# Bill Ward vs Matt Greiner — Q&A Comparison | MetalForge

> Structured Q&A: Bill Ward (Black Sabbath, 1968–1983, 1997–2006) vs Matt Greiner (August Burns Red, 2003–present). Heavy metal's jazz-swing originator compared to a Grammy-nominated metalcore technician — two eras of the genre built on the same jazz roots.

**Category:** Heavy Metal / Metalcore · **URL:** https://metalforge.io/vs/bill-ward-vs-matt-greiner

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**Q: Who is Bill Ward?**
A: Bill Ward (born May 5, 1948, in Birmingham, England) is a co-founder of Black Sabbath, one of the most influential bands in heavy metal history. Alongside Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, and Geezer Butler, Ward helped invent heavy metal's rhythmic vocabulary from scratch, playing on all eight classic Ozzy-era Sabbath albums including "Black Sabbath" (1970), "Paranoid" (1970), and "Master of Reality" (1971). His jazz-influenced style, shaped by heroes Gene Krupa, Buddy Rich, and John Bonham, combined swing with power in a way no other rock drummer of the era was playing.

**Q: Who is Matt Greiner?**
A: Matthew Wilson Greiner (born October 28, 1985) is an American drummer and founding member of metalcore band August Burns Red, formed in 2003 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Known for a highly technical style that blends blazing double bass with jazz-informed dynamics, Greiner has driven the band's Grammy-nominated catalog — including "Messengers" (2007), "Found in Far Away Places" (2015), and "Guardians" (2020) — for over two decades. In 2012 he co-founded the drum company Greiner & Kilmer with fellow drummer Kaleb Kilmer.

**Q: What is the main stylistic difference between Bill Ward and Matt Greiner?**
A: Ward's technique is rooted in open, swinging jazz feel rather than technical precision — his loose grip and behind-the-beat phrasing gave early Sabbath riffs like "Iron Man" and "War Pigs" a heavy, rolling groove. Greiner channels that same jazz vocabulary into modern metalcore, weaving odd time signatures seamlessly into August Burns Red's song structures and using creative stacked-cymbal work and rapid double bass rather than showcasing complexity as pure technical display.

**Q: What drums does Bill Ward play?**
A: Bill Ward played a Ludwig Classic Maple kit with a Ludwig Supraphonic 14"x6.5" LM402 snare, driven by a Ludwig Atlas Pro double pedal, Vic Firth American Classic 2B sticks, and Remo heads.

**Q: What drums does Matt Greiner play?**
A: Matt Greiner plays a Greiner & Kilmer Custom kit — co-designed with fellow drummer Kaleb Kilmer after the pair founded their own drum company in 2012 — with a matching Greiner & Kilmer Custom 14"x6.5" Maple snare, driven by a DW 9000 Series double pedal, Vic Firth American Classic 5A sticks, and Evans heads.

**Q: What cymbals do Bill Ward and Matt Greiner use?**
A: Bill Ward used Paiste 2002 & Giant Beat Series cymbals (15" Giant Beat Hi-Hats, 18" & 20" 2002 Crashes, a 24" 2002 Ride, 18" 2002 China). Matt Greiner uses Meinl Byzance Series cymbals (15" Dual Hi-Hats, 18" & 19" Dual Crashes, 21" Transition Ride, 18" Extra Dry China, 10" & 12" Splashes).

**Q: What bands are Bill Ward and Matt Greiner known for?**
A: Bill Ward co-founded and drummed for Black Sabbath from 1968 to 1983, and again from 1997 to 2006. Matt Greiner co-founded metalcore band August Burns Red in 2003 and remains the band's drummer.

**Q: Has August Burns Red or Matt Greiner won a Grammy?**
A: Not yet — August Burns Red has received two Grammy nominations for Best Metal Performance (2016 and 2020), recognition that reflects Greiner's jazz-informed technical reputation within metalcore.

**Q: What is Bill Ward's legacy in heavy metal drumming?**
A: Ward is widely credited as one of the true originators of heavy metal drumming. His jazz-informed, swinging approach to Black Sabbath's riffs created a rhythmic template that every subsequent metal drummer, including Greiner, built upon.

**Q: What is the verdict — Bill Ward vs Matt Greiner?**
A: Bill Ward and Matt Greiner represent two foundational, cross-era pillars of metal drumming built on the same jazz roots. Ward invented heavy metal's drumming vocabulary from a jazz-swing foundation, creating the genre's rhythmic DNA with Black Sabbath starting in 1968. Greiner built on that same jazz sensibility more than three decades later, turning odd time signatures and stacked-cymbal dynamics into a Grammy-nominated metalcore signature with August Burns Red. Comparing them is comparing metal's birth to its modern technical ceiling.

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*Full comparison: [metalforge.io/vs/bill-ward-vs-matt-greiner](https://metalforge.io/vs/bill-ward-vs-matt-greiner)*

*[Bill Ward drummer profile](https://metalforge.io/drummer/bill-ward)*
*[Matt Greiner drummer profile](https://metalforge.io/drummer/matt-greiner)*

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*Last updated: 2026-07-10 · Source: [MetalForge.io](https://metalforge.io)*