Chris Hartjen - Guitar

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Chris started playing guitar at the very young age of seven. In fact, it's one of the only thanks he can pay forward to his Dad. His father had left him his very first instrument, an Avila guitar. Of course, at such an early age Chris didn’t know how to play or what to do with it but he still has it to this day.

His musical journey began on the piano in elementary school and he slowly progressed towards the guitar after realizing piano just wasn’t his thing. When Chris got into high school he had his first true introduction to the guitar.  Chris attended the class for the majority of his tenure but always strayed away from the music theory and adapting to others' playing styles. Chris has always wanted his own style so he has not learned much of anyone else’s music or theory, Granted, he did learn some Jimi Hendrix, Van Halen and Satriani to name a few as he developed his muscle memory and techniques that interested him.

Chris heard a BioHazard record along with Snot's "Get Some" his junior year of high school and was immediately hooked. He began practicing and developing his own unique sound and style, rehearsing everyday, stringing note after note together until he would play something that made sense. 

In the late 90s Chris put together a group called Dropstarr and began his journey performing in bands. Dropstarr took influences from Korn, Deftones, BioHazard, Snot and Element Eighty. Chris also names Steve Vai, Throwdown, Hatebreed, Ill Nino and NOFX as influences. Dropstarr recorded two albums and performed shows with San Diego favorites 18 Bonez and Thought Experiment multiple times but Dropstarr was short-lived.

Chris joined the band Relevance shortly after that and wrote the guitar parts but played bass, since the band could never find that fourth man. Relevance performed with bands on the order of Chevelle, Buck O' Nine and Homegrown. One Relevance highlight was being invited by Ernie Ball Guitars to perform at the Vans Warped Tour in 2010.

In 2008 Chris launched Effem Records, a record label that morphed into a private recording studio that hosted sessions by American Idol Sanjaya, Wade Youman of Unwritten Law and Scott Van Heldt who performed with Brian "Head" Welch of Korn. In his free time from past to present, you can find Chris off-road in the desert on the dunes in his side-by-sides, which he maintains himself.

While trick or treating on Halloween night 2012 in their hometown of Ramona, CA, Chris met Stretcher drummer Tom Stuart. They have written music together since and cataloged most of their early work until the current Stretcher lineup took form in 2023.

Over the years Chris has played many guitars but the most noteworthy would be Kiesel, ESP and Jackson. 

His string preference ranges from 12/13 gauge Ernie Ball Slinky and he prefers using Tortex 1.0mm for my heavier music and a lighter .7mm when he's noodling around.

Six new tracks produced and mixed by Eddie Wohl (Anthrax) in Los Angeles with drums tracked by recording engineers Eric Emery (Blink-182) and Eddy Garcia (Pissing Razors,) Information Overdose is powerful and difficult to pin down. It's heavy, but full of hooks and earworms. Vocals run through the ages of rock n' roll and the grooving punch of Stretcher's rhythm section propels an almost punk guitar style. Whatever it is, it rocks and you can sing along with it. Information Overdose was mastered by Maor Appelbaum (Faith No More) and is arriving April 4, 2025 on all major platforms.

Founding Stretcher members Tom Stuart (drums) and Joe McGowan(bass,) (first and second from left) join former Mower vocalist Brian Sheerin and guitarist Chris Hartjen (far right.) This lineup has fans of both Stretcher and Mower, who played together frequently as two of San Diego's premier metal bands, talking excitedly as the group is surprising people with a sound different from their former acts.

Stretcher made their name with nationwide Metalfest stops and shows with Marilyn Manson, Machine Head, and Cannibal Corpse. Stretcher self-released two albums, "Everybody Loves A Tragedy"(1998) and "Annomundi"(2000.) Mower and Sheerin gained international recognition with tracks like “Road Rage,” featured on Sirius XM and MTV’s Headbangers' Ball, and "General Admission" featured in an MX vs. ATV video game.  Mower released three albums on Suburban Noize Records - "Mower" (2003,) "Not For You"(2006, which featured production by Snot and Soulfly guitarist Mikey Doling) and "Make It A Double"(2009, where Sheerin first collaborated with producer Eddie Wohl.) Mower shared stages with Slayer, Disturbed, System of a Down, and Linkin Park. Both bands hail from the same San Diego scene that birthed P.O.D., Blink-182, and Unwritten Law.