Dave Lombardo vs Chris Adler — Drum Gear Comparison | MetalForge
Side-by-side gear: Dave Lombardo (Slayer) vs Chris Adler (Lamb of God). Kits, cymbals, pedals, sticks — compare specs and prices.
Frequently Asked Questions
What drum kit does Dave Lombardo use?
Dave Lombardo uses Tama Starclassic Maple with Paiste RUDE & 2002 Series (15" Sound Edge Hi-Hats, 18" & 19" Crashes, 22" Reign Power Ride, 18" China). Dave Lombardo plays a Tama Starclassic Maple drum kit with a Tama S.L.P. 14x6.5" G-Maple snare and Paiste RUDE & 2002 Series cymbals (15" Sound Edge Hi-Hats, 18" & 19" Crashes, 22" Reign Power Ride, 18" China), driven by a Tama Iron Cobra 900 double pedal and Promark Dave Lombardo Signature 2Bx sticks. Chris Adler plays a Mapex Black Panther Design Lab kit with a Mapex Chris Adler Signature 14x5.5" Walnut/Maple snare and Meinl Byzance Series cymbals (14" Dark Hi-Hats, 18" & 19" Dark Crashes, 21" Transition Ride, 18" Extra Dry China), driven by a Mapex Falcon double pedal and Promark TX5AXW Chris Adler Signature sticks.
What drum kit does Chris Adler use?
Chris Adler uses Mapex Black Panther Design Lab with Meinl Byzance Series (14" Dark Hi-Hats, 18" & 19" Dark Crashes, 21" Transition Ride, 18" Extra Dry China). Dave Lombardo plays a Tama Starclassic Maple drum kit with a Tama S.L.P. 14x6.5" G-Maple snare and Paiste RUDE & 2002 Series cymbals (15" Sound Edge Hi-Hats, 18" & 19" Crashes, 22" Reign Power Ride, 18" China), driven by a Tama Iron Cobra 900 double pedal and Promark Dave Lombardo Signature 2Bx sticks. Chris Adler plays a Mapex Black Panther Design Lab kit with a Mapex Chris Adler Signature 14x5.5" Walnut/Maple snare and Meinl Byzance Series cymbals (14" Dark Hi-Hats, 18" & 19" Dark Crashes, 21" Transition Ride, 18" Extra Dry China), driven by a Mapex Falcon double pedal and Promark TX5AXW Chris Adler Signature sticks.
Which is better, Dave Lombardo or Chris Adler?
Dave Lombardo and Chris Adler represent two foundational eras of American metal drumming. Lombardo is thrash metal's founding architect — his raw, propulsive double bass work on Slayer's classic albums essentially invented the vocabulary that extreme metal drumming still speaks today. Adler is groove metal's technical perfectionist — his razor-precise triplet grooves with Lamb of God built a new, tightly engineered evolution of that vocabulary for a new generation. Both are Grammy-nominated, both are endlessly cited as influences, and both answer "who is the better thrash/groove metal drummer?" from opposite ends of the same lineage: Lombardo the inventor, Adler the refiner.