Best Cymbals for Metal – Crash, Ride & Packs to Cut through the Mix!

Author: Brett Clur | Updated: | This post may contain affiliate links.

Having a sound that fits the style you’re playing is especially important when it comes to cymbal selection. While your drums will work in most situations, many cymbals won’t cut it when playing metal. They may be too soft or thin, lacking the impact needed for heavy music.

I’ve always loved how some of the best cymbals for metal are inexpensive as they’re not the top-of-the-range models on the market. Cheaper cymbals with trashy and punchy tones tend to work better.

I’m going to show you some of my favorite cymbal options that follow along these lines.

Best Cymbals for Metal - Ideal for Heavy Drumming

I’ve been a huge of fan of Meinl Cymbals for many years. I’m usually the first one to recommend their cymbals for a variety of situations. So, it’s no surprise that these Classics Custom Dark cymbals are taking the top spot in my suggestions for metal drummers.

These cymbals are specifically designed for metal drummers. They have such a unique and trashy sound that specializes them and makes them work best in metal drumming scenarios.

They’re incredibly loud, especially the crashes that open up nicely the harder you hit them. I’m surprised that they still manage to be dynamically responsive, meaning they keep their nice tones when played softly. I don’t know how Meinl does it.

The main driving point of these cymbals is their ability to cut through any mix like a hot knife through butter. The trashiness and volume can clearly be heard over heavily distorted guitars and growling vocals. They’re a lot heavier than most cymbals on the market which is the main reason for their volume.

The biggest differentiating factor between these and most cymbals is the strong black and gold finish. There’s nothing more metal than having black cymbals on your drum kit.

Some traditionalists may not like that, but I think it’s quite cool. I found that these cymbals were a lot easier to clean than traditional cymbals thanks to the black finish. I just needed to use a bit of dish soap with a sponge and they were back to how they first looked.

These are an incredibly good option for metal drumming. The problem is that each cymbal in the pack sounds quite trashy, so there’s no diversity between all the sounds.

I feel that the best way to get the most out of these cymbals is to add a few more into your setup that have different qualities. Compared to other cymbal packs, I found the Meinl Classics Custom Dark cymbals to be a bit one-dimensional.

The last thing to mention about these cymbals is the price for the set. I haven’t found any other cheaper cymbals on the market that can be used for professional situations.

Somehow, Meinl has managed to keep the price for these in the medium area when it comes to cymbal prices, making them quite affordable for a serious metal drumming setup.

PROS

  • Loud tones that cut easily through mixes
  • Very affordable
  • Unique black finish
  • Easy to clean

CONS

  • Not much diversity between sounds of the cymbals

Zildjian A Customs are legendary cymbals in the drumming community. They’ve been used on so many records that I’d argue that the A Custom is what most people think about when they think of a cymbal sound.

I’d argue that the A Custom Cymbal Set is the better option to go with over the Classics Customs Dark set if you’re looking for a more standard cymbal sound.

These cymbals aren’t as trashy. Instead, they sound more high-pitched and punchier. Their bright tone is what makes them fit so well in the metal genre. Most of them cut cleanly through mixes of instruments and provide a solid impact.

I found that the crashes get out of the way fairly quickly. It felt really good to hit them repeatedly as the short decay made aggressive crashing quite bearable to my ears.

The 18” crash is the most versatile cymbal in the set. I’ve seen so many drummers use it in different bands and styles. I feel that the 16” crash isn’t as good. It sounds quite shrill and I’m not the biggest fan of 16” crashes in general.

While the ride bell has a seriously crisp tone, it doesn’t cut as well as the bell of the Meinl Classics Custom Dark ride. I didn’t quite like that as bell tone intensity is highly important in metal drumming.

While the bell of the ride and the smaller crash were weaker points, I found that these cymbals work incredibly well together. The tones vary between each cymbal, giving you a good contrast between sounds.

I’d be very confident using just this pack for my metal drumming setup, whereas I’d want to add a few things to the Meinl pack.

