Still happy from yesterday

I’m totally stoked over the response from yesterday’s post. I’m almost afraid to write about anything today for fear of spoiling the success. Thanks again to everyone for reading and commenting; it really makes blogging worth the effort when people contribute. You folks are great!

Today I wanted to talk about some new music I’ve been listening to. Not necessarily “new” in the sense of having brand new CDs out (though some do). Nay, I mean “new” more in the sense of they are new to me in general. One of the great things about being a musician is that we’re constantly exposed to other bands and music thanks to all of the other musicians we hang out with.

Lately, I’ve been doing some branching out into other areas of music that six months ago I’m sure I would have completely hated. It’s always interesting to me how my musical interests ebb and flow. It seems that for a period of time before I see large growth in my listening tastes I seem to withdraw quite a bit and only listen to a very select bit of music. It’s usually jazz, for some reason. I’ll listen to nothing but jazz for several months, and before you know it – BAM! – I break out and start listening to bands I know I would have shunned previously.

And so I present to you today five bands/CDs that I have been listening to lately that I think (or should I say I “hope”) will interest you. Of course, if you have any suggestions of your own please leave a comment so me and the other Fretheads can check out what you’re into.

Periphery

I’ve mentioned this band a lot recently. Every once in a while a band comes along that just completely blows me away. Periphery is such a band. Hailing from the Maryland/Washington D.C. area, Periphery is the brainchild of Misha Mansoor, an absolute monster guitar player. His Soundclick and youTube pages have been jam packed with fans for a long time. His Periphery project has been a work-in-progress for many years now, and they recently released their debut CD.

Death metal, screamo, ambient, and prog are all pieces of the Periphery puzzle, and they all work perfectly together. Lots of layered guitars, a guest appearance on the songs “Racecar” by Jeff Loomis of Nevermore, and very singable melodies make this an absolute standout CD that you should definitely check out. Here is the official music video from their song “Icarus Lives” off the CD.

Animals as Leaders

I recently blogged about the guitar genius of Tosin Abasi. Although I spent a day blogging about him and his band Animals as Leaders, I feel compelled to include him again as a new band to check out. His and guitarist bandmate Javier Reyes’ talent is undeniable, and his mixture of jazz, fusion, and metal on extended range guitars are incredibly unique. Guitarists of all styles, and regardless of listening preferences, will appreciate what Tosin is doing musically.

You can tell everyone you heard it here first, Animals as Leaders and Tosin Abasi will be the next big guitar thing. So get on the bandwagon now and check them out!

I posted plenty of videos of Tosin on a previous article, so I figured I’d give Javier the props he so rightly deserves.

Karnivool

To be honest, I don’t know much about these guys. What I can tell you is that their CD Themata is awesome! Intricate guitar work that sounds simple, a great blend of clean and heavy guitars, complex time signatures, and very singable songs makes Karnivool a very fresh and welcome addition to my current listening tastes.

If I’m not mistaken, Themata isn’t their latest CD, but I like this one the most out of the two I have (the other is Sound Awake).

Here is a video of their song “Themata” from the CD:

Chimp Spanner

Chimp Spanner is the brainchild of UK-based guitarist Paul Antonio Ortiz. His style is somewhat similar to Periphery in that it contains a mixture of metal, prog, death metal, and ambient music.

His debut CD is very solid, and fans of instrumental guitar music will definitely enjoy it. His Meshuggah influence is sometimes a bit obvious, but no more so than other djent bands out there today.

Here is a video of Paul playing along to the song “Bad Code” from his CD:

Silly Fools

This last one is probably a bit of a stretch for most of you. Silly Fools is a rock/metal band from Thailand. Their guitar player – Jakarint Juprasert (“Ton”) -  is a monster. Actually, there are tons and tons of awesome guitarists coming out of Thailand. What makes Ton and the band Silly Fools great is that he is a very talented guitar player who writes catchy songs with great guitar work.

