Interview with "Ferrante Power Equipment" - http://www.f-p-e.com/interviews/interview.php?id=23
DRUM WIZARD BOBBY JARZOMBEK - LANDING ON ICED EARTH!
"The first time that I tried Evans Drum Heads I was blown away by the tone that the heads projected. From the warmth of the Generas on the toms, the punch of the EMAD on the bass drums, and the crisp attack of the Rock AF on the snare drum. Evans Drum Heads have it all covered."
Bobby Jarzombek
From Riot to Halford to his latest gig with Iced Earth, drummer Bobby Jarzombek continues to amaze and inspire anyone who has had the privilege of seeing him perform. Speed, chops, and power - Jarzombek has it all. Read on to learn more about Bobby's impressive career. And for all you aspiring drummers out there, heed his advice!
How did you get the Iced Earth gig? Did you have to audition?
"I got the Iced Earth gig by recommendation from their drummer Richard Christy. (Richard decided to leave the band to pursue his comedic dream of working for the Howard Stern Show.) Richard and I became friends about a year ago when he ordered my VHS drum video "Performance & Technique" through my website. When I received his check in the mail I immediately called him and asked him why didn't he just contact me through my website to say "hello" and inquire about my video. I knew of Richard's incredible playing on the "Iced Earth" and "Death" CDs so I was taken back a bit by him ordering my video, but that's how Richard is. Great guy, taking nothing for granted! Anyway, a couple of the other "IE" members were already familiar with my drumming in the bands "Riot" and "Halford". In fact, Tim Owens (IE new vocalist and ex-Judas Priest frontman) came out to a couple of shows when I was touring with (Rob) "Halford". Before rehearsals started I had a few conversations with Jon Schaffer (IE guitarist) about the songs, click track tempos, arrangements, etc....and he just put his faith in me. I had about a week of rehearsals with the band before I played my first show with them."
For you what is the most exciting aspect to playing the drums?
"I love the physical aspect! Live, Studio, Practice, whatever. I really enjoy the process of learning a new song. Working my parts to create something new and exciting on the kit has always been inspiring and is probably the most enjoyment that I get from playing the drums."
How long have you been playing professionally?
"I started playing rock clubs in a band with my 2 brothers while I was still in high school. My first major recording/touring situation came when I was 22 years old. I recorded 2 albums (those big black plastics discs) with the Texas based band "Juggernaut" on "Metal Blade Records". We pretty much toured Texas opening shows for other metal acts such as King Diamond, Metal Church, etc...."
Who are your influences?
"My earliest drumming influence was Neil Peart. Then came Simon Phillips, Terry Bozzio, Dave Weckl. Then later came Deen Castronovo and Mike Portnoy. Now I listen to all the great extreme drummers for ideas; Virgil Donati, Mike Mangini, Marco Minnemann, Thomas Lang, etc...."
How do you warm up before a show?
"As I've gotten older (and the music that I've been performing has gotten more difficult) I've become more conscious about getting my hands and feet warmed up before a show. Lately, I've been carrying around a practice pad kit (in a suitcase) which includes a mounted pad for the hands and a double pedal and pad for the feet. For the hands I have a bunch of exercises that I use which isolate the wrists, arms, and fingers. For the feet I make sure to play some control and speed exercises 1) with my heel up using the ball of my foot on the pedal, 2) with the heel down using the front part of the foot to create the stroke, and 3) with the ball of the foot stationary on the pedal and the heel coming down to create the stroke."
What advice would you give to kids who want to play drums for a living?
"Go to college or music school and learn the most you can about this profession that you're choosing. After I graduated high school I jumped right into clubs, bars, theaters, whatever.....I've had to go back to learn the things that I should have taken care of years ago. The kids of today want to get out there and play their music, and I understand that, but there is plenty of time to do that. You'll be doing that for the rest of your lives. The education that you'll be getting at school will prepare you now for a variety of musical situations that you'll encounter along the way."
What records have you appeared on?
(This is a selected discography)
Spastic Ink - Ink Compatible
Spastic Ink - Ink Complete
Halford - Crucible
Halford - Live Insurrection
Halford - Resurrection
Riot - Sons Of Society
Riot - Thundersteel
Tell us about your gear.
