Are you looking for an epic set of cymbals for playing metal?
You’ve come to the right place!
In this guide you’ll learn the following:
- What Are Cymbals For Metal?
- What Are The Best Cymbals For Metal?
And much more!
Below is a quick list of all my top picks. Keep scrolling to learn more about my best buying tips and tricks for cymbals for Metal.
| Image | Product | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
My Top Pick
|
My Top Pick
|
Meinl Classics Custom Dark
|
|
View on Amazon |
|
Best Budget
|
Best Budget
|
Zildjian A Custom
|
|
View on Amazon |
|
Best High-End
|
Best High-End
|
Sabian B8X
|
|
View on Amazon |
|
|
Zildjian i Series
|
|
View on Amazon | |
|
|
Zildjian K Custom Hybrid
|
|
View on Amazon |
My Overall #1 Rated Pick
Updated 7/21/2020
- Look awesome
- Impressive sound
- Affordable
These highly affordable Meinl cymbals not only look the part with their heavily hammered black finish, but they also sound fantastic too.
Meinl have a strong pedigree in the world of extreme music (with their Mb10 and 20 lines), with features that have trickled down into their more affordable series the Classics Custom.
For a very modest price, you’re getting a full set of cymbals (including TWO crashes) that are the perfect place for an aspiring Metalhead to start their drumming journey.
Top 5 Best Cymbals for Metal
In a hurry? Check out my top 5 picks below! Keep reading to learn more about these awesome cymbals.
What Are Cymbals For Metal?
Metal and Hard Rock music are at their core very loud genres of music. With heavily distorted guitars, growling bass tones, and often screamed/growled vocals...Metal is a powerful beast.
As drummers, we have to adapt our equipment to suit the musical environment we’re playing in.
Therefore our cymbals and drum sets need to be able to handle the extreme volume and the physical demands of heavy music.
This means that you’re going to need cymbals that are not only loud (to compete with the walls of guitar amplifiers) but also bright and cutting, so they sit in a frequency range that can still be heard.
Thinner and darker cymbals may sound great when you’re playing on your own, but as soon as the rest of the band are in full flow, you’ll find very quickly that they’ll just get lost on the maelstrom of noise.
This also may make you to hit your cymbals harder to try and get more volume, which in turn leads to them cracking or denting (something we definitely want to avoid!).
Luckily many companies have answered the call, and now produce cymbals that a specially designed to cater to these ear-bleeding musical environments.
Overall cymbals that have a brilliant finish and are slightly heavier and thicker than regular cymbals are excellent for Hard Rock and Metal.
Let’s have a look at a few of the best options out there...to suit any budget.
Read More >> What Is The Best Pro Drum Set On The Market?
My Reviews Of The Best Cymbals For Metal
Meinl has an excellent pedigree when it comes to cymbals that suit loud, extreme styles of music.
Drummers such as Brahn Dailor (Mastodon) and Alex Rudinger (various metal bands) swear by their clarity, projection, and overall quality of sound.
The Classics Custom Dark series of cymbals offer Meinl’s excellent craftsmanship at an affordable price.
These cymbals come in a generous pack featuring 14” hi-hats, 16” crash, 20” ride as well as an extra 18” crash cymbal!
Meaning you’re all set to get stuck into some heavy beats. Plus they look super ‘metal’, with a beautiful dark heavily hammered finish.
The sound produced by these cymbals is bright and cutting, without sounding too harsh or brittle...which is exactly what you want when playing heavier styles of music.
The crashes are full and punchy, hi-hats are crisp and cutting and the ride can act as a loud crash ride if you need it to.
They may not have the same extreme level of volume as higher-end options (such as the Meinl Mb10’s) but they are a great place to start for any aspiring metalheads.
Pros
- Look awesome
- Impressive sound
- Affordable
Cons
- Not much at this price point!
The A Custom (A stand for Avedis) line from Zildjian has been a staple in their lineup of cymbals since their inception in the early nineties.