If you can get past the fact that you probably won’t understand what is being sung, I think you might really appreciate the music. Also bear in mind that most of the videos in Thailand are karaoke-style, so don’t be alarmed at all of the Thai text floating by.

Five Bands To Check Out is a post from: Fretterverse.com: Guitar Blog | guitar news & reviews, amps, effects, guitars, music theory, guitar lessons. If you are reading this on a site that is not Fretterverse.com, it's been ripped. Please come to the real Fretterverse.com.

Tosin Abasi of Animals as Leader

Getting older is a funny thing. “You just wait and see” must be on an endless subconscious loop in the minds of my parent’s generation. The younger you are, the more you think you know, and the more the older generation can’t wait for you to grow up a little bit and see the expression on your face when you finally “get it” and realize you don’t know everything.

But the burden isn’t just on the young guys. Quite often the older folks don’t give the younger guys enough credit. They just assume they know nothing, are unmotivated, and will never learn.

I am certainly, in some respects, a part of both groups. Being just a few weeks north of my 39th birthday I seem to straddle the line of being a grown-up with a wife and mortgage, and yet also being a kid who is still trying to figure out what to do when I grow up.

And so yesterday I found myself going to the Summer Slaughter 2010 metal show. I was there for one band in particular (I’ll get to that soon; bear with me) but managed to catch a few of the others. To say that my ears were assaulted would be an understatement. I didn’t hear one distinguishable note, not one single sung lyric that was actually articulated. Every singer sounded like they crap barbed wire and gargle with gun powder. As much as I try to embrace all forms of music, this just wasn’t my bag at all. I love Meshuggah, Opeth, and Periphery, and I get the cookie monster vibe. Though I’m not a huge fan of it, I can appreciate it when it’s done right.

WHEN it’s done right.

And so the old curmudgeon in me got a bit of a workout.

“They don’t know how to mosh.”

“What the f*&# is the name of the band on your shirt? It looks like vomit.”

You get the idea.

But I wasn’t there for those guys. I wasn’t really interested in the indistinguishable mass of death metal bands that sound exactly alike. I was there for one band and one band only. Furthermore, I was there to take a guitar lesson from a young guitarist who is not-so quietly making a name for himself as one of the shining stars in instrumental music.

The band? Animals as Leaders. The guitarist? Tosin Abasi.

After Animals as Leaders finished their set, Tosin and I set out for an hour lesson and talking shop. Since I’m definitely an old-school metal guitarist, there are a few things as a player that I’ve fallen behind on and wanted to get some insight into. Two in particular are two-hand tapping techniques and sweep picking. As you can see from the video above, Tosin has both of those pieces covered.

What struck me from the moment he started showing me things to work on is that he has the teaching thing figured out. Most young guys (I hesitate to call him a “kid”) will just shrug their shoulders and say “I don’t know, like, I just like, do it.” But not Tosin. Tosin is articulate, very well thought out and, most importantly, able to start teaching from a foundation and work up from there. He started me on some basic concepts and techniques to slowly build upon.

Tosin, Josh, and Jim's Steaks in the background. Welcome to Philly!

(At some point I’m sure I’ll post some of the things I came up with as a result, but I’m not quite there yet. Suffice it to say that in just one hour of his excellent teaching and another hour of practice at home I’ve already seen marked improvement in my playing.)

When it was my turn to try out what he was showing me he was patient (a very rare quality for most folks in their 20′s) and seemed genuinely excited to be sharing his guitar knowledge with someone else. In the very short period of time I got to talk to him I could tell that he truly loves the guitar and is very passionate about being the best player he can be and making great music.

It’s important to not only see where it starts, but also where it’s going. Towards the end of our time together we got a little bit outside of tapping and sweeping and spoke about his approach to guitar and guitar music in general. His is very unique, and it’s apparent that he spends lots and lots and lots of time working out his ideas in every conceivable permutation. With a penchant for jazzier sounds such as Maj7#11 chords, upper partials harmony, and  while his contemporaries are still chugging along with barre chords (not that there’s anything wrong with that), Tosin seems to be ever-reaching for the farthest star in the sky while remaining firmly planted on the ground.