PEARL DRUMS
Masters Custom MMX Series
(2) 22" bass drums
10" tom
12" tom
14" tom
16" floor tom
14" Steve Ferrone model
PAISTE CYMBALS
14" 2002 Hi-Hats
20" 2002 Ride
18" and 20" 2002 Chinas
10" and 11" Dimensions Splashes
(6) crashes sizes between 16" to 19". Crash lines include Dimensions, Signatures, 2002s, and Innovations.
"Paiste created the 'Rock Sound'. They are the most explosive cymbals in the world."
VIC FIRTH STICKS
American Classic Rock Model
EVANS DRUMHEADS
Bass Drum Heads:
EMAD on the batter side
EQ3 on the front side
Tom Heads:
Genera 2 (Clear) on the top
Genera 1 (Clear) on the bottom
Snare Drum Heads:
Rock AF on the top
Hazy 300 on the bottom
[BACK]
Interview with Iced Earth's Brazilian Site - www.icedearth.com.br
1-What are you expect now that you're in Iced Earth?
Well, I'm glad to be a part of Iced Earth because the band has always been true to the genre of heavy metal. The band has never sold out or changed direction and I think that is important for a band that has been around for as long as Iced Earth. I expect we will continue recording CDs and touring.
2-In This period while Schaffer is on treatment, what do you plan to do?
I just finished recording my drum tracks for the new Demons & Wizards CD. The songs sound great! It's a bit difficult to say what I will be doing between Jan. - April '05 because there are a few things shaping up that aren't confirmed yet.
My DVD "Performance & Technique" will be released sometime in early '05. I put out the VHS version of "P&T" over a year ago. The DVD includes 4 bonus segments which I added to the original 50 minute program. A major distributor will be releasing the DVD which I'm really excited about. The only thing I'm waiting on now is an official release date. I'll be busy doing promotion/clinics when the DVD hits the stores.
3-Do you have any idea of who might be the new bassist and guitar player? How is the process of selecting people?
I'm not sure. I know that Jon and Tim have a few guys in mind.
4-How was playing in Halford?
The Halford experience was great! Rob was the greatest guy to work for. We recorded 2 studio CDs, 1 double live CD and toured some parts of the world that I had never seen before.
5-How do you felt playing for 250.000 people in Rock In Rio with Halford?
I think Rock In Rio was the perfect way to end the Resurrection tour. It was our last show on that tour. The only drag was that after the show the band left without me and I had to walk over a mile back to the dressing rooms. Ha!
2 vans were provided to take us band members back to the dressing rooms which were located (believe it or not) behind the crowd of 250,000. As the Halford band divided and piled into the 2 vans, each van driver assumed that I was in the other van. So I had to carry my sweaty vest and stick bag walking bare-footed through the dirt, broken glass, etc. back to the dressing room.
6-Are you participating in something related to the new album of Iced Earth?
Jon's talked about some ideas that he has for the next Iced Earth CD. A concept. That's about it. Now that the Demons & Wizards stuff is being wrapped up I'm sure we'll focus on IE material.
7-How did you get to Iced Earth?
Richard Christy recommended me for the gig. He wanted to audition for the Howard Stern Show doing his comedy and the auditions were scheduled during the middle of the Iced Earth tour so he asked me if I was interested and available to finish the tour. I said, "Hell Yeah!"
8-How was the work of learning the songs for the tour?
I didn't have a lot of time to learn all the songs but it worked out that they had a week break in the touring schedule. I had already learned about half of the tunes before the break so I would get to the rehearsal studio early and work on the songs that I didn't know yet and then they would show up and we would go over everything that I had learned up to that point. After they would leave I would stay there by myself practicing where I left off with the unlearned songs.
9-How is to work with Schaffer and Halford?
They're very different personalities. Rob is a lot more laid back. He sits back, listens, makes suggestions, but pretty much leaves everything up to me when it comes to 'what to play' and 'what not to play'. If you think about Rob's career and the various time-keepers you'll discover that all the guys were very different drummers. Holland (groove and simplicity), Binks (slightly funky, long fills), Travis (power double bass). Rob basically trusts the drummer to add his own personality to the songs.
Jon is very intense. Musically, the Iced Earth sound is built around his rhythmic guitar picking. As a drummer, I need to understand (and be able to play) all those quick intricate patterns that he's playing because there are times when he asks me to play those rhythms in unison with him. What's funny is - Jon doesn't read music. All those crazy picking things that he does comes from his own rhythmic vocabulary in his head. It's pretty amazing!
