Top 13 Metal Guitarists

I have struggled with this list for some time. I base it on my own personal opinion as a guitar player and what I have heard from other metal musicians.

TOP 13 METAL GUITARISTS:

13. Brian "Buckethead" Carroll (Death Cube K)

12. Dave Mustane (Megadeth)

11. Scott Ian (Anthrax)

10. John "John 5" William Lowery (Rob Zombie)

9. Kerry King (Slayer)

8. Yngwie Johann Malmsteen (Yngwie Malmsteen)

7. James Hetfield (Metallica)

6. Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin)

5. Kirk Hammett (Metallica)

4. Darrell "Dimebag Darrell" Abbott (Pantera)

3. Eddie Van Halen (Van Halen)

2. Randy Rhoads (Ozzy Osbourne)

1. Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath)

I realize other guitar players reading this list will have some different opinions on this and that’s cool. I am sure I missed someone important. There are plenty of great guitarists that did not get on the list. Feel free to leave a comment and be sure to vote in the poll on the right side of the page!

Lulu: The Lou Reed And Metallica Album

The first thing I'll discuss, which I cannot stop thinking about, is the Metallica & Lou Reed project.

When I first heard about "Lulu" in early September, it was still a secret recording project. I was very surprised to find out it was a collaboration between Reed and Metallica.

Eventually, a 30 second preview of "The View" was released on the Lou Reed & Metallica Website. I listened to it and was shocked. Reed's voice was so emotionless and the drumming sounded too simplistic.

That night I checked ultimateguitar.com for the album's release date and as I read people's reactions I actually became very worried for Metallica's reputation. Some people had even threatened to "kill" Lou Reed. All of these opinions were based on 30 seconds of a song, so this was obviously an overreaction.

The comment boards on every Metallica story for a month after that lit up with people ripping on the 30 second preview. By the time the album was released on November 1 people were already of the resolve that it was not going to be a good album. Nevertheless, I ignored the urge I had not to buy the CD and got it the day it hit the shelve in my local metal store.

I listened to the CD with an open mind and decided not to think of it as a Metallica Album -- It was just a record.

I will not deny that I was skeptical but I soon figured this would be a huge step forward for them.

THE BOTTOM LINE: It's an all-around great album! I like to call it an "art album." It's quite a trip to listen to all the way through and it will definitely take a good chunk of your day. The longest track is "Junior Dad" and that one alone lasts almost 20 minutes!

The album has great guitars, vocals and some pretty punishing drum moments. Plus, the violins, violas, and cellos in some of the tracks give it a dark atmosphere. It's a concept album of a 19th century German play. All that said, this album is definitely only for people with a wide range of musical taste.

KEY TRACKS: The View, Iced Honey, Cheat On Me, Frustration and Little Dog.