THE TOP 10 GUITARISTS OF THE SHRED ERA
Tuesday, September 29th, 2009 at 1:30pm by Vince Neilstein
Another day, another silly but undeniably fun Top 10 list by our friend Carlos Ramirez over at Noisecreep (see also: The Top 10 Bush-era Anthrax songs, Top 10 New School Thrash Bands and The Top Ten High-Pitch Metal Singers of All Time). This week’s topic du jour, The Top 10 Guitarists of the “Shred Era,” which Ramirez clarifies thusly:
The style first rose to fame in the mid-1980s when guitarists started rocking classical influenced scales played at frenzied speeds… Legendary guitarists Uli Jon Roth, Al DiMeola and Eddie Van Halen helped inform the movement while a guy in California named Mike Varney served as scene’s biggest cheerleader and supporter. Through his Shrapnel Records, Varney not only discovered and produced many of the scene’s headliners, his very own Shrapnel Records would go on to become to shred what Motown was to soul music.
As usual, Ramirez is mostly spot on. Michael Angelo Batio — check. Yngwie — check. George Lynch — check. The only obvious omission I can find (I’m sure you guys will have plenty of gripes, though) is that of Vinnie Vincent, one-time KISS guitarist and all-time uber/psycho/insane/batshit shredder extraordinaire. We actually have a shrine dedicated to Vinnie Vincent in the corner opposite the shitter in the MS Mansion bathroom. Nothing quite inspires efficient crapping like the photo of Vinnie Vincent’s face you see on the right. No joke.
Go on over to Noisecreep to read the list, then come back here and tell us “OMG i can’t believe ____ was left off the list, wtf?!?!”
-VN
Good list, even got Greg Howe in the honorable mentions. There were others, but not as good as those on this list. As I was reading, I was almost horrified that Vinnie Moore was to be left off, good he wasn’t. Even though he’s bluesier now, he’s still a shredder.
No Eric Johnson, No Vai, No Satch, no credit. Gay list.
agreed, Johnny about the Vai omission, Satch and Johnson aren’t necessarily “pure shredders” like the other guys on the list. Overall depsite the one GLARING omission, pretty damn good list!
snooze. wake me up when any of those guys actually write a melody worth listening to other than just playing stupid nonsensical fiddly diddly bullshit.
i dunno if you were paying attention, but it’s a freaking article about shred guitarists.
pft. this list is useless without the great kat.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_T3eaxt97E
The kids and I were listening to Paul Gilbert on a Racer X live album this morning while eating breakfast. Good stuff!
Many of you will call me a poser, but I think Buckethead is a hell of a shredder.
Agreed. He’s diverse in his styles, too. Population Override and Monsters and Robots are two totally different types of albums but they’re both great.
I was going to mention Buckethead… I don’t think he really got started during the shred era of the 80’s, which must be the reason he’s not on the list.
This list begins and ends with Malmsteen. I wouldn’t care if he was there 10 different times on the list. Asshole or not, he is the greatest. Shredder that is.
I would have left MAB off that list.
But the rest is actually pretty good.
How the fuck can you leave HIM off the list? Seriously?
buckethead is bomb fuck anyone who doesn’t agree.
I do agree :D
Good list…as far as VV goes, his solos are so fucking crowded that they have about as much appeal as Manhattan traffic…
Buckethead and RON JARZOMBEK are needed, and no MAB.
Agree with all posters griping about Buckethead and Steve Vai off the list. But where the fuck is Joe Stump? I would have put him pretty high up there. I consider him the working man’s shredder and probably one of the most underrated known virtuosos in the world. For shame!
If the Great Kat sees this she will start killing.
Thanks for posting this list guys! By the way, I left Vinnie Vincent off the list because I was thinking more the guys who were more known for their shredding than anything else. Vinnie was also a great pop minded songwriter and wasn’t as popular in the guitar magazines those days.