I'm a drummer in my late 40s, having grown up with Neil Peart & Cobham and Weckl fusion. The vast majority of the drumming in the "metal" world annoys me, though I confess I'm a huge fan of Tomas Haake and Meshuggah in general. I own an AsL album, and have been listening to Matt Garstka for several years now. Take drummers like Chris Coleman, Steve Smith and Benny Greb (and other "masters") - put them on stage to solo - and what you'll find is that the vast majority of what they'll play is made-up on the spot. If they have a shtick, it's used sparingly. The vast majority of "metal" drummers GO RIGHT TO THE SHTICK and incorporate it into everything, or play solos which they know by heart. Matt Garstka - at a very young age - distinguishes himself because he's an artist. He creates what he's playing as he does it - just like the guys I idolize. There are plenty of other drummers who I'd call artists. For me, though, Garstka stands above his peers on several levels, which is why I'd consider him more of an artist than a musician, and will be someone I'll follow for as long as he continues to play. Thanks for posting this!
a title like that literally does nothing but serve to get you dislikes. those who know matt garstka are as likely to click on this whether there is a 'best' in the title or not.
