Hellhammer vs George Kollias — Drum Gear Comparison | MetalForge
Side-by-side gear: Hellhammer (Mayhem) vs George Kollias (Nile). 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" rig was a developing-endorsement Sonor 5-piece shell pack with a Sonor 14"x5.5" steel snare tuned bright for crack; his modern kit has been the Sonor SQ2 Heavy Beech series since 1999 for his Dimmu Borgir symphonic work. George Kollias plays a Pearl Masterworks Stadium Exotic kit with a Pearl George Kollias Signature 14"x6.5" snare and Zildjian cymbals (14" K Mastersound Hi-Hats, 17" & 18" K Custom Dark Crashes, 21" A Custom Mega Bell Ride, 18" China), driven by his co-designed Pearl Demon XR double pedal and Vic Firth George Kollias Signature SGK sticks.
What drum kit does George Kollias use?
George Kollias uses Pearl Masterworks Stadium Exotic (Piano Black with Gold Hardware) with Zildjian (14" K Mastersound Hi-Hats, 17" & 18" K Custom Dark Crashes, 21" A Custom Mega Bell Ride, 18" China). Hellhammer's "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas" rig was a developing-endorsement Sonor 5-piece shell pack with a Sonor 14"x5.5" steel snare tuned bright for crack; his modern kit has been the Sonor SQ2 Heavy Beech series since 1999 for his Dimmu Borgir symphonic work. George Kollias plays a Pearl Masterworks Stadium Exotic kit with a Pearl George Kollias Signature 14"x6.5" snare and Zildjian cymbals (14" K Mastersound Hi-Hats, 17" & 18" K Custom Dark Crashes, 21" A Custom Mega Bell Ride, 18" China), driven by his co-designed Pearl Demon XR double pedal and Vic Firth George Kollias Signature SGK sticks.
Which is better, Hellhammer or George Kollias?
Hellhammer and George Kollias sit at opposite ends of extreme metal's blast-beat lineage. Hellhammer helped invent the technique in a raw, atmosphere-driven black metal context in the late 1980s and early 1990s. George Kollias took blast beats into technical death metal's most demanding territory, sustaining them past 240 BPM with heel-toe precision refined since 2004. Comparing them is a natural "who's faster, who's more extreme" pairing — but really it's a study in how one foundational technique evolved across two generations and two genres.