10-Tell us about your career, the beginning, influences favorite drummers etc.
I started playing drums when I was 10 years old. My first band was with my brothers, Ron and Ralph. We played some originals and a bunch of covers including Judas Priest, Rush, UFO, etc.. My first major recording was with Juggernaut. We recorded 2 albums for Metal Blade and toured the Texas area. I then joined Riot and recorded 7, 8, 9....I don't know, quite a few CDs with those guys and toured all over. That's where I really got my playing together. Riot was cool because even though at times I maybe over-played a bit, it all seemed to fit within the music that we created. My Riot resume basically led to the Halford gig.
During my early years I was influenced by Neil Peart, Simon Phillips, Terry Bozzio, and then Deen Castronovo came around and I was blown away by his playing with Wild Dogs, Cacophony, and Tony MacAlpine. Now I listen to a lot of drummers for ideas, including Danny Carey, Virgil Donati, Mike Mangini, and Marco Minnemann.
11-Are any plans for shows in South America, especially Brazil?
No shows planned at the moment for Iced Earth or any other band that I'm currently working with.
12-The Halford band was dissolved because of the come back of Priest, are any hope for Halford be reactivated?
Well, it has been announced that we'll start writing and recording some material in late 2005. We got together a few months ago and talked about it but to tell you the truth I don't know much beyond that. It would be cool to work with Rob, Metal Mike, Davis, and Z again. The only thing is that everyone needs to realize that Halford is not a priority for any of us now. Rob has quite a bit of work with Priest, Metal Mike has Painmuseum and Testament, and Z has his own band, Tribe of Gypsies, and is always busy producing.
13-You will be the drummer for the 2nd Demons & Wizards album? Tell us something about this record, how is the recording, compositions etc.
I spoke with Jon last week and the guitars and bass tracks are done and Hansi has finished the vocals also.
This record will be done quick. There is a lot of variety. Some crazy fast stuff, a few mid-tempo tunes that have strong melody lines and great hooks, and a couple of ballads that are very deep in subject matter. It's definitely a record that listeners will want to spend a lot of time with because most of the songs are multi-dimensional in dynamics and tempos which I think gives the CD a lot of character.
14-What's your favorite album that you recorded in your career?
That's a tough one. I can't pick one overall but I'll mention a few and why I like them.
RIOT - "The Privilege Of Power":
We were trying to make our mark on this one as a band and as musicians. I played some crazy stuff on those tunes. There were no boundaries. We caped it off with a remake of Al Dimeola's "Race With Devil On Spanish Highway". That should tell you all you need to know about this CD.
RIOT - "Nightbreaker" and "Sons Of Society":
Both of these CDs are similar to me in the fact that Mark (Reale) and the rest of the band was concentrating on writing better songs. The playing all around sounds very mature but not conservative.
HALFORD - "Live Insurrection":
I think every musician grows up dreaming of playing the songs of their heroes with their heroes. Playing the Priest and Fight songs live on tour with Rob and the Halford band was an incredible experience and this double live CD documents those shows. I've played with tons of cover bands over the years and I've learned a lot by analyzing the feel, grooves, and licks of other drummers. For me it's not just about the beat patterns and fills but about paying attention to small details like: How tight/loose is the hi-hat? Is the snare drum pushing or laying behind the beat?, etc.. When I listen to Live Insurrection I take pride in the fact that the Dave Holland songs sound like Holland's playing, Les Binks songs sound like Binks, Scott Travis songs sound like Travis, etc..
SPASTIC INK - "Ink Complete" and "Ink Compatible":
These are the only CDs that I'm on with my brother Ron. It was a unbelievable task putting the first CD, "Ink Complete", together. We worked on that one for a year. It was pretty much a 50/50 collaboration writing and exchanging ideas. I would come up with a drum part and Ron would write around that or Ron would write something and record it with a click and give it to me and I would create my thing to that. On "Ink Compatible" I played on 6 of the 9 songs. I wish I played on the whole thing but I was on the road with Halford so Ron found a couple of other drummers to finish the CD. It took me 4 months to learn and record those 6 songs. I'll probably never record anything that difficult again.