Animals as Leaders Debut CD

I’m encouraged by meeting Tosin for two reasons. One, I got to peek into his bag of tricks and steal some really great things to work on. Two, and most importantly, the old curmudgeon in me that got a workout earlier in the day has been placated and is quite assured that the future of guitar is in capable hands. If you have not checked out Tosin and his work with Animals as Leaders, you really should. Their debut, self-titled CD is amazing, he’s currently on tour and needs to be seen live if he’s coming to your area, and he has extensive videos available for viewing on youTube (a few of which I’m posting here).

On a personal note: Tosin, your future is bright and I wish you the greatest success. I hope you like oysters, because the world is yours. Thanks for taking the time to show an old dog some new tricks. It’s never too late to improve your playing, no matter how old (or young) you are. And I still owe you some home-cooked Thai food.

My Afternoon Lesson With Tosin Abasi of Animals As Leaders is a post from: Fretterverse.com: Guitar Blog | guitar news & reviews, amps, effects, guitars, music theory, guitar lessons. If you are reading this on a site that is not Fretterverse.com, it's been ripped. Please come to the real Fretterverse.com.

A bit much?

There’s a fine line between inadvertently paying homage to the musicians you respect and blatantly (even though perhaps unknowingly) ripping off their ideas. Unless you don’t listen to music at all, you probably cannot help but let other people’s ideas seep into your gray matter and have some sort of influence over your originality.

The question is whether or not what you’re doing sounds too much like someone else, to the point where it’s really not you anymore. Can you walk the thin line and still be yourself?

Are you being derivative or a ripoff?

Periphery - my latest musical infatuation

This hits home for me right now, as I’m currently experiencing this problem while writing music for my new metal project. As it is I sometimes tend to wear my musical influences on my sleeve a little bit, and the problem I’m having currently is that I find myself comparing what I’m writing to other bands’ material – and I’m not satisfied. My latest discovery is a progressive metal/screamo/electronica band called Periphery. (I plan on writing about them more in the near future.) If you haven’t checked them out yet I highly recommend it. They are the most original metal band I’ve heard in a very long time, so much so that I haven’t stopped listening to their CD for several weeks. They are the culmination of all of the styles of music I love and have flirted with for 20+ years.

At the risk of sounding like a schmuck who can’t write original music, I will tell you that as I am writing material for my project I’m finding myself either not happy with what I’m doing because it’s not “Periphery” enough, or I’m writing something that’s really cool but I’m afraid it sounds too much like Periphery. That’s a bit of an over-exaggeration, but it’s dangerous because I’m not intentionally trying to sound like Periphery or any of the other bands that I love (Opeth, Meshuggah, Dream Theater, etc). “Riff creep” is inevitable as these are the bands I listen to the most.

Opeth's Mikael Åkerfeldt

Should I care? Or perhaps it’s better to ask, “How much should I care?” I mean, honestly, if I write a chord progression that happens to be similar to such-and-such song by another artist, is that a ripoff? How many blues and jazz songs have been written using the same exact chords? How many guitar players (try to) sound just like John Petrucci, or Stevie Ray Vaughan, or Wes Montgomery? Comparisons are inevitable, especially in the metal genre, so at what point do I stop worrying so much and just write what I write and be content with writing a great song?

I’m not really concerned with getting signed to a label, and I’m probably a bit too old (and married) to be going on tour for a year, so what am I worried about? I know my lyrical content will be vastly different than any other band, and I know I will have enough of my own originality  (I’ve been playing for too long to not be original in some capacity) in each song that it won’t sound like it was a carbon copy of someone else. I mean, in a sense it’s all been done before, right?

