Martin Axenrot vs Martin Lopez — Drum Gear Comparison | MetalForge
Side-by-side gear: Martin Axenrot (Opeth) vs Martin Lopez (Soen / ex-Opeth). Kits, cymbals, pedals, sticks — compare specs and prices.
Frequently Asked Questions
What drum kit does Martin Axenrot use?
Martin Axenrot uses DW (Drum Workshop) — custom, maple/gum shells with SABIAN HHX / AAX Series (HHX Groove Hats, HHX Evolution O-Zone Crash, HHX Legacy Ride, HHX Chinese, AAX Splash). Martin Lopez plays Noble & Cooley Walnut drums with a Noble & Cooley Solid Shell 14"×6" Maple snare, Zildjian K Dark Series cymbals (14" K Dark Thin Hi-Hats, 18" & 20" K Dark Medium Thin Crashes, 22" K Dark Light Ride, 18" K China), Axis Percussion double pedal, and Vic Firth American Classic 5A sticks. Martin Axenrot plays a custom hand-made DW kit with maple/gum shells, per his own account in a 2016 MusicRadar interview, with SABIAN HHX/AAX cymbals (HHX Groove Hats, HHX Evolution O-Zone Crash, HHX Legacy Ride, AAX Splash) per SABIAN's own artist page, and Pro-Mark sticks. His hardware setup has not been independently verified.
What drum kit does Martin Lopez use?
Martin Lopez uses Noble & Cooley Walnut with Zildjian K Dark Series (14" K Dark Thin Hi-Hats, 18" & 20" K Dark Medium Thin Crashes, 22" K Dark Light Ride, 18" K China). Martin Lopez plays Noble & Cooley Walnut drums with a Noble & Cooley Solid Shell 14"×6" Maple snare, Zildjian K Dark Series cymbals (14" K Dark Thin Hi-Hats, 18" & 20" K Dark Medium Thin Crashes, 22" K Dark Light Ride, 18" K China), Axis Percussion double pedal, and Vic Firth American Classic 5A sticks. Martin Axenrot plays a custom hand-made DW kit with maple/gum shells, per his own account in a 2016 MusicRadar interview, with SABIAN HHX/AAX cymbals (HHX Groove Hats, HHX Evolution O-Zone Crash, HHX Legacy Ride, AAX Splash) per SABIAN's own artist page, and Pro-Mark sticks. His hardware setup has not been independently verified.
Which is better, Martin Axenrot or Martin Lopez?
Martin Lopez and Martin Axenrot represent Opeth's two defining drumming eras, separated by a 2006 mid-tour health crisis that could have derailed the band entirely. Lopez's jazz-tinged finesse defined Opeth's classic death-metal-meets-progressive-rock identity across six landmark albums. Axenrot's heavier, twin-kick attack carried the band through its most dramatic stylistic evolution and has now outlasted his predecessor's tenure. Together they answer one of progressive metal's most persistent succession questions: who replaced Martin Lopez in Opeth?