# How to Sound Like Matt Garstka — Animals as Leaders Drum Sound Guide

**Drummer:** Matt Garstka  
**Band:** Animals as Leaders  
**Genre:** Progressive Metal / Djent  
**Guide URL:** https://metalforge.io/guides/how-to-sound-like-matt-garstka

## Overview

Matt Garstka has been the drummer for Animals as Leaders since 2012, recorded on The Joy of Motion (2014), The Madness of Many (2016), and Parrhesia (2022). In a band built on eight-string guitars and compositional complexity, Garstka holds down one of the most demanding drumming roles in modern progressive metal — coordinating polyrhythmic independence across all four limbs while serving the music's intricate architecture.

What distinguishes Garstka from other technical metal drummers is his jazz background. Before joining Animals as Leaders, he studied at Berklee College of Music, and that foundation is audible in everything he plays: a relaxed physical approach that generates enormous complexity without tension, a command of dynamics that prevents wall-to-wall intensity from becoming numbing, and a jazz drummer's sensitivity to space and phrasing within technical contexts. His approach centers on four-way limb independence — treating each limb as a separate rhythmic voice — and metric modulation techniques borrowed from jazz and applied to metal tempos.

## Kit Setup

Matt plays **Tama Starclassic Performer** drums — birch/bubinga hybrid shells combining bright attack with warm sustain:

- **Kick Drum:** 22" x 18" with Tama Speed Cobra 310 Double Pedal
- **Snare:** 14" x 6.5" Tama Starphonic Steel
- **Rack Toms:** 8" x 7", 10" x 8", 12" x 9"
- **Floor Toms:** 14" x 14", 16" x 16"
- **Cymbals:** Meinl Byzance Traditional Series — dark, complex character
- **Pedals:** Tama Speed Cobra 310 Double Pedal (Rolling Glide design)
- **Sticks:** Vic Firth 5A (lighter weight for rebound and dynamic nuance)
- **Heads:** Evans EMAD2 Clear (kick), Remo Ambassador Coated (snare), Evans EC2S Clear (toms)

## Tuning & Setup

Garstka tunes for balance between attack definition and tonal complexity — the djent context needs punchy kick attack, while progressive passages need toms with enough sustain to carry pitch:

- **Kick:** Medium tension with Evans EMAD ring muffling. Defined attack transient that punches through down-tuned guitars while maintaining body. Tune until you hear a clear 'thump' with an audible attack edge.
- **Snare:** Medium-high tension. The Starphonic Steel delivers focused crack at this tension. Thin tape strip at edge for recording; one Moongel or nothing for live. Ghost note sensitivity preserved by the free-mounting design.
- **Toms:** Medium tension, EC2S heads with built-in control ring. Musical sustain with good attack — not dead, over-muffled drums. Tune each tom to a musical interval; Garstka's tom patterns often function melodically.

## Technique Tips

Garstka plays **matched grip** with a relaxed, jazz-informed technique. His defining quality is controlled limb independence — each limb running a separate rhythmic voice that combines to create polyrhythmic composite patterns.

**Signature patterns:**

- **Polyrhythmic Independence — 4 Against 3 (80–140 BPM, Advanced):** Right foot plays quarter notes while left foot plays triplets (3 evenly-spaced notes per measure). The two streams don't align except at beat 1. Practice each limb independently before combining — mental separation must precede physical execution. This four-way independence is the foundation of Garstka's approach.
- **Displaced Hi-Hat Accent Patterns (100–160 BPM, Intermediate-Advanced):** Hi-hat accents fall on displaced positions (every 3rd 16th note rather than every 4th) rather than metronomic 8th or 16th-note grid. Borrowed from jazz ride technique applied to metal contexts. The hi-hat functions as a melodic voice rather than a timekeeping device.
- **Metric Modulation Groove Shifts (Variable, Advanced):** Felt tempo shifts by subdividing existing pulses differently without changing the actual BPM. A new note grouping recontextualizes the underlying pulse — triplets make the groove feel faster without changing the click tempo. Practice shifting between quarter, triplet, and dotted-quarter subdivisions over a constant click.
- **Dynamic Control Within Technical Density (Variable, Intermediate):** Actively shapes dynamics throughout — from brushes-level sensitivity to full power. Practice any Garstka pattern at ppp, mf, and fff; equal technical control at all three levels is the goal.

