Composure Syncopated Groove — Matt Greiner (August Burns Red) Drum Lick | MetalForge
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Learn the Composure Syncopated Groove drum lick by Matt Greiner of August Burns Red. From Composure (Constellations (2009)). "Composure" from August Burns Red's 2009 album Constellations is one of Matt Greiner's most celebrat...
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1. Matt Greiner's Signature Licks — "Composure" from August Burns Red's 2009 album Constellations is one of Matt Greiner's most celebrated performances and a defining moment for technical metalcore drumming. The song is a relentless display of syncopation: Greiner locks his kick drum to the band's stop-start, off-beat guitar riffing so tightly that the drums and guitars read as a single jagged rhythmic machine. What sets his playing apart is how he ornaments those syncopated hits — rather than simply doubling the riff, he weaves ghost notes, quick double-bass bursts and crash accents around the guitar stabs, turning what could be a rigid pattern into something that breathes and grooves. The track also showcases his trademark fluency moving between tight, controlled grooves and explosive fills that erupt out of the riff and land precisely back on the downbeat. For drummers, "Composure" is a complete study in playing with a band rather than over it: every kick and accent has a purpose tied to the arrangement, and learning it forces you to develop an internal map of where the riff lands so you can lock to it without staring at a click. It demands fast, even double bass, a strong sense of subdivision to nail the off-beat accents, and the dynamic control to make ghost notes whisper between the loud hits. Greiner has built much of his teaching career around exactly this kind of musical, riff-locked playing, and "Composure" is the song most often cited as the benchmark. Working through even a single section sharpens your timing, your ear for syncopation, and your ability to make a technical part feel like a groove rather than an exercise — skills that transfer directly to any modern metal style. It remains a rite-of-passage track for aspiring metalcore drummers. More than a decade on, it still appears constantly on lists of the hardest metalcore drum parts, and nailing it cleanly is a genuine milestone for any developing player.2. Matt Greiner Profile — Lock the kick drum precisely to the off-beat guitar stabs so drums and riff align Ornament the syncopated hits with ghost notes and quick double-bass bursts Keep an internal map of where the riff lands so you can lock without a click Erupt into fills out of the riff and resolve them exactly on the downbeat Build the part in sections, mastering the syncopation slowly before adding speed
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