# Tomas Haake vs Blake Richardson — Polymetric Grid vs Progressive Chaos | MetalForge > Side-by-side comparison between Tomas Haake (Meshuggah) and Blake Richardson (Between the Buried and Me). **Category:** Progressive Metal · **URL:** https://metalforge.io/vs/tomas-haake-vs-blake-richardson Two rhythm architects who operate at the extreme limits of technical modern metal drumming — from opposite philosophical poles. Tomas Haake invented djent drumming with Meshuggah, building mathematical polyrhythmic machines across sustained odd time signatures. Blake Richardson drives Between the Buried and Me's progressive chaos — genre-defying compositions that fuse death metal blast beats, jazz sophistication, and experimental textures within single songs. --- ## At a Glance | Spec | Tomas Haake | Blake Richardson | |------|-------------|-----------------| | Drums | Sonor SQ2 Heavy Beech | Tama Starclassic Bubinga | | Cymbals | Sabian HHX & AAX Series | Meinl Byzance Series | | Snare | Sonor Signature 14x6" | Tama Starphonic 14x6.5" | | Pedals | Two Tama Speed Cobra single pedals | Pearl Demon Drive Double Pedal | | Sticks | Vic Firth Tomas Haake Signature | Vater Custom | --- ## Gear Deep Dive ### Tomas Haake Setup - **Drums:** Sonor SQ2 Heavy Beech (24"×18" Bass Drums ×2, 10"×8", 12"×9", 14"×12", 16"×16", 18"×16" Toms) - **Cymbals:** Sabian (14" HHX Stage Hi-Hats, 16" & 18" AAX X-Plosion Crashes, 21" HHX Raw Bell Dry Ride, 18" AAX O-Zone Crash/Ride) - **Snare:** Sonor Tomas Haake Signature 14x6" - **Pedals/Hardware:** Two Tama Speed Cobra 910 single pedals (run independently, not as a double-pedal unit), Sonor 2000 Series Hardware - **Sticks:** Vic Firth Tomas Haake Signature Tomas Haake's Sonor SQ2 Heavy Beech configuration is built for absolute tonal consistency and maximum projection. The Heavy Beech shell construction delivers more weight and density than standard maple — suited to the sustained polyrhythmic wall of sound Meshuggah requires live. His unconventional two-single-pedal setup is the critical piece: by running two separate Tama Speed Cobra 910 pedals rather than a single double-pedal unit, each foot operates with distinct mechanical feel and independent rebound response. This physical separation allows him to lock his kick patterns into polyrhythmic grids that run independent of the guitar riff cycles — the foundational technique of djent drumming. Sabian HHX cymbals provide a dark, focused attack that cuts through Meshuggah's down-tuned guitar frequencies without clashing. ### Blake Richardson Setup - **Drums:** Tama Starclassic Bubinga (22"×18" Bass Drum, 10"×8", 12"×9", 14"×12", 16"×14" Toms) - **Cymbals:** Meinl Byzance Series (14" Byzance Traditional Hi-Hats, 17" & 18" Byzance Dark Crashes, 21" Byzance Brilliant Ride, 18" Byzance Dark China) - **Snare:** Tama Starphonic 14x6.5" Bubinga - **Pedals/Hardware:** Pearl Demon Drive Double Pedal, Tama Iron Cobra Hardware - **Sticks:** Vater Custom Blake Richardson's Tama Starclassic Bubinga setup prioritizes tonal warmth and musical versatility — the dense, focused tone of Bubinga shells suits BTBAM's wide dynamic range, from whisper-quiet jazz passages to full-tilt death metal blast beats within a single composition. Meinl Byzance cymbals deliver a complex, multi-layered sound with musical overtones that work across the genre-spanning demands of BTBAM's arrangements. The Pearl Demon Drive double pedal provides the mechanical precision needed for Richardson's jazz-influenced ghost notes and sudden blast beat transitions. Unlike Haake's separation philosophy, Richardson uses a standard double-pedal unit — his independence is built on musical feel rather than mechanical separation. --- ## Style & Technique Comparison Tomas Haake's drumming is the foundation of Meshuggah's entire aesthetic. His polyrhythmic grids — kick patterns that cycle across 17-beat phrases over a 4/4 framework, hi-hat patterns running independent time signatures simultaneously — are not simply technically complex; they define a mathematical approach to rhythm that created the djent movement. What makes Haake's playing extraordinary is the machine-like consistency he maintains across full-length performances: Meshuggah songs can sustain polyrhythmic complexity for eight minutes or more, and Haake holds the grid without deviation. His playing is predictable in the best possible sense — precision is the art form. Albums like *ObZen* (2008) and *Koloss* (2012) are his definitive statements. Blake Richardson operates at the opposite philosophical pole. BTBAM's music demands constant genre navigation — songs like "Ants of the Sky" or "The Parallax II: Future Sequence" shift from death metal to jazz to prog rock to ambient within single compositions, and Richardson must execute each transition with musical authority. His technique is informed by jazz — ghost notes, syncopation, and dynamic shaping are central