Spastic Ink: Ink Compatible (Eclectic Electric)

Music: Fans of Dream Theater's sicker moments will get a kick out of the flurry of dive-bomb guitar solos from Ron Jarzombek, stunning bass from Pete Perez, and righteous drumming from Ron's brother Bobby. Special guests include keyboardist Jens Johansson (Yngwie Malmsteen), bass impresario Michael Manring, and former Megadeth guitar-slinger Marty Friedman. Insert fervent brow-wiping here.

Drumming: Bobby Jarzombek is a monster to pull off this kind of dexterous drumming. He wades through the breathtaking linear patterns and riffs of "Just A Little Bit," and the ridiculous 11/16 grooving and instrumental call-and-answers of "Multi-Masking." It should also be mentioned that there are two other drummers on select songs: David Penna is on "Words For Nerds" and "Read Me," while Jeff Eber plays on "Acronym." The ball is never dropped.

Verdict: You may want to bone up on your math, but if you're into this kind of music, it's worth it.

--originally published May, 2004

Added:  Thursday, July 01, 2004
Reviewer:  Admin
Score:
hits: 55
Language: eng