Alright, friends, It’s February, and to be honest with you, I’m having some trouble processing the amount of bullshit going on here in the good old U.S. of A. It’s raining planes and helicopters, we’re up to our ass in dead chickens, fucking Elon Musk apparently runs our government, I turn fifty next week, and my spine is in no shape to fight for democracy anywhere but on Helldivers 2. To top it all off, John Sykes died. I know Whitesnake was only ever on the fringe of heavy metal, but in ’88 or ‘89, when a friend gave me a dubbed copy of the band’s 1987 album on cassette, that was heaviest shit I’d ever heard in my life up to that point. Admittedly, I was in a bit of a metal wasteland, not having MTV and with local radio stations only occasionally playing something as heavy as AC/DC. Nonetheless, I think even those more steeped in heaviness could recognize that John Sykes’ playing on that record was absolutely ferocious, and his tone was massive. That album really helped build my obsession with heavy riffs, and in a few short years after hearing it, I’d grow into a proper metalhead. Thanks for everything, John. The opening to “Still of the Night” is going to make the hair on my arms stand up until the day I die. Rest in peace, and fuck cancer.
Anyway, it’s time for Staff Infections; let us see what we’ve all been listening to. Mr. Edmunds, for one, is listening to a veritable shit-load of Agathocles. I’m not going to check, but I bet that’s a grind band. Let me know if I’m right in the comments. Ryan is on a similar deep dive, but with Deceased, and thanks to an assist from yours truly, that’s enough to make Deceased’s Fearless Undead Machines tied for our album of the month. The other winner is Sacred — the Swedish Sacred, that is, not the French Sacred or the Argentinian Sacred or the Bosnian Sacred or the Indonesian Sacred or the Spanish Sacred or the American Sacred or the Chilean Sacred, just so we’re clear. Anywy, it’s Sacred, with its recently released full length-debut Fire to Ice. There are no runners-up this month, but Dan and Jozzsh mad a hard push for Havukruunu, the Finnish Havukruunu, that is, so let’s give those fellows an honorable mention.
For our group discussion this month, why don’t you give us a couple of your favorite 20th century, hard rock / metal guitar heroes, but to keep it interesting, consider Eddie Van Halen a given. As a guitar obsessive, I could give you a dozen off the top of my head, but since I already mentioned John Sykes, I’ll offer just one more: Gary Moore. Gary was a critical link from the O.G. British blues rock guitar heroes like Clapton, Page, Beck, and Peter Green to the true shredders of the 80’s. Moore was a great lover of the blues, but he was no Slow Hand. Gary played with blazing speed, and an equally blazing, wide-open Marshall tone. For a taste of Gary’s playing, check out his stunning work throughout Thin Lizzy’s “Roisin Dubh” and the blistering solo on his version of the Yardbirds classic “Shapes of Things”.
That’s it for this month, have a listen to the Spotify playlist below, and share your own playlist in the comments. Until next time, try to keep your head above water, and look out for your friends and neighbors.
Captain
Afflicted – Prodigal Sun
Dim Mak – Knives of Ice
Suffocation – Pierced from Within
Sacred – Fire to Ice
Max Richter – The New Four Seasons
McCoy Tyner – Night of Ballads and Blues
Zach Duvall
Poison – Into the Abyss
Dream Death – Journey into Mystery
Elton John – Madman Across the Water
Rolling Stones – Aftermath (US)
Portal – Seepia
Suffocation – Breeding the Spawn
Danhammer Obstkrieg
Havukruunu – Tavastland
Eternell – Indrajāla I
Morax – The Amulet
Ivo Perelman & Tyshawn Sorey – Parallel Aesthetics
Speedy J – Ginger
Celestiial – Where Life Springs Eternal
Andrew Edmunds
Agathocles – Razor Sharp Daggers
Agathocles – Thanks For Your Hostility
Agathocles – Black Clouds Determinate
Agathocles – Humarrogance
Agathocles – Theatrical Symbolisation Of Life
Agathocles – about 125 splits
Ryan Tysinger
Deceased – Supernatural Addiction
Deceased – As the Weird Travel On
Deceased – Fearless Undead Machines
Deceased – Children of the Morgue
Deceased – Ghostly White
Deceased – Surreal Overdose
