Messengers Debut Intro Groove — Matt Greiner (August Burns Red) Drum Lick | MetalForge
Learn the Messengers Debut Intro Groove drum lick by Matt Greiner of August Burns Red. From Existence (Messengers (2007)). "Existence" opens August Burns Red's 2007 album Messengers and is the groove that introduced Matt Gr...
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1. Matt Greiner's Signature Licks — "Existence" opens August Burns Red's 2007 album Messengers and is the groove that introduced Matt Greiner to the wider metalcore world. Messengers was the record that established August Burns Red as one of the genre's essential bands, and Greiner's drumming throughout was immediately recognised as exceptional — not just technically precise but musically sophisticated in a way that metalcore rarely achieved at that point in its development. The intro groove of "Existence" captures exactly what made Greiner's playing so compelling from the start: a confident, driving metalcore groove that uses double-bass figures to propel the riff without overwhelming the melody, tight hi-hat work that keeps the feel moving rather than merely pummelling, and clean, articulate fill placement that announces a drummer who understands arrangement as much as technique. The pattern itself is not as technically demanding as the blast-to-groove transitions or the polyrhythmic passages Greiner would develop in later albums, but that is precisely what makes it such a valuable study: it reveals the foundational approach — the groove intelligence, the riff-locking instinct, and the musical restraint — that underpins all the more complex material to come. Learning the intro groove of "Existence" means understanding how Greiner builds a metalcore part from the ground up: he establishes a clear, purposeful relationship between the kick and the riff, adds a strong and consistent snare backbeat, then decorates with hi-hat and ride choices that mark the sections without cluttering them. Fills arrive exactly where the arrangement needs them and land precisely on the downbeat, a habit that remains consistent across his entire recorded output. For drummers, this lick is the ideal entry point into Greiner's style: accessible enough to begin without months of preparation, yet deep enough to teach the groove intelligence and musical discipline that define his best playing.2. Matt Greiner Profile — Build the riff-kick relationship first — know where the riff accents fall before adding the backbeat Hold a strong, consistent snare on beats 2 and 4 while the kick carries the rhythmic complexity Mark section changes with hi-hat and ride variations rather than relying on fills alone Place fills exactly where the arrangement calls for them — landing cleanly on the downbeat is non-negotiable Listen for the relationship between the bass guitar and the kick — Greiner locks both to the riff simultaneously
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