# Jaska Raatikainen vs Matt Greiner — Q&A Comparison | MetalForge

> Structured Q&A: Jaska Raatikainen (Children of Bodom, 1993–2019) vs Matt Greiner (August Burns Red, 2003–present). Finnish melodic death metal precision compared to Grammy-nominated metalcore technicality.

**Category:** Melodic Death Metal / Metalcore · **URL:** https://metalforge.io/vs/jaska-raatikainen-vs-matt-greiner

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**Q: Who is Jaska Raatikainen?**
A: Jaska Raatikainen (born July 18, 1979) co-founded Children of Bodom in 1993 and spent 26 years driving the Finnish band's signature blend of neoclassical melodies and melodic death metal, anchoring dense keyboard-and-guitar arrangements from "Something Wild" (1997) through the band's 2019 farewell.

**Q: Who is Matt Greiner?**
A: Matthew Wilson Greiner (born October 28, 1985) co-founded August Burns Red in 2003 and has driven the band's Grammy-nominated metalcore for over two decades, combining jazz-influenced dynamics with blazing double bass across albums like "Messengers" (2007), "Constellations" (2009), and "Phantom Anthem" (2017).

**Q: What is the main stylistic difference between Jaska Raatikainen and Matt Greiner?**
A: Raatikainen built his technique around clean, locked-in double bass and precise, driving blast beats, keeping Bodom's dense arrangements anchored with surgical consistency at extreme tempos. Greiner weaves odd time signatures seamlessly into song structures rather than showcasing them as a display, incorporating creative stacked-cymbal work and rapid-fire double bass into metalcore's heavy foundation.

**Q: What drums does Jaska Raatikainen play?**
A: Jaska Raatikainen played a Pearl Masters Premium Maple kit with a Pearl Masters 14"x5.5" Maple snare, driven by a Pearl Eliminator double pedal, Vic Firth American Classic 5A 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 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 Jaska Raatikainen and Matt Greiner use?**
A: Jaska Raatikainen used Zildjian A Custom & K Custom Series cymbals (14" A Custom Hi-Hats, 17" & 18" A Custom Crashes, 20" K Custom Ride). 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 Jaska Raatikainen and Matt Greiner known for?**
A: Jaska Raatikainen was a founding member of Children of Bodom in 1993 and remained the band's drummer for 26 years. Matt Greiner co-founded metalcore band August Burns Red in 2003 and remains the band's drummer.

**Q: Has Matt Greiner won any awards with August Burns Red?**
A: Matt Greiner and August Burns Red have not won a Grammy, but the band has received two Grammy nominations for Best Metal Performance (2016 and 2020). Greiner also co-founded the Greiner & Kilmer drum company, which produces his signature kit.

**Q: How long was Jaska Raatikainen the drummer for Children of Bodom?**
A: Jaska Raatikainen was a founding member of Children of Bodom in 1993 and remained the band's drummer for 26 years, from the 1997 debut "Something Wild" through the band's farewell in 2019.

**Q: What is the verdict — Jaska Raatikainen vs Matt Greiner?**
A: Jaska Raatikainen and Matt Greiner both prove that precision, not just speed, defines extreme metal's more technical corners. Raatikainen's clean, locked-in blast beats and double bass gave Children of Bodom's neoclassical melodic death metal its rhythmic identity for 26 years. Greiner folds odd-time complexity invisibly into August Burns Red's Grammy-nominated metalcore, turning technicality into radio-friendly songcraft rather than a display of chops.

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

*[Jaska Raatikainen drummer profile](https://metalforge.io/drummer/jaska-raatikainen)*
*[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)*