# Arin Ilejay vs Matt Garstka — Classic Metal Power vs Progressive Djent Virtuosity > Side-by-side career and gear comparison between Arin Ilejay and Matt Garstka — straightforward classic-metal power drumming versus jazz-fusion-trained polyrhythmic virtuosity. **Category:** Alternative / Nu-Metal · **URL:** https://metalforge.io/vs/arin-ilejay-vs-matt-garstka Avenged Sevenfold's Arin Ilejay vs Animals as Leaders' Matt Garstka: straightforward classic-metal power drumming compared to jazz-fusion-trained polyrhythmic virtuosity. Gear, technique, and legacy compared. --- ## Arin Ilejay Setup - **Drums:** Mapex Saturn Series - **Snare:** Mapex Black Panther 14"x6.5" - **Cymbals:** Zildjian A Custom (14" Mastersound Hi-Hats, 18"/19" Crashes, 21" A Sweet Ride, 18" A Custom China) - **Pedals/Hardware:** Mapex Falcon double pedal - **Sticks:** Vic Firth American Classic 5A ## Matt Garstka Setup - **Drums:** Tama Starclassic Walnut/Birch - **Snare:** Tama S.L.P. 14"x6" G-Maple - **Cymbals:** Meinl Byzance Series (15" Dual Hi-Hats, 18"/20" Extra Dry Medium Crashes, 22" Dual Ride) - **Pedals/Hardware:** Tama Speed Cobra 910 Double Pedal ## Career Overview Arin Ilejay joined Avenged Sevenfold in 2011, stepping into one of metal's most emotionally charged drum chairs after the 2009 death of founding drummer Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan. His sole studio album with the band, "Hail to the King" (2013), debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, and his direct, powerful playing suited the record's deliberately retro, back-to-basics classic heavy metal approach rather than replicating The Rev's technical flourishes, before his 2015 departure. Matt Garstka joined instrumental progressive metal band Animals as Leaders in 2012, replacing Navene Koperweis, and brought a jazz-fusion education and virtuosic technical vocabulary to the band's djent-influenced sound, heard throughout "The Joy of Motion" (2014) and "The Madness of Many" (2016). ## Playing Style Ilejay favors a straightforward, powerful attack — heavy-handed backbeats and direct, effective fills that prioritize serving Avenged Sevenfold's arena-rock songwriting over technical display, a deliberate contrast to the intricate, jazz-inflected patterns The Rev built his reputation on. Garstka draws on linear independence, polymetric phrasing, and ghost-note-dense double bass shaped by jazz-fusion training, giving Animals as Leaders' constantly shifting time signatures a fluid, almost improvisational precision rather than mechanical rigidity. ## Key Differences Arin Ilejay played a Mapex Saturn Series kit with a Mapex Black Panther 14"x6.5" snare and Zildjian A Custom cymbals, powered by a Mapex Falcon double pedal and Vic Firth American Classic 5A sticks. Matt Garstka plays a Tama Starclassic Walnut/Birch kit with a Tama S.L.P. 14"x6" G-Maple snare and Meinl Byzance Series cymbals, powered by a Tama Speed Cobra 910 Double Pedal. ## Influence & Legacy Ilejay's tenure proved brief — just one album before his 2015 departure — but "Hail to the King" remains a commercial high point for Avenged Sevenfold, and his willingness to play in service of the songs rather than chase his predecessor's technical legacy earned him respect from fans wary of any replacement drummer. Garstka has become one of the most-watched young drummers in progressive metal through his YouTube content and Animals as Leaders' globally influential instrumental catalog, representing the new generation of jazz-trained tech-metal virtuosos. ## Verdict Arin Ilejay and Matt Garstka represent opposite philosophies within modern progressive-adjacent metal drumming. Ilejay's brief, single-album Avenged Sevenfold tenure showed that restraint and songwriting service can carry even a technically demanding, high-profile drum chair. Garstka's Animals as Leaders tenure shows the opposite path, building a lasting technical identity through jazz-fusion-informed polyrhythmic fluency across two globally influential instrumental albums. The debate is direct, song-serving power versus virtuosic, genre-defining complexity. ## FAQ **Q: How do Arin Ilejay and Matt Garstka compare as drummers?** A: Arin Ilejay drummed for Avenged Sevenfold from 2011 to 2015, bringing a straightforward, powerful, classic-metal-influenced style to "Hail to the King" (2013). Matt Garstka has drummed for Animals as Leaders since 2012, bringing jazz-fusion-trained polymetric phrasing and ghost-note-dense double bass to the band's djent-influenced instrumental catalog. **Q: What gear do Arin Ilejay and Matt Garstka use?** A: Arin Ilejay played a Mapex Saturn Series kit with a Mapex Black Panther snare and Zildjian A Custom cymbals, powered by a Mapex Falcon double pedal. Matt Garstka plays a Tama Starclassic Walnut/Birch kit with a Tama S.L.P. snare and Meinl Byzance Series cymbals, powered by a Tama Speed Cobra 910 Double Pedal. **Q: What bands are Arin Ilejay and Matt Garstka known for?** A: Arin Ilejay drummed for Avenged Sevenfold from 2011 to 2015, recording "Hail to the King," and previously played with Confide. Matt Garstka has been the drummer for instrumental progressive metal band Animals as Leaders since 2012, appearing on "The Joy of Motion" (2014) and "The Madness of Many" (2016). **Q: Is Matt Garstka jazz trained?** A: Yes — Matt Garstka's playing blends jazz fusion, electronic music, and progressive metal, and his jazz-influenced training is central to the linear independence and ghost-note complexity he brings to Animals as Leaders' instrumental compositions. --- *Full comparison: [metalforge.io/vs/arin-ilejay-vs-matt-garstka](https://metalforge.io/vs/arin-ilejay-vs-matt-garstka)* *[Arin Ilejay drummer profile](https://metalforge.io/drummer/arin-ilejay)* *[Matt Garstka drummer profile](https://metalforge.io/drummer/matt-garstka)* *[Arin Ilejay vs Jay Weinberg comparison](https://metalforge.io/vs/arin-ilejay-vs-jay-weinberg)* *[Blake Richardson vs Matt Garstka comparison](https://metalforge.io/vs/blake-richardson-vs-matt-garstka)* --- *Last updated: 2026-07-09 · Source: [MetalForge.io](https://metalforge.io)*