Jim Deabenderfer

Monday Metal Mayhem PodCast Interview with Grindhead Jim…  {enclose grindhead_jim_1107.mp3}

 

Keep up with Jim here:

www.50caliberdrummer.com

www.cardiacarrest666.com

www.myspace.com/grindhead_jim

Jim Blasting Video

 

 

Jim Deabenderfer began drumming at around ten years of age: bashing anything in sight with anything that looked even remotely like drum sticks.  Once he became serious in 1991, he began various projects as most young musicians do, with limited success. Once he relocated to Western Pennsylvania with his family in late 1992, Jim found a myriad of musicians to keep him busy, as would prove over the coming years.  It would be his late 1970’s Premier jazz five-piece kit (refurbished and revitalized completely by hand by his late father, David Deabenderfer) that would serve him for the next few years.  From 1994 to 1999, Jim lent his talent to: Obstinate Direction, Socio-Deviate, Throbbing Donut (a jazz/grind one-off project in December of 1995), Demise (Because of a shortage of vocalists, Jim was forced to begin vocalizing whilst drumming, a feat very few had attempted in death metal at the time.), Lethal Prayer (as Azazael), Blood of Kingu (“solo” project), Mi’Gauss, Funerus (vocals-1999) Eternal Winter, Remain Calm (prog jazz), Sathanas (1999).  Jim’s departure from Sathanas marked the last time he would pick up the sticks for nearly four years.

Jim joined the United States Marine Corps in June 2000.  During that time, he learned much about fitness, endurance, and himself.  In spring of 2003, Jim bought his second drum kit, a Pearl Export ELX.  He also started the punk/funk/metal (“Prunkal”) band Captain K-Man and the Wallcrawlers with fellow service members and friends.  Council of the Fallen also came calling, and he began to rehearse with COTF founder Kevin Quirion for a possible tour in the winter.  Logistics fell through, and the tour never happened.  Captain K-Man and the Wallcrawlers played one great show in summer of 2004, shortly before Jim’s USMC contract was up, as well as his wedding to his wife, Jennifer.  Once Jim’s obligation to the Marine Corps was over, he and his newlywed bride decided it was time to move to the Mecca of Metal, Chicago, in September 2004.

In January 2005, Jim started AXIOM.  AXIOM pushed Jim’s drumming ability to a level he never thought possible, and will always look back on the experience favorably.  When guitarist Marco Martell left AXIOM in July of 2005 to join Floridian Divine Empire, AXIOM called it quits, due to mounting conflicts within the band.  In July of 2005, while AXIOM was still active, Cardiac Arrest guitarist/vocalist Adam Scott propositioned Jim with filling in for the deathgrinders; Jim accepted.  Upon AXIOM’s untimely demise, Jim was made a permanent member of Cardiac Arrest.  This, of all the projects Jim has encountered over the years, is by far the best fit for his style: brutal, old school, fast, grinding death metal. 

Drumming for CA has definitely begun a new era for Jim’s musical career.  Since Jim joined the band, Cardiac Arrest has shared the stage with Malas, Severed, Criminales, Ezurate, Ancient Gods, Mortem, Rellik, Fallen Empire, In Autumn, Fleshgrind (for what would prove to be their final show!), Solace, Moral Decay, Dead for Days, Bound & Gagged, Funeral Fuck Toy, Gorgasm, Mordrid, Disrobe, Mutilated, Solidification, Morningstar, Midget Parade, Wounds of Ruin, and others.  In October 2005, Jim became involved in a progressive/melodic death metal project that would eventually come to be known as Variant Strain, with former members of the defunct Gorespawn.  CA recorded and released their full-length debut, Morgue Mutilations, on Redrum Records in summer 2006.  Gigs with Origin, Mortal Decay, Jungle Rot, and Gorgasm soon to followed, and have set the stage for Cardiac Arrest to take its place among the top deathgrind bands in the US.

I would like to give photography credit to:  Joe Lohr at Negative Image Photography and Mike Coniglio.

 

 

Jim Deabenderfer Interview:

 

 

SD.com: How old were you when you started playing?

