Jed Simon
Encyclopedia
Jed Simon is a Canadian musician. He has been a member of numerous metal
bands, including Front Line Assembly
, Strapping Young Lad
, Zimmers Hole, and TENET
.
. He gained attention in the metal community with his third (speed metal) band Armoros, which was founded in 1985. Armoros disbanded in 1989 after 2 successful demos and an album.
Jed's next band was Caustic Thought, when his career with Byron Stroud
began. Jed did 3 demos with Caustic Thought, and when he left them, he gave the job to Devin Townsend
. After Caustic Thought, Jed briefly worked with Devin on his Noisescapes project, before Devin left for Los Angeles to play with Steve Vai
. In 1995, Devin asked Jed to join his latest project, Strapping Young Lad
(aka SYL), and Jed was a part of SYL until the band's split in 2007. Jed contributed guitars to Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing
and also performed as a live member for the tour of the album. Jed also appears in the video for S.Y.L. from the same album.
In 1996, Jed joined Front Line Assembly
(FLA for short) on their Hard Wired tour as a touring guitarist (and also percussionist on Plasticity and Gun f.ex.). There was a live album and video done from the tour, which became known as Live Wired (1996). After that, Jed returned with SYL, who achieved even greater success with their second album City (1997).
When Front Line Assembly went on to perform the Re-Wind tour in late 1998, Jed was on board again. In 1999, he also contributed guitars to FLA's studio album Implode. Jed's last tour with FLA was the Implosion tour in the spring of 1999. In 2000, Jed worked on Devin Townsend's Physicist
project, which is composed of all four members of SYL, but was considered "too light" by Devin to be an SYL album.
In 2002, SYL released their self-titled album, on which Jed plays virtually all the guitar tracks, giving the album a distinctive, slightly warmer sound than any of Strapping Young Lad's other albums. In 2005 they released Alien, and their final recording, The New Black, was released on July 11, 2006.
He is also the guitarist of Zimmers Hole, which includes fellow Strapping bandmates, Byron Stroud and Gene Hoglan. Zimmers Hole has released three studio albums: Bound by Fire (1997, and which was re-issued in 2003 with extra tracks), Legion of Flames (2001)
, and When You Were Shouting at the Devil...We Were in League With Satan, which was released on Century Media records on March 11, 2008. His latest project is Tenet, whose first release, Sovereign, was released on Century Media records in summer 2009. Sovereign was written by Jed over the last few years, and features Jed on guitar, Zetro "Steve" Souza
(Exodus
) on vocals, Glen Alvelais (Forbidden
, Testament
, LD50) on lead guitar, Byron Stroud
on bass and Gene Hoglan
on drums. Since the summer of 2010, Jed has also been touring guitarist with the band City of Fire
, which includes Fear Factory
vocalist Burton C. Bell
and Stroud on bass.
were endorsed by ESP, until ESP stopped endorsing Townsend. Jed is now endorsed by Bernie Rico Jr. Guitars.
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
bands, including Front Line Assembly
Front Line Assembly
Front Line Assembly is a Canadian electro-industrial band formed by Bill Leeb in 1986 after leaving Skinny Puppy. Influenced by early Industrial acts such as Cabaret Voltaire, Portion Control, D.A.F., Test Dept, SPK, and Severed Heads, FLA has developed its own unique sound while combining...
, Strapping Young Lad
Strapping Young Lad
Strapping Young Lad was a Canadian extreme metal band formed by Devin Townsend in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 1994. The band started as a one-man studio project; Townsend played most of the instruments on the 1995 debut album, Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing...
, Zimmers Hole, and TENET
Tenet (band)
TENET is a heavy metal band formed as a side project by Jed Simon and Gene Hoglan of Strapping Young Lad and Zimmers Hole.-Background:TENET originally started out in the Summer of 1996 for Jed Simon, founder of the band...
.
Biography
Jed Simon was born on February 24, 1964 in Victoria, British ColumbiaVictoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
. He gained attention in the metal community with his third (speed metal) band Armoros, which was founded in 1985. Armoros disbanded in 1989 after 2 successful demos and an album.
Jed's next band was Caustic Thought, when his career with Byron Stroud
Byron Stroud
Byron Stroud is the bassist for metal bands Fear Factory, City of Fire and Zimmers Hole and the defunct band Strapping Young Lad.-Biography:...
began. Jed did 3 demos with Caustic Thought, and when he left them, he gave the job to Devin Townsend
Devin Townsend
Devin Garret Townsend is a Canadian musician and record producer. He was the founder, songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist in extreme metal band Strapping Young Lad from 1994 to 2007 and has had an extensive career as a solo artist....
. After Caustic Thought, Jed briefly worked with Devin on his Noisescapes project, before Devin left for Los Angeles to play with Steve Vai
Steve Vai
Steven Siro "Steve" Vai is a three time Grammy Award-winning American guitarist, songwriter and producer who has sold over 15 million albums. Steve Vai is widely known as a flamboyant guitar virtuoso....
. In 1995, Devin asked Jed to join his latest project, Strapping Young Lad
Strapping Young Lad
Strapping Young Lad was a Canadian extreme metal band formed by Devin Townsend in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 1994. The band started as a one-man studio project; Townsend played most of the instruments on the 1995 debut album, Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing...
(aka SYL), and Jed was a part of SYL until the band's split in 2007. Jed contributed guitars to Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing
Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing
-Credits:*Devin Townsend – guitar, vocals, keyboards, programming, mixing, editing, production, arrangements, art direction -Additional musicians:*Adrian White – drums*Jed Simon – additional guitar *Chris Byes – drums...
and also performed as a live member for the tour of the album. Jed also appears in the video for S.Y.L. from the same album.
