Are you looking for the best bass drum heads for metal and other rock genres? Then, you’re in the right place.
The bass drum is at the center of the drum kit as one of its three fundamental components, along with the snare drum and hi-hat.
You can get a vast array of different sounds from a bass drum, and some prefer a punchy sound with a short sustain, others a full-bodied thump.
You can deaden the kick drum for more of a muffled thud or leave it loose and open for that more vintage floppy kick sound. Having the right bass drum with a good head will change the way you drum. It’ll be more responsive and more comfortable to keep rhythm if it feels natural and effective to use.
The resonant head also matters tremendously by enabling more tuning options. You can achieve a full-bodied cannon-like sound, or it can be tuned to accentuate the kick’s punch. Resonant heads are essential for recording, too. It’s easy to neglect your resonant bass drum head, but you notice the difference.
Best Bass Drum Heads (Comparison Table)
| Image | Model | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Remo Powersonic (Editor's Choice) | Check Price |
 | Remo FA1522-00 | Check Price |
 | Aquarian Drumheads SKII22 | Check Price |
 | Evans EMAD2 | Check Price |
 | Evans REMAD | Check Price |
Remo Powersonic (Editor’s Choice)
Remo Powersonic’s are built with one thing in mind; power! As a result, they’re massive-sounding heads that are durable and incredibly bassy with a mid-end attack to boot. Remo, the most prominent head manufacturer, has been producing bass heads for many decades and their ranges are extensive.
The Powersonic fits the bill for rock and metal drummers, being less suited to subtler styles. It has two damping rings, and an ESDS, ‘External Snap-on Dampening System,’ AND comes with a Falam Slam kick patch. The durability levels go through the roof, and the dampening is comprehensive, meaning no extra or unwanted vibrations creep into your tone.
They’re all eliminated, and you’re left with only the raw power and precision of this head. It has a conventional two-ply set up, which provides durability and strength in build and tone.
Tone
Well, the Powersonic is powerful in tone first and foremost. It has focussed low end and a punchy mid-end, giving a ‘snap’ that drummers in rock and metal quest for. It isn’t exactly complicated, but merely thuddy and precise, turning your kick drum into that bass cannon to get your performance rocking.
Perfect for recording, the dampening systems stack up to give you a dead, quickly recorded sound, perfect for professional and budget studios alike.
Remo FA1522-00, Fiberskyn 3
Remo’s modern Fiberskyn range is based on the vintage calfskin heads made in the 70s. They look incredible, really suiting a natural, organic genuine wood-grain drum kit or a vintage style kit. The poly-spun ply is durable, warm, and resonant.
It’s a 10mil single-ply head, so it has medium durability for a bass drum head. It’s designed for music genres where durability isn’t a particular issue, though, particularly jazz and orchestral music. And it’s still durable enough to endure a lot of playing, and you don’t expect it to break easily at all.
Tone
The tone is fat and warm, well suited to its vintage looks. In addition, there’s a textural quality that brings out a full-bodied, dark sound. Complex and natural, the resonance is suited to a more finely tuned kick drum, which you’d find in jazz. For genres like rock or heavy metal, the durability is lacking, but some still report that they love the single-ply attack and dark edge Fiberskyn produces.
The single-ply also ensures responsiveness at lower volumes, meaning feathering techniques applied to the kick drum come out nicely, providing an excellent articulation for quiet, unplugged play. When used as batter heads on drums, Fiberskyn provides a lovely surface tone for brushes.
Aquarian Drumheads SKII22 – Super Kick 2
Aquarian has fewer ranges than Evans and Remo but is known for its super high-quality products that many change to and don’t look back from. The Super-Kick 2 is one of those heads. It has an ultra-powerful low end that turns your kick into a thudding cannon with heaps of projection.
Many don’t turn back from this head, and although it’s priced slightly higher than Evans and Remo’s heads, the quality does shine through. It has two 7mil plies which are matched perfectly during manufacture. Those thicknesses are relatively conventional for a kick head, providing solid low-end and heaps of durability.
The floating muffling ring works wonders for reducing unwanted resonance, meaning you can forget about carrying muffling material to your gig. Of course, you can always add more for those wanting a genuinely dead, muffled sound, but overall, the floating muffler provides a great starting point and will satisfy most drummers out of the box.
Tone
The Super-Kick 2’s tone is refined and balanced. It has some resonance, allowing the drum’s sound to emanate, but it is also focused on including the floating muffler ring. The bass pumps with this head if you tune it down, bringing forth a great thump that will pound on stage if you need it to.
