Metal Reviews

How long have you been playing for?

OK, I will give this a shot.

In no particular order:

1. Chris Olvia (Savatage)
2. Tommi Djukin (Silent Scythe)
3. Chuck Schuldiner (Death)
4. Juan Garcia (Agent Steel)
5. Roy Z. (Bruce Dickinson)
6. Andy LaRocque (King Diamond)
7. Oddleif Stensland (Communic/Scariot)
8. David T. Chastain (Chastain)
9. Dave Garcia (Cage)
10. Zakk Wylde (Black Label Society)

1. Alexi Laiho
2. Richie Blackmore
3. Andres Segovia (RIP)
4. Mark Nisted (my dad)
5. John Williams
6. John Lee Hooker
7. Hendrix
8. John Schaffer

No real order except for Alexi

1) John Petrucci (Dream Theater) - I know pretty much the whole lot of you hate Dream Theater, but the first time I heard the solos from Learning To Live, I creamed myself.

2) Scott Hull (Pig Destroyer) - Dammit, those riffs are brutal, and there's not a second to waste. Listening to his fingertwisting in Hyperviolet almost gave me a heart attack.

3) Jeff Loomis (Nevermore) - This man is responsible for some of the best riffs and solos I've ever heard in my entire life ever. Ever.

4) That dude (Deathspell Omega) - After listening to some of the riffs in Kènôse, I could only say "How the fuck do you DO that?!"

5) Chuck Schuldiner (Death) - Technical Death Metal doesn't get much better than Death, and Chuck had the riffs to prove it. His virtuosity manifested itself more and more as his career went on and on.

6) Wrest (Leviathan) - Dammit, I dunno if this guy could give me any more goosebumps if he tried... Well, he probably could.

7) Jani Liimatainen (Sonata Arctica) - A super melodic Power Metal riff/solo always warms my heart, especially when it's as well done as Jani's work.

8) Bjorn Gelotte & Jesper Stromblad (In Flames) - Made the list this high because Colony was really the first album that effectively had me air-guitaring. I really admire their work, even though I don't play guitar.

9) Trey Azagthoth (Morbid Angel) - Shred shred shred. Shred, dammit, shred.

10) Euronymous (Mayhem) - Oh, Euronymous, why did you have to go and get murdered like that? Your riffs were so so satisfyingly evil!

1 Zakk Wylde
2 Randy Rhoads
3 Jani Liimatainen
4 Tony Iommi
5 Brian May
6 Alexi Laiho
7 Chris Caffery (or whoever played on Dead Winter Dead)
8 Ryan Roxie (not for any particular talent, he just rocks)
9 Luca Turilli
10 Slash

not in any particular order

George Lynch
Dave Mustaine
Dave Pritchard (RIP)
Amott Bros
Satriani
Kirk Hammet
Gary Holt
Randy Rhodes (RIP)
Tommy Victor