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 Cardiac Arrest 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. Cardiac Arrest 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.
Jim Deabenderfer names Roger Taylor (Queen), Mick Harris (Napalm Death), Vinnie Paul (Pantera/DamagePlan), Danny Herrera (Napalm Death), and Pete Sandoval (Terrorizer/Morbid Angel as his top five influences. Says 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 64th 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."