Tuned up, it provides a lovely clicky, bassy punch that is great for rock and metal. The head is bouncy and responsive. The dual-ply compromises little articulation.
Evans EMAD2 Clear Bass Drum Head
We are moving on to Evans’ primary bass drum head offering, the EMAD2. Again, we get a well-known, renowned head for a lower price than many others.
It has a slightly different ply setup, with an outer 6.5mil and inner 10mil. That gives it the right blend of attack and low end and, of course, so much durability.
Marketed as a real workhorse, the Evans EMAD2 lives up to its purpose – it provides a low-end thump clear of unwanted resonance. EMAD stands for ‘Externally Mounted Adjustable Damping .’ These heads come with two damping rings by default. As a result, you can select a heavily muffled, focussed low-end sound or a more mid-range, natural, and warm sound.
Tone
Evans has created a bass head that will survive the test of time for sure. The EMAD is inexpensive, and the quality is, of course, up to scratch with Remo and Aquarian. It provides a real bassy thump that has an excellent low end for modern styles. In addition, you can achieve a satisfying ‘click’ for metal and double bass pedal work when tuned up.
The foam inserts are more flexibly used than with some kick drum heads, too, giving you great control over muffling out-of-the-box. Some people do go further, though, and add a pillow to the bass drum. Muffle rings only get you so far, with all the heads listed.
Evans REMAD Resonant Bass Drum Head
The Evans REMAD is a resonant head for the front of the bass drum. Resonant heads provide, well, resonance! And that means that they help control the pitch, attack, and sustain of the bass drum as a whole. Resonant heads also help increase the volume of the kick drum.
They’re usually pretty simple – one-ply, usually 7.5mil to 10mil. They don’t tend to break, especially when they’re ported. A port enhances the attack of the drum while providing an access port for microphones. Evans’ REMAD has a 4″ port with a plastic sleeve to prevent it from being damaged. It’s convenient to have a pre-cut port as they’re pretty tricky to do yourself and require a hole-cutting tool.
The REMAD has the same damping as the EMAD. When combined, you get a genuinely focused bass drum sound perfect in live and studio settings.
How to Find the Best Bass Drum Heads
Bass drum heads come in many shapes and sizes, and there are lots of models available from the leading manufacturers: Remo, Evans, and Aquarian. The three market leaders have been producing heads for many years now, and their manufacturing techniques have been refined massively. Most are two-ply skins, often with built-in internal damping. Some are single ply.
Single Ply
These bring out the drum’s resonance, giving the drum a more natural, full-bodied sound. Unfortunately, they’re less popular for bass drums as they’re not as durable as a two-ply head. Still, if the ply is thick, single-ply heads have good durability and are a more popular choice for jazz, funk, R’n’B, or hip-hop drummers.
Two-ply
These bring out more low-end, providing a right thumping tone for many genres. Less resonance comes through, so the sound is more flat, controlled, and dead than ringy. They’re more durable and are best suited to harder hitters. There are fewer subtleties, but the overall tone is strong and defined.
Internal Damping Systems
We’re all used to having to stick a pillow in the bass drum, but these days, heads often come with damping rings that you can place on the batter’s head. These foam discs sometimes come in a couple of different sizes, like in Evans’ EMAD range. Sometimes they’re built into the head itself. They improve low-end focus and mean there’s no need to take your pillow to your gig!
Conclusion: The Best Bass Drum Heads
Bass drum heads have been refined over and over, and today, we’re left with some very tight competition. As always, the main competitors pitch each other’s technology against each other, and the result is some very closely matched kick drum heads.
The Fiberskyn head in this lineup is the exception. It’s unique and not quite as versatile as the other heads but still adds something unique to the proper setup. So it’s worth a go if you’re a jazz drummer, for example. The other heads are all two-ply and have many similarities, including built-in dampening systems.
Remo’s dampening system is comprehensive, making the Powersonic a top choice for heavy hitters in contemporary genres. The Aquarian Super Kick packs a real punch, and though it comes at Aquarian’s slightly higher price, its quality shines through in its wonderfully balanced thud, which has plenty of low-end and mid-range to focus it.
Evans’ EMAD series won’t disappoint either. They’re hard-wearing, easy to tune, and packed full of bass power. The dampening system is flexible, and the price is below the average.
None of these heads will disappoint, though, and often it just depends on your brand allegiance as a drummer. But, no doubt you’ll end up trying them all at some point anyway!