Prior to a sold out show at the Best Buy Theater in NYC, I had a chance to speak with guitar Keith Nelson of Buckcherry while out on tour with HellYeah for the Jägermeister Music Tour. We talked about what fans can expect on this tour and even gave us the inside scope on the very beginnings of a new Buckcherry CD.
2010 was a huge year for Florida based metal band Nonpoint as the band’s eighth studio album Miracle was released to critical acclaim, helping to launch the band to the top of the modern metal world after 13 years of working together as a band. The album immediately grabbed the attention of promoters worldwide and 2010 saw high-profile Nonpoint performances at some of the world’s biggest music festivals including Ozzfest, Rock on the Range Summerfest and the legendary Download Festival.
Very few musicians will be able to accomplish and achieve as much success and acclaim as guitarist Fareed Haque. His career is still in full force with many endeavors yet to come, but so far he’s worked with an incredible number of diverse artists that range from Sting, Paquito D’Rivera, Joe Zawinul, Vieaux Faraka Toure, Dave Holland, Larry Coryell, Kurt Elling, Zakir Hussein, and the list just keeps going and growing.
Jazz guitarist and inventor, Les Paul, brought us more than his electric “Log” guitar fashioned out of two pickups, and the triptych coupling of a slab of 4 x 4 lumber and the two halves from an Epiphone hollow body guitar. He brought us more than a delightful legacy of jazz, but a mountain of amazing guitar techniques to examine and study. His deep curiosity and rich inventiveness roamed the world of electronics and sound, luring him like sirens to seemingly insurmountable production and recording challenges. Good for us that Mr. Paul’s intense curiosity was welded to an equally tenacious spirited drive.
Although Immortal Dominion has issued several releases thus far, the latest from this Colorado-based band Primortal (on 427 Records), is undoubtedly their strongest yet. Comprised of band members Ray Smith (vocals), Brian Villers (guitars/vocals), Louis Micciullo (guitars), Bryan “Ed” Schmidt (bass), and Casey Glass (drums), the group has teamed up with renowned producer Sterling Winfield, who is best known for his work with such best-selling metal acts as Pantera and Mercyful Fate.
Fender’s promotional efforts with respect to the limited-edition Crossroads Stratocaster (also known as the Antigua Strat or Sun Strat) and amp have been both generous and tasteful. In fact, the efforts have been tasteful to the extent that Fender’s said relatively little as to exactly what guitar a buyer is getting for the $30,000 Platinum Package, which includes Strat, amp, case and a variety of interesting collateral items, or the $20,000 Gold Package that includes the guitar and a similar array of value-added materials, preferring to place the emphasis on the underlying cause for which the gear is being offered – the Crossroads Centre.
While classical, jazz and now even rock music have all been “institutionalized” over the past century, working their way into university and college curriculum across the globe, there is as least one form of highly-improvised guitar playing that has, for the most part, shied away from these institutions, Flamenco. Possessing a raw energy and folk-like quality that has inspired some of the best guitarists in the world to immerse themselves in the genre, including Paco de Lucia and Adam del Monte, Flamenco has long been an art form that is handed down aurally from generation to generation, and at least up until now has remained that way, which most Flamenco players seem to prefer.
Talking to Sammy Hagar, it’s hard to tell that the prolific guitarist, singer and songwriter has been working as a professional musician for almost 44 years, beginning his career by recording “Reach Out to Find Me” and “Read My Thoughts” in 1967. During the intervening years, Hagar has had several successful solo careers, been a member of the rock band Montrose, and spent a decade with Van Halen at the height of the band’s fame in the mid ‘80s and early ‘90. Throughout it all has maintained an exuberance and excitement for music that is often only found in performers half his age or younger.
When you think of shred-guitar prowess and monster metal chops, players from the U.S., the U.K. or Brazil normally come to mind as the guys standing at the top of the heap. But, there is a guitarist living in Croatia that is quickly making a name for himself as a player to watch out for on today’s scene.
Fans that caught the first few shows on the Music as a Weapon tour might have been a little surprised to see that Brad Kochmit and not Clint Lowery was playing guitar with Sevendust during their shows. After taking a break from the band between 2005 and 2008, there might have been a little concern that Lowery was taking another break, but this is definitely not the case. Brad was filling in because Clint just had his first baby, and took two weeks off to spend time with his family and get used to their new addition.
