It’s a testament to Neil Young’s incredible vocal and songwriting ability that his prodigious guitar playing often goes unnoticed in comparison. Neil’s early rock and roll roots are reflected in his guitar playing, which alternates between a raucous rock and sweet, delicately picked acoustic work. His early career consisted largely of troubadour-style folk music firmly …
Iron Maiden’s signature sound is characterized by operatic vocals, galloping rhythms, and, of course, those intricate, fleet-fingered guitar harmonies. Adrian Smith’s role in Iron Maiden isn’t merely that of a guitarist, but a songwriter and occasional vocalist. Unlike most of his 80s metal contemporaries, Adrian Smith’s playing was firmly rooted in the blues, with Johnny …
If you compile a list of the greatest bass players to ever live, Geddy Lee would easily end up toward the top of the list. Lee’s sound was so unique that he inspired countless musicians, including Metallica’s Cliff Burton, Primus’ Les Claypool, Rage Against the Machine’s Tim Commerford, Iron Maiden’s Steve Harris, and Dream Theater’s …
Nita Strauss is one of the most audacious guitar heroes of our time, while her career during the 2000s wasn’t that of such a title, her true rise to prominence came with her tenure as Alice Cooper’s guitarist. At that point, there was no room for doubt of Strauss being one of the most talented …
The 90s were certainly nothing short of an entire decade of musical talents changing the way we know and enjoy the rock genre and in this decade, music lovers were gifted with the virtuoso John Frusciante from the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Though his trajectory with the band has been neck-deep in turmoil throughout the …
Hall of Fame lead guitarist Mike McCready holds an odd place in the realm of rock and roll. Joined by his ever enigmatic band, Pearl Jam, McCready has been consistently productive, inventive, and admired for over 30 years. Yet too many people who are not guitarists nor passionate Pearl Jam fans barely hold the faintest …
Blues legends are known to establish long and loyal connections with their instruments. Stevie Ray Vaughn, and his Strat-heavy collection of vintage and custom guitars, are an iconic representation of the blues mythos. Decades of jamming in murky, cramped, smoke-filled clubs, in and out of vans, car trunks, exposed to all kinds of weather, inevitably …
The classical guitar has been around for centuries but has notably undergone many changes over time. Much of this has been brought on by specific guitarists and composers who brought about or popularized changes to the instrument, technique, or repertoire. Many of those famous classical guitarists will be covered in this article. Special attention is …
When it comes to the most influential songwriters and personalities of all time, it’s impossible to overlook John Lennon. Both solo and with The Beatles, Lennon helped write and record some of the most iconic songs of the entire 20th century that still pander and echo to this day. Over the course of his career, …
Heavy metal music began in the late 1960s and has only grown over time, resulting in unexpected subgenres. With extreme metal genres popping up, the essence of the genre has also evolved with time. And at the forefront of this modern metal wave is Avenged Sevenfold and its lead guitarist, Synyster Gates, as a main …