PROS

  • Iconic cymbal sound
  • Bright tones that are great for metal
  • All the cymbals work very well together
  • Quick decay on the crashes

CONS

  • Ride bell doesn’t cut as much as I’d like it to

If you’re not looking for a full-on cymbal pack, an individual cymbal that I can highly suggest considering is the Sabian AAX X-Plosion crash. I see this crash as an alternative to the 18” A Custom crash.

Compared to the A Custom, I found the X-Plosion crash to be heavier with more depth to it. The sound is a lot darker and I feel it can add a good amount of variety to your cymbal setup.

I love how it has a longer sustain than all the crashes I’ve spoken about so far. While the majority of metal drumming needs short hits, sometimes you need a cymbal that will ring out and fill up the open parts of songs.

Since this crash is so thin, it doesn’t need to be hit hard to open up. The crash offers complex and dynamic tones which, I think, are great for metal music.

If I were to describe how the crash sounds as best I could, I would say that it has a good mixture of glassy and bright tones mixed with raw and trashy tones. While it’s not quite a china cymbal, I found that using it in places where I would’ve used a china worked surprisingly well.

One thing that I will say about the cymbal that I don’t like is how it isn’t as loud as the previous cymbals we’ve looked at. While it does cut through mixes, it doesn’t cut as easily.

I wouldn’t suggest using this as your only crash cymbal. Instead, I think it will be better off as a second crash that has more complex sound qualities.

Another thing that I don’t like is Sabian’s new logo. They’ve changed their logo on all their cymbals and the new logo doesn’t appeal to my taste at all.

Luckily, the logo only appears on the bottom of the cymbal. The new logo may not bother you, but it just might, depending on who you are.

PROS

  • Complex tones
  • Good amount of sustain
  • Doesn’t need to be hit hard to open up
  • Great for adding variety to your cymbal setup

CONS

  • Could be a bit louder

Paiste 2002 cymbals are very popular in the rock and metal drumming scenes. I’ve put this ride on this list for two very specific reasons. The first is the fact that it has very little wash to it.

While having wash on your cymbals is generally a good quality to have, it’s not the case when it comes to metal rides. The less wash there is, the better the cymbal is for playing blast beats and fast ride cymbal patterns. I found this ride to be perfect for that.

The second thing that I love about the 2002 ride is the bell. It’s loud and very cutting, making it a highly suitable bell sound for metal music. I’ve seen several metal drummers use this ride and I’m always surprised to hear how good the bell sounds when they play it.

The cymbal itself is very loud. Combining the loud sound with the significant bell and little wash makes this one of the best options around for metal drumming.

Something that I found to be unique to this ride was that even though it has little wash, it crashed very nicely. Typically, a heavy cymbal won’t be able to be crashed on. I feel that the crashability of this ride makes it quite a versatile option to have.

While it may not be every metal drummer’s first choice of ride cymbal, I think it’s a fantastic option to go with, especially since you can use it in rock settings as well.

The one downside is the price. Paiste cymbals are generally some of your most expensive cymbals on the market, and the 2002 ride further contributes to that reputation.

PROS

  • Not a lot of washiness
  • Great projection
  • Excellent bell sound
  • Versatile

CONS

  • Expensive

Best Cymbal Qualities for Metal

When looking for cymbals to use in metal settings, you typically want to find cymbals that are loud and cutting. The louder a cymbal is, the better it will fit into aggressive metal mixes that involve distorted guitars and screaming vocals.

While most cymbals are loud, the ones that are slightly louder will be cymbals that are thicker and brighter. Apart from the Meinl Classics Custom Dark cymbals, every cymbal on the list has a bright tone that fits well in metal.

The Meinl cymbals have a trashy tone, which is also a quality that tends to work extraordinarily well in metal settings.

Buying Packs vs Individual Cymbals

One of the cheapest ways of getting a full set of high-quality cymbals is to buy a cymbal pack. Cymbal packs are always a cheaper route to take than buying each cymbal individually. However, cymbal packs often lock you onto a specific sound.

