Ron Jarzombek is an American guitarist best known for his work with

WatchTower A watchtower or watch tower is a type of fortification used in many parts of the world. It differs from a regular tower in that its primary use is military and from a turret in that it is usually a freestanding structure. Its main purpose is to ...

Spastic Ink Spastic Ink was a progressive metal band from the United States. History Spastic Ink was formed in 1993 by guitarist Ron Jarzombek of Watchtower after recovering from multiple hand surgeries that had sidelined him, unable to play, for a couple ...

, and

Blotted Science Blotted Science is an instrumental progressive metal supergroup headed by Ron Jarzombek (Watchtower, Spastic Ink), bassist Alex Webster ( Cannibal Corpse) and drummer Hannes Grossmann (ex- Obscura, ex-Necrophagist). They formed under the name Mac ...

, featuring

Alex Webster Alex Webster (born 1969) is an American bass player who is best known as a member of the death metal band Cannibal Corpse. He is one of two remaining members of the original lineup of the band, along with drummer Paul Mazurkiewicz. He is al ...

Cannibal Corpse Cannibal Corpse is an American death metal band formed in Buffalo, New York in 1988, now based out of Tampa, Florida. The band has released fifteen studio albums, two box sets, four video albums, and two live albums. The band has had little radi ...

. His most recent project is Terrestrial Exiled. He released a brand new song, "Beyond Life And Cosmic Kinetics" (B.L.A.C.K.), as an interactive six-track multi-tracking app in November 2012. Jarzombek has guested with a number of artists ranging from fellow guitarists

Marty Friedman Marty Friedman (born December 8, 1962) is an American guitarist, best known for his tenure as the lead guitarist for thrash metal band Megadeth from 1990 to 2000. He is also known for playing alongside Jason Becker in Cacophony from 1986 until ...

and

Jeff Loomis Jeff Loomis (born September 14, 1971) is an American musician, best known for his role as lead guitarist in the progressive metal band Nevermore during its existence from 1991 to 2011, as well as brief tenures in its precursor, Sanctuary (band) ...

to death metal outfits Obscura and

Odious Mortem Odious Mortem is an American death metal band from San Francisco/Santa Cruz, California, United States. The band is currently signed to Willowtip Records. Odious Mortem has released three studio albums, through Unique Leader Records and Willowti ...

as well as Protest The Hero. He has also collaborated with Cynic offshoot

Gordian Knot The Gordian Knot is an Ancient Greek legend of Phrygian Gordium associated with Alexander the Great who is said to have cut the knot in 333 BC. It is often used as a metaphor for an intractable problem (untying an impossibly tangled knot) sol ...

and

Lamb of God Lamb of God ( el, Ἀμνὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, Amnòs toû Theoû; la, Agnus Dei, ) is a title for Jesus that appears in the Gospel of John. It appears at John 1:29, where John the Baptist sees Jesus and exclaims, "Behold the Lamb of God wh ...

drummer

Chris Adler Christopher James Adler (born November 23, 1972) is an American musician, best known as the founder and longtime drummer of heavy metal band Lamb of God from 1994 to 2019, and of Megadeth from 2015 to 2016. Adler played drums on Megadeth's f ...

. He teaches guitar in

San Antonio, Texas ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_t ...

and is a member of local

Rush Rush(es) may refer to: Places United States * Rush, Colorado * Rush, Kentucky * Rush, New York * Rush City, Minnesota * Rush Creek (Kishwaukee River tributary), Illinois * Rush Creek (Marin County, California), a stream * Rush Creek (Mono Cou ...

tribute band Exit Stage Left.

Influence

Ron has been hailed as one of the most influential progressive metal guitarists and has been called the ''"Godfather of Technical Metal."'' He has been cited as an influence by numerous players, particularly from the burgeoning technical death metal scene, most prominently

Muhammed Suiçmez Necrophagist was a German technical death metal band founded and fronted by guitarist and vocalist Muhammed Suiçmez. The band used baroque music-influenced compositions paired with extreme metal drumming. The name originates from the Greek ro ...

Necrophagist Necrophagist was a German technical death metal band founded and fronted by guitarist and vocalist Muhammed Suiçmez. The band used baroque music-influenced compositions paired with extreme metal drumming. The name originates from the Greek ro ...

. Ron is also featured in the 2009 book ''The 100 Greatest Metal Guitarists'' by British author

Joel McIver Joel McIver (born 10 February 1971) is a British author. His best-known work is ''Justice for All: The Truth About Metallica'', first published in 2004 and appearing in nine languages since then. McIver's other works include biographies of Bl ...

who calls Jarzombek ''"the most underrated axemonger ever."''

