Top 20 Most Insane Guitar Shredders
#20: Eric Johnson
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Let’s face it, a lot of shred guitarists with immense talent don’t also earn a commercially viable hit single to their name. Then again, not every guitar player out there is Eric Johnson. Granted, the Texas native may always be associated with the Grammy Award-winning instrumental, “Cliffs of Dover,” but is that really a bad thing? We don’t think so, at least not when we’re taking into account Johnson’s smooth, soulful playing. The axeman actually cut his teeth with some extremely heavy, blues-based rock with the group Mariani, before venturing into jazz fusion territory with Electromagnets. What’s constant about Eric Johnson’s playing, however? Class. Pure class.
#19: Synyster Gates
The music of Avenged Sevenfold is all about excess, one hundred percent of the time. And this aim is easier to achieve when you have Synyster Gates on guitar. This California kid shreds like there’s no tomorrow, evoking fond memories of the much-missed Alexi Laiho from Children of Bodom, while also possessing a style all his own. Neo-classical runs can certainly be found within Gates’ six-string arsenal, but the guitarist never forgets that riffs are king. Additionally, Gates’ approach to his instrument swings with a confidence that’s born from knowing exactly how good he is and what kind of musical heights he can scale.
#18: Shawn Lane
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The quiet and unassuming personality of Shawn Lane served as perhaps a textbook example of appearances being deceiving. That’s because this session guitarist was something of a musician’s musician, a natural who clearly master of his instrument. Lane’s skills were off the charts and always seemed to make whoever he was backing at the time sound better -, and closer to greatness. Ringo Starr, Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson and more all benefited from Lane’s speed and precision, but fans shouldn’t sleep on the man’s tone and performance, either. Shawn Lane could, quite frankly, do it all, and do it with style to spare.
#17: Akira Takasaki
There are a number of musical chameleons out there, able to adapt to practically any style in the book. Akira Takasaki is absolutely one of those musicians, yet he’ll probably always be intrinsically linked with one of Japan’s most successful metal exports, Loudness. Takasaki moved from progressive rock, power metal, glam and even grunge within the confines of Loudness, yet he never lost his ability to dizzy his audience with amazing, genre-defining chops. Takasaki shreds with abandon, but can also slow things down with riffs that can make you bang your head or pump your fist. It’s not hyperbole in the slightest to call Akira Takasaki the freakin’ man, and his playing style is, quite frankly, out of this world.
#16: George Lynch
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The world of 1980s hair metal has historically been defined by its style, but the music of bands such as Dokken were absolutely NOT devoid of substance. This is largely thanks to the level of musicianship from artists like George Lynch, whose aggressive approach to guitar contrasted brilliantly with Don Dokken’s smooth, silky voice. Lynch would form his own group, Lynch Mob, after leaving Dokken, increasing his stock exponentially as one of ‘80s metal’s premier guitar players. A classic George Lynch performance is often fast, but always tasteful, bringing both skill and musical knowledge to the table. He’s simply one of the finest guitarists to ever pick up the instrument, full stop.
#15: John McLaughlin
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Jazz purists may have hated it, but the fusion movement was an exciting and vibrant progression of that genre’s musical core. It was anchored by musicians like John McLaughlin, who helped pioneer the sound as part of Miles Davis’ band. McLaughlin’s approach to his instrument could be meditative but also as fiery as the flames of hell. Indeed, snapshot performances of McLaughlin with Davis or his own group, The Mahavishnu Orchestra, showcase a man in full control of his instrument. If hard bop jazz groups were used to “cooking,” then consider McLaughlin’s fusion period to be a full-on boil. Texture, technique and emotive brilliance: John McLaughlin be thy name.
#14: Zakk Wylde
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Ozzy Osbourne has employed a legion of legendarily talented guitar players as part of his band. Zakk Wylde was one of his longest-serving members and brought his forceful style to the Ozzy fold. Wylde’s penchant for pinched harmonics is taken straight from the John Sykes playbook of that guitarist’s work with Thin Lizzy and Whitesnake. Meanwhile, Wylde’s own career has blossomed with a heavy, riff-based approach that leans heavily into paying homage to Ozzy’s old group, Black Sabbath. Zakk is a wicked player, to be sure; flashy when he needs to be…and let’s face it: he has to be flashy QUITE often. And we love him for it.
#13: Jeff Loomis
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Metal fans seeking technical wizardry and riff savagery need look no further than the amazing work of Jeff Loomis. The man initially rose to prominence with the Seattle-based group Nevermore, and it was Loomis’ extravagant playing style that helped define that band’s progressive metal sound. The man’s tone is insanely heavy, chugging along viciously one moment, before then breaking off into insane lead work that boggles the mind. Loomis would eventually collaborate with another modern metal guitar legend, Michael Amott, with the group Arch Enemy, solidifying his reputation as a true master of his craft.
#12: Tosin Abasi
The list of legendary guitar players is miles long, and stretches back decades. That said, we also shouldn’t ignore the comparatively recent musicians who are revolutionizing the instrument for today’s audiences. Tosin Abasi is a generational talent who has led his enviable abilities to groups like Animals As Leaders, while also blazing a trail and reputation of his own. Animals As Leaders never feels like “The Tosin Abasi Project,” and this speaks volumes to Abasi’s ability to move from leader to collaborator with ease. The man’s fretboard skills simply speak for themselves: Tosin Absi is one-of-a-kind.
#11: The Great Kat
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Subtlety? Restraint? These words mean absolutely NOTHING to The Great Kat. In fact, this British shred-guitar legend would probably much rather see you groveling at her feet, singing praises to The Great Kat’s all-consuming greatness. It’s true that the character of The Great Kat is…well, it’s a bit much, but there’s no denying the classical training and skill behind this long-standing gimmick. The woman born Katherine Thomas is educated beyond belief in the art of music, taking her love of masters like Beethoven and adapting this into an over-the-top, heavy metal persona. You know we’re believers, because there are frankly few out there who can compete with the shredding ability of The Great Kat.