PAINMUSEUM - "Metal For Life":
This is the heaviest drumming that I've ever recorded. I was a real challenge for me. I was listening to a lot of Arch Enemy and Death while learning the songs for this one.
15-What kind of band's you been listening lately?
I've been listening to both Mnemic CDs, Lamb Of God's latest, the Death catalog, and Strapping Young Lad.
16-Are there any possibilities of new albums with Riot or Spastic Ink with you in?
Probably not with Riot. Those guys have been working with various drummers during the last few years and I wouldn't want to do it unless their was some serious plans to tour or build something from it.
Spastic Ink? - Yeah maybe. The problem is that on "Ink Compatible", Ron had to do everything and I don't think he wants to go through that again. I don't blame him. Maybe if it could be a priority then things would be different but with the state of the music industry it's very difficult to spend that much time on something with no huge monetary return - no matter how much you love it.
17-Could you say a few words to your Brazilian fans and Brazil Under Ice site?
Scream for me Brazil!!! No, I'm just kidding. I can't wait to play there again. I had a great time visiting and hanging out with the fans. The most true Metal fans are in Brazil and all of South America.
Brazil Under Ice continues to spread the metal to the fans. We need more great heavy metal sites like yours!
thanks,
Bobby
[BACK]
Bobby Jarzombek. His name is synonymous with powerful drumming. It was by listening to Riot that I first heard his playing and was totally blown away. Yet my attention was really put on alarm when he joined Rob Halford's band and recorded and toured with them. From there, he joined Iced Earth filling in quickly for the departed member Richard Christy and is now working on Painmuseum, a release from Demons and Wizards as well as a new Halford CD. When you add to this his drumming DVD you will not believe that he actually had time to answer these interview questions. Yet, he proves how ambidextrous he can be for his supporters. Enjoy these words from his mind directly.
Ken - Hey Bobby, thanks for taking the time to do this, as I know you are a very busy guy these days. For starters let me congratulate you on the position in Iced Earth as well as the new release you have with "Metal" Mike Chlasciak, and Painmuseum entitled "Metal For Life". Let's get started.
Bobby - Cool, let's do it.
Iced Earth:
Ken - I have to say how impressed I was with how quickly you jumped into the Iced Earth drum throne. Please tell us about how you handled the learning of the tunes and the quick need to perform in a live setting.
Bobby - After Richard recommended me for the gig, I had a couple conversations with Jon (Schaffer) about the songs, click tracks, etc... They sent me 2 sets/versions of CDs. The first set of CDs were the songs as they appeared on the IE CDs. The 2nd set of CDs were rough mixes of what we're listening to in our in-ear monitors while we're playing the songs on stage, including the click track, orchestration, cannons, marching percussion, etc.. Pretty much what the audience hears also - except for the click track. These CDs were very important because after I learned the songs I needed to practice with the click track CDs to listen for the cues, count offs, etc.. After talking with the rest of the guys, I found it surprising that everyone had the click pretty loud in their ears, including Tim. He loved it. During certain sections (of the songs) without drums, he found it much easier to sing in perfect time with the click going.
Ken - Now while I read that you are Friends with Richard Christy, did you think he was crazy for stepping down while the band was touring this career defining album "The Glorious Burden"?
Bobby - No, not at all. Maybe the timing wasn't the best, considering that the audition for the Stern show was going happen at the same time that IE was on tour, but for Richard, it wasn't crazy at all. It had been a dream of his for a long time. We talk every once in a while and he's very happy with his job on the show. If he had passed up that opportunity, he would have regretted it for the rest of his life.
Ken - When I first saw the Iced Earth US shows in 2004, there were people complaining that Matt Barlow was gone and Ripper was in his place. Did you find a similar hesitation when you joined in, how were the fans to you?
Bobby - No, I think the fans were very receptive to me. But then again, drummers usually aren't as closely tied to a band's sound or identity as singers tend to be, so me coming in for Richard was probably easier for most fans to accept than Tim replacing Barlow. I think fans get used to one certain guy and no matter who is singing - they aren't gonna dig it. The fans that aren't accepting Tim don't have a clue how good Tim really is.
Ken - I enjoyed your performance in the band more than his I have to admit. Not only were you adding a little more double kicks but you were also singing. I don't recall your predecessor doing that. Did John ask you to do this?
