Aquiles Priester vs Blake Richardson — Drum Gear Comparison | MetalForge
Side-by-side gear: Aquiles Priester (Angra / W.A.S.P.) vs Blake Richardson (Between the Buried and Me). Kits, cymbals, pedals, sticks — compare specs and prices.
Frequently Asked Questions
What drum kit does Aquiles Priester use?
Aquiles Priester uses Pearl Reference Series with Sabian HHX & AAX Series (14" HHX Evolution Hi-Hats, 18" & 19" HHX X-Plosion Crashes, 21" HHX Groove Ride, 18" AAX Chinese). Aquiles Priester plays his own Mapex Saturn Evolution All Maple signature kit with Paiste cymbals (a custom red-coated set including his 18" Psychoctopus Giga Bell Ride), powered by a DW 9000 Series double pedal built for sustained high-speed double bass work. Blake Richardson plays a Tama Starclassic Bubinga kit with a Tama STARPHONIC 14x6" Brass snare and Sabian cymbals (including 17" and 21" AAX Holy Chinas), driven by twin Tama Iron Cobra Power Glide single pedals for independent double-kick patterns.
What drum kit does Blake Richardson use?
Blake Richardson uses Tama Starclassic Bubinga (Custom Finish) with Sabian (14" HHX Evolution Hi-Hats, 18" HHX Evolution Crash, 17" & 21" AAX Holy Chinas, 21" HH Raw Bell Dry Ride, 10" HH Duo Splash, 9" Radia Cup Chime). Aquiles Priester plays his own Mapex Saturn Evolution All Maple signature kit with Paiste cymbals (a custom red-coated set including his 18" Psychoctopus Giga Bell Ride), powered by a DW 9000 Series double pedal built for sustained high-speed double bass work. Blake Richardson plays a Tama Starclassic Bubinga kit with a Tama STARPHONIC 14x6" Brass snare and Sabian cymbals (including 17" and 21" AAX Holy Chinas), driven by twin Tama Iron Cobra Power Glide single pedals for independent double-kick patterns.
Which is better, Aquiles Priester or Blake Richardson?
Aquiles Priester and Blake Richardson represent two of extreme-technical metal drumming's most celebrated traditions. Priester is power metal's neoclassical speed virtuoso, built for blazing double bass and energetic showmanship across Angra's melodic, soaring compositions. Richardson is progressive metal's genre-blending complexity pioneer, fusing death metal brutality with jazz-informed odd-meter intricacy across two decades with Between the Buried and Me. Both answer the question of who represents the best progressive/power metal drummer comparison — Priester through speed and melody, Richardson through compositional complexity.