Lin Manuel de Guerra
Björk – Vulnicura
Enslaved – Mardraum
Andrew Hill – Time Lines
Manilla Road – Spiral Castle
Mogwai – Bad Fires
Devangelic – Ersetu
Spencer Hotz
Haunted Plasma – I
Saor – Amidst The Ruins
Savoy Brown – Lion’s Share
Yes – Yesterdays
Uulliata Digir – Uulliata Digir
MooM – Plague Infested Urban Dump Of The Future
Blizzard of Jozzsh
Havukruunu – Havulinnaan
Havukruunu – Kelle surut soi
Havukruunu – Uinuos syömein sota
Bolt Thrower – The IVth Crusade
Death – Human
Kiss – Kiss
LoneWatie
Katoaja – What We Witness
Sacred – Fire To Ice
Necrosanct – Incarnate
Soul Cages – Soul Cages
Neil Young & Crazy Horse – Zuma
GTO Trio – Within
Isaac Hams
Ethel Cain – Perverts
Ulver – Nattens Madrigal
Nite – Cult of the Serpent Sun
Earl Sweatshirt – Some Rap Songs
Megadeth – Rust in Peace
Krallice – Dimensional Bleedthrough
Jeremy Morse
Type O Negative – Bloody Kisses
Type O Negative – The Origin of the Feces
Tygers of Pan Tang – Spellbound
Whitesnake – Whitesnake
Samael – Blood Ritual
Deceased – Fearless Undead Machines
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I turn 57 tomorrow. Fuck this fucking goddamn planet…
Ela Minus – DÍA
Kelly Lee Owens – Dreamstate
Disfear – Live the Storm
Bolt Thrower – …For Victory
Enslaved – Axioma Ethica Odini
Scorpions – Animal Magnetism
Fave John Sykes moment: “Someday She’s Going to Hit Back,” at the 2:34 mark. Absolutely bonkers post-Gary Moore-styled shredding.
As for favorite 20th Century Six-String Magicians: Uli Jon Roth, Michael Schenker and Brian Robertson.
Cheers!
Those are some solid picks, and happy birthday.
Thanks!
Blood Red Throne – Nonagon
Voidhra – Only Cold Winds Will Carry My Name
Bodyfarm – Dreadlord
Suicidal Angels – Sanctify The Drakness
Concrete Icon – Voracious Streams
In Solitude – Sister
As for 20th century hard rock guitar hero, I’ll add Robin Trower to the list.
Messa – Close
Devenial Verdict – Blessing of Despair
Tove Lo – Dirt Femme
Kendrick Lamar – GNX
Fellowship – The Saberlight Chronicles
Sodom – Agent Orange
As for Sykes, the way the main riff of “Still of the Night” crashes back into the song immediately after that soaring solo still gets my blood up all these years later.
He’s the least flashy member of one of the FLASHIEST fucking bands ever, but I love the workmanlike approach of Mick Mars. Nikki Sixx might’ve been the credited songwriter on most of Crue’s output, but, IMO, their whole train goes right off the tracks if Mars isn’t holding the whole sound down with his brawny, blue(sy) collar riffs. The sleazy strut of “Girls, Girls, Girls.” The propulsive simplicity of “Looks That Kill.” His calling card though, is the all-timer wrecking ball thump and groove of “Dr. Feelgood.”
On the more progressive side (in a number of ways…) of the hard rock spectrum, I’ve always swooned over Chris DeGarmo’s work on the first couple of Queensryche albums.
Dream Theater – Parasomnia
Wake – Thought Form Descent
Worm – Foreverglade
Regurgitator – Invader
The Cure – Songs of a Lost World
Tom Morello was the first guitarist I had a “wow” reaction to when I was first getting into rock/metal, though perhaps for for his inventiveness more than his technical proficiency. Then I heard Jimi Hendrix…
Anarchÿ – Xenötech and the Cosmic Anarchÿ
Deaf Radio – Modern Panic
Avatarium – Between You, God, the Devil and the Dead
Spectral Lore – Gnosis
Ghosts of Glaciers – Eternal
Rhapsody – Symphony of Enchanted Lands
Coroner – Mental Vortex
Mean Mistreater – Do or Die
Blut Aus Nord – 777 The Desanctification
Metal Church – The Dark
Fleshbore – Painted Paradise
Vektor – Outer Isolation
As to Jeremy’s question about 21st Century guitar heroes, I can’t really think of a better combo of tunefulness and talent than Gary. However, for the sake of discussion I’ll mention a guy who I think never gets the attention he really deserves: Denny Dias
Founding member of Steely Dan who got cashiered when Becker and Fagen went into studio hermitage, but still kept showing up on albums because he was the rare rocker with studio ace chops.
His solos on “Bodhisattva” and “Do It Again” classic rock staples, but the hard bop shit he was hitting on solos like “Green Earrings” and “Aja” are where he cements himself as one of the geniuses of his era.