SHADOWS FALL's JASON BITTNER To Embark On Clinic Tour In May

The Avedis Zildjian Company has announced that Jason Bittner of SHADOWS FALL has joined its family of artists. Regarded as one of the best metal drummers of his generation, Bittner is widely recognized for his double bass skills, ability to play complex patterns at high speeds, and extensive knowledge of jazz and Latin drumming styles. He is often credited with "bringing the groove back to metal drumming." An accomplished teacher and author, Bittner will headline Zildjian's U.S. clinic tour in May 2011.

"I've been attracted to Zildjian cymbal sounds for years," said Bittner. "I bought my first 18" A Zildjian crash ride when I was only 11 years old. I feel that I'm coming home with my new relationship with Zildjian, and I look forward to spending the next decade and beyond with them."

Commenting on the upcoming clinic tour, Bittner said, "The clinic tour will feature play-alongs, free-form playing, educational content, and fun. I'm hoping to have a few SHADOWS FALL tracks from my new record to share with fans on the tour. Zildjian cymbals are featured in these new recordings. They've already become a part of my sound. It's really been a seamless transition for me."

"We're absolutely thrilled to welcome Jason to the Zildjian family," said John DeChristopher, VP artist relations and event marketing worldwide. "He's the complete package: a phenomenal player and student of the instrument, a great educator and role model for younger players, and a highly respected artist among his peers and the drumming community overall. We're very excited about his future with Zildjian, and we're looking forward to hitting the road in May for Jason's first clinic tour as a Zildjian artist."

A native of Albany, New York, Bittner attended Berklee College Of Music and played with STIGMATA, one of the biggest hardcore bands on the New York scene, for seven years. In the fall of 2001, Bittner joined SHADOWS FALL. For the past 10 years, he has toured extensively with the band and released "The Art Of Balance"; "The War Within" (debuted at #38 on Billboard and received a Grammy nomination for "Best Metal Performance"); "Fallout From the War"; "Threads Of Life" (Grammy nomination for "Best Metal Performance"); and "Retribution", one of the band's most powerful albums to date that debuted in Billboard's Top 40.

Bittner has been nominated for numerous awards, including the 2004 Modern Drummer Reader's Poll for #1 Up-And-Coming Drummer; the 2005 Modern Drummer Reader's Poll for #1 Best Recorded Performance for the SHADOWS FALL album "The War Within" and #1 Metal Drummer; and for the second consecutive year, the 2006 Modern Drummer Reader's Poll for #1 Metal Drummer. Bittner's book, "Drumming Out Of The Shadows", which was co-authored by Joe Bergamini, received the #2 award in the DRUM! magazine reader's poll for Best Educational Book.

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Drum-cam footage of Jason Bittner performing the song "Thoughts Without Words" during SHADOWS FALL's appearance at the 12th Midi Music Festival (a.k.a. Changjiang Midi Music Festival),which was held October 1-4, 2010 on the tourist island Shi Ye Zhou right on the Yangtse River in Zhenjiang City, China, can be viewed below.