# Jaska Raatikainen vs Hannes Grossmann — Drum Kit Comparison > Side-by-side gear comparison between Jaska Raatikainen (Children of Bodom) and Hannes Grossmann (Obscura / ex-Necrophagist / Alkaloid). **Category:** Extreme / Death / Black Metal · **URL:** https://metalforge.io/vs/jaska-raatikainen-vs-hannes-grossmann Children of Bodom's Jaska Raatikainen vs Alkaloid's Hannes Grossmann — melodic death metal precision versus technical death metal's polyrhythmic complexity. Gear, technique, and legacy compared. --- ## 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 ## Hannes Grossmann Setup - **Drums:** DW Collectors Series - **Cymbals:** Meinl Byzance Series (14" Byzance Traditional Hi-Hats, 18" & 19" Byzance Brilliant Crashes, 21" Byzance Traditional Ride) - **Snare:** DW Collectors 14x5.5" Maple - **Pedals/Hardware:** DW 9000 Series Double Pedal - **Sticks:** Vic Firth American Classic 5B ## Playing Style Jaska Raatikainen co-founded Finnish melodic death metal band Children of Bodom in 1993 and remained its sole drummer for the band's entire 26-year run, anchoring the neoclassical melodic death metal sound across albums from "Hatebreeder" (1999) through the band's 2019 farewell "Hexed." Hannes Grossmann built his reputation in German technical death metal, drumming for Necrophagist from 2004 to 2010, joining Obscura in 2007, and co-founding polyrhythm-heavy Alkaloid in 2014, bringing classical composition training into extreme metal's most mathematically demanding subgenre. ## Technique Raatikainen's blast beats and double bass volleys are built to serve melody, tracking the harmonic contours of Alexi Laiho's guitar and Janne Wirman's keyboard lines rather than showcasing raw velocity for its own sake. Grossmann plays with an open-handed setup and constructs polyrhythmic passages where his hands and feet occupy different meters simultaneously, delivering clean, articulate blast beats at extreme tempos that prioritize separation and clarity even inside Alkaloid's most convoluted arrangements. ## Key Differences 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), driven by a Pearl Eliminator double pedal and Vic Firth American Classic 5A sticks. Hannes Grossmann plays a DW Collector's Series kit with a matching DW Collector's 14x5.5" Maple snare and Meinl Byzance Series cymbals (14" Byzance Traditional Hi-Hats, 18" & 19" Byzance Brilliant Crashes, 21" Byzance Traditional Ride), powered by a DW 9000 Series double pedal and heavier Vic Firth American Classic 5B sticks. Raatikainen's blast beats and double bass volleys are built to serve melody, tracking the harmonic contours of Alexi Laiho's guitar and Janne Wirman's keyboard lines rather than showcasing raw velocity for its own sake. Grossmann plays with an open-handed setup and constructs polyrhythmic passages where his hands and feet occupy different meters simultaneously, delivering clean, articulate blast beats at extreme tempos that prioritize separation and clarity even inside Alkaloid's most convoluted arrangements. ## Influence & Legacy Raatikainen helped build Finland's melodic death metal scene into a global commercial force, with Children of Bodom selling over two million albums worldwide and influencing a generation of melodic death and metalcore drummers. Grossmann has become one of technical death metal's most respected craftsmen, his work across Necrophagist, Obscura, and Alkaloid pushing the genre's polyrhythmic and compositional ceiling for drummers who prize precision over pure speed. ## Verdict Jaska Raatikainen and Hannes Grossmann represent two disciplined extremes of death metal drumming. Raatikainen spent 26 years locking Children of Bodom's blast beats to Alexi Laiho's neoclassical guitar lines, proving melodic death metal could be both aggressive and tuneful. Grossmann built his career on technical death metal's outer edge with Necrophagist, Obscura, and Alkaloid, treating polyrhythm as compositional material rather than mere display. Raatikainen is melody's blast-beat guardian; Grossmann is technical death metal's polyrhythmic architect — both raised the bar for precision in extreme metal. ## FAQ **Q: What are the main differences between Jaska Raatikainen's and Hannes Grossmann's drum kits?** A: Jaska Raatikainen plays Pearl Masters Premium Maple with Zildjian cymbals, while Hannes Grossmann uses DW Collectors Series with Meinl cymbals. 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), driven by a Pearl Eliminator double pedal and Vic Firth American Classic 5A sticks. Hannes Grossmann plays a DW Collector's Series kit with a matching DW Collector's 14x5.5" Maple snare and Meinl Byzance Series cymbals (14" Byzance Traditional Hi-Hats, 18" & 19" Byzance Brilliant Crashes, 21" Byzance Traditional Ride), powered by a DW 9000 Series double pedal and heavier Vic Firth American Classic 5B sticks. **Q: What drums does Jaska Raatikainen play vs Hannes Grossmann?** A: Jaska Raatikainen plays Pearl Masters Premium Maple. Hannes Grossmann plays DW Collectors Series. **Q: Who is the better extreme / death / black metal drummer, Jaska Raatikainen or Hannes Grossmann?** A: Both are legends in their own right. Jaska Raatikainen and Hannes Grossmann represent two disciplined extremes of death metal drumming. See the full analysis at [metalforge.io/vs/jaska-raatikainen-vs-hannes-grossmann](https://metalforge.io/vs/jaska-raatikainen-vs-hannes-grossmann). **Q: What cymbals do Jaska Raatikainen and Hannes Grossmann use?** A: Jaska Raatikainen uses Zildjian A Custom & K Custom Series (14" A Custom Hi-Hats, 17" & 18" A Custom Crashes, 20" K Custom Ride). Hannes Grossmann uses Meinl Byzance Series (14" Byzance Traditional Hi-Hats, 18" & 19" Byzance Brilliant Crashes, 21" Byzance Traditional Ride). --- *Full comparison: [metalforge.io/vs/jaska-raatikainen-vs-hannes-grossmann](https://metalforge.io/vs/jaska-raatikainen-vs-hannes-grossmann)* *[Jaska Raatikainen drummer profile](https://metalforge.io/drummer/jaska-raatikainen)* *[Hannes Grossmann drummer profile](https://metalforge.io/drummer/hannes-grossmann)* --- *Last updated: 2026-07-06 · Source: [MetalForge.io](https://metalforge.io)*