Jaska Raatikainen vs Bill Ward — Drum Gear Comparison | MetalForge
Side-by-side gear: Jaska Raatikainen (Children of Bodom) vs Bill Ward (Black Sabbath). Kits, cymbals, pedals, sticks — compare specs and prices.
Frequently Asked Questions
What drum kit does Jaska Raatikainen use?
Jaska Raatikainen uses Pearl Masters Premium Maple with Zildjian A Custom & K Custom Series (14" A Custom Hi-Hats, 17" & 18" A Custom Crashes, 20" K Custom Ride). Raatikainen played a Pearl Masters Premium Maple kit with a Pearl Masters 14x5.5" Maple snare and Zildjian A Custom & K Custom cymbals, powered by a Pearl Eliminator double pedal. 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 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). Raatikainen played a Pearl Masters Premium Maple kit with a Pearl Masters 14x5.5" Maple snare and Zildjian A Custom & K Custom cymbals, powered by a Pearl Eliminator double pedal. 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 pedal.
Which is better, Jaska Raatikainen or Bill Ward?
Jaska Raatikainen and Bill Ward sit at opposite ends of heavy metal drumming's five-decade evolution. Ward invented the jazz-swung, single-pedal foundation of heavy metal drumming in 1968, prioritizing feel and space over speed. Raatikainen took that lineage to its technical extreme, driving Children of Bodom's blast-beat-and-double-bass melodic death metal with surgical precision for 26 years. Both remain foundational voices in their eras — one wrote metal drumming's first chapter, the other pushed it toward its most demanding modern form.