Gear Review: Spoken drummer Oliver Crumpton on his Pearl Reference Pure Series drums

I recently caught up with Oliver Crumpton, drummer of the heavy rock band Spoken, to speak about his favorite piece of gear. The group just wrapped up a highly successful tour with Volbeat in support of their new release Illusions. Here is what Oliver had to say about his Pearl Reference Pure Series drums.

You guys just finished and released your new record, Illusions. What one piece of gear do you use to obtain that signature sound?
Oliver: My Pearl Reference Pure series drums.

What about it makes them so important to you?
Oliver: First and foremost the sound, obviously. Each drum is fine tuned with woods and bearing edges that let that size drum do what it should do best. I have to say the big size drums in this line are what really stands out to me though. They have fully rounded bearing edges and are maple mixed with mahogany. They just get really low and thunderous. The kick also has an amazing mix of attack and body!

What are the major pros and cons?
Oliver: The major pros, apart from the aforementioned sound, are ease of tuning and the quality. These drums are really put together well. I have played so many custom kits and been through a lot of different stuff, and these truly are the nicest, well built drums I’ve played. As for cons, I would say only that the kick is a lead weight. It’s really heavy!

How long have you had them and would you ever change them out?
Oliver: I’ve only recently switched and started playing Pearl. I’ve been using the kit now for 8 months probably. We tour extensively and I definitely put a lot of miles on my gear, so they get used and abused.

Any final thoughts on the gear?
Oliver: If you’re a drummer and haven’t checked these out yet, you need to!

Check out the song “Through It All”