I think the bottom line is that in order to be completely true to myself and my music, I need to let things flow. If that means I write a riff that “sounds like xxxx” then so be it. It almost sounds like an oxymoron to say that to be completely true I have to acknowledge that I might not be completely original, but I think so long as my intentions are pure and I’m just out to write the best music I can, a little influence seepage is okay.

What do you guys think?

Derivative or Ripoff? is a post from: Fretterverse.com: Guitar Blog | guitar news & reviews, amps, effects, guitars, music theory, guitar lessons. If you are reading this on a site that is not Fretterverse.com, it's been ripped. Please come to the real Fretterverse.com.

John Petrucci - Dream Theater

I remember when I first started playing there were TONS of great players that I could look to for inspiration – the guitar heroes. There was Satriani, Vai, Yngwie, Van Halen, Bettencourt, DeMartini, Beach, and Le Tekrø. It was a powerful time for guitar players back then.

It’s a powerful time for players now, too, as more people are playing guitar than ever before. But it seems to me that since Dream Theater guitarist John Petrucci hit the spotlight back in the early 90′s, there hasn’t really been a guitar hero to come out and take the world by storm. A few have tested the waters (Laiho and Tremonti, though I’m not that impressed by them) but they haven’t had nearly the impact as those players from the previous decade.

Has guitar playing become overstated? Are we struggling to collectively discover the next original player to inspire us because one doesn’t exist? Has the music changed so much that solos and creative rhythm players don’t interest us anymore?

The music has definitely changed, to start. The 2000′s saw a huge crater in terms of guitar music getting attention. Barely any “metal” songs had solos, opting for the 3-minute hit to get on the radio. 7-string cookie monster bands had no time or patience for spotlight-wanking; how does a band get 10,000 emo weenies to mosh during a solo?

In addition to that, I think guitarists in general have spent the last 10 years or so focusing on the technology and gear than the playing. That’s not to say that great players don’t exist, but the media’s attention and focus has shifted to the latest modeling pedal or ProTools plugin more so than the next great player.

Perhaps Joe Bonamossa fits the bill, but I don’t think that he’s had the same overall impact (yet) on guitarists across the board as someone like Satch has. But, to Bonamossa’s credit he’s still very young and moving up quickly.

Meshuggah

I also think the industry has changed. Record companies are falling apart at the seams, which means marketing dollars, music videos, and promotion has gone out the window. They are looking for what sells the most the quickest, and right now that’s whatever 12-15 year old girls are buying. They’re not buying Meshuggah CDs, that’s for sure. (Thorendal should be considered a new guitar hero, btw…)

With no guitarists truly in the spotlight, it’s hard to become a household name like Eddie Van Halen. Also, with the increase in home-studio recording and distribution, the market has literally become saturated with do-it-yourself bands and players, so it’s much harder to separate the wheat from the chaff and find the inspirational players. There’s just too much music out there to shine through.

I think within the guitar playing community we’ve also hit a creative plateau. Everyone is playing the same damn stuff now, exactly the same way. Just like how everyone was playing neo-classical shredding once Yngwie hit the scene, everyone today is playing 8-finger hammer-on arpeggios with string mutes, patterns upon patterns, and the stand-by pentatonic licks. It all just sounds exactly the same, and you can’t really put your finger on who started it.

I wonder when the next big thing is going to hit us. Who is it going to be that completely floors the entire guitar world with something so incredibly profound that we all take notice?

I’m not sure, but in the meantime I’m gonna keep on playing!

Anyone that stands out for you? Any player that really takes it to another level and deserves to be recognized as the next best thing?

Where Have the Guitar Heroes Gone? is a post from: Fretterverse.com: Guitar Blog | guitar news & reviews, amps, effects, guitars, music theory, guitar lessons. If you are reading this on a site that is not Fretterverse.com, it's been ripped. Please come to the real Fretterverse.com.

Meshuggah!

