Nicholas Pizzolato drums for Moving Mountains. The band released their new record, Waves, on May 10. They are hitting festivals and will be out on the Vans Warped Tour in the summer.

Pizzolato plays a Pacific FX Birch kit and it is the first kit he owned.

“The Pacific I play now is really my first and only drum set thus far. Before it I learned more or less on an old Pearl that my brother had set up above my garage,” he says. “When Moving Mountains was first starting up I spent all summer working to buy it. It's treated me right over the years and sounds great.”

One of his main selling points on the kit is practical and the other aesthetic. But there are, apparently, a number of things to love about these drums.

“When I got it I liked the configuration a lot, as well as the red lacquer finish. I also remember specifically appreciating that the rack tom wasn't mounted off the bass drum,” says Pizzolato. “I never liked that. I typically prefer a lacquer finish to a wrap, because I love to see the grain of the wood. The birch is nice too because it’s punchy.”

He isn’t against other types of wood from birch. It is just what he has become used to.

“I also like how it sounds tuned low. I'm interested in experimenting with other types of wood for my next kit.” he says.

His drums (basically standard) are the following sizes; 14 x 5.5" snare, 12" rack, 16" floor and 22" bass.

“I wish my snare was a bit deeper, and I'd also like an additional 18" floor at some point,” he says. “Maybe 24" bass drum too. That's all next kit dreaming though.

The best thing about the kit, for Moving Mountains' music, is the volume.

“It's loud as hell, warm, and tunes down quite nice. I've noticed on some kits it’s hard to get a low tuning on the toms that will still resonate well. I'm lucky in that I can do that with mine.” says Pizzolato.

He says there have been some issues but overall the kit has been a winner.

“For what it is, it’s great. Like I said, it was my first kit and I'm still happy with it to this day. I've had some issues with hardware throughout the years; I've had to replace the spurs on the bass drum as well as the leg mounts on the floor tom. Other than that I'd say she's held up well--definitely a road warrior.” he says.

He uses Remo heads on the drums for a simple reason.

“Mainly what I grew up on, and if it ain't broke…I also use Evans sometimes, but usually rocking all Remos. They're reliable and give me the sound and durability I need,” he says. “I play with an Emperor X for the snare, Emperor Coated for the toms, and clear Ambassadors for all resonate sides. For my bass drum I've been playing around with different types of Evans EMAD and EQ3 heads. Super punchy and controlled.”

His snare is a Mapex Black Panther.

“Oh man, I love that snare. I think it’s versatile enough to suit any kit with the right tuning and heads. It’s loud and can crack when I need it, like for certain live situations,” says Pizzolato. “It also records really well. I love the dark finish too because of its contrast with the rest of the kit.”

He uses mostly Pacific hardware. The exception to this is the cymbal and snare stands. His pedal is a Tama Iron Cobra single pedal.

“Noticed quite a few drummers play it and heard nothing but good things, so I snagged mine used off a friend. Thing is built like a tank. Haven't had a problem with it yet in over 3 years.” he says.

The band is playing a few shows, here and there in advance of the Warped Tour. They are also putting the finishing touches on the music video for the record’s first single. Look for that this summer.