Decibel Magazine ''Decibel'' is a monthly heavy metal magazine published by the Philadelphia-based Red Flag Media since October 2004. Its sections include Upfront, Features, Reviews, Guest Columns and the Decibel Hall of Fame. The magazine's tag-line is currentl ...

remarked, ''"Ron Jarzombek should be a friggin' legend by now"'' in its review of

's ''

The Machinations of Dementia ''The Machinations of Dementia'' is the sole studio album by the instrumental progressive metal band Blotted Science, released September 18, 2007, on guitarist Ron Jarzombek's EclecticElectric label. It was issued in Japan on June 22, 2011, via M ...

''.

Soundtrack work

Ron wrote several exclusive pieces for Atlanta, GA-based Morley Arts Productions, a small animation company. These include the intro to a proposed science fiction short film titled Magnatania and bits featured on the Morley Arts 2005 demo reel which starts off with 'See and It's Sharp' by

. Another unreleased piece utilized was the Vai-esque Martians Marchin', originally meant to be a 'soundtrack for' a lithograph called ''House of Stairs'' by

M.C. Escher Maurits Cornelis Escher (; 17 June 1898 – 27 March 1972) was a Dutch graphic artist who made mathematically inspired woodcuts, lithographs, and mezzotints. Despite wide popular interest, Escher was for most of his life neglected in th ...

. In 2004, the animated 15-minute space mini-epic Time Ace, produced by Morley Arts and featuring two of Jarzombek's compositions, was awarded 'Best Animation' by a jury of film industry professionals in clickflick.tv's online film festival.

Equipment

Jarzombek plays custom-made guitars he builds himself, the reason being that ''"I am rather selective when it comes to guitars. For me, it's easier to build a guitar totally from scratch than to buy something off the shelf and customize it. The necks are taken off of guitars that I come across at local music stores."'' He tunes his guitars to dropped 7-string tuning (A E A D G B or A E A D G B E).

Discography

Albums: * (1988)

S.A. Slayer S.A. Slayer, originally known as Slayer, was an American heavy metal band formed in San Antonio, Texas, in 1981 by the former Blitzkrieg (not to be confused with the UK band Blitzkrieg) guitar duo Robert "Bob Dog" Catlin and Art Villarreal, ba ...

– ''Go For The Throat'' (''Under Den Linden'') * (1989)

– ''

Control and Resistance ''Control and Resistance'' is the second and final album by progressive metal band Watchtower, released in 1989. This was the band's last album before disbanding in 1993 while working on its never-released third album ''Mathematics'', and their fi ...

'' (''Noise Records'') * (1997)

– ''

Ink Complete ''Ink Complete'' is progressive instrumental band Spastic Ink's debut album, released in 1997 via Germany's Dream Circle label and re-issued in 2000 on EclecticElectric, with 25 minutes of 'work tapes' added as bonus tracks. Track listing # "Th ...

'' (''Dream Circle'', re-released by ''EclecticElectric'' in 2000'') * (1998) Ron Jarzombek (solo) – ''PHHHP!'' (''Mr. Kitty'') * (1998)

– ''

'' (''Sensory'') * (2002)

– '' Demonstrations in Chaos'' (archives release) (''Monster Records'') * (2002) Ron Jarzombek (solo) – '' Solitarily Speaking Of Theoretical Confinement'' (''Mr. Kitty'') * (2004)

– ''

Ink Compatible ''Ink Compatible'' is the second full-length album from Spastic Ink. It was released in 2004 after a four-year process via Ron Jarzombek's EclecticElectric label, except for Japan and Southeast Asia where it was released by Avalon/Marquee. It wa ...

'' (''EclecticElectric / Marquee/Avalon / Irond'') * (2007)

– ''Exhibit A – Live In Europe'' (''Avex Entertainment''; released by ''Mascot Records'' in 2008) * (2007)

– ''

'' (''EclecticElectric'' / ''Marquee/Avalon''; released on vinyl by ''Antithetic Records'' in 2013) * (2009) Ron Jarzombek (solo) – ''PHHHP! Plus'' (''EclecticElectric'') * (2011)

– ''

The Animation of Entomology Blotted Science is an instrumental progressive metal supergroup headed by Ron Jarzombek (Watchtower, Spastic Ink), bassist Alex Webster (Cannibal Corpse) and drummer Hannes Grossmann (ex- Obscura, ex-Necrophagist). They formed under the name Machin ...

'' (''EclecticElectric'' / ''

Basick Records Basick Records is a British record label founded in 2005 by Nathan "Barley" Phillips and his half brother Jake Smith. Their business has since expanded into the Invictus Music & Media group, which includes Basick Records itself, the hardcore pu ...