Riding the wave of success from their 2008 CD ObZen, the Swedish quintet went out on tour and filmed their shows in order to create one of the best live DVDs I have ever seen or heard. I will even step out on a limb here and say that it’s the second best I’ve ever seen.

(Rush in Rio DVD holds top honors in my opinion.)

The DVD

12 songs filmed in multiple cities, beautifully filmed and with amazing sounding audio. Meshuggah and company really spent a lot of time and energy getting everything right. Perfect mixes, lots of great band shots from multiple angles and, of course, the great music that Meshuggah is known for.

The song list for the DVD is:

• Perpetual Black Second
• Pravus
• Bleed
• New Millennium Cyanide Christ
• Stengah
• The Mouth Licking What You’ve Bled
• Electric Red
• Rational Gaze
• Lethargica
• Combustion
• Humiliative
• Straws Pulled at Random

The masters of metal, chillin'.

Blistering would be a good way to describe the energy from both the band and the audiences. Even the typically reserved Japanese crowd seemed to ignore their cultural proclivities and let the music take control of their souls.

The best song on the DVD is Bleed, but that’s probably because it’s my favorite Meshuggah song. Filmed in New York in a small club, I literally got chills several times, and that rarely happens to me when watching something that’s not a live performance.

My only complaint about the DVD — and this is coming solely from a selfish guitar player perspective — is that there were not nearly enough close-ups of what guitarists Mårten Hagström and Fredrik Thordendal were doing. Though I have not seen them play live (yet) I can certainly imagine how amazing it would be to see what they do up close. But I get it; this is a DVD for everyone, not just us guitar wankers.

The CD

Also recorded during the tour, the CD features the same 12 songs as the DVD but in a different order. I’m not sure why they did it that way, but it doesn’t matter.  I’ve been listening to the CD constantly since the DVD finished playing and it sounds incredible! Again, great audio engineering for a mid-budget (I assume) live CD.

Bonus Features

The DVD offers four bonuses: The video for the song Bleed from ObZen; A “Making of Bleed” behind-the-scenes mini-documentary; a quick guitar tour; a drum tour.

The guitar tour was somewhat disappointing. It was very short, hosted by the Meshuggah guitar tech, and didn’t really offer too much information. I would have liked to hear more about their custom 8-string guitars, tuning, and what amps and effects they use. (Yeah, I know… it says “guitar tour” not “guitar, amp, and effects tour. A guy can still wish, however…)

The Verdict?

If you are a fan of Meshuggah, or a fan of metal, or you just have some extra money lying around, you would be a fool to not run right out and purchase Alive. I would be very surprised if this doesn’t become one of the top 10 metal DVD/CD packages of the 2000′s.

In other words, GO OUT AND BUY IT!

Meshuggah: Alive (Live DVD and CD) is a post from: Fretterverse.com: Guitar Blog | guitar news & reviews, amps, effects, guitars, music theory, guitar lessons. If you are reading this on a site that is not Fretterverse.com, it's been ripped. Please come to the real Fretterverse.com.

1. Vernon Reid (Living Colour) & Wayne Krantz

Both spent their formative years playing jazz and pop/R&B. Both have very unique and original playing styles, and both embrace the slightly left-of-center approach to composition and improvisation. I’m envisioning some wild electronica infused with jazz harmonies, samples, and down-and-dirty bass grooves.

www.livingcolour.com
www.waynekrantz.com

2. Mikael Åkerfeldt (Opeth) & Fredrik Thordendal (Meshuggah)

Perhaps the most obvious and logical grouping of my five, I would love to hear what these two would come up with. Fredrik’s Holdsworthian solos gliding effortlessly over Mikael’s layered guitar riffs and acoustic folk harmonies would make for some beautiful melodic moments. Then things would instantly shift to Meshuggah-esque rhythmic figures from hell while Åkerfeldt delivers his haunting vocals and harmonized guitar lines.