Jim: I started messing around with anything that could pass for drumsticks when I was very young. It slowly began to manifest in a real interest in drumming by the time I was ten. I got really serious in 1992. As they say, the rest is history.

 

 

SD.com: Did you play in a school band or any drum corps?

Jim: I played alto saxophone throughout middle school, but played drums at home (go figure). I revisited marching and school band in my junior and senior years of high school, albeit solely on the merits of being self-taught.

 

 

SD.com: Ever take any lessons?

Jim: No, but I will say that the amount of trial and error that goes along with being self taught is a bitch! I remember the first time I ever tried to blast, and (embarrassingly) I ended up just doing a roll! I was a sponge, man – I soaked up any and all knowledge I could on how to play this instrument – I still do. Having said that, reading and theorizing are no substitute for practice. In addition to playing along with CDs, I found that I learned the most about playing when I was in a group setting.

 

 

SD.com: Who are your top 5 influences?

Jim: Roger Taylor (Queen), Mick Harris (Napalm Death), Vinnie Paul (Pantera/DamagePlan), Danny Herrera (Napalm Death), and Pete Sandoval (Terrorizer/Morbid Angel.

 

 

SD.com: Assuming that influences doesn’t mean favorites, who are your favorites?

Jim: Roger Tayor, Dave Culross, Danny Herrera, Gene Hoglan, Kevin Talley, Aad Kloosterward, Horgh, and Trym.

 

 

 

 

SD.com: Let us know 5 CD’s that are in your current rotation

Jim:

Sadus – Out for Blood (I can’t recommend that enough!)

Napalm Death – Smear Campaign

Lividity – Used, Abused, And Left for Dead

Phobia – Cruel

Disrupt – Unrest

 

 

SD.com: Do you practice any specific rudiments or combo’s regularly?

Jim: I never really practiced that way, to be honest. But, whenever I can, I blasting on something! I pay the most attention to my blast technique, to be sure. Solid, consistent, even strokes are the key – and NO SNARE TRIGGERS!! The way I see it, if you can’t do a drumbeat audibly without a trigger, then you can’t do it!!

 

 

SD.com: What is your favorite part of your drum kit?

Jim: Snare drum, hands down. I think that, if I had to describe my playing style, that I would call it “Snare-centric”. If someone is ever having an issue wrapping their head around a drum part I write, I tell them to concentrate on what the snare is doing. I also seem to get the most attention for what I am doing on the snare, from the tuning, down to the technique, and so on. I guess my favoritism shows.

 

 

 

 

SD.com: Do you have any pre-show rituals?

Jim: Aside from having a beer or two? I make sure that I’m wearing comfortable playing clothes (usually a pair of basketball shorts and an oversized shirt, coupled with my favorite black swim socks), and am as relaxed as possible. Given the chance, I like to beat on a barstool or a pillow with my sticks before we go on. Oh yeah, and I have to stretch my legs.

 

 

SD.com: If you could give one piece of advice to young drummers, it would be…

Jim: Stop looking at drumming as an athletic event and remember that it is a musical art form. Yes, physical endurance is a factor, but if your drum parts don’t move me, then I don’t give a fuck if you can play 64^th notes single strokes on your kicks at 320 BPM. I may not be the fastest drummer out there, but I can tell you I spend a lot of time writing my drum parts by paying attention to the music, not what technique I am using. I progress by writing drum parts I have a hard time playing. Remember that someday, YOU will be the ones passing on this art in the future. Study the history of the instrument, and all the greats that played it. Never be afraid to experiment behind the kit. Be patient! Your day will come!

 

 

SD.com: Who gave the best live performance you’ve ever seen?

Jim: Danny Herrera of Napalm Death. That guy makes grinding look WAY too easy. I’ve seen plenty of kick ass footage of “technically” better drummers, but, in terms of what I have seen with my own eyes, that moved me the most.

 

 

SD.com: If you had to stop drumming, what would you want to do with your life?

Jim: I would probably continue to record bands, and/or do vocals. I’ve been at this so long, that if I had to give up music, I have no idea what I would do, other than play the fuck out of some video games.