diff --git a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko/Objects/Drawables/DrawableDrumRoll.cs b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko/Objects/Drawables/DrawableDrumRoll.cs
index 547d0afe4a..f4dc1f18bd 100644
--- a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko/Objects/Drawables/DrawableDrumRoll.cs
+++ b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko/Objects/Drawables/DrawableDrumRoll.cs
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko.Objects.Drawables
         private int rollingHits;
 
         private readonly Container tickContainer;
+        private SkinnableDrawable headPiece;
 
         private Color4 colourIdle;
         private Color4 colourEngaged;
@@ -59,7 +60,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko.Objects.Drawables
             Content.Add(tickContainer = new Container
             {
                 RelativeSizeAxes = Axes.Both,
-                Depth = float.MinValue
+                Depth = -1,
             });
         }
 
@@ -79,7 +80,13 @@ namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko.Objects.Drawables
 
         protected override void RecreatePieces()
         {
+            if (headPiece != null)
+                Content.Remove(headPiece, true);
+
             base.RecreatePieces();
+
+            Content.Add(headPiece = createHeadPiece());
+
             updateColour();
             Height = HitObject.IsStrong ? TaikoStrongableHitObject.DEFAULT_STRONG_SIZE : TaikoHitObject.DEFAULT_SIZE;
         }
@@ -122,6 +129,12 @@ namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko.Objects.Drawables
         protected override SkinnableDrawable CreateMainPiece() => new SkinnableDrawable(new TaikoSkinComponentLookup(TaikoSkinComponents.DrumRollBody),
             _ => new ElongatedCirclePiece());
 
+        private SkinnableDrawable createHeadPiece() => new SkinnableDrawable(new TaikoSkinComponentLookup(TaikoSkinComponents.DrumRollHead), _ => Empty())
+        {
+            RelativeSizeAxes = Axes.Y,
+            Depth = -2,
+        };
+
         public override bool OnPressed(KeyBindingPressEvent<TaikoAction> e) => false;
 
         private void onNewResult(DrawableHitObject obj, JudgementResult result)
@@ -174,7 +187,23 @@ namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko.Objects.Drawables
         private void updateColour(double fadeDuration = 0)
         {
             Color4 newColour = Interpolation.ValueAt((float)rollingHits / rolling_hits_for_engaged_colour, colourIdle, colourEngaged, 0, 1);
-            (MainPiece.Drawable as IHasAccentColour)?.FadeAccent(newColour, fadeDuration);
+
+            if (fadeDuration == 0)
+            {
+                // fade duration is 0 when calling via `RecreatePieces()`.
+                // in this case we want to apply the colour *without* using transforms.
+                // using transforms may result in the application of colour being undone via `DrawableHitObject.UpdateState()` clearing transforms.
+                if (MainPiece.Drawable is IHasAccentColour mainPieceWithAccentColour)
+                    mainPieceWithAccentColour.AccentColour = newColour;
+
+                if (headPiece.Drawable is IHasAccentColour headPieceWithAccentColour)
+                    headPieceWithAccentColour.AccentColour = newColour;
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                (MainPiece.Drawable as IHasAccentColour)?.FadeAccent(newColour, fadeDuration);
+                (headPiece.Drawable as IHasAccentColour)?.FadeAccent(newColour, fadeDuration);
+            }
         }
 
         public partial class StrongNestedHit : DrawableStrongNestedHit
diff --git a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko/Skinning/Legacy/LegacyDrumRoll.cs b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko/Skinning/Legacy/LegacyDrumRoll.cs
index 78be0ef643..34339b185d 100644
--- a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko/Skinning/Legacy/LegacyDrumRoll.cs
+++ b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko/Skinning/Legacy/LegacyDrumRoll.cs
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 // Copyright (c) ppy Pty Ltd <contact@ppy.sh>. Licensed under the MIT Licence.
 // See the LICENCE file in the repository root for full licence text.
 
