The drummer for Metallica, and Mike Portnoy, the drummer for Dream Theatre, share some common similarities, and some great differences in their playing style and kit setup. Both Lars and Mike play Tama drums, with full maple shells. Remo heads provide the resonance for both Mike and Lars. They take the cymbals and mix them together in a rather simple sounding way, with unparalleled rhythm. Their coordination is above most other drummers of today’s music. However, even though they both play Tama drums, Lars uses a more traditional “metal” double bass drum setup, and Mike plays a much larger triple bass drum kit. Mike also incorporates some things into his kit that Lars does not. Mike uses two thrones seats behind his kit, to help him move around the kit between songs, while Lars has one, and brings his kit in closer to him. Lars prefers a simpler double bass setup, with much fewer cymbals than Mike uses. Portnoy prefers his Sabian cymbals, while Ulrich rocks out hard on his Zildjian cymbals. Lars prefers to drive hard on the bass drum, as opposed to Mike who uses quick kicks in different sequences to produce a lighter sounding bass drum. While there are some similarities and differences between the two, both can be considered masters of their craft.