Ink Compatible is the second full-length album from Spastic Ink

Spastic Ink

Spastic Ink is a progressive technical metal band from the United States.-History:Spastic Ink was formed in 1993 by guitarist Ron Jarzombek of Watchtower after recovering from multiple hand surgeries that had sidelined him, unable to play, for a couple of years. He would be joined by brother Bobby...

. It was released in 2004 after a four year process. The album again features core members Ron Jarzombek

Ron Jarzombek

Ron Jarzombek is an American guitarist best known for his work with Austin, Texas progressive metal trailblazers WatchTower, '90s madcap trio, Spastic Ink, technical extreme metal band Blotted Science, featuring Cannibal Corpse bassist Alex Webster and Obscura drummer Hannes Grossmann, and most...

 on guitar

Electric guitar

An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...

, Bobby Jarzombek

Bobby Jarzombek

Bobby "Wire" Jarzombek is a heavy metal/progressive metal drummer and best known for his work with Halford, Sebastian Bach and Riot. He has also recorded and toured with Fates Warning, Arch / Matheos, Iced Earth, Rob Rock, Spastic Ink, and Juggernaut, among others.-Biography:Bobby Jarzombek was...

 on drums

Drum kit

A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....

, and Pete Perez on bass

Bass guitar

The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....

 alongside a plethora of guest musicians. They include Jarzombek's Watchtower

Watchtower (band)

WatchTower is an American progressive metal band based in Austin, Texas. The band were influenced by late 1970s progressive rock and acts such as Rush and UK as well as the burgeoning New Wave of British Heavy Metal...

 band mates Jason McMaster and Doug Keyser, Daniel Gildenlöw

Daniel Gildenlöw

Daniel Gildenlöw is a Swedish musician and songwriter. He is best known as a multi-instrumentalist and vocalist for Pain of Salvation, a Swedish progressive metal band. In the band, he is the main songwriter, lead guitar player, and the mastermind behind each album's concept...

 of Pain of Salvation

Pain of Salvation

Pain of Salvation is a Swedish progressive rock band featuring Daniel Gildenlöw, who is the lyricist, chief composer, guitarist, and lead vocalist. Their sound is characterised by powerful, accentuated guitar work, broad vocal range, abrupt switching between heavy and calm passages, intense...

, Marty Friedman

Marty Friedman (guitarist)

Marty Friedman is a guitarist, well known for his tenure as the lead/rhythm guitarist for thrash metal band Megadeth, which lasted almost a decade...

 (ex-Megadeth

Megadeth

Megadeth is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California which was formed in 1983 by guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine, bassist Dave Ellefson and guitarist Greg Handevidt, following Mustaine's expulsion from Metallica. The band has since released 13 studio albums, three live albums, two...

), Michael Manring

Michael Manring

Michael Manring is an American electric bassist from the San Francisco Bay Area, .-Biography:...

, Sean Malone

Sean Malone

Sean Malone is an American musician who plays primarily fretless bass guitar and Chapman stick. However, Malone also plays piano, keyboards, and guitar. He is most well known as a member of the progressive band Cynic.- Biography :...

 (Cynic

Cynic (band)

Cynic is an American progressive rock band, incorporating experimental music, alternative, metal and jazz fusion elements, founded in Miami, Florida and currently based in Los Angeles, California. Their first album, Focus, released on September 14, 1993, is widely regarded as a landmark release of...

, Gordian Knot

Gordian Knot (band)

Gordian Knot is an American progressive rock/metal band directed by bass guitarist Sean Malone. At times its shifting lineup has included Steve Hackett of Genesis, Bill Bruford of King Crimson and Yes, Ron Jarzombek from Watchtower and Spastic Ink as well as Jim Matheos of Fates Warning, several of...

), Ray Riendeau (Halford

Halford (band)

Halford is a heavy metal band formed in 1999 by Rob Halford, the lead vocalist for Judas Priest. Halford formed the band to return to his heavy metal roots...

, Machines of Loving Grace

Machines of Loving Grace

Machines of Loving Grace was an industrial rock band from Tucson, Arizona.Named for a Richard Brautigan poem, they formed in 1989. The original lineup consisted of Scott Benzel , Stuart Kupers , and Mike Fisher , with Brad Kemp added shortly thereafter...

), Jeff Eber (Dysrhythmia

Dysrhythmia

Dysrhythmia is an American instrumental progressive metal band formed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1998. The band's music combines avant-garde elements of progressive rock and jazz with heavy metal...

), and Jens Johansson

Jens Johansson

Jens Ola Johansson is a Swedish power metal keyboardist and pianist. He is notable for his high-speed neoclassical and fusion style.-Biography:...

 (Stratovarius

Stratovarius

Stratovarius are a Finnish power metal band that formed in 1984. Since their formation they have released 13 studio albums and one live album. Along with Helloween, Blind Guardian, Rhapsody of Fire and Gamma Ray, Stratovarius are considered one of the leading groups of the power metal and symphonic...

, ex-Yngwie Malmsteen), among others.

Ink Compatible was released worldwide via Ron Jarzombek's EclecticElectric label, except for the territories of Japan (Avalon/Marquee) and Russia (Iron d).

An alternate version of the Japanese bonus track, A Quick Affix, can be found as Peppered Cancer on Bobby Jarzombek

Bobby Jarzombek

Bobby "Wire" Jarzombek is a heavy metal/progressive metal drummer and best known for his work with Halford, Sebastian Bach and Riot. He has also recorded and toured with Fates Warning, Arch / Matheos, Iced Earth, Rob Rock, Spastic Ink, and Juggernaut, among others.-Biography:Bobby Jarzombek was...

's instructional drum DVD, Performance & Technique.

Track listing

1. "Aquanet" – 8:10
2. "Just a Little Bit" – 4:42
3. "Words for Nerds" – 5:22
4. "Melissa's Friend" – 7:08
5. "Read Me" – 4:16
6. "Multi-Masking" – 8:11
7. "In Memory of..." – 6:50
8. "A Chaotic Realization of Nothing Yet Misunderstood" – 12:11
9. "The Cereal Mouse" – 1:20
10. "A Quick Affix" (Japanese Bonus Track) - 4:40