August Burns Red 'Beacon' Drum Setup (Matt Greiner, 2019) | MetalForge

Frequently Asked Questions

What drum kit does Matt Greiner use on Beacon?

On *Beacon* (2019), Matt Greiner played his Pearl Reference Pure kit — a maple/mahogany hybrid shell configuration with dual 22" x 18" bass drums, 10" x 7" and 12" x 8" rack toms, and a 16" x 16" floor tom. This is the same foundational kit he has used since the *Found in Far Away Places* (2015) era, representing the most settled and refined version of his Pearl endorsement period. For the complete current setup, see the [Matt Greiner drum setup guide](/articles/matt-greiner-complete-drum-setup).

What cymbals does Matt Greiner use on Beacon?

On *Beacon* (2019), Matt Greiner returned to Meinl Byzance cymbals after the Zildjian A Custom / Sabian AAX setup of *Phantom Anthem* (2017). For *Beacon*, he chose the Extra Dry and Dual variants: 15" Byzance Dual Hi-Hats, 18" and 19" Extra Dry Medium Crashes, a 21" Byzance Transition Ride, an 18" Extra Dry China, and a 10" Splash. The Extra Dry series' raw, unlathed surfaces produce darker, drier, faster-decaying sounds than the Traditional Byzance of the *Found in Far Away Places* era — perfectly suited to the precise, articulate production aesthetic of the *Beacon* sessions.

Did Beacon win a Dove Award?

Yes. August Burns Red's *Beacon* (2019) won the Dove Award for Rock Contemporary Inspirational Album at the 51st GMA Dove Awards in 2020. This makes *Beacon* unique in the ABR discography — the only album to carry the Gospel Music Association's highest honor in its category. The award reflects ABR's integration of Christian faith into their musical identity across the entire band, with Matt Greiner's drumming as the rhythmic foundation of the Dove Award-winning record.

What makes Beacon different from Phantom Anthem in terms of drum sound?

*Beacon* (2019) and *Phantom Anthem* (2017) share the same production team (Carson Slovak and Grant McFarland at Castle Chaos Recording) and the same Pearl Reference Pure / Pearl Demon Drive foundation, but differ primarily in cymbal choice and production aesthetic. *Phantom Anthem* used Zildjian A Custom / Sabian AAX — brighter, more aggressive, suited to that album's compressed production character. *Beacon* returned to Meinl Byzance, specifically the Extra Dry and Dual variants — drier, darker, more controlled — matching the slightly more open, dynamic production space the album allows. The result is a drum sound that shares the Reference Pure's tight articulation but carries a warmer, more controlled cymbal voice. See the [Phantom Anthem drum setup](/articles/abr-phantom-anthem-drum-setup) and [Matt Greiner complete drum setup](/articles/matt-greiner-complete-drum-setup) for full comparison.

Where does Beacon fit in the August Burns Red discography?

*Beacon* (2019) is August Burns Red's eighth studio album, released on September 6, 2019 through Fearless Records. It follows *Phantom Anthem* (2017) — which earned ABR their highest Grammy recognition with "King of Sorrow" — and precedes *Death Below* (2023), the most recent ABR studio album. *Beacon* won the Dove Award for Rock Contemporary Inspirational Album at the 51st GMA Dove Awards (2020), distinguishing it from every other ABR album in the discography with a Christian music industry honor. For the full ABR drum arc, see: [Leveler (2011)](/articles/leveler-drum-setup) → [Found in Far Away Places (2015)](/articles/found-in-far-away-places-drum-setup) → [Phantom Anthem (2017)](/articles/abr-phantom-anthem-drum-setup) → Beacon (2019) → [Death Below (2023)](/articles/death-below-drum-setup).