Bobby - Yeah, Jon asked if I would be into doing a little background stuff. It's not like I'm singing the upper harmonies over Tim over anything like that. I'm mostly just doubling some of the choruses parts to make them bigger sounding.
Ken - My favorites live would have to be "Dracula" and "Gettysburg". Which are your favorites to perform in concert?
Bobby - I really like "Red Baron", the "Something Wicked" trilogy, and "Iced Earth."
Ken - How many shows did you do offhand, and please give your thoughts on them.
Bobby - I'm not sure- A month of dates in the States and a couple European festivals. Nowhere near enough for my liking having just joined the band but, unfortunately, Jon's back problems got in the way of doing a full-fletched tour - especially over in Europe where IE are huge in certain markets. We definitely have a lot to make up for in terms of touring but I have no idea when we might get out there again.
Ken - I know that while Iced Earth is on hiatus that you are working on the next Demons & Wizards album. What did you think of doing that piece? Any chance this will tour, even thought it's a side project to John and Hansi.
Bobby - I really enjoyed working on and recording the Demons & Wizards CD. I'm not sure if D&W will do any live shows. I think there might be an opportunity to play festivals at some point.
Ken - How was recording the D&W record different from anything else you have recently done, are you a fan of these projects that performers have on the side of established acts?
Bobby - The process of learning and recording the songs wasn't very different from anything else. I was pretty much done the same way everything is done these days. Someone writes the songs/demos, I get a copy of the demo versions with either a drum machine or a click track on them (preferably the click track/drum machine on one side and the guitar/bass/vocals on the other). I learn the songs on my own time and they book the studio. We might rehearse a couple of days to finalize the parts and then I go in and record them (usually by myself) with a click track. I don't know if I'm a fan of recording this way but it's just the way that it's done these days. Not many artists have the budget to have guys write and rehearse for a couple of months especially with band members living in all parts of the country. Am I a fan of these projects? I could go on talking about this forever, taking either side of the topic. Next.....
Ken - Regarding the future of Iced Earth, has John tossed any ideas around to you for input, or are there any clues on what the new CD will encompass.
Bobby - I spoke with Jon a couple of weeks ago. He has a few ideas (for the next CD) that I think Iced Earth fans are gonna love. I don't know how much creative input I will have - that's really up to Jon.
Painmuseum:
Ken - The new CD is incredible. An experiment in guitar madness and double-bass drumming. Clearly this has to be some of the heaviest material you have recorded thus far, am I correct?
Bobby - Yeah, it's the heaviest! During the time that I was learning the songs, I listened to a lot of the great Death Metal drummers for inspiration and ideas.
Ken - What tunes from this are you most proud of from this piece?
Bobby - I like the Japanese bonus track "Scars In Black", "Dogs In A Cage", "Hosanna, Hosanna."
Ken - With Mike working in Testament and you doing Iced Earth and now D&W, I am wondering if there are plans to tour the United States on the horizon. I am sure you will find a most positive response to that sort of news. Any thoughts on this you like to share?
Bobby - There is nothing planned right now. It's hard for a new band like Painmuseum to tour and stay afloat financially on the road, especially without the support of a label. Demolition Records have released 'Metal For Life' in Europe and Japan but over here it is out through CMM, so any tour support would probably have to come out of our own pockets if the opportunity to tour presented itself. I think doing festivals here and there is more feasible for us at this point.
Ken - The first time I saw Halford perform as a solo act was at Madison Square Garden. The CD "Resurrection" had just come out and that had to be a thrill for you all, as it was a sold out venue with the full capacity in place as soon as Rob hit the stage. Do you remember this performance at all? If so, some thoughts please.
Bobby - Yeah, I remember a few things but that was early on in the tour and I don't think the band hadn't reached the level that we did later during that tour with Maiden. The great thing about that first Halford tour was that it ended with the "Rock In Rio" performance, which I think was one of the best shows that we did. Everything about that event was just massive and it's pretty mind-blowing to have been a part of it all.
Ken - Was it during Halford's "Crucible" tour that Metal Mike got the idea for the Painmuseum?
Bobby - I can't remember at what time during Halford-era that Mike decided to form Painmuseum. I remember that we were going to have some time off and Mike had the idea to start his own band.
