by Kai Stromler » Tue Jan 07, 2003 2:28 pm
It really depends on what you consider to be desirable in a guitarist, and what your musical taste is. It's not fair to bust on people in certain styles of music for "having no chops" when the music that they like to play doesn't require (or allow) really gut-busting solos, or, on the other side, to sling hate at people who *do* play technical music on the charge that they're full of themselves. On that note, here's some overlooked picks:
Best Rhythm Guitarist:
Jon Schaffer. Jon does not play a lot of leads, and when he does, he's not exceptional, but his razor-picking style and extreme control give him one of the most recognizable sounds in metal today. James Hetfield had his day, and Angus Young before him, but right now, it's difficult to say that Jon Schaffer is *not* the best rhythm guitarist on the planet.
Best Unconventional Guitarist:
Guitar, for people who take it seriously, is one of the few instruments in modern music for which it is still "okay" to have a lot of instruction, and where it's expected that you know at least a little something of music theory. Oystein Brun has neither, and listening to any of his music (since founding Borknagar, that is; Molested is nothing special) where the guitar line is exposed will reveal that. Brun is completely self-taught (apart from a few months of lessons as a kid that he wasn't paying attention to), and unlike a lot of self-taught players, he's not noticeably cribbing from any player's sound who has gone before. This is, I think, one of the real attractions of Borknagar that has given them longevity where their peers in the viking metal scene have faded: the presence and often dominance of a true 100% original guitar sound.
For straight-up technical guitar, the usual suspects have to include John Petrucci (Dream Theater) and Jeff Loomis (Nevermore), both of whom I'm surprised weren't mentioned earlier.
Unfortunately, though, the guy who gets my vote for best all-around guitar player is no longer living. Chuck Schuldiner passed away on 13 December 2001, leaving behind eight studio albums of sonic mastery. The whole _Human_ album, in particular, shows off what is possible in the world of extreme technical guitar firepower.
--K