When we think of heavy metal, Greek rockers tend not to immediately come to mind, unless we’re Ozzy or Firewind fans, and we’ve dialed into a guitarist from Thessaloniki, Greece, who calls himself Gus G. Gus was born, Kostas Karamitroudis, but his birth name evolved to an American translation from Kostas to Gus, with the “G” added from a shortened version of his name that a good friend calls him.
In today’s modern world there are many paths an artist can take throughout their career. Some prefer to focus their attention solely on one genre, ensemble or solo project, while others stoke their creative fires by moving between projects, bands and jumping between the commercial and non-commercial worlds.
Having known guitar legend Ritchie Blackmore from his days in Deep Purple and Rainbow, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from his newest CD Autumn Sky, which was recorded with his Renaissance influenced ensemble Blackmore’s Night, but I have to say that I really enjoyed the record.
Explosive gale force performances mixed with melodic interludes define Alter Bridge, a group with the instrumental backbone of Creed and the powerful vocals of lead singer, Myles Kennedy. With the blistering guitar work of Mark Tremonti, tethered to the unyielding foundational percussion and bass guitar of Scott Phillips (drums) and Brian Marshall (bass), Kennedy and crew gather together as Alter Bridge, into a perfect musical storm.
There are many artists and guitar makers who have revolutionized the instrument over the years. Building on the past and adding new innovations to push the instrument into the future, often with striking and long-lasting results.
If you’re at the back of the hall at a Black Label Society Gig, just look for the guy with an axe with a bulls-eye on it and you’ve got a target on the man, Zakk Wylde, founder of and metal guitarist for the band. Although, Wylde would make name for himself with shock rocker Ozzy Osbourne, in the early ‘90s, he would run solo with Pride & Joy, his “solo” group known for its fusion of heavy metal and Southern Rock.
There have been many young guitarists over the years that have burst onto the scene at an early age, only to burn out after one or two albums and fade into obscurity. Kenny Wayne Shepherd is an artist who defied this trend by taking the momentum gained from his Platinum selling debut record Ledbetter Heights and growing it into a long and successful career. Only 33 years old, Shepherd has three platinum and one gold album to his credit, as well as an armful of major award nominations and wins, and yet it seems that he’s just getting started, 16 years after his first release.
With five Grammy Awards, 23 W.C. Handy Awards [the most of any artist], 65 albums, a place in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and disciples like Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan, Buddy Guy ranks as one of the music legends of our time.
2010 was a big year for Australian guitarist Orianthi. Her debut solo album Believe helped launch her to international stardom, which was first ignited after she appeared in the Michael Jackson film This is It. She has toured under her own name as well as making appearances with Adam Lambert, Carrie Underwood and Jimi Hendrix’s bassist Billy Cox. Her playing is a mixture of raw energy and pop sensibilities, a lethal combination that has awed her fellow guitarists and garnered her radio play across the globe.
For the hoards of guitar players out there who spend their time trawling through YouTube videos in search of the next big thing, Daniele Gottardo needs no introduction. For the uninitiated, Gottardo is a rising star from Italy who really shot to attention by making it to the final of the Guitar Idol competition, twice.
