As the drummer for thrash metal icons Anthrax, Charlie Benante is well known for his speed, clarity, and pummeling attack. Benante was one of the first players to popularize thrash metal techniques like the use of double kicks and blast beats.
A lesser player can easily make such rapid-fire hits sound messy and ill-defined. One of the most important ways to ensure your snare is crisp and your kicks are tight is to get the right-sized drums and tune them properly. Luckily for all you would-be thrashers out there, Benante himself is here to show you how to set up your kit.
The foundation of the sound is two 22x18" bass drums (or one with a double bass pedal). Place a small pillow or towel inside for muffling. You’ll want ported resonant heads and heavy duty two-ply batter hands to withstand all the 16th-note patterns. Tune the bass drum medium-low for a short, punchy attack.
Use a 14x6.5" steel snare with die-cast hoops, which usually have less sustain than triple-flange hoops. Each hit will decay more quickly and stay out of the way of the next hit. You’ll want a clear resonant head on the snare-side and two-ply coated head on the batter side. Tune the drum fairly tight for a crisp, snappy tone.
For toms, use two or three medium-sized toms, ranging in size from 10" to 13". Put single ply clear resonant heads on the bottoms and heavy two-ply batter heads on the top. For floor toms, Benante uses a 14" alongside an 18" drum, again with clear, one-ply resonant heads and two-ply batter heads.
Tune the toms wide-open, with no muffling whatsoever. But keep the resonant heads tuned tighter than the batter heads. This will give the drums shorter sustain and jazzy overtones. For cymbals, Benante uses 13" to 14" heavy hi-hats, large, heavy crash cymbals of various sizes (18" and 20" should be good), a 20" to 22" power or heavy ride, and an 18" to 20" china cymbal.
Be sure to check out the full video above to watch Benante bash his way through Anthrax’s "A.I.R." and "Only." And check out records the drummer, guitarist, and composer has made not only with Anthrax but also with Stormtroopers of Death on Reverb LP.