#10: Marty Friedman
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This guitarist may have first impressed audiences with his work in thrash metal leaders Megadeth, but Marty Friedman has continued to release manic instrumental music since leaving the band in 2000. Friedman enjoys a particularly rabid fan following in Japan, where fans have flocked to the long-locked guitarist's heavy, technical and melodic sound. Friedman also lent his axe skills on a number of guest spots with Christian metal group Tourniquet, while continuing to earn praise for the genre defining work he helped create on Megadeth's classic Rust in Peace.
#9: Paul Gilbert
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Irreverent humor and no-nonsense technical skills are two defining aspects of the next guitarist on our list, Paul Gilbert. This Illinois-born musician first rose to fame in the mid 80s with the speed metal group Racer X, before forming the highly successful hair metal group Mr. Big alongside bassist extraordinaire Billy Sheehan in 1988. Gilbert's insanely fast chops are the stuff of legend, and have gone on to inspire legions of young guitarists in his wake. The guitarist also knows when to slow it down, however, as evidenced by the enduring popularity of Mr. Big's 1992 hit ballad "To Be With You."
#8: Joe Satriani
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Although some of the guitarists on our list may enjoy niche or cult status among their fan base, very few of them can lay claim to being a multiple Grammy Award nominee. That accolade does belong to our number seven shredder, Joe Satriani. The New York native known as "Satch" to his loyal fans has been an influential fixture in the shred guitar scene for years, having collaborated with artists as diverse as Mick Jagger and Deep Purple. Satriani also founded the guitar-centric G3 tour in 1995, and even found time to join the super group Chickenfoot in 2008, all the while enjoying album sales which total over ten million albums worldwide. Not. Too. Shabby.
#7: Jason Becker
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The story of Jason Becker is a complex one. One man's determined defiance in the face of overwhelming odds. Becker first rose to fame alongside Marty Friedman in the shred/thrash group Cacophony in the 1980s, before solo albums and a collaboration with David Lee Roth severely increased the axeman's stock in the early nineties. Since then, the guitarist has fought a battle with ALS or Lou Gehrig's Disease, losing his ability to speak, walk, and play guitar in the process. Becker, however, still composes music using a computer, and serves as an inspiration to fellow musicians through the passion and love he shows for the creative process.
#6: John Petrucci
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Dream Theater have long been one of the reigning kings of progressive metal music, thanks largely in part to the six- and seven- string efforts of the band's guitarist and co-founder, John Petrucci. This New Yorker is another shredder who can move from incendiary instrumental passages to moments of calm and quiet with ease, deferring to his Dream Theater band mates to inject their own stamps on the band's songs. Petrucci has been a longtime guest on Joe Satriani's G3 tour, and has even done production work on Dream Theater's more recent albums, making him a threat both in front and behind the scenes.
#5: Buckethead
The enigmatic axeman known as Buckethead may sport a bizarre bit of stage wear, but make no mistake: the man's guitar skills just might impress you. Known to his mother as Brian Patrick Carroll, the music of Buckethead ranges from delicate and beautiful to lightning-quick and aggressive. This versatility made the guitarist tailor-made for the sideman scene, collaborating with a wide variety of artists, including a four year stint with rock legends Guns 'n Roses. Buckethead has also composed music for film soundtracks, making him a truly diverse and engaging shredder who can do just about anything with his guitar.
#4: Michael Angelo Batio
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Nothing exceeds like excess. This is a motto followed to the letter by one Michael Angelo Batio, a notoriously over-the-top shredder who made a name for himself in the 1980s as lead guitarist for the bands Holland and Nitro. Batio's style is notable not only for the man's flashy technique of playing under and over the fretboard, but also for his mastery of the multi-necked guitar! Indeed, it seems as if Michael Angelo's instrumental prowess simply can't be contained by only a traditional guitar, with the man's dizzying speed and ambidextrous approach truly coming to the forefront on his dual and quadruple-necked models.
#3: Eddie Van Halen
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While some trace the roots of shredding to Uli Jon Roth, Alvin Lee or Ritchie Blackmore, Van Halen's debut album in 1978 is widely viewed as its watershed moment when it crossed into the mainstream. The late Eddie Van Halen and his contemporary rival, the late Randy Rhoads, were far more than mere shredders, but the former's instrumental solo masterpiece “Eruption” off their debut album would forever tie Van Halen with the technique. It also propelled him amongst the all-time greats.
#2: Steve Vai
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Steve Vai has played alongside some of the biggest names in the rock world, from Frank Zappa and Whitesnake, to David Lee Roth and even Spinal Tap! This is no accident, as this former student of Joe Satriani has consistently earned top honors as one of the world's most talented and in-demand guitar players. Vai's style is almost effortless in its fluidity, lending it an almost otherworldly style all its own. This has led to Vai lending his talents to the world of cinema, playing on the soundtracks for John Carpenter's "Ghosts of Mars," as well as the most excellent "Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey.”
#1: Yngwie Malmsteen
As Sweden's universal King of Shred, Yngwie J. Malmsteen pioneered the European style of neoclassical metal via a series of influential albums during the 1980s. Malmsteen quickly earned a reputation not only for his fiery musicianship, but also for his equally volatile temper, which would result in the guitarist ousting multiple members of his band over the years. Still, Yngwie Malmsteen's contribution to the world of explosive shred guitar simply cannot be overstated, as this Swedish sensation managed to blaze his own, unique trail, one which practically dared other guitarists to try step up their game to his level. What other guitar maestros shred your brain to bits? Let us know in the comments!
