Hellhammer vs Bill Ward — Drum Gear Comparison | MetalForge
Side-by-side gear: Hellhammer (Mayhem) vs Bill Ward (Black Sabbath). Kits, cymbals, pedals, sticks — compare specs and prices.
Frequently Asked Questions
What drum kit does Hellhammer use?
Hellhammer uses Sonor SQ2 Heavy Beech with Paiste (14" RUDE Hi-Hats, 18" & 19" RUDE Crashes, 20" RUDE Ride, 18" RUDE China). Hellhammer plays a Sonor SQ2 Heavy Beech kit with a Sonor SQ2 Heavy Beech snare and Paiste RUDE Series cymbals, driven by an Axis Double Pedal and Vic Firth American Classic 5B sticks — an evolution from the developing-endorsement Sonor kit and Ludwig Acrolite snare he used on "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas." Ward played a Ludwig Classic Maple kit with a Ludwig Supraphonic 14x6.5" LM402 snare and Zildjian Avedis Series cymbals, including a 20" ride, driven by a single Ludwig Speed King pedal.
What drum kit does Bill Ward use?
Bill Ward uses Ludwig Classic Maple with Paiste 2002 & Giant Beat Series (15" Giant Beat Hi-Hats, 18" & 20" 2002 Crashes, 24" 2002 Ride, 18" 2002 China). Hellhammer plays a Sonor SQ2 Heavy Beech kit with a Sonor SQ2 Heavy Beech snare and Paiste RUDE Series cymbals, driven by an Axis Double Pedal and Vic Firth American Classic 5B sticks — an evolution from the developing-endorsement Sonor kit and Ludwig Acrolite snare he used on "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas." Ward played a Ludwig Classic Maple kit with a Ludwig Supraphonic 14x6.5" LM402 snare and Zildjian Avedis Series cymbals, including a 20" ride, driven by a single Ludwig Speed King pedal.
Which is better, Hellhammer or Bill Ward?
Hellhammer and Bill Ward sit at opposite ends of heavy metal drumming's evolution, separated by genre and generation but linked by the same instinct to push the instrument's expressive limits. Ward invented metal's jazz-swung, single-pedal foundation in 1968, prioritizing feel and dynamics over speed. Hellhammer took the genre's extremity to its logical conclusion two decades later, turning blast beats into black metal's defining texture on "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas." One wrote heavy metal drumming's first chapter; the other helped write its most extreme.