Ken - Some of the material was very Halford-like when I listened, is this because perhaps Mike was helping to write the potential final Halford CD?
Bobby - Sure, Metal Mike was a big part of the writing for "Resurrection" and "Crucible" so his style, sound, and riffs are definitely gonna come through.
Ken - Thinking of any remaining Halford pieces, is there any left over tracks or live video that might still surface? There was talk about a "Halford In Rio DVD" set for release but it never came out. I think the fans across the board would enjoy having that, and it's also a feather in your collective caps.
Bobby - There are maybe a couple of tracks left over from "Crucible", and a few more from "Resurrection". I have no idea if any of those songs with ever be released. There hasn't been any sort of release date set for the "Rock In Rio" DVD but I know that it will come out at some time.
Ken - What went through your mind when the announcement came that Rob would be returning to Judas Priest?
Bobby - I was happy for him. We didn't know exactly when it was going to all go down but as things were shaping up for the reunion, we were informed. I thank Rob and John (Baxter) for keeping us updated as things were going down. I recorded 2 studio CDs and a double live CD with Rob and the Halford band. If someone told me, "Hey, you're gonna play drums with Rob Halford, record 3 CDs, and tour around the world for 3 years but then after that, he's gonna go back with Priest" I would've been totally stoked. I certainly have no regrets and I'm grateful I got to do what we did.
Ken - Who are you listening to these days in your free time? Any favorites?
Bobby - I just got the latest Soilwork, "Stabbing The Drama". Dirk (Verbeuren) is insane!!!
Drumming DVD:
Ken - How about a few comments on your Drumming DVD. I am sure there are some big fans of that sort of thing reading this.
Bobby - All the info is on my website at www.bobbyjarzombek.com . It's doing very well! It's great having a company like Warner Bros distributing it. I can go into a Guitar Center or Sam Ash and see my DVD there in the racks or playing on the TVs in the stores.
Ken - What is the equipment setup these days? You don't have to outline every piece, but what is the overall preference in terms of gear, cymbals and the other essentials.
Bobby - I use Pearl Drums (2 kicks, snare, 3 rack toms, and 1 floor tom), Paiste Cymbals (I have a bunch of them), Vic Firth Sticks (love 'em!), and Evans Drumheads (the best heads in the business). You could say I'm a pretty happy camper.... er... drummer when it comes to gear.
Ken - Any closing comments you wish to add?
Bobby - Well, thanks for the interview, Ken - I hope your readers will check out some of the albums I've played on whether it's Halford, Riot, Spastic Ink, Painmuseum or the new Rob Rock and Demons & Wizards, which will be out in late June. Also, I'll be touring with Sebastian Bach's band this summer (see my website for exact dates) - should be a blast with Metal Mike on guitar and Steve DiGiorgio on bass. C'ya out there!
Ken - Thanks a lot Bobby, I hope to see you perform again soon. You are truly one of the most killer drummers in the world of Metal today. Thanks for keeping it heavy.
Bobby - There are a lot of great metal drummers out there. Thank you for the compliments.
[BACK]
Metalforever.com recently caught up with metal drummer Bobby Jarzombek to discuss PainmuseuM, Iced Earth, Demons & Wizards as well as his new DVD. Bobby has become without a doubt one of metal musics premier drummers!
MF.com- It must have been great to be back working with the guys from the Halford camp-Please let us know what it was like working with Metal Mike & Roy Z on the new PainmuseuM- how was it different or the same from writing sessions with Halford?
Yeah, it was great. Anytime you put those two guys in a room together there's gonna be a lot of laughs, story telling, some drinking, etc. - I get a smile just thinking about it. It was very cool and laid back. No pressure or deadlines. Roy mixed it at his place so anytime I got the chance I would go over and hang out, play some Playstation (I got such a headache), go swimming or whatever.
MF.com What are your personal favorite tracks on the new PainmuseuM CD & why???
I like 'Hosanna', 'Dogs In A Cage', 'PainmuseuM', 'Scars In Black' - anything with cool drumming, ha ha! I prefer the stuff which has some sort of rhythmic twist or half-time into double-time section changes.
MF.com Tell the fans about your intro to the bonus Japanese track-Scars in Black-it sounds reminiscent of the intro to Painkiller, but much faster and much more powerful...
