Written By Mick Daniels
I have compiled a list of guitar shredders for my Merry Shredmas list for light reading on your Christmas holiday. I hope you enjoy it and happy holidays from Metal Lair!
Paul Wardingham is an English-born Australian musician and producer. He’s been described as an instrumental cyborg guitar player. His style combines 7-string & 8 string riffing, melodic choruses, industrial synths and otherworldly solos to create visions of a futuristic world.
Angel Vivaldi (born June 13, 1985) is an American guitarist, songwriter and producer. Vivaldi is known for his virtuoso guitar playing style and cinematic music videos. He delivers heavy, pure modern shred Effects.
Lucas Mann is the guitarist for American deathcore band Rings Of Saturn. Lucas is known for his otherworldly, advanced alien technology guitar performances which sound impossibly difficult to learn but he masters this style effortlessly.
Ales Campanelli is a super talented bass player. He’s known for fast paced metal playing and executes perfection. He delivers furious blistering alternate picking, exhibiting his dexterity and skill as a fully rounded player.
Jeff Loomis is an award winning guitarist known for his progressive metal shredding abilities. Loomis exhibits distinctive rhythmic style, smooth technique and breakneck speed during his live performances. Not only that he possesses song writing prowess and has had an impressive career.
Brian Patrick Carroll, known professionally as Buckethead, is an American guitarist, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. Buckethead is one of the most bizarre and enigmatic figures in underground and experimental music. He’s received critical acclaim for his innovative electric guitar playing.
Nita Strauss is an American musician nick named the hurricane after her powerful shredding abilities. She’s one of the most visibly talented players out there. She’s still underappreciated by the mainstream even though she tops lists of the best female guitarists.
Japanese lead guitarist Mio Jäger, shreds at a relentless pace that could give anyone a dose of whiplash. Shes a guitar warrior who plays with an amazonian ferocity taking the empowered female angle in a war like and cinematic experience.
Gretchen Menn is an American guitarist and composer who has her own original instrumental work. She performs the music of Led Zeppelin all over the U.S. in the all female Led Zeppelin tribute band Zepparella. Guitar Player Magazine’s editor-in-chief, described Gretchen’s solo music best saying she “seeks the unknown by blending disparate jazz, prog, and world-music influences into a tasty, guitaristic thrill ride.”
Joseph Andrew Duplantier is a French-American musician, best known as the rhythm guitarist, vocalist, and lyricist of heavy metal band Gojira. Joes shredding skills are heavy and jagged, Gojiras music always has a stellar arrangement. Joe gets plenty of nasty tone out of his Telecaster.
THOMAS “DROP” BETRISEY
Producer / Engineer / Arranger / Mixer / Mastering
Accomplished songwriter, producer, engineer, remixer and guitar shredder. Thomas’s attention to detail. He has been a former member of the swiss band Sybreed and is now in the electro/rock band MXD.
From Minnesota, Berried Alive consists of a husband and wife duo Charles and Kaylie Caswell with focus being placed on guitar by Charles Caswell and is a carefully curated world of adventurous music and multi-sensory goodies. Charles Caswell provides shredding guitar work, vocals and songwriting for the band.
JOSH ELMORE
Josh Elmore is the guitarist for the American death grind Band Cattle Decapitation. The band is from California. Josh Elmore’s shredding guitar techniques open up in these lengthy, ethereal chords providing a barrage of power chord solos. His tight knit choreography of guitar builds depth in passages determined by irresistible riffs and hooks.
Chris Wiseman is the guitarist for the American deathcore band Shadow of Intent. Chris’s interestingly catchy riffs have landed him on this list of shred masters. Shadow of Intent is getting a lot of buzz over their new album of late reaching critical acclaim and praise. This a band and guitar shredder to keep an eye on.
Zakk Wylde has had one hell of a career so far as a shred master. He’s played with Ozzy Osbourne, fronts his own band Black Label Society and is currently providing lead guitar for Pantera on tour. Zakk’s weapon of Choice is a Gibson (Bullseye) Les Paul. He’s famous for his pentatonic runs and pinch harmonics. He has many hits under his belt and possesses melodic prowess.
Wesley Louden Borland is an American rock musician. He is best known as the current guitarist and backing vocalist of the rap metal band Limp Bizkit, the lead vocalist and guitarist of the alternative and industrial rock band Black Light Burns, and the co-founder of experimental metal band Big Dumb Face. Wes Borland is an incredibly talented musician and has earned his place on the list of shred masters.
