About
Paiste Artist Since
March 2002
Nationality
Brazil
Main Affiliations
Edu Falaschi
W.A.S.P. Nation
Other Affiliations
Hangar
Tony MacAlpine
Website
www.aquilespriester.com
Setup
Cymbals listed from left to right
14" Signature Heavy Hi-Hat
18" 2002 Giga Bell Ride "Psychoctopus"
20" Color Sound 900 Red Crash
19" RUDE Thin Crash
18" Signature Heavy China
18" Signature Power Crash
10" RUDE Splash
10" Rude Splash + 8" Signature Splash – Stacked
10" RUDE Splash
18" Signature Power Crash
18" Signature Heavy China
15" 2002 Sound Edge Hi-Hat
18" Signature Power Crash
14" RUDE Blast China
20" RUDE Thin Crash
18" 2002 Giga Bell Ride "Psychoctopus"
20" Signature Reflector Heavy Full Crash
Cymbals listed from left to right
19" Signature Reflector Heavy Full Crash
19" 2002 Extreme Crash
18" Signature Heavy China
14" Signature Heavy Hi-Hat
18" 2002 Giga Bell Ride "Psychoctopus"
18" Signature Power Crash
10" Color Sound 900 Red Splash
8" Signature Splash
10" RUDE Splash
10" RUDE Splash
18" Signature Power Crash
18" Signature Heavy China
18" Signature Power Crash
15" Signature Sound Edge Hi-Hat
(discontinued)
18" 2002 Giga Bell Ride "Psychoctopus"
14" RUDE Mini China
(Custom)
19" Signature Reflector Heavy Full Crash
20" RUDE Thin Crash
Videos & Pics
Biography
Considered best Brazilian heavy metal drummer for nineteen years by main specialized magazines and sites, Aquiles Priester has been collecting records and achievements over the course of his career. In 2011, for example, he became the only Brazilian to rank 5th best Prog Metal drummer of the world according to American Modern Drummer magazine. In 2015 Aquiles was nominated again and was elected best "Hard Rock" drummer by the American magazine Drum! Aquiles Priester has already done more than 500 drum clinics in various countries and has taken part of the biggest drum festivals around the world such as Modern Drummer Festival (United States), Montreal Drum Fest (Canada), Batuka! International Drum Fest (Brazil), La Rioja Festival (Spain), Laguna Drum Fest (Mexico), London Drum Show (England), Drummer Live (England), International Summer Drum Camp (France), Tam Tam Drum Fest (France), October Drum Fest (Poland), Thomas Lang’s Big Drum Bonanza (United States), Frankfurt Musikmesse (Germany), Namm Show (United States) and the very first Drumeo Festival (Canada). From then on he hasn’t stopped, releasing products directed to the drum world that became best sellers, among them two educational DVDs: Inside My Drums (2004) and The Infallible Reason of My Freak Drumming (2010) voted 3rd best educational DVD of the world by American Modern Drummer magazine in 2011. He also released a textbook on the study of the double bass called Inside My PsychoBook – 100 Double Bass Patterns (2007) and the PsychOctopus Play Along (2014). In July of 2012, his signature ride Paiste 2002 PsychOctopus Giga Bell Ride 18" was released worldwide. Due to these accomplishments, Aquiles became the first Brazilian drummer to have signature products released worldwide by international drum brands. In 2013 he released his acclaimed DVD Aquiles Priester’s Top 100 Drum Fills that was also nominated for voting in the North American magazine Modern Drummer, being elected best educational DVD of the year. During the 37 years of existence of the most highly regarded drum magazine of the world, Aquiles puts Brazil in first place in the most important and coveted ranking of worldwide drums, an unheard of feat for a Brazilian drummer until then. Also in 2013, he was invited by guitar player Tony MacAlpine to record his new solo album Concrete Gardens and took part of the recording of a live DVD with him at EMGtv in 2014. In 2016, the book Aquiles Priester's Top 100 Drum Fills was released worldwide by Mel Bay, a publishing house specialized in material directed at musicians. To close the year, he was on the road between October and November accompanying Tony MacAlpine on tour on the West Coast of the United States, opening for Steve Vai. At that height, Aquiles had already relocated to Los