www.opeth.com
www.meshuggah.net

3. Andy Timmons & Steve Morse (Deep Purple, Dixie Dregs)

This collaboration can only bring out the most gnarly playing anyone has ever heard. (Yes, I said gnarly; deal with it!) What I love about this match-up is the versatility both players bring to the mix. I would venture to say that the sky is definitely the limit with these two working together. The only downside is that CDs can only hold about 72 minutes worth of music!

www.andytimmons.com
www.stevemorse.com

4. Pat Martino & John Scofield

Pat Martino has always struck me as a gentle soul with just a touch of devil’s playfulness in him. Though his nature is that of introspection and calm, when he plays we can only wonder what demons are being exorcised. “Sco” also has a playfulness to his style, but where Martino blazes through the sky at Mach II, Sco likes to perform aerial acrobatics like the Blue Angels. I think the pairing would be very interesting, particularly during long vamps and modal tunes. Sco’s chorused tone would also be an excellent compliment to Martino’s dark and woody timbre.

www.patmartino.com
www.johnscofield.com

5. Jimmy Herring (Aquarium Rescue Unit) & Brian May (Queen)

I realize this one might be a bit of a stretch, but I think the orchestration genius of May coupled with the off-the-cuff wizardry of jam band master Herring might end up being the best duo of the five groupings. I can just picture Herring wailing over a wall of May-infused guitar chordal harmonies.

www.jimmyherring.net
www.brianmay.com

What Are Your Pairings?

Don’t be shy; I would love to hear who you guys think would make great collaborations.

5 Guitarist Collaborations I Would Like To See is a post from: Fretterverse.com: Guitar Blog | guitar news & reviews, amps, effects, guitars, music theory, guitar lessons. If you are reading this on a site that is not Fretterverse.com, it's been ripped. Please come to the real Fretterverse.com.

Joe Satriani – Surfing with the Alien
For those of you like me, who grew up in the 1980′s, my first pick should certainly come as no surprise. The guitar teacher-cum-guitar hero credited with teaching the likes of Steve Vai and Kirk Hammett finally got his due with the release of his second CD, Surfing With the Alien. What makes this CD so important, aside from the brilliant compositions and excellent performances by everyone, is for many it was the first time that modal playing came to the forefront and really went beyond the typical pentatonic soloing of the 70′s. You could even see the guitar magazines follow suit and start to write article after article about modal improvisation and chord voicings going way beyond power chords.

Steve Vai – Flexable
The first time I heard Steve Vai play was the song “Blue Powder” which he wrote to promote a Carvin amp that was new at the time. (Consequently, the song was included on Vai’s “Passion and Warfare” CD.) Vai’s time with Frank Zappa is quite evident on Flexable;alien squeaks, stacked guitar harmonies, and swirling chord constructs make for a truly unique guitar record that takes many, many listens to get the full effect. Although “Passion” became Vai’s breakout CD that made him a household guitar name, it is the raw energy of Flexable that put him on the road to superstardom.

Allan Holdsworth – Road Games
UK-born guitarist Allan Holdsworth is, without question, one of the greatest guitarists ever. Dare I say he belongs in the Top 10? Brought to the attention of Warner Brothers Records by Eddie Van Halen, Holdsworth cut his teeth in bands such as Gong, U.K., and a stint with Level 42. Road Games (currently unavailable, but I suggest trying eBay to purchase) turned the world of guitar on its head. Saxophone-inspired hammer-on lead lines, haunting chord melodies, and even a vocal appearance by Cream’s Jack Bruce all combine to create one of the most sophisticated guitar records ever made. As saxophone players look to John Coltrane as the epitome of instrument mastery, so too do guitar players look to Allan Holdsworth.

