WATCHTOWER Guitarist: I Regret Not Auditioning For MEGADETH

San Antonio Rocks recently conducted an interview with guitar shredder Ron Jarzombek (SPASTIC INK, WATCHTOWER). A couple of excerpts from the chat follow:

San Antonio Rocks: Ron, you have been in many bands and projects in the last 20 years. If you had to do it all over again what would you change?

Ron: "I never thought about that, actually. One thing that I totally regret is that I didn't make much of a effort to audition for the TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA years ago, when I had the opportunity and the contact. I also regret not sending anything to Dave Mustaine for the new MEGADETH. In both cases, I thought I didn't have a chance in hell of getting the gig, but found out later that I really missed out on the opportunity. As a matter of fact, the new guitarist in MEGADETH [Glen Drover] is a huge fan of WATCHTOWER, with whom I recorded the CD 'Control And Resistance', back in '90."

San Antonio Rocks: How was it touring with Marty Friedman?

Ron: "Of course it was awesome, but too short. They were planning something like 30 dates, but it got stripped down to merely two weeks. Not even really a 'leg' of a tour, more like a 'foot.' [Laughs] That was the 'Guitarevolution' tour, which happened only on the West Coast. And then I did the guitar convention in Baltimore, sponsored by Les Paul himself, which was killer as well. I'm hoping to do more shows with Marty, but he is doing so well in Japan, that I don't think he has even thought about doing his own tour. He is working on another solo CD right now, so maybe something will happen later. He was an onstage guest earlier this year when the G3 tour made a stop in Japan. I wish Marty would get hooked up with with that tour. I could go for hanging out with him again, and Steve Vai."

San Antonio Rocks: Will you ever do your own music live and would it be like a G3 setting. I would love to see that happen for you, is it a goal?

Ron: "I think the G3 vibe is more of a guitar hero type of trip, which I'm not really into. Yeah, I did write and record two solo CDs, but I'm more into the whole band vibe where the focus is more on the writing and players performing, not just some guitar shredder guy playing over diatonic chord progressions. For example, my latest solo CD, 'Solitarily Speaking Of Theoretical Confinement', is totally based on theoretical ideas, which implies the writing. Sure there are lots of guitar solos, but that's not the focus of the CD at all. The 'band vibe' is what made WATCHTOWER work, as well as SPASTIC INK. John Petrucci (DREAM THEATER guitarist) came out with a solo CD that fits into the G3 mold, and he's playing with Vai and Satriani as a result. I however, can't fit into that mold. That's not what I do. If I did get an opportunity to play my own material live, it would be with a band. WATCHTOWER opened for DREAM THEATER in Dallas and Houston after we got back from playing the 'Bang Your Head' 2000 festival in Germany. SPASTIC INK always gets invited to play overseas festivals, but we haven't played one gig, and probably never will. WATCHTOWER was just recently invited to play at the 6th annual ProgPower festival in Atlanta, which will happen in September '06. The MACHINATIONS OF DEMENTIA project may gig, but we have to first get the material recorded and released."

San Antonio Rocks: What does playing in PREYING MANTIS [metal cover band] do for you, other than monetary rewards?

Ron: "Actually, I'm taking a bit of a break right now to focus on my latest project MACHINATIONS OF DEMENTIA. Alex Webster (CANNIBAL CORPSE bassist),Chris Adler (LAMB OF GOD drummer) and I started this up about a year ago, and are very close to finishing up the writing for the CD. As a matter of fact, we got a four-page feature article in the latest Metal Maniacs magazine (Jan. 2006 issue, page 8),which can be picked up at Barnes And Nobles. The article covers SPASTIC INK, a bit of WATCHTOWER and my solo CDs, and, of course, the latest project... MACHINATIONS OF DEMENTIA."

Read the entire interview at San Antonio Rocks.