10. Band: Alcatrazz
      Song: "Island In The Sun"
      Album: No Parole from Rock 'n Roll (1983)

      Alcatrazz has quite a bit of history and had such amazing talent in the band that it should've made it much bigger than it did (this is a phrase you'll see frequently on this blog). This is their debut album and from this track you'll gather they're more of a hard rock outfit, and although the video is cheesy (this is the 80s!) the song showcases the talents of the band: Yngwie Malmsteen on guitar and Graham Bonnet's amazing vocals. Bonnet is an amazing singer whose resumé is quite impressive and here his pipes are in prime shape. And then over on the six string is Yngwie, one of the most famous metal guitarists ever; he's on this list several times due to his prestige and skill and believe it or not, this is his most laid back solo on this list (he did kind of popularize shredding after all). And even considering that, the solo still seems a little out of place, as if the song needs to be faster or heavier (humorous in a sense, no?). Nevertheless, it still rocks and is a sizzling track. Enjoy! \m/

9. Band: Al Di Meola
    Song: "Race With Devil On Spanish Highway"
    Album: Elegant Gypsy (1977)

    Al Di Meola is a jazz guitarist whose technical skills and influence garnered my attention not too long ago. He is considered one of the first guitar shredders, having been doing his best work in the mid to late 70's, and influenced such greats as Yngwie Malmsteen and John Petrucci. Now, you might be wondering, "Isn't this a hard rock/metal list?" And you'd be correct, however, this list also represents spectacular guitar work, and in all honesty, metal and rock have roots in jazz, so it certainly does belong here on this list. As for the song itself, it's the first of many instrumentals which will appear here (lots of skilled guitarists make their way here instrumentally), and it's pretty hot. His technique doesn't sound like 80's shred, but it's just as fast. It's got a nice jazzy beat which is somewhat infectious, and the solo itself is a finger-snapper-  it's complex, technically advanced, and best of all, sounds good and fits with the song. Enjoy! \m/

8. Band: Airbourne

    Song: Too Much, Too Young, Too Fast

    Album: Runnin' Wild (2007)

    This band is essentially AC/DC, in a very good way. They hail from Australia, they both play similar hard rock songs (especially the minimalist guitar riffs), and their subject matters are nearly the same. Now, being like AC/DC is hard to do, but these guys pull it off well, and this song of theirs is probably the best testament to that: It features a Angus Young-esque riff, and the singer is reminiscent of both Bon Scott and Brian Johnson, and has a great set of gravely pipes. The song itself is rockin', and has a rhythm that is easy to find yourself headbanging to. The chorus is kinda catchy too, but not so much as to be cheesy; and the guitar solo is good as well. It's by no means a shred solo, but much more blues based, and quite tasty as a matter of fact. Enjoy! \m/

7. Band: Air Supply
    Song: Making Love Out Of Nothing At All
    Album: Greatest Hits (1983)

    Again, a band that is as heavy as aluminum foil, but nevertheless one of my favorite soft rock bands ever. Their lyrics may have been slightly cheesy, but at least they were able to make the actual music sound quite superb. This song is especially noteworthy, with its lyrics about how much the singer loves this woman being actually pretty original (though the reference to football after the solo is kinda humorous) and meaningful. The  band itself is at its prime here, with Russell's (their singer) voice and the beautiful piano melody combining as the centerpiece, complemented by a short but invigorating guitar solo at the break, which is all the more refreshing seeing as how solos such as this are pretty uncommon in this genre of music. Enjoy! \m/

6. Band: Aerosmith
    Song: Eat The Rich
    Album: Get A Grip (1993)

    Aerosmith is one of the greatest hard rock bands of all time. Not only did they rule the '70s with hits like "Walk This Way" and "Back On The Saddle", but also in the late '80s and early '90s with their albums "Permanent Vacation", "Pump", and "Get A Grip", which spawned some of their best work, including "Love In An Elevator", "Dude (Looks Like A Lady)", and this song. Now, this band, due to its grandiose song collection, gave me a hard time in choosing a song for this list. I've gone through three songs of theirs but now, with this one, I finally feel like I've got it. This song is one this list because not only does it feature one of, if not the, best funky Joe Perry solo I'm aware of, but also the riff during the chorus is better than some of the guitar solos I've heard over the years. Plus, Steven Tyler's voice is pretty prime here, and the rest of the band provides a solid rhythm and the intro's jungle drums are fantastic. Also, the lyrics here are just plain awesome. Enjoy! \m/

5. Band: Ace Frehley
    Song: Into The Night
    Album: Frehley's Comet (1987)

    Ace Frehley is one of the most influential guitarists of all time. He was in Kiss during their heyday in the late 1970's, during which he gained a considerable following due to his guitar prowess. Then, in 1982, under circumstances still very much debated, Ace separated from Kiss to pursue other musical opportunities, and 5 years later, put out this very solid album. Overall, you can tell this album was about the guitars, from top to bottom, but then again, that's certainly nothing to complain about, especially when all the guitar work is done by one of hard rock's most accomplished guitarists. This song in particular has some fiery guitar work, with the solo being quite noteworthy, and it all around is just a good hard rock song. Plus, the lyrics are more substantial than most other songs; in this case, they're about the impoverished and their struggles from day to day. And yet, even with these slightly somber lyrics, the song still rocks! Enjoy! \m/

