Tempting Time Odd-Meter Groove — Matt Garstka (Animals as Leaders) Drum Lick | MetalForge
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Learn the Tempting Time Odd-Meter Groove drum lick by Matt Garstka of Animals as Leaders. From Tempting Time (Animals as Leaders (2009)). "Tempting Time" comes from Animals as Leaders' 2009 self-titled debut, and although Navene Koperweis...
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1. Matt Garstka's Signature Licks — "Tempting Time" comes from Animals as Leaders' 2009 self-titled debut, and although Navene Koperweis drummed on the original studio recording, Matt Garstka's live and filmed performances of it have become the definitive drumming reference for the song. It is one of the most demanding pieces in the band's catalogue: the eight-string guitar riffs lurch through constantly shifting odd meters and metric modulations, and the drummer's job is to make those jagged subdivisions feel intentional and powerful rather than confusing. Garstka attacks it with aggressive double bass, tightly controlled accents, and a relentless sense of where beat one is, no matter how the riff displaces around him. The track demands fluent counting — bars of seven, five and odd sixteenth-note groupings arrive in quick succession — and the ability to play fast double-kick figures while the hands punctuate the riff with crashes and snare accents. What separates a convincing performance from a sloppy one is dynamic control and consistency: every kick stroke has to speak evenly at speed, and the accents have to land exactly with the guitars or the whole arrangement collapses. For advancing players, learning even a section of "Tempting Time" is a complete workout in odd-time reading, double-bass endurance, and locking with a riff that refuses to sit still. It is the kind of piece that exposes any weakness in your time-feel, which is precisely why it has become a rite-of-passage track for modern progressive-metal drummers. Approached patiently, with the riff counted out and the tempo built up gradually, it teaches you to stay calm and grounded inside music that is deliberately trying to throw you off. Few tracks expose a shaky internal clock as ruthlessly, and few reward the work as generously: once it sits comfortably under your hands, almost any other odd-meter metal part will feel approachable by comparison, which is why it endures as a benchmark for the style.2. Matt Garstka Profile — Count the shifting meters out loud and mark where beat one lands in every bar Play the double-bass figures evenly so every kick stroke speaks at tempo Land hand accents exactly with the guitar riff so drums and guitars lock Use crashes to punctuate the ends of phrases and reset your internal count Loop one odd-meter section until the count is automatic before moving on
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