# Raymond Herrera vs Matt Garstka — Drum Kit Comparison > Side-by-side gear comparison between Raymond Herrera (Fear Factory / Arkaea / Brujeria) and Matt Garstka (Animals as Leaders). **Category:** Progressive Metal · **URL:** https://metalforge.io/vs/raymond-herrera-vs-matt-garstka Raymond Herrera (Fear Factory) vs Matt Garstka (Animals as Leaders): industrial metal's mechanical "stop-go" pioneer compared to modern djent's polyrhythmic virtuoso. Style, gear, and technical precision compared. --- ## Raymond Herrera Setup - **Drums:** Tama Starclassic - **Cymbals:** Zildjian A Custom & Z Custom Series (14" A Custom Hi-Hats, 18" & 19" A Custom Crashes, 21" Z Custom Mega Bell Ride, 18" A Custom China) - **Snare:** Tama 14x6.5" Brass - **Pedals/Hardware:** DW 5000 Series Double Pedal, Tama Power Tower Custom Rack, Tama Wide Rider Throne - **Sticks:** Pro-Mark 5A Oak Nylon Tip ## Matt Garstka Setup - **Drums:** Tama Starclassic Walnut/Birch - **Cymbals:** Meinl Byzance Series (15" Dual Hi-Hats, 18" & 20" Extra Dry Medium Crashes, 22" Dual Ride) - **Snare:** Tama S.L.P. 14x6" G-Maple - **Pedals/Hardware:** Tama Speed Cobra 910 Double Pedal - **Sticks:** Vic Firth Matt Garstka Signature ## Playing Style Raymond Herrera co-founded Fear Factory in 1990 and built his reputation on a machine-like, mechanically precise approach that mirrored the band's industrial metal fusion of death metal aggression and programmed-sounding rhythm. His "stop-go" double bass technique — alternating tight bursts of speed with abrupt silences rather than sustaining a continuous blast — became one of the defining sonic signatures of 1990s industrial metal, audible across "Soul of a New Machine" (1992), "Demanufacture" (1995), and "Obsolete" (1998). Matt Garstka joined instrumental progressive metal band Animals as Leaders in 2012 and represents the next generation of technical precision: a jazz-fusion-trained polyrhythmic virtuoso whose playing blends odd-meter djent riffing with intricate ghost-note layering and electronic-music-influenced dynamics, heard throughout "The Joy of Motion" (2014) and "The Madness of Many" (2016). ## Technique Herrera's genius was making a human drummer sound like a drum machine without ever using one — his stop-go bass drum patterns required surgical timing precision to lock with Fear Factory's sequenced guitar riffs and Dino Cazares' palm-muted chug, creating the mechanical illusion that defined industrial metal's sound. Garstka's technique draws from an entirely different well: linear independence, polymetric phrasing, and ghost-note-laced double bass that owes as much to jazz fusion drummers as to metal, allowing him to navigate Animals as Leaders' constantly shifting time signatures with fluid, almost conversational precision rather than mechanical rigidity. ## Key Differences Raymond Herrera plays a Tama Starclassic kit with a Tama 14x6.5" Brass snare and Zildjian A Custom & Z Custom cymbals, paired with a DW 5000 Series double pedal built for the rapid stop-go bursts his sound demands. Matt Garstka plays a Tama Starclassic Walnut/Birch kit with a Tama S.L.P. 14x6" G-Maple snare and Meinl Byzance Series cymbals, driven by a Tama Speed Cobra 910 double pedal tuned for the ghost-note-dense, polyrhythmic patterns central to his sound. Herrera's genius was making a human drummer sound like a drum machine without ever using one — his stop-go bass drum patterns required surgical timing precision to lock with Fear Factory's sequenced guitar riffs and Dino Cazares' palm-muted chug, creating the mechanical illusion that defined industrial metal's sound. Garstka's technique draws from an entirely different well: linear independence, polymetric phrasing, and ghost-note-laced double bass that owes as much to jazz fusion drummers as to metal, allowing him to navigate Animals as Leaders' constantly shifting time signatures with fluid, almost conversational precision rather than mechanical rigidity. ## Influence & Legacy Herrera's stop-go technique and machine-precise playing helped define industrial metal as a genre and influenced a generation of drummers chasing a mechanically tight, programmed-sounding aggression on a real kit — his work remains a reference point for "how do I sound like a drum machine" discussions among metal drummers. Garstka has become a touchstone for the modern progressive metal and djent generation, frequently cited alongside Tomas Haake and Matt Halpern as a drummer who pushed polyrhythmic, fusion-informed technicality into mainstream tech-metal consciousness through Animals as Leaders' globally influential instrumental catalog. ## Verdict Raymond Herrera and Matt Garstka represent two distinct eras and philosophies of technical precision in metal drumming. Herrera pioneered a mechanical, stop-go approach that made a human drummer sound machine-built, defining industrial metal's rhythmic identity in the 1990s. Garstka represents djent and progressive metal's fusion-trained, polyrhythmic evolution — precision built from musicality and odd-meter complexity rather than mechanical restraint. Both answer the question "who is the most technically precise metal drummer?" from opposite directions: engineered tightness versus virtuosic fluidity. ## FAQ **Q: What are the main differences between Raymond Herrera's and Matt Garstka's drum kits?** A: Raymond Herrera plays Tama Starclassic with Zildjian cymbals, while Matt Garstka uses Tama Starclassic Walnut/Birch with Meinl cymbals. Raymond Herrera plays a Tama Starclassic kit with a Tama 14x6.5" Brass snare and Zildjian A Custom & Z Custom cymbals, paired with a DW 5000 Series double pedal built for the rapid stop-go bursts his sound demands. Matt Garstka plays a Tama Starclassic Walnut/Birch kit with a Tama S.L.P. 14x6" G-Maple snare and Meinl Byzance Series cymbals, driven by a Tama Speed Cobra 910 double pedal tuned for the ghost-note-dense, polyrhythmic patterns central to his sound. **Q: What drums does Raymond Herrera play vs Matt Garstka?** A: Raymond Herrera plays Tama Starclassic. Matt Garstka plays Tama Starclassic Walnut/Birch. **Q: Who is the better progressive metal drummer, Raymond Herrera or Matt Garstka?** A: Both are legends in their own right. Raymond Herrera and Matt Garstka represent two distinct eras and philosophies of technical precision in metal drumming. See the full analysis at [metalforge.io/vs/raymond-herrera-vs-matt-garstka](https://metalforge.io/vs/raymond-herrera-vs-matt-garstka). **Q: What cymbals do Raymond Herrera and Matt Garstka use?** A: Raymond Herrera uses Zildjian A Custom & Z Custom Series (14" A Custom Hi-Hats, 18" & 19" A Custom Crashes, 21" Z Custom Mega Bell Ride, 18" A Custom China). Matt Garstka uses Meinl Byzance Series (15" Dual Hi-Hats, 18" & 20" Extra Dry Medium Crashes, 22" Dual Ride). --- *Full comparison: [metalforge.io/vs/raymond-herrera-vs-matt-garstka](https://metalforge.io/vs/raymond-herrera-vs-matt-garstka)* *[Raymond Herrera drummer profile](https://metalforge.io/drummer/raymond-herrera)* *[Matt Garstka drummer profile](https://metalforge.io/drummer/matt-garstka)* --- *Last updated: 2026-06-30 · Source: [MetalForge.io](https://metalforge.io)*