In 1996, Jed joined Front Line Assembly
Front Line Assembly
Front Line Assembly is a Canadian electro-industrial band formed by Bill Leeb in 1986 after leaving Skinny Puppy. Influenced by early Industrial acts such as Cabaret Voltaire, Portion Control, D.A.F., Test Dept, SPK, and Severed Heads, FLA has developed its own unique sound while combining...
(FLA for short) on their Hard Wired tour as a touring guitarist (and also percussionist on Plasticity and Gun f.ex.). There was a live album and video done from the tour, which became known as Live Wired (1996). After that, Jed returned with SYL, who achieved even greater success with their second album City (1997).
When Front Line Assembly went on to perform the Re-Wind tour in late 1998, Jed was on board again. In 1999, he also contributed guitars to FLA's studio album Implode. Jed's last tour with FLA was the Implosion tour in the spring of 1999. In 2000, Jed worked on Devin Townsend's Physicist
Physicist (Devin Townsend album)
Physicist is the fourth solo album by Canadian musician Devin Townsend. The album was released in June 2000 on Townsend's label, HevyDevy Records....
project, which is composed of all four members of SYL, but was considered "too light" by Devin to be an SYL album.
In 2002, SYL released their self-titled album, on which Jed plays virtually all the guitar tracks, giving the album a distinctive, slightly warmer sound than any of Strapping Young Lad's other albums. In 2005 they released Alien, and their final recording, The New Black, was released on July 11, 2006.
He is also the guitarist of Zimmers Hole, which includes fellow Strapping bandmates, Byron Stroud and Gene Hoglan. Zimmers Hole has released three studio albums: Bound by Fire (1997, and which was re-issued in 2003 with extra tracks), Legion of Flames (2001)
Legion of Flames
Legion of Flames is the second album by Zimmers Hole. This album is noticeably more successful than their first effort, Bound by Fire, and has received many better reviews.-Track listing:#"The Hole Is the Law"#"Death To The Dodgers of Soap"...
, and When You Were Shouting at the Devil...We Were in League With Satan, which was released on Century Media records on March 11, 2008. His latest project is Tenet, whose first release, Sovereign, was released on Century Media records in summer 2009. Sovereign was written by Jed over the last few years, and features Jed on guitar, Zetro "Steve" Souza
Steve Souza
Steve 'Zetro' Souza is one of the two singers, with Chuck Billy, for the band Dublin Death Patrol. He also sings for the death/thrash metal band Tenet, and recently announced his new thrash metal project Hatriot...
(Exodus
Exodus (band)
Exodus is an American thrash metal band formed in 1980 in Richmond, California. Spanning a career of over 30 years, Exodus has gone through numerous lineup changes, two extended hiatuses, and the deaths of two former band members. Guitarist Gary Holt remains the only constant member of the band,...
) on vocals, Glen Alvelais (Forbidden
Forbidden (band)
Forbidden is a thrash metal band from the San Francisco Bay Area. Formed in 1985 as Forbidden Evil, the group was founded by Russ Anderson and Craig Locicero, who are both permanent members. Since their formation, Forbidden have broken up and reformed twice with numerous line-up changes...
, Testament
Testament (band)
Testament is an American metal band from Berkeley, California, formed in 1983. They are often credited as one of the most popular bands of the 1980s thrash metal scene...
, LD50) on lead guitar, Byron Stroud
Byron Stroud
Byron Stroud is the bassist for metal bands Fear Factory, City of Fire and Zimmers Hole and the defunct band Strapping Young Lad.-Biography:...
on bass and Gene Hoglan
Gene Hoglan
Eugene "Gene" Victor Hoglan II is an American drummer. He is acclaimed for his creativity in drum arrangements, including usage of odd devices for percussion effects and his trademark lengthy double-kick drum rhythms...
on drums. Since the summer of 2010, Jed has also been touring guitarist with the band City of Fire
City of Fire (band)
City of Fire is a hard rock band from Canada, formed in 2008. Members include vocalist Burton C. Bell of Fear Factory and bassist Byron Stroud from Fear Factory, Strapping Young Lad and Zimmers Hole. City of Fire has so far released a self-titled album, issued in Australia in April 2010 and...
, which includes Fear Factory
Fear Factory
Fear Factory is an American industrial metal band. Formed in 1989, they have released seven full-length albums and a number of singles and remixes. Over the course of their career they have evolved from a succession of styles, as well as steadily pioneered a combination of the styles death metal,...
vocalist Burton C. Bell
Burton C. Bell
Burton Christopher Bell is an American musician. Bell is best known as the frontman of the metal band Fear Factory where he is the only consistent member. His singing style mixes clean vocals with death growls.-Fear Factory:...
and Stroud on bass.
Gear
Jed has used ESP guitars for many years. Both he and his Strapping Young Lad bandmate Devin TownsendDevin Townsend
Devin Garret Townsend is a Canadian musician and record producer. He was the founder, songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist in extreme metal band Strapping Young Lad from 1994 to 2007 and has had an extensive career as a solo artist....
were endorsed by ESP, until ESP stopped endorsing Townsend. Jed is now endorsed by Bernie Rico Jr. Guitars.
External links
- Strapping Young Lad (official site)
- Strapping Young Lad (MySpace)
- Zimmers Hole (official site)
- Zimmers Hole (MySpace)
- Tenet (official site)
- Tenet (MySpace)
- Mindphaser