Metal Monarchy
TOP 10 MOST UNDERRATED METAL GUITARISTS
Everybody's seen the same "Best Guitarists in Metal" list a million times: Tony Iommi, Dave Mustaine, Kirk
Hammett, and so on and so forth. The same names get trotted out time and time again. One needn't even look at the list to know who will be on it. This list is different.
These are the guitar greats who don't get the respect they deserve. Some of them were/are in bands who never achieved a large amount of popularity, while some of them were/are the less heralded members of bands featuring the usual guitar heroes. These are the "Top 10 Most Underrated Metal Guitarists."
Why: The former Ensiferum and current Wintersun guitarist doesn't figure to be underrated for long. If he can keep up his remarkable work with Wintersun, Jari may begin to be mentioned in the same breath as Children of Bodom's more well-known guitar hero Alexi Laiho.
7. Roope Latvala - Children of Bodom
Why: Roope is completely overshadowed by bandmate Alexi Laiho, and gets none of the credit for Bodom's growing success. Despite that, Laiho would be the first to tell you that Roope was one of his biggest inspirations when he played for a groundbreaking Finnish metal band called Stone.
6. Tie: Karl Sanders / Dallas Toler-Wade - Nile
Why: Due to their sheer brutality, Nile is a band that will never sell a lot of records, nor even approach mainstream popularity. That is not for a lack of talent, however. Karl and Dallas are two of metal's finest and most original songwriters. Watching them play live is like watching two fine artists paint a picture together.
5. Chuck Schuldiner - Death
Why: Chuck's remarkable guitarwork in Death was not only innovative in laying the groundwork for traditional death metal, but even allowed the band to leap into largely progressive territory.
4. Marty Friedman - Megadeth
Why: Friedman was always living in the monstrous shadow of bandmate Dave Mustaine's massive ego, but the unassuming guitarist was every bit as good as his colleague... if not better.... Yea, I said it.
3. Trey Azagthoth - Morbid Angel
Why: The man is simply a god, but was never recognized as such outside of death-metal circles. Morbid Angel were too extreme to ever achieve any sort of mainstream recognition, but that was no problem for Azagthoth, who never faultered in writing music that was both technically demanding and bone-crushingly brutal.
2. Jeff Hanneman - Slayer
Why: Kerry King is the Slayer guitarist that grabs all the headlines, but many would say that Hanneman is actually the superior musician between the two, and the true driving force behind the band. Hanneman has written the lion's share of Slayer's material over the years, including having a hand in every song but one on 1986's iconic Reign in Blood.
1. Alex Skolnick - Testament
Why: Coming up in the crowded California thrash-metal scene of the early '80s alongside titans like Metallica and Megadeth, Testament were constantly overlooked. While Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett got all the press, Skolnick - a man whom many believed to be far superior in sheer skill - wrote innumerable stunning solos and riffs while receiving much less recognition.
WHO DO YOU THINK IS UNDERRATED?
These are the guitar greats who don't get the respect they deserve. Some of them were/are in bands who never achieved a large amount of popularity, while some of them were/are the less heralded members of bands featuring the usual guitar heroes. These are the "Top 10 Most Underrated Metal Guitarists."
10. James Murphy - Various bands
Why: James Murphy has gotten around. The talented guitarist has enjoyed successful runs with metal luminaries like Testament, Death, Obituary and others, yet no one outside of the most dedicated metalheads know who he is.
9. Willie Adler - Lamb of God
Why: Despite Lamb of God's rapidly increasing popularity, little is spoken of their musical prowess. Adler's catchy and technical guitar riffs are the key to Lamb of God's killer sound.
8. Jari Mäenpää - Wintersun
Why: James Murphy has gotten around. The talented guitarist has enjoyed successful runs with metal luminaries like Testament, Death, Obituary and others, yet no one outside of the most dedicated metalheads know who he is.
9. Willie Adler - Lamb of God
Why: Despite Lamb of God's rapidly increasing popularity, little is spoken of their musical prowess. Adler's catchy and technical guitar riffs are the key to Lamb of God's killer sound.
8. Jari Mäenpää - Wintersun
Why: The former Ensiferum and current Wintersun guitarist doesn't figure to be underrated for long. If he can keep up his remarkable work with Wintersun, Jari may begin to be mentioned in the same breath as Children of Bodom's more well-known guitar hero Alexi Laiho.
7. Roope Latvala - Children of Bodom
Why: Roope is completely overshadowed by bandmate Alexi Laiho, and gets none of the credit for Bodom's growing success. Despite that, Laiho would be the first to tell you that Roope was one of his biggest inspirations when he played for a groundbreaking Finnish metal band called Stone.
6. Tie: Karl Sanders / Dallas Toler-Wade - Nile
Why: Due to their sheer brutality, Nile is a band that will never sell a lot of records, nor even approach mainstream popularity. That is not for a lack of talent, however. Karl and Dallas are two of metal's finest and most original songwriters. Watching them play live is like watching two fine artists paint a picture together.
5. Chuck Schuldiner - Death
Why: Chuck's remarkable guitarwork in Death was not only innovative in laying the groundwork for traditional death metal, but even allowed the band to leap into largely progressive territory.
4. Marty Friedman - Megadeth
Why: Friedman was always living in the monstrous shadow of bandmate Dave Mustaine's massive ego, but the unassuming guitarist was every bit as good as his colleague... if not better.... Yea, I said it.
3. Trey Azagthoth - Morbid Angel
Why: The man is simply a god, but was never recognized as such outside of death-metal circles. Morbid Angel were too extreme to ever achieve any sort of mainstream recognition, but that was no problem for Azagthoth, who never faultered in writing music that was both technically demanding and bone-crushingly brutal.
2. Jeff Hanneman - Slayer
Why: Kerry King is the Slayer guitarist that grabs all the headlines, but many would say that Hanneman is actually the superior musician between the two, and the true driving force behind the band. Hanneman has written the lion's share of Slayer's material over the years, including having a hand in every song but one on 1986's iconic Reign in Blood.
1. Alex Skolnick - Testament
Why: Coming up in the crowded California thrash-metal scene of the early '80s alongside titans like Metallica and Megadeth, Testament were constantly overlooked. While Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett got all the press, Skolnick - a man whom many believed to be far superior in sheer skill - wrote innumerable stunning solos and riffs while receiving much less recognition.
WHO DO YOU THINK IS UNDERRATED?
I think that Paul Allender and Charles Hedger from Cradle Of Filth are pretty darn underated.
Tom Morello, best known for his work in Rage Agaiinst the Machine, i great. I saw him several times earlier in Lock Up and the man can play like a demon. I disagree with your top choice. Both of Slayer's guitarists, when trading off leads, beat anything Testament has ever dished up.