-using System;
 using osu.Framework.Allocation;
 using osu.Framework.Graphics;
 using osu.Framework.Graphics.Containers;
@@ -21,14 +20,10 @@ namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko.Skinning.Legacy
         {
             get
             {
-                // the reason why this calculation is so involved is that the head & tail sprites have different sizes/radii.
-                // therefore naively taking the SSDQs of them and making a quad out of them results in a trapezoid shape and not a box.
-                var headCentre = headCircle.ScreenSpaceDrawQuad.Centre;
+                var headCentre = (body.ScreenSpaceDrawQuad.TopLeft + body.ScreenSpaceDrawQuad.BottomLeft) / 2;
                 var tailCentre = (tailCircle.ScreenSpaceDrawQuad.TopLeft + tailCircle.ScreenSpaceDrawQuad.BottomLeft) / 2;
 
-                float headRadius = headCircle.ScreenSpaceDrawQuad.Height / 2;
-                float tailRadius = tailCircle.ScreenSpaceDrawQuad.Height / 2;
-                float radius = Math.Max(headRadius, tailRadius);
+                float radius = body.ScreenSpaceDrawQuad.Height / 2;
 
                 var rectangle = new RectangleF(headCentre.X, headCentre.Y, tailCentre.X - headCentre.X, 0).Inflate(radius);
                 return new Quad(rectangle.TopLeft, rectangle.TopRight, rectangle.BottomLeft, rectangle.BottomRight);
@@ -37,8 +32,6 @@ namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko.Skinning.Legacy
 
         public override bool ReceivePositionalInputAt(Vector2 screenSpacePos) => ScreenSpaceDrawQuad.Contains(screenSpacePos);
 
-        private LegacyCirclePiece headCircle = null!;
-
         private Sprite body = null!;
 
         private Sprite tailCircle = null!;
@@ -66,10 +59,6 @@ namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko.Skinning.Legacy
                     RelativeSizeAxes = Axes.Both,
                     Texture = skin.GetTexture("taiko-roll-middle", WrapMode.ClampToEdge, WrapMode.ClampToEdge),
                 },
-                headCircle = new LegacyCirclePiece
-                {
-                    RelativeSizeAxes = Axes.Y,
-                },
             };
 
             AccentColour = colours.YellowDark;
@@ -101,7 +90,6 @@ namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko.Skinning.Legacy
         {
             var colour = LegacyColourCompatibility.DisallowZeroAlpha(accentColour);
 
-            headCircle.AccentColour = colour;
             body.Colour = colour;
             tailCircle.Colour = colour;
         }
diff --git a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko/Skinning/Legacy/TaikoLegacySkinTransformer.cs b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko/Skinning/Legacy/TaikoLegacySkinTransformer.cs
index b5c767c2be..73d32a7933 100644
--- a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko/Skinning/Legacy/TaikoLegacySkinTransformer.cs
+++ b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko/Skinning/Legacy/TaikoLegacySkinTransformer.cs
@@ -103,6 +103,12 @@ namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko.Skinning.Legacy
                 {
                     switch (taikoComponent.Component)
                     {
+                        case TaikoSkinComponents.DrumRollHead:
+                            if (GetTexture("taiko-roll-middle") != null)
+                                return new LegacyCirclePiece();
+
+                            return null;
+
                         case TaikoSkinComponents.DrumRollBody:
                             if (GetTexture("taiko-roll-middle") != null)
                                 return new LegacyDrumRoll();
diff --git a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko/TaikoSkinComponents.cs b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko/TaikoSkinComponents.cs
index 28133ffcb2..31342b30c4 100644
--- a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko/TaikoSkinComponents.cs
+++ b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko/TaikoSkinComponents.cs
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko
         InputDrum,
         CentreHit,
         RimHit,
+        DrumRollHead,
         DrumRollBody,
         DrumRollTick,
         Swell,