August Burns Red 'Guardians' Drum Setup (Matt Greiner, 2020) | MetalForge
Matt Greiner recorded Guardians (2020) on a Pearl Reference Pure kit with a Pearl Matt Greiner Signature snare.
Complete breakdown of Matt Greiner's drum kit, cymbals, and gear on August Burns Red's Guardians (2020). Pearl Reference Pure kit, Meinl Byzance Extra Dry cy...
Frequently Asked Questions
What drum kit does Matt Greiner use on Guardians?
On *Guardians* (2020), Matt Greiner plays 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. By *Guardians*, this had been his primary kit for five years, dating back to *Found in Far Away Places* (2015). For the complete current setup breakdown, see the [Matt Greiner drum setup guide](/articles/matt-greiner-complete-drum-setup).
What cymbals does Matt Greiner use on Guardians?
On *Guardians* (2020), Matt Greiner plays Meinl Byzance Extra Dry and Dual cymbals — 15" Dual Hi-Hats, 18" and 19" Extra Dry Medium Crashes, a 21" Transition Ride, and an 18" Extra Dry China. This is the same cymbal configuration that would carry forward unchanged into [Death Below (2023)](/articles/death-below-drum-setup), making Guardians the record where Greiner's current cymbal voice locked into place after the Zildjian/Sabian setup of Phantom Anthem (2017).
How did Guardians perform on the charts?
*Guardians* (2020) debuted at #53 on the Billboard 200 and topped the Billboard Christian Albums chart — one of August Burns Red's strongest commercial performances. It was preceded by three singles: 'Defender' (February 6, 2020), 'Bones' (February 26, 2020), and 'Paramount' (March 26, 2020), ahead of the album's April 3, 2020 release on Fearless Records.
Where does Guardians fit in Matt Greiner's gear timeline?
*Guardians* (2020) sits between *Phantom Anthem* (2017) and *Death Below* (2023) in Matt Greiner's documented gear history. It marks the point where his cymbal setup shifted back to Meinl Byzance Extra Dry and Dual series after the Zildjian A Custom / Sabian AAX pairing used on *Phantom Anthem*, while the Pearl Reference Pure kit and Pearl Demon Drive pedal continued unchanged from the *Found in Far Away Places* era. That full configuration — kit, cymbals, and pedal alike — is the same one documented on [Death Below (2023)](/articles/death-below-drum-setup). See the [Matt Greiner drummer profile](/drummer/matt-greiner) for the complete career arc.