Jeff Beck – Wired
In the interest of fairness and full disclosure I feel compelled to tell you that I’m not a huge fan of Jeff Beck. My personal taste tends to lean away from “blues” players, though I certainly respect their abilities and contributions to the guitar. Jeff Beck is known for his incredible tone and smooth lines, and his playing on Wired is certainly no exception. My favorite track is Beck’s interpretation of Goodbye Pork Pie Hat, an class jazz song written by Charles Mingus. You can also check out Beck playing GPPH on YouTube with Vinnie Colaiuta and teen bass sensation Tal Wilkenfeld.

Jimi Hendrix – Are You Experienced
What could I possibly say that hasn’t been said before about Jimi? Purple Haze, Manic Depression, Hey Joe, The Wind Cries Mary, Foxey Lady… classic after classic after classic. His unmistakable tone, sexually-charged stage presence, and unique songwriting has inspired generations to pick up the guitar. Are You Experienced is the quintessential Hendrix recording and certainly a necessary fixture in your CD collection.

Yngwie Malmsteen – Rising Force
He single-handedly started the neo-classical guitar revolution and turned millions of hard rock and heavy metal guitarists onto composers such as Bach and Mozart. Lightning-fast diminished runs and three-octave arpeggios highlight Malmsteen’s virtuosity, while slower passages (what there are of them) shows a melodic and – dare I say – tender side of his playing that amplifies the mystique.

Wes Montgomery – Smokin’ at the Half Note
Wes Montgomery is unarguably (in my opinion) the great jazz guitarist to ever touch the instrument. Always at the top of everyone’s “favorites” list, Wes’ Smokin’ at the Half Note CD puts his musical lyricism, soul, and beautiful improvisational structures on display for all to hear. From his thumb-picking single note lines to his octave runs, and even his simple yet gorgeous chord melody work, this CD is a great example of everything that Sir Wes was able to do with only six strings and no pick.

Pat Martino – Live at Yoshi’s
Pat’s is an amazing story of triumph over tragedy. After suffering a brain aneurysm and losing much of his memory (including his ability to play guitar) Pat relearned to play guitar by listening to his old albums. Accompanied by Joey DeFrancesco and Billy Hart, Live at Yoshi’s is the definitive example of Martino’s minor conversion bebop style, and his searing solo lines captivate the listener. I have seen Pat perform live many times, and every time I see him I am inspired to go home and practice.

Meshuggah – ObZen
I realize that to some, ObZen may seem like a bit of a stretch for a “must-have” CD; it did only just come out in 2009. But I was so impressed with the depth and range of this offering by the Swedish math-core metal band, I am compelled to put it on my list. 8-string guitars, very sophisticated polyrhythms, Allan Holdsworth-inspired lead lines, and haunting slow passages turn the CD into a beautifully-tortuous listening experience. I’ve been shedding my picking technique to be able to play along to the breakout song “Bleed”; almost there…

Rage Against the Machine – Rage Against the Machine
You have to understand, when this CD came out in 1992 there was no nu-metal, no Linkin Park, and save for the Public Enemy/Anthrax collaboration on “Bring Tha Noise” rap had no place alongside rock music. Sure, Aerosmith had “Walk This Way” with Run DMC, but it was viewed more as a novelty than a legitimate music style. Fueled by polarizing political lyrics and booming grooves, RATM’s debut CD Rage Against the Machine very much turned the music world upside down. Further, Tom Morello’s quirky guitar noises, turntable scratch-like rhythms, and pitch-shifting lead lines showed the metal world that it was okay to do something different, to be yourself and, more importantly, rage against the homogenized music scene of the late 1980′s.

So as to not have this list go on forever and ever, I will spare you my personal commentary on the next 10 must-have CDs and, instead, provide you with their CD covers. Suffice it to say that all of these CDs/players have greatly influenced guitarists all over the world, and you would be missing out tremendously by not having them in your collection.

20 Must-Have Guitar CDs is a post from: Fretterverse.com: Guitar Blog | guitar news & reviews, amps, effects, guitars, music theory, guitar lessons. If you are reading this on a site that is not Fretterverse.com, it's been ripped. Please come to the real Fretterverse.com.