Yeah, I like that one. One aspect about that intro and the 'Dogs In A Cage' intro is that they have a bit of implied rhythmic modulation which I applied to make them sound as though they were speeding up or slowing down.
On the SIB intro I play an Eighth note triplet figure (with a few sixteenth triplets thrown in there) in unison with the snare and bass drums. I then play a sort of 'Painkiller' pattern that is widely used. In its basic form it's: one on the hand, four on the feet, one on the hand, two on the feet, and variations of that. It's difficult to get away from the 'Painkiller' comparison because anytime a drummer plays those alternating strokes, it is reminiscent of the Scott Travis intro.
MF.com What are your thoughts on the initial reaction from fans, press etc..-it appears there are favorable reviews everywhere about Metal For Life???
I think it's great. Over the last few years, metal has divided up into several different genres and dozens 
of sub-genres. I think most metal fans today are a lot more open minded and can put things in perspective rather than being close-minded about marrying the various styles of metal. 'Metal For Life' has touches of power metal, death metal, classic metal, etc.. I think the favorable reviews are happening because when people hear the 'Metal For Life' CD they realize that it contains some great songs and killer musicianship.
MF.com- Finally, what do you think about new vocalist- Tim Clayborne- what should fans know about this great singer if they haven't yet checked out Metal for Life yet?
Well, if you're sitting down when the CD starts he'll definitely rip you out of your chair, ha ha! Tim is an aggressive singer with a lot of on-stage charisma. Great dude, too!
MF.com How was it touring with Iced Earth- playing with Jon Schaffer & Ripper Owens- will you continue to work with them along with PainmuseuM???
It was great touring with Iced Earth and, yeah, I'll definitely continue working with them. Tim is funny. He would do anything to break up the monotony. Sometimes if we were bored while traveling on the bus, he would just start talking about nothing, something like: "I was walking down the street yesterday and this woman threw a taco at me, so I picked her up and threw her down on the ground...." He would just continue on and we would ask him questions about the incident as if it really happened - it's pretty funny.
Iced Earth had plans to continue touring last year but then Jon hurt his back. Hopefully, we'll be able to get back out on the road sometime soon.
MF.com Rumor has it that you recently also worked with J. Schaffer on his side project Demons & Wizards- can you elaborate a little on this project- will you be asked to tour with them as well or did you simply help them with the studio work?
While I was on tour with IE, Jon and I hit it off very well. He asked me if I would be interested in playing on the next Demon & Wizards CD. He sent me some songs that he and Hansi wrote and I thought that it was real cool stuff. The music is very diverse in tempos and song structures. There are a few blazing tunes on the CD and a couple of things with layered orchestration. Of course, there's also a few songs with Jon's trademark rhythmic picking, which I had to play in unison on double bass. That was tough.
I'm not sure about the touring situation with D&W. I guess once the CD comes out, Jon will look into some touring possibilities and if they ask me, I'll be there.
MF.com We know that you recently released your own personal drumming DVD- can you please elaborate more on your DVD- how is it being released, what is the content- most important how can fans buy it??
Thanks for asking. I released the VHS version of 'Performance & Technique' almost 2 years ago. The VHS is a 50 minute program which includes 3 songs, 2 drum solos, a visual demonstration (stick twirling, tosses, etc.), an 11-step double bass workout concept that I call the 'double drop', etc.. In addition to the 50 min. main program, the DVD contains 4 bonus segments including 'Selecting Cymbals At Paiste' - a 17 min. segment in which I demonstrate various techniques I use when choosing ride and crash cymbals; 'In The Studio' - 30 min. of video footage in the studio with accompanying commentary about click tracks, producers, engineers, etc.; 'Soundchecking The Drumset' - prior to a performance I demonstrate the proper procedures for checking a drumset, and 'Photo Gallery' - various photos of myself with Halford, Riot, PainmuseuM, and Spastic Ink.
The DVD was just released by Warner Bros. Publications and is available at all major music stores including Guitar Center, Sam Ash, etc.. You can purchase it online at http://www.amazon.com/, http://www.musiciansfriend.com/, and wherever instructional music DVDs are sold. You can also check out video clips, contents, and order it from my website at www.bobbyjarzombek.com.
Thank you Metal Forever for the great questions! See you all on the road!
Bobby
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