4. Band: Accept
    Song: Fast As A Shark
    Album: Restless and Wild (1982)

Accept is one of the bands who pioneered thrash and speed metal, and this song is considered one of the first speed metal songs, due to it being one of the first songs to use double-bass drumming in such a manner (using them to create a non-stop, alternating and thunderous bass-line). Also, the beginning of the song, which boasts an 1830's German folk tune called "A Farthing and a Penny", presents a humorous dichotomy to one of the best heavy metal screams ever, along with the sledgehammer wall of sound that is the intro. And the guitar work is especially noteworthy, as this is the first song on the list to feature dual lead guitarists, and the dual lead in this song is quite extraordinary, with the melody actually striking the perfect note for the song (and the rest of the solo is pretty tasty as well). Yet this isn't Accept's most famous song; that honor belongs to "Balls To The Wall", off of their next album, for which they even made a music video that was shown on MTV (it's nowhere near as fast as this song, though still worth a listen). Enjoy! \m/

So this will be the first post in a long, long line of videos and righteous guitar virtuosity. As I previously said, this list I created is essentially meant to give nearly every heavy metal and hard rock band that ever existed one song which showcased their guitar work. It started in the summer of 2009 with just 68 bands. At the moment, there are over 600, though the exact number hasn't been finalized yet. Some were easy; some were very difficult. Nevertheless, I will be doing this list in alphabetical order, so if you're looking for a certain band, this is how they'll be presented. I plan to be doing only one band at a time, but to kick off this list, I'll be doing 3 bands. So, please enjoy this bodacious list (in case you haven't figured, I really liked "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure") and feel free to comment. I'm doing this to spread info on my favorite musical genre so questions are also welcomed. Also, if you believe there is a better song for a certain band, feel free to say so. Now, without further ado...

1. Band: a-ha
   Song: Take On Me
   Album: Hunting High and Low (1985)

    So what a band to start off a heavy metal list (read with heavy sarcasm)! I'd much rather start with anyone else, but due to our Latin alphabet, the will start off this list. Now some may wonder why a-ha is even on this list...they certainly are pop, not rock nor metal; but I have a weakness for 80's pop, and certain bands of this genre will appear throughout this blog. But then again, those bands at least have a guitar solo of some sort; this song's guitar is strictly rhythm and hardly audible. But then again, I like the band and it is my list, and this song might as well be their best guitar work. As for the band, they're a Norwegian pop band that reached critical acclaim with this album and mainly this song, due to its catchiness and revolutionary rotoscoping video. After that, sadly, they never again reached the height of their previous fame. Regardless, enjoy the song!

2. Band: Abnormality
    Song: Shooting The Messenger
    Album: Contaminating the Hive Mind (2012)

    From one end of the spectrum to the other, this is death metal. Death metal is, in my opinion, the heaviest subgenre of heavy metal, and even some metalheads don't like death metal due to its sheer heaviness and aggressiveness. Also, the vocals are an acquired taste...think Cookie Monster. I myself wasn't a fan of the style until I'd been listening to metal for some years, so if you don't like this song, I don't blame you. The band itself is a band I first heard of thanks to Rock Band, and this album is their debut, and it's quite impressive. This song showcases the guitarists' chaotic fretboard antics, and the solo is pretty hot. Oh, and by the way, the singer is a girl. Just thought I'd mention that.

3. Band: AC/DC
    Song: Let There Be Rock (Live)
    Album: Let There Be Rock: The Movie- Live in Pairs (Released in 1997; Recorded in 1979)

AC/DC is the quintessential hard rock group; even those who don't like rock or metal like AC/DC and more than likely own "Back in Black", one of the highest-selling albums of all time. With so many good songs, I did indeed have a hard time choosing. My first problem was should I go Bon Scott or Brian Johnson, and although Brian Johnson sold more albums, I had to stick with the original singer (for those not in the know, Bon Scott was AC/DC's singer until his death in 1980, in which he asphyxiated on his own vomit after passing out from acute alcohol poisoning; sad, but true). Once I chose Scott over Johnson, I then had a plethora of song choices when I stumbled upon this live album; now I do like live albums when they're done well, and this is one of them. This songs is one of my favorite AC/DC songs, and the extended Angus Young solo is definitely worth the listen. Enjoy! \m/

 

Hello! I've been thinking about doing this blog for a long time (over 2 years or so now) and have finally gotten the gumption to do so. This blog is going to be about heavy metal and hard rock bands and will focus on their best guitar works; each band gets one song, the one with the best guitar solo(s) and the such (though there will also be a little snippet on the band's history and their other famous songs, along with my personal favorites and recommendations). I'll try and post a video of each song, and hopefully through this blog people with no former interest in these genres of music will become fans, and those who already are metalheads may learn something new or just enjoy some excellent music! \m/