Nick Augusto vs Jason Bittner — Drum Gear Comparison | MetalForge
Side-by-side gear: Nick Augusto (ex-Trivium) vs Jason Bittner (Shadows Fall / Overkill / Category 7). Kits, cymbals, pedals, sticks — compare specs and prices.
Frequently Asked Questions
What drum kit does Nick Augusto use?
Nick Augusto uses Pearl Reference Pure with Sabian AAX Series (14" Stage Hi-Hats, 18" & 19" X-Plosion Crashes, 21" Stage Ride, 18" AAXtreme China). Nick Augusto played a Pearl Reference Pure kit with a Pearl Reference 14x6.5" brass snare and Sabian AAX Series cymbals (14" Stage Hi-Hats, 18" & 19" X-Plosion Crashes, 21" Stage Ride, 18" AAXtreme China), powered by a Pearl Demon Drive double pedal and Vic Firth American Classic 5B sticks. Jason Bittner's current Overkill-era rig centers on Mapex Saturn V all-maple shells and Zildjian K & A Custom cymbals, driven by a Mapex Falcon double pedal and his own Promark Jason Bittner Signature 5BX sticks — a wholesale Mapex/Zildjian switch he made in 2017 after nearly two decades on Tama and Sabian gear during his Shadows Fall years.
What drum kit does Jason Bittner use?
Jason Bittner uses Mapex Saturn V with Zildjian K & A Custom Series (14" K Hi-Hats, 18" & 19" A Custom Crashes, 21" K Custom Ride, 18" K China). Nick Augusto played a Pearl Reference Pure kit with a Pearl Reference 14x6.5" brass snare and Sabian AAX Series cymbals (14" Stage Hi-Hats, 18" & 19" X-Plosion Crashes, 21" Stage Ride, 18" AAXtreme China), powered by a Pearl Demon Drive double pedal and Vic Firth American Classic 5B sticks. Jason Bittner's current Overkill-era rig centers on Mapex Saturn V all-maple shells and Zildjian K & A Custom cymbals, driven by a Mapex Falcon double pedal and his own Promark Jason Bittner Signature 5BX sticks — a wholesale Mapex/Zildjian switch he made in 2017 after nearly two decades on Tama and Sabian gear during his Shadows Fall years.
Which is better, Nick Augusto or Jason Bittner?
Nick Augusto and Jason Bittner both built their reputations powering thrash-adjacent metalcore, but on very different timelines. Augusto's five-year Trivium run was a compact, high-intensity chapter that sharpened the band's thrash edge before he moved on. Bittner's career spans over two decades and two distinct chairs — Shadows Fall's Grammy-nominated metalcore breakthrough and, later, a full pivot into Overkill's classic thrash lineage. The debate is a focused metalcore tenure versus a career-long thrash-metalcore journeyman's staying power.