Jocke Wallgren vs Charlie Benante — Drum Gear Comparison | MetalForge
Side-by-side gear: Jocke Wallgren (Amon Amarth) vs Charlie Benante (Anthrax / S.O.D. / Pantera). Kits, cymbals, pedals, sticks — compare specs and prices.
Frequently Asked Questions
What drum kit does Jocke Wallgren use?
Jocke Wallgren uses Pearl Reference Pure with Zildjian A Custom & K Custom Series (14" A Custom Hi-Hats, 18" & 19" A Custom Crashes, 21" K Custom Ride). Charlie Benante plays a Tama Starclassic kit with a Tama Charlie Benante Signature 14x6.5" snare and Paiste RUDE & 2002 Series cymbals (14" Hi-Hats, 18" & 19" Crashes, 20" Power Ride, 18" China), driven by a Tama Speed Cobra double pedal with Roland electronics and Vic Firth Charlie Benante Signature sticks. Jocke Wallgren plays a Pearl Reference Pure kit with a Pearl Reference 14x6.5" Brass snare and Zildjian A Custom & K Custom Series cymbals (14" A Custom Hi-Hats, 18" & 19" A Custom Crashes, 21" K Custom Ride), driven by a Pearl Demon Drive double pedal and Vic Firth American Classic 5B sticks.
What drum kit does Charlie Benante use?
Charlie Benante uses Tama Starclassic with Paiste RUDE & 2002 Series (14" Hi-Hats, 18" & 19" Crashes, 20" Power Ride, 18" China). Charlie Benante plays a Tama Starclassic kit with a Tama Charlie Benante Signature 14x6.5" snare and Paiste RUDE & 2002 Series cymbals (14" Hi-Hats, 18" & 19" Crashes, 20" Power Ride, 18" China), driven by a Tama Speed Cobra double pedal with Roland electronics and Vic Firth Charlie Benante Signature sticks. Jocke Wallgren plays a Pearl Reference Pure kit with a Pearl Reference 14x6.5" Brass snare and Zildjian A Custom & K Custom Series cymbals (14" A Custom Hi-Hats, 18" & 19" A Custom Crashes, 21" K Custom Ride), driven by a Pearl Demon Drive double pedal and Vic Firth American Classic 5B sticks.
Which is better, Jocke Wallgren or Charlie Benante?
Jocke Wallgren and Charlie Benante embody two distinct heavy metal drumming traditions rather than a direct rivalry. Benante is a founding thrash metal architect whose blast beat pioneering and East Coast crossover energy shaped an entire genre across four decades with Anthrax. Wallgren is the modern melodic death metal groove specialist keeping Amon Amarth's Viking metal sound charting in the 2020s. Comparing them is comparing thrash metal's syncopated power to melodic death metal's anthemic drive — different traditions, both essential to heavy metal's drumming vocabulary.