to his approach — and he applies that vocabulary to the most technically demanding progressive metal context in the genre. Where Haake builds walls, Richardson paints landscapes. *Colors* (2007) and *The Great Misdirect* (2009) showcase his full range. Both Haake and Richardson operate at the extreme limits of rhythmic sophistication, but their complexity serves entirely different goals: Haake's is hypnotic and mathematical; Richardson's is narrative and transformational. --- ## Key Differences Haake's two-single-pedal approach is the most distinctive technical choice in modern metal drumming — the independent mechanical feel of each pedal allows polyrhythmic kick independence that a shared double-pedal unit doesn't replicate. Richardson's Pearl Demon Drive double pedal serves a different function: speed and consistency for blast beats and jazz-influenced foot patterns across BTBAM's wide tempo range. The shell materials tell the story of two different priorities: Haake's Sonor SQ2 Heavy Beech maximizes density and projection for a band whose live sound is a wall of polyrhythmic noise. Richardson's Tama Starclassic Bubinga prioritizes tonal warmth and musicality for a band that lives across many sonic textures. Sabian HHX vs Meinl Byzance represents another philosophical divergence: Haake's HHX cymbals are controlled and focused, cutting through Meshuggah's dense guitar frequencies. Richardson's Byzance cymbals are complex and musical, adapting to the shifting sonic demands of BTBAM's genre-spanning arrangements. --- ## Influence & Legacy Tomas Haake pioneered the djent movement — his polyrhythmic approach with Meshuggah directly inspired Periphery, Animals as Leaders, TesseracT, and an entire wave of modern metal drummers who built careers on the mathematical rhythmic language he invented. He is the single most-cited influence in modern progressive metal drumming. His 7 existing comparison pairs at MetalForge are the most of any drummer in the database — testament to his centrality in modern metal drumming discourse. Blake Richardson influenced a generation of progressive metal drummers who treat odd time signatures as a natural language rather than a technical showcase. His ability to navigate BTBAM's extreme compositional demands while maintaining musical feel has made him a benchmark for technical progressive metal drumming. The lick analysis content documenting his technique (batch 16) reflects the sustained search interest in his playing. --- ## Verdict Tomas Haake and Blake Richardson are the two great rhythm architects of technical modern metal. Haake builds mathematical polyrhythmic machines with Meshuggah — locked-in, predictable, and hypnotically complex. Richardson builds progressive chaos engines with BTBAM — fluid, unpredictable, and genre-defying. Both operate at the extreme limits of rhythmic sophistication, but from opposite philosophical poles: mathematical precision vs organic complexity. The "most complex metal drummer" debate is incomplete without both names — and the answer depends entirely on how you define complexity. --- ## FAQ **Q: Who is more complex: Tomas Haake or Blake Richardson?** A: Both represent the outer limits of rhythmic complexity in different ways. Haake's complexity lies in sustained polyrhythmic precision across Meshuggah's extended time signatures — mathematical, repeating, and hypnotic. Richardson's complexity lies in navigating BTBAM's rapid genre changes and intricate compositions — musical, transformational, and narrative. They are complex in entirely different dimensions. **Q: What drums do Tomas Haake and Blake Richardson play?** A: Tomas Haake plays Sonor SQ2 Heavy Beech drums with Sabian HHX & AAX cymbals. Blake Richardson plays Tama Starclassic Bubinga drums with Meinl Byzance cymbals. **Q: Why does Tomas Haake use two single pedals instead of a double pedal?** A: Tomas Haake prefers the independent mechanical response of two separate Tama Speed Cobra 910 single pedals over a shared beam, giving each foot distinct feel and allowing him to achieve the polyrhythmic kick independence that defines Meshuggah's drumming. The mechanical separation is central to his technique, not just a preference. **Q: What bands are Tomas Haake and Blake Richardson known for?** A: Tomas Haake is the drummer for Meshuggah, widely credited as the architect of djent drumming. Blake Richardson is the drummer for Between the Buried and Me (BTBAM), known for progressive metal albums like *Colors* (2007) and *The Great Misdirect* (2009). --- *Full comparison: [metalforge.io/vs/tomas-haake-vs-blake-richardson](https://metalforge.io/vs/tomas-haake-vs-blake-richardson)* *[Tomas Haake drummer profile](https://metalforge.io/drummer/tomas-haake)* *[Blake Richardson drummer profile](https://metalforge.io/drummer/blake-richardson)* --- *Last updated: 2026-06-27 · Source: [MetalForge.io](https://metalforge.io)*