''; released on vinyl by ''Antithetic Records'' in 2013) * (2016)

– '' Concepts of Math: Book One'' (''

Prosthetic Records Prosthetic Records is an American record label specializing in heavy metal recordings, founded in Los Angeles, California in 1998 by E.J. Johantgen and Dan Fitzgerald. Prosthetic Records released the first two albums by Lamb of God and Animals ...

'') Singles: * (2010)

– ''The Size of Matter'' (digital release) * (2011) Terrestrial Exiled – ''Duodecimal Levorotation'' (digital release) * (2012) Ron Jarzombek – ''Beyond Life and Cosmic Kinetics'' (app / digital release) Compilations & guest appearances: * (1989) Various Artists – ''Doomsday News 2'' (''Noise Records'') w/ WatchTower * (1996) Various Artists – ''12 Years In Noise: Metal & Beyond'' -CD(''Noise Records'') w/ WatchTower * (1998) Various Artists – ''The Music Of Raymond Scott'' (''Esotericity'') * (1999) Various Artists – ''A Tribute To Accept Vol.1'' (''Nuclear Blast'') w/ WatchTower * (2006)

Loch Vostok Loch Vostok is a progressive metal band from Uppsala, Sweden. Named after a subterranean lake in Antarctica, it rose from collapse of progressive metal band Mayadome in 2001. Biography Loch Vostok was formed in 2001 by drummer Teddy Möller f ...

– '' Destruction Time Again!'' (guest guitar solo on "Talk") (''Escapi Music'') * (2006) Various Artists – ''Drum Nation Vol.3'' (''Magna Carta'') w/

* (2007)

– ''Cryptic Implosion'' (guest guitar solo on "Collapse Of Recreation") (''Willowtip Records'') * (2008) The Fractured Dimension – ''Towards the Mysterium'' (guest guitar solo on "Towards the Mysterium") * (2008)

– ''

Zero Order Phase ''Zero Order Phase'' is the debut solo album by former Nevermore guitarist Jeff Loomis. It was released on September 30, 2008 through Century Media Records. The album was produced by Neil Kernon and features guest appearances by guitarists Ron Ja ...

'' (guest guitar solo on "Jato Unit") (''Century Media'') * (2009) Obscura – ''

Cosmogenesis Cosmogony is any model concerning the origin of the cosmos or the universe. Overview Scientific theories In astronomy, cosmogony refers to the study of the origin of particular astrophysical objects or systems, and is most commonly used i ...

'' (guest guitar solo on "Cosmogenesis") (''Relapse Records'') * (2010) Ray Riendeau – ''Atmospheres'' (guest guitar solo on "A Search For Lifeforms") (''Groove Theory Records'') * (2013) Protest The Hero – '' Volition'' (guest guitar solo on "Drumhead Trial") (''Razor & Tie'') * (2014)

Hannes Grossmann Hannes Grossmann (born 8 September 1982) is a German drummer who plays for the German progressive band Alkaloid. He was also the drummer during Necrophagist's ''Epitaph'' era and played with Obscura (band), Obscura. Biography Early life Hannes G ...

– ''The Radial Covenant'' (guest guitar solo on "The Voyager") * (2019) Synaptic Collapse – ''Hemispheric Lateralization'' (guest guitar solo on "Cognitive Inhibition") Videos & DVDs: * (1990) Various Artists – ''Doomsday News – The Video Compilation Volume 2'' (''Noise Records'') w/ WatchTower * (2005)

Bobby Jarzombek Bobby Jarzombek is an American musician of Polish and German ancestry who is currently the drummer for country music legend George Strait. Bobby also has been a drummer for: vocalist Sebastian Bach, and progressive metal band Fates Warning. ...

– ''Performance & Technique'' (''Warner Bros. Publications'')+ * (2006)

Jason Bittner Jason Bittner (born January 11, 1970 in Niskayuna, New York) is an American drummer, best known as the drummer for American metal band Shadows Fall. He is also the current drummer for Overkill since 2017, and was the drummer for the thrash meta ...

– ''Live At Modern Drummer Festival 2005'' (Hudson Music)+ * (2007)

– ''Exhibit B – Live In Japan'' (''Avex Entertainment'') ''+ NOTE: Ron is not seen but rather heard as the guitarist and co-writer of some of the music on these DVDs''

References

External links

Ron Jarzombek website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jarzombek, Ron Musicians from San Antonio American heavy metal guitarists Living people Year of birth missing (living people) American people of Polish descent Seven-string guitarists Guitarists from Texas Blotted Science members Gordian Knot (band) members