Hellhammer vs Dave Lombardo — Drum Gear Comparison | MetalForge
Side-by-side gear: Hellhammer (Mayhem) vs Dave Lombardo (Slayer). 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's "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas" setup was a developing-endorsement Sonor 5-piece shell pack with a Sonor 14"x5.5" steel snare tuned bright for crack, since grown into the Sonor SQ2 Heavy Beech series since 1999 for his Dimmu Borgir work. Dave Lombardo was on a Pearl kit during Slayer's "Reign in Blood" era (1986) before his later long-running switch to Tama; he now plays Tama Starclassic Maple drums with Paiste RUDE Series cymbals and Tama Iron Cobra double pedals, the setup behind his more recent riff-locked attack.
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). Hellhammer's "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas" setup was a developing-endorsement Sonor 5-piece shell pack with a Sonor 14"x5.5" steel snare tuned bright for crack, since grown into the Sonor SQ2 Heavy Beech series since 1999 for his Dimmu Borgir work. Dave Lombardo was on a Pearl kit during Slayer's "Reign in Blood" era (1986) before his later long-running switch to Tama; he now plays Tama Starclassic Maple drums with Paiste RUDE Series cymbals and Tama Iron Cobra double pedals, the setup behind his more recent riff-locked attack.
Which is better, Hellhammer or Dave Lombardo?
Hellhammer and Dave Lombardo are genre-founding figures from two different eras and continents of extreme metal. Hellhammer built black metal's blast-beat blueprint out of Norway's early-1990s scene, chasing cold, atmospheric speed. Lombardo built thrash and death metal's double bass vocabulary out of Slayer's 1980s Los Angeles scene, chasing groove-driven aggression. Neither approach replaces the other — together they represent the two poles that define how extreme metal drumming evolved from its earliest days to today.