Angeles/CA in July of the same year. In 2017, already living Los Angeles/CA with the intention of focusing his career specifically on the international market, he was invited to take part of WASP’s European tour, one of the main names of North American heavy metal, 35 years on the road. The "Re-Idolized – The Crimson Idol 25th Anniversary World Tour" celebrated the 25th anniversary of the release of their biggest classic, the album The Crimson Idol, and traveled through 21 countries between the end of September and beginning of December. Before embarking on the WASP tour, Aquiles’s former Angra bandmate, singer Edu Falaschi, invited him to take part of a commemorative tour playing the songs of the acclaimed albums they recorded with Angra, Rebirth (2001) and Temple of Shadows (2004). The tour proved to be a great success and traveled through the five regions of the country between the end of 2017 and beginning of 2018 totaling more than 40 gigs, many of which were sold out. They also embarked on their first international tour, visiting countries such as Colombia, Spain, Belgium, Italy and Japan. 2019 began at full speed. And to top off this incredible moment, Aquiles released his first Blu-ray and triple DVD “All Access to Aquiles Priester’s Drumming” in March, 2019. The material was recorded in August, 2018 at the Harman Experience Center in Los Angeles,Ca. The end result was so sensational that the product will be released worldwide by Hudson Music, the biggest producer and distributor of educational videos in the world. In 2020 for the very first time for a Brazilian metal drummer, Aquiles Priester was ranked number one in the double bass category by the readers of Modern Drummer Magazine and also won the YouTube award plate for having for than 100.000 subscribers on his drum channel.
Setup Cymbals
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Details
Sizes: 18", 19", 20"
Volume: Medium
Weight: Heavy
Sound character: Bright, explosive, full, sparkling, warm. Wide frequency range, fairly clean mix. Even, giving feel with a powerful attack, sharp response and a nice sparkling fade. A strong, full, durable and cutting crash with radiant sound.
- Sounds
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Details
Sizes: 16", 17", 18", 19", 20"
Volume: Medium
Weight: Light
Sound character: Full, dark, energetic with a brilliant broad sparkle underneath the overall cutting character. Very flexible with a wide range and a fairly complex mix. Responsive, explosive, shattering attack. Breathy layers of sound with that distinctive RUDE attitude.
- Sounds
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Details
Sizes: 18"
Volume: Medium
Weight: Heavy
Sound character: Very bright, glassy, slightly dry, cutting, metallic. Fairly narrow range, clean mix. Somewhat heavy, but controllable feel. Clear, glassy ping over bell-like wash. Extremely cutting, loud bell with dark undertone. Extraordinary ride, suited particularly for defined playing on the bell in various musical styles. Developed in co-operation with Brazilian's Top Heavy Metal drummer Aquiles Priester.
- Sounds
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Details
Sizes: 16", 17", 18", 19", 20"
Volume: Medium
Weight: Medium
Sound character: Medium bright, full-bodied with warm undertones. Wide range, clean mix. Balanced, responsive feel. Full, round crash sound with punch for universal applications. While Color Sound 900 feature essentially the same sound and function as the 900 Series, the color coating causes a slightly drier sound, shortens the sustain a bit, and results in a more focused attack.
- Sounds
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Details
Sizes: 13", 14", 15", 17"
Volume: Medium
Weight: Medium
Sound character: Medium bright, full, warm, brilliant. Wide range, fairly complex mix. Fast, responsive feel. Full, bright, energetic open sound. Sharp, full chick sound. The original, once patented, wavy bottom hi-hat design. The 17" version adds extraordinary boost, low end and crisp projection.
- Sounds