They are some of the most versatile cymbals out there but are especially suited to Metal due to their bright and cutting sound.
Since they came out they have expanded to include a huge variety of weights, models, and alternative cymbal sounds.
Here is the basic pack comprising of 14” hi-hats, 16” and 18” crashes as well as a 20” ride.
If you’re looking for even more volume check out the A custom ‘projection’ versions.
They have a little more weight than standard, therefore project at a louder volume...meaning you can cut through that wall of Marshall stacks with ease!
If you’re looking for extremely high-quality, bright and full sounding cymbals that work excellently for heavier styles of music, you can’t go for wrong with a set of A customs.
Pros
- Bright lush sound
- Many size options
- Very well made
Cons
- High price point
This set comprises of a pair of 14” hi-hats, 16” and 18” crashes and a 20” ride.
For the money, these cymbals do a great job of providing rich, cutting cymbal tones without sounding clangy or overly dull (like a lot of other budget options).
They would suit a drummer looking to upgrade from the cymbals that came with their first drum kit, or for someone on a very tight budget that wants a full cymbal solution to upgrade their kit.
If you are on an even TIGHTER budget then check out the Sabian SBR series too...
Here’s a great example of them being used in a metal environment:
Pros
- Very affordable
- B8 Bronze
- Good value set
Cons
- Crashes sound a touch muted
The Zildjian i series of cymbals are another line of cymbals on my list that are aimed for the aspiring drummer.
Taking over from their established ZBT series, this pack comes in a standard configuration of 14” hi-hats, 16” crash and 20” ride cymbal.
Just like the Sabian B8X cymbals, they are made from B8 Bronze which is brighter and more cutting than the more common B20 bronze seen in other lines.
These cymbals are excellent value for money.
They produce pleasingly rounded and usable tones that cut through the music without sounding too harsh or ‘zingy’, as budget cymbals can often do.
They are of a lighter weight than most however so don’t provide a massive amount of volume if you’re looking to compete with loud guitarists in a live environment.
However, for someone looking to upgrade from their first set of cymbals, or if you’re on a budget and want something that’ll get you started, these are a great choice.
Pros
- Affordable
- Crisp sound
- Well made
Cons
- Thinner weight/lack in volume
If you’re looking for something slightly different in your cymbal set up, then the Zildjian K Custom Hybrid series might be just what you’re after.
These high quality cymbals from Zildjian aim to provide the best of both worlds….the dark, slightly trashy sound of the K line, combined with the bright and cutting sounds from the A custom series.
They do this by keeping the outer edge of the cymbal unlathed for a more traditional finish, whilst lathing and buffing the inner part of the cymbal until it gives off a mirror shine.
This combination of techniques creates cymbals that have excellent projection and ‘cut’ that’s blended with a more sophisticated, darker, and warmer undertone.
These cymbals sound fantastic and provide a really nice alternative to the super bright and shiny cymbals so common with Metal music.
The inclusion of mastersound hi-hats is also a really nice touch.
Similar to Paiste Sound edge cymbals, they have a crimped bottom cymbal that adds clarity, and volume to the stepped and stick struck sound.
Here’s a great example of Joey Castillo using them with Queens Of The Stoneage
Pros
- Best of both bright and dark
- Great look
- Versatile
Cons
- High price point
Final Thoughts On The Best Cymbals For Metal
Some other lines to check out on your hunt for the perfect Metal cymbals are the Sabian AAX and HHX lines (especially the AAX metal and X-plosion models), Meinl Byzance (if you have deep pockets!), Wuhan (if you’re on a budget), Paiste Signatures and Istanbul Xist Power series cymbals...these are all great alternatives that are worth checking out!
Getting the right cymbals for the job is incredibly important as a drummer.
In Metal, volume and projection are incredibly important.
So whatever your budget, just keep in mind that thicker cymbals are louder and will take more of a beating, however too thick and they can sound clangy and dull.
So there you have it, the essential YMI guide to the best cymbals for your extreme Metal needs!
