Shred guitar, eh? There’s nothing more likely to cause a rock or metal fan to snigger into his pint than the merest mention of the likes of Michael Angelo or Rusty Cooley. These are genuine players who could run rings around the majority of guitarists in terms of technique, yet have a popularity rating somewhere below that of Gary Glitter.
And yet the truth is that most fledgling guitar players want to play as fast as possible. But it takes years of focused dedication to get even half as good as you think you are. Steve Vai – arguably the best-known shredder of the lot – has produced a 10-hour guitar workout specifically for public consumption, while former Mr Big axe grinder Paul Gilbert practised for a minimum of eight hours a day for a decade. How many teenagers do you know who possess that level of dedication?
Having said that, there’s absolutely no correlation between being an awesome guitarist and even just an okay songwriter. Jimmy Page is no face-melting shredder, yet his songs define the term ‘hard rock’. Brian May is of a similar ilk, and the affable Queen man is always dragged up on stage whenever Vai or Joe Satriani are in town, resulting in him feeling (in his own words) “humbled… a fish out of water”.
More than likely, the sentiment is probably mutual. But there’s always an exception to the rule: who is arguably the only jaw-droppingly technical shred guitarist who is also in a massive band? Edward Van Halen.
Guitar instrumentalists – possibly a more precise definition of ‘shred guitarists’ – are subject to the usual parameters; some are better than others. But maybe that’s part of the problem. Because when shred is bad, it’s stupendously terrible. Which makes a guide such as this all the more useful.
Shred as a conscious sub-genre was essentially born in the 80s, and the albums here reflect that – although we’ve also recommended some latter-day choices in our playlist.
Want someone to blame for all this? Blame Mike Varney, founder of Shrapnel Records, and a man who made it his mission in life to bring the very best guitar players to the forefront via his label.
The best exponents don’t play fast for the sake of it, or just because they can. They play fast because it’s their style, and the ability to mould mind-boggling technique into music that the average rock fan can enjoy is a rare treat.
Shred: don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. And check this lot out for starters.
