JED SIMON

Thrash, plain and simple.

Jed Simon is the driving force behind ZH's blistering, blazing guitar sounds.

An old school metal lover with a taste for things pointy - like his guitars - he can usually be found in a corner somewhere with a vodka/tonic, his guitar, and a recorder. He never stops writing, and he says that he has always got to be prepared...because the riffs appear out of nowhere sometimes.

Jed was born in 1964 in Victoria, British Columbia. 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, the job was given to Devin Townsend...and history began to unfold. 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 has been a part of SYL ever since.

In 1995, Jed joined Vancouver's Front Line Assembly (FLA for short) on their Hard Wired tour as a touring guitarist (and also percussionist). There was a live album and video done from the tour, which became known as Live Wired (1996). Jed did a US tour with FLA in early 96 and after that, Jed returned with SYL, who achieved even greater success with their second album City (1997). As a note, the support band on that FLA 96 tour was Die Krupps, featuring guitarist Lee Altus, a fellow old school madman, and former member of Heathen. Jed and Lee started a long metallic friendship. Lee now plays for Exodus...Jed's all time fave metal band.

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 comprised of all four members of SYL, but was considered "too light" by Devin to be a SYL album.

During this time Jed also performed with Unit:187 alongside Byron and ex SYL keyboardist John Morgan. Jed appears on the Unit:187 album Loaded. Jed also appears on the hilarious Punky Brewster album, alongside Byron and Devin.

Since 2000, Jed has been busy touring and recording with SYL most of the time. In 2002, SYL released their self-titled album, in 2005 they released Alien, and their most recent recording, The New Black, was released on July 11, 2006.
Jed has one other project on the go. The band is named Tenet, whose first release, Sovereign, is due out on Century Media records in late summer 2008. Sovereign was written by Jed over the last few years, and features Jed on guitar and bass, Glen Alvelais (Forbidden, Testament, LD50) on lead guitar and Gene Hoglan on drums.

Jed now lives in Philadelphia with his wife and son, and their two cats.

Jed likes this stuff:

My Wife! That little poop-machine we call Eddie! Pointed guitars, loud obnoxious music, quiet obnoxious music, blender drinks, pulling great pranks, pasta, tacos, cats, dogs, and all fuzzy creatures, my parents. Laughing at people who think I'm laughing with them...alot. When it comes to music, Jed can't make up his mind when asked who his faves are...there are just too many great bands and artists. Anything from mellow to metal he says. But if he had to pick just one, it would be AC/DC. Loud, proud, obnoxious, perfect. Jed is an avid book reader and cites Dan Simmons, Clive Barker, Preston/Child, Jeff Long, Kurt Vonnegut, Steven King, HP Lovecraft, Brian Lumley, Richard Matheson, and Robert McCammon as some of his favorite authors. Jed lists his heros as Mom/Dad...Grandma/Grandpa-he's named after you Gramps!...Susanna...anyone who has been a positive influence and/or, who has helped me in any way...ever. Love to you.