Finding your unique voice on the drums usually involves having a variety of different cymbals. If you get a cymbal pack, I’d suggest mixing and matching the cymbals with individually bought cymbals as well to get a sound that is unique to you.

Cymbal Prices

Cymbal prices can be a bit scary for some people. However, getting good cymbals is vital to get a good drum sound, especially in metal where you need to crash on the cymbals fairly often.

I highly suggest investing more money into cymbals than into drums. The great thing about drums is that you can change their heads, tune, and muffle them to get the best sounds possible. Even an entry-level drum set will sound great when properly tuned.

Cymbals, on the other hand, can’t have their sounds altered. You’re stuck with whatever cymbals you buy. So, if you use cheap cymbals, it’s going to sound like you’re playing a cheap kit.

Thankfully, all the cymbals I suggested above are fairly affordable. You don’t need anything too complex or nuanced for metal drumming. The cymbals just need to be loud with enough tone to cut through a heavy mix. The most expensive cymbals on the market cater better to jazz settings where cymbal tone is incredibly important and highlighted.

Best Cymbal Sizes for Metal

In a metal setup, it’s ideal to have a wide range of cymbal sizes. However, it’s largely up to your preferences as a drummer. I’ve seen some metal drummers play with two cymbals in their entire setup that were both 20”. While that was an artistic choice, there’s a standard model that you can follow.

If I were to set up a drum kit for metal, I’d have two crash cymbals that are 16” and 18” respectively. I’d have a heavy ride cymbal that was 22” with hi-hats that are 14” and thick. Lastly, I’d have a china cymbal that is 16”.

That basic setup would be the starting point, and then any cymbals added afterward would be an extra bonus. Luckily, most cymbal packs come with those sizes.

From there, you could add a few splash cymbals that range from 8” to 12”.

The sizes of the cymbals aren’t as important as the tonal properties they have. So, focus on cymbal properties before worrying about size.

Best Cymbal Brands for Metal

There aren’t any specific brands that cater better to metal. Every cymbal brand attempts to tackle the whole drumming market by providing cymbals for every setting. However, the best brands to look for are Sabian, Zildjian, Meinl, and Paiste.

Those are the big four cymbal brands in the drumming world. Any cymbal that you get from them can be trusted, and you can find several reviews and critiques of them thanks to their popularity. You don’t always know what you’re going to get with other cymbal brands as it can be difficult to find useful information.

Also, there’s an argument to be had over whether you should combine brands in your drum setup or stick to one. While I think having one brand of cymbal looks cool, I don’t think it’s too practical. The only drummers that need to stick to a single brand are ones that are endorsed by the company.

If you have no ties with a brand, you’re limiting yourself by not mixing and matching cymbals from various brands. I’ve been able to get some incredible overall cymbal sounds over the years by using cymbals from Sabian, Meinl, Zildjian, and Paiste altogether.

Do You Need Different Cymbals for Rock and Metal?

Metal and rock are very similar styles of music. They both require the drums to be loud and punchy, with enough cut from the cymbals to get through the distorted mix. Because of this, you don’t need to have cymbals that are too different for each style.

All the cymbals that I’ve mentioned above will work relatively well for rock settings. As long as the cymbals are bright and loud, you’re good to go.

You could even add a china cymbal to a rock setup. So, your metal drum kit will work just as well in a rock band. I know many drummers who play both styles, so it’s great that you don’t need to pay for extra equipment. 

Wrap Up

Metal drumming involves a lot of hard playing in high-energy situations. You need to have cymbals that can handle that without cracking very quickly. It’s important to get thick cymbals that can cut through mixes easily.

All the cymbals that I’ve gone through are highly durable and are popular options for metal drum sets. Getting any of them would be a good choice for your metal band.

However, you should listen to each option and decide which ones you personally like the most. Even though certain cymbals work best for certain situations, it’s more important that you like the sound yourself before trying to apply it anywhere.

Avatar photo

About Brett Clur

Brett has been drumming for almost two decades. He also helps his students get better at drumming. He can be found on Instagram (@brettclurdrums), where you can regularly catch glimpses of his drumming.

Leave a Comment