Spastic Ink — Ink Compatible

The band WatchTower has a longrunning reputation of being one of the most technical metalbands around from way before the whole math-grind/metal/core came into existence. Their second and last CD Control And Resistance from 1989 introduced guitarist Ron Jarzombek who, in the prolonged 'downtime' of that band worked with Sean Malone's Gordian Knot and his own projects like Spastic Ink with his brother Bobby Jarzombek.

The music on the first album, Ink Complete, is complex and instrumental metal that can sound somewhat cartoonish at times, moreso than WatchTower. On Ink's second album there are vocals added to the madness, mainly by Tower-vocalist Jason McMaster. The approach is rather different (explained in this interview, the different drumstyle of Bobby (Riot, Halford) and the many guests on this album make this album sound related but definitely not the same.

The theme of Ink Compatible is 'computers' which immediately shows in the opening track Aquanet as it opens with a modem dialing in after which the band mimics that common sound (slowly dying out thanks to broadband, but I think most people still know). I think that the idea of 'covering' a modem already reveals a bit about the approach of Spastic Ink. Often very theoretically constructed music, that seems brainy when you read about it in linernotes or reviews. The good thing about this band is that they manage to bring all those theoretical ideas, often of a high technical standard, to life. As you're listening you'll notice it's complex but it's still music that 'speaks'. A song constructed with only whole-step intervals still sounds as a song. Or Multi-Masking, which is in an 11/16th measure still grooves. Mellissa's Friend is one of the more schizophrenic songs, thanks to all the different voices of Daniel Gildenlöw (Pain Of Salvation). Of course, in technical rock with a good sense of humour Frank Zappa can't be far away, although he never comes as close as in David Bagsby's keyboardsolo in Words For Nerds. Jeff Eber, from one of the more interesting math-metal acts of today Dysrhythmia, jumps in on A Chaotic Realization Of Nothing Yet Misunderstood for which he learned his drumparts so fast it amazed Ron. The Cereal Mouse sounds as if made for a cartoon and actually it was, as you can see here.

There will be plenty of people discarding this music as noodling, fretboard-masturbation and all those cliché's, but I think they get stuck at the surface. While artists/composers using other idioms than metal/rock like Charlie Parker, J.S. Bach or Autechre or rappers with brainy metaphors or rhymeconstructs can get away with their virtuosity without being called 'wankers' and even get respected for it, I think that these people have to think again. Complex and intelligently constructed art can be fascinating and good fun and are not necessarily cold or emotionless. Above all this is an entertaining CD that holds a lot to discover if you want to analyse but still is a good listen.