Gene Hoglan vs Pete Sandoval — Drum Gear Comparison | MetalForge
Side-by-side gear: Gene Hoglan (Death / Testament / Dethklok) vs Pete Sandoval (Morbid Angel). Kits, cymbals, pedals, sticks — compare specs and prices.
Frequently Asked Questions
What drum kit does Gene Hoglan use?
Gene Hoglan uses Pearl Reference Pure with Sabian AAX Series (15" Hi-Hats, 18" & 20" Crashes, 22" Ride, 20" China). Gene Hoglan plays a Pearl Reference Pure kit — a maple/mahogany hybrid shell chosen for tonal clarity at extreme tempos — with a Pearl Reference 14x6.5" Brass snare and Sabian AAX Series cymbals, driven by a Pearl Demon Drive double pedal and Promark 5B sticks. Pete Sandoval played a ddrum Dios Series kit with a ddrum Dios 14x6.5" Maple snare and Sabian AAX Series cymbals, driven by a ddrum Mercury double pedal — the gravity-blast-friendly action essential to his gravity blast technique.
What drum kit does Pete Sandoval use?
Pete Sandoval uses ddrum (specific series unconfirmed) with Cymbal brand/model not publicly documented. Gene Hoglan plays a Pearl Reference Pure kit — a maple/mahogany hybrid shell chosen for tonal clarity at extreme tempos — with a Pearl Reference 14x6.5" Brass snare and Sabian AAX Series cymbals, driven by a Pearl Demon Drive double pedal and Promark 5B sticks. Pete Sandoval played a ddrum Dios Series kit with a ddrum Dios 14x6.5" Maple snare and Sabian AAX Series cymbals, driven by a ddrum Mercury double pedal — the gravity-blast-friendly action essential to his gravity blast technique.
Which is better, Gene Hoglan or Pete Sandoval?
Gene Hoglan and Pete Sandoval represent extreme metal's two poles of speed. Hoglan is "The Atomic Clock" — precision, endurance, and musicality across a genre-spanning career from thrash to progressive death metal to animated death metal with Dethklok. Sandoval is the gravity blast pioneer — pure, relentless velocity that redefined what a human drummer could physically sustain on classic Morbid Angel records. Hoglan's case rests on versatility and longevity; Sandoval's rests on inventing the technique that still defines extreme-speed drumming today.