drummers. ## FAQ **Q: What are the main differences between Hellhammer's and Mikkey Dee's drum kits?** A: Hellhammer plays Sonor SQ2 Heavy Beech with Paiste cymbals, while Mikkey Dee uses Yamaha Recording Custom 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. Mikkey Dee plays a Yamaha Recording Custom / Oak Custom kit built around a single 24" bass drum with a Yamaha Recording Custom Aluminum or Brass 14x6.5" snare, and Zildjian A Custom cymbals (15" A New Beat Hi-Hats, 18"-20" A Custom Crashes, 22" A Custom Medium Ride, 18" A Custom China, 10" A Custom Splash), driven by a Yamaha FP9 / Flying Dragon pedal and Vic Firth 2B sticks. **Q: What drums does Hellhammer play vs Mikkey Dee?** A: Hellhammer plays Sonor SQ2 Heavy Beech. Mikkey Dee plays Yamaha Recording Custom. **Q: Who is the better extreme / death / black metal drummer, Hellhammer or Mikkey Dee?** A: Both are legends in their own right. Hellhammer and Mikkey Dee represent two very different definitions of extreme drumming power, both rooted in Nordic and Scandinavian metal traditions. See the full analysis at [metalforge.io/vs/hellhammer-vs-mikkey-dee](https://metalforge.io/vs/hellhammer-vs-mikkey-dee). **Q: What cymbals do Hellhammer and Mikkey Dee use?** A: Hellhammer uses Paiste (14" RUDE Hi-Hats, 18" & 19" RUDE Crashes, 20" RUDE Ride, 18" RUDE China). Mikkey Dee uses Zildjian A Custom & K Series (14" A Custom Hi-Hats, 18" & 19" A Custom Crashes, 22" K Custom Ride, 20" Oriental China). --- *Full comparison: [metalforge.io/vs/hellhammer-vs-mikkey-dee](https://metalforge.io/vs/hellhammer-vs-mikkey-dee)* *[Hellhammer drummer profile](https://metalforge.io/drummer/hellhammer)* *[Mikkey Dee drummer profile](https://metalforge.io/drummer/mikkey-dee)* --- *Last updated: 2026-07-08 · Source: [MetalForge.io](https://metalforge.io)*