Ben Koller vs Blake Richardson — Drum Gear Comparison | MetalForge
Side-by-side gear: Ben Koller (Converge / Mutoid Man / Killer Be Killed) vs Blake Richardson (Between the Buried and Me). Kits, cymbals, pedals, sticks — compare specs and prices.
Frequently Asked Questions
What drum kit does Ben Koller use?
Ben Koller uses Tama Starclassic Maple with Zildjian (14" K Dark Thin Hi-Hats, 18" & 19" K Dark Medium Thin Crashes, 21" K Custom Ride, 18" K China). Ben Koller plays a Tama Starclassic Maple kit with a Tama S.L.P. 14x6" Brass snare and Zildjian K Dark Series cymbals (14" K Dark Thin Hi-Hats, 18" & 19" K Dark Medium Thin Crashes, 21" K Custom Ride, 18" K China), driven by a Tama Iron Cobra 900 double pedal and Vic Firth American Classic 5B sticks. Blake Richardson plays a Tama Starclassic Bubinga kit in a custom finish with a Tama STARPHONIC 14x6" Brass snare and Sabian cymbals (14" HHX Evolution Hi-Hats, 18" HHX Evolution Crash, 17" & 21" AAX Holy Chinas, 21" HH Raw Bell Dry Ride), powered by twin Tama Iron Cobra Power Glide single pedals and Vic Firth American Classic 3A sticks.
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). Ben Koller plays a Tama Starclassic Maple kit with a Tama S.L.P. 14x6" Brass snare and Zildjian K Dark Series cymbals (14" K Dark Thin Hi-Hats, 18" & 19" K Dark Medium Thin Crashes, 21" K Custom Ride, 18" K China), driven by a Tama Iron Cobra 900 double pedal and Vic Firth American Classic 5B sticks. Blake Richardson plays a Tama Starclassic Bubinga kit in a custom finish with a Tama STARPHONIC 14x6" Brass snare and Sabian cymbals (14" HHX Evolution Hi-Hats, 18" HHX Evolution Crash, 17" & 21" AAX Holy Chinas, 21" HH Raw Bell Dry Ride), powered by twin Tama Iron Cobra Power Glide single pedals and Vic Firth American Classic 3A sticks.
Which is better, Ben Koller or Blake Richardson?
Ben Koller and Blake Richardson sit at opposite ends of technical extreme music's spectrum. Koller channels chaos and raw emotional intensity into Converge's unpredictable mathcore assault — his playing feels dangerous because it is built to feel uncontrolled even when it isn't. Richardson channels composed, almost architectural complexity into Between the Buried and Me's genre-hopping progressive epics — his playing feels inevitable because every metric modulation is meticulously arranged. Both are among the most technically demanding drummers in modern heavy music, and the "who is more technically demanding" debate ultimately comes down to whether you value Koller's visceral unpredictability or Richardson's compositional precision.