**Key songs to study:** *Arithmophobia* (The Joy of Motion, 2014) · *The Future That Awaited Me* (The Joy of Motion, 2014) · *Tooth and Claw* (The Madness of Many, 2016) · *Lippincott* (The Joy of Motion, 2014)

## Gear Shopping List

| Item | Garstka's Spec | Budget Alternative |
|------|---------------|-------------------|
| Drum Kit | Tama Starclassic Performer | Tama Imperialstar (~$500) |
| Snare | Tama Starphonic Steel 14" x 6.5" | Pearl Free-Floating Steel |
| Cymbals | Meinl Byzance Traditional Series | Meinl HCS Bronze or Byzance Value Pack |
| Pedal | Tama Speed Cobra 310 Double | Tama Iron Cobra 200 Double (~$200) |
| Sticks | Vic Firth 5A | Promark Classic 5A |
| Kick Head | Evans EMAD2 Clear | Remo Powerstroke P3 Clear |

**Starter budget path (~$1,200):** Tama Imperialstar + Meinl HCS Bronze + Tama Iron Cobra 200. See [/brands/tama](https://metalforge.io/brands/tama) and [/brands/meinl](https://metalforge.io/brands/meinl).

## Practice Routine

1. **Limb Independence Builder (20 min daily):** Right foot quarter notes, left foot triplets simultaneously. Practice just feet until stable, then add one hand at a time. Allow weeks — this is a long-term development project. Goal: four independent rhythmic streams without disruption.
2. **Displaced Hi-Hat Accent Drill (15 min, 3x/week):** Accent every 3rd 16th note in a 16th-note hi-hat pattern over a 4/4 click. The accent cycles every 3 bars. Record and check that the hi-hat sounds rhythmically independent from the snare-kick.
3. **Dynamic Range Drill (10 min per pattern):** Practice any Garstka groove at ppp, mf, and fff consecutively. Technical precision must match at all dynamic levels. Goal: quiet playing as precise as full-power playing.

**Common mistakes:** Tensing the grip during complex passages (kills rebound); combining limbs before each is individually stable; playing at one dynamic level; ignoring jazz drumming fundamentals that underpin the entire approach.

## FAQ

**Q: What drum kit does Matt Garstka use?**  
A: Matt Garstka plays Tama Starclassic Performer drums — a birch/bubinga hybrid shell kit. The Starclassic Performer combines birch's bright attack with bubinga's warm, resonant sustain. His configuration runs a 22" kick, three rack toms (8", 10", 12"), and two floor toms (14", 16").

**Q: What cymbals does Matt Garstka use?**  
A: Matt Garstka plays Meinl Byzance cymbals throughout his setup, primarily from the Traditional series. His setup typically includes 14" Byzance Traditional Medium Hi-Hats, multiple crashes (18" and 20" Medium Thin Crash), and a 22" Polyphonic Ride. The Byzance line's darker character reflects his jazz influence.

**Q: What is Matt Garstka's signature drumming technique?**  
A: Garstka's defining technique is four-way limb independence — running each limb as a separate rhythmic voice combining to create polyrhythmic composite patterns. He also deploys metric modulation and displaced hi-hat accent patterns informed by jazz ride technique. His Berklee training gives his playing a dynamic range rare in technical metal.

**Q: What pedals does Matt Garstka use?**  
A: Matt Garstka uses Tama Speed Cobra 310 double pedals. The Speed Cobra's 'Rolling Glide' design positions the footboard hinge at the rear, creating an ergonomic feel suited to the precise placement of individual kick notes within complex polyrhythmic patterns.

**Q: How long does it take to develop Matt Garstka's polyrhythmic style?**  
A: Developing genuine four-way limb independence takes months to years of daily focused practice. The mental component — holding separate rhythmic streams in independent cognitive tracks — often takes longer than the physical execution. Garstka studied jazz drumming extensively before developing his metal application of these techniques. Practice each limb combination separately before attempting the full combination.

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**Full interactive guide:** [https://metalforge.io/guides/how-to-sound-like-matt-garstka](https://metalforge.io/guides/how-to-sound-like-matt-garstka)  
**Drummer profile:** [https://metalforge.io/drummer/matt-garstka](https://metalforge.io/drummer/matt-garstka)  
**Licks & patterns:** [https://metalforge.io/drummers/matt-garstka/licks](https://metalforge.io/drummers/matt-garstka/licks)  
**Related guides:** [Brann Dailor](https://metalforge.io/llms/guides/how-to-sound-like-brann-dailor.md) · [Matt Halpern](https://metalforge.io/llms/guides/how-to-sound-like-matt-halpern.md) · [Mike Mangini](https://metalforge.io/llms/guides/how-to-sound-like-mike-mangini.md)

*Source: [MetalForge.io](https://metalforge.io) · Last updated: 2026-06-24*