The lord of the riff, father of metal, hand of doom, Iommic leader, Anthony Iommi, presided over the creation of this list and as such looks upon it with a smile, his power cannot be contained by mere boxes
Him and KK were THE perfect and the best guitar duo ever, KK with his random ass, but turbo tasteful wankery and Glenn with his technicalities. The moment KK left the band, it could be noticed in their songwriting. They were perfect together, just sad how it ended.
@@fz6soldier182 He's talented, anyone who says he isn't is either clueless or a troll... but he just ain't better than Tipton. Peak Tipton > peak Gates.
Yup. I had problems taking this guy seriously with all the stupid shit he said from the beginning. Noting Lynch based on the “in my dreams” solo is pure ignorance. I stopped the video before I see him rating Paul Gilbert based on the “to be with you” solo.
@@JoelER78 yup… one of the best teacher also. He did intense Rock 1 and 2 and many more. Probably the best video to progress as a guitar player. th-cam.com/video/PJyj0tGQ4q8/w-d-xo.htmlsi=udzmS-jV-mnUdQpz
Andy Laroque at the bottom of C tier is criminal. He has technicality coming out of his wazoo. His style is very unique and he was doing things back in the 80s that no one ever heard before.
Preach, brother! This was my only criticism, Andy is so slept on and is always under the radar. Legend he is! So tasteful, Black Horseman, Mansion In Darkness to name just a couple!
andy is very good and his songwriting style is naturally beneficial to good solos since it has interesting modulations and harmonic choices which tend to lend themselves to more interesting lead playing
Didn't Zakk Wylde say at one point that he picked that style so he wouldn't be compared to Randy, Jake E. Lee, or EVH? Not sure the truth to it, but he has shown he can play outside of that box.
@@johndutton5881 Quite the cynical take I feel. I'd actually be rather interested on your metrics for success? Seriously, not sarcasm. I don't feel I could ever qualify Pride and Glory, and Black Label Society as epic failures. Maybe you meant, when he is writing for other vocalists his music sounds better? No More Tears by example had help from Lemmy and Mike Inez, but Wylde's contribution to the writing was (understandably) very prominent.
@Taborius1 I had to set through a black labia society concert once,zakk the amazing songwriter he is ,played a twenty five minute rendition of eruption .It was the most awful concert I ever experienced.As for black labia society it's all the exact same song and it's all terrible. He should just stick to ripping off real musicians, you know like zakk sabbath or dime which all you brainwashed fans refer to as" honoring "his memory by capitalizing for over twenty years off of his death.Oh dime was my best friend so now I'm gonna make a living off of his music. How come zakk didn't put Pantera back together with Vinnie?Maybe because Vinnie didn't want that p.o.s capitalizing off of his brother. Oh and I call it black labia because zakk is a fake tough guy and it's a society of pussies.
@driller7714 yes I have listened to black labia society and had the misfortune to see them live.Its all just one horrible song,I couldn't tell where one song ended and the next began.If bls is so awesome and popular then why is zakk touring with Pantera instead and why did he wait for Vinnie to die to do so?
The "engineer guy" with George Lynch is the legendary Max Norman, known for producing Ozzy, Loudness, Grim Reaper, and a little Megadeth album called "Rust In Peace" (and "Countdown" and "Youthanasia").
the coolest part about zakk is that he knows everything from chicken picking to anything else but still decides to only play the same pentatonic licks.
Alexi was more than just a high skilled player. Brandon ellise is insane in terms of technicality and maybe even better, but laiho had that innovative side to him that Influenced an entire generation...
Saying that Alex Skolnick isn’t technical despite him literally going back to school to learn jazz and start his own jazz combos, then come back to metal and STILL have some of the most memorable solos is crazy to me lol
@@sangramos haha yeah, that too. I remember him when he first got hooked up with Ibanez for the Xiphos guitars. Really good guitar player though, and props for being able to do vocals at the same time. He's an engineer for BMW these days...
@@mybluguitar6051 In my opinion Romeo should be at the top. Great riffs, solo, and a composition that allows the singer to spread his wings. Additionally, he is an incredibly humble and down-to-earth person. But like I said, this is my opinion, I'm just a fan.
George lynch C tier lol….if this was riff only i would agree but lead playing Micheal Romeo and Lynch should be A tier easy…seems like you haven’t heard enough of them
Exactly what i was thinking. Like dismissing Romeo as "just technical" is absolutely insane. Hes legit one of the most melodic players here if you actually explore SymphonyX. Then Lynch, such an iconic sound, easily the best vibrato and feel until Marty came around. Idk how you rate Adrian Smith high for his phrasing but rate Lynch C. His phrasing is equally amazing.
Lol that was an objective bad take by someone. Dave Mustaine vs Kirk is a closer comparison to Marty vs Kirk. Marty’s skills as a lead player are miles ahead of Kirk and I love Kirk’s early work especially on RTL
Most people who prefer Kirk over Marty couldn't name his solos which are amazing outside of his Fade to Black, The Call of Ktulu, Welcome Home (Sanitarium), One, The Unforgiven, and Hero of the Day solos. People who prefer Marty could mention any solo of Rust in Peace through Cryptic Writings, or his Cacophony solos and solo solos, if they're diehard. Marty hasn't ever slacked and thrown effects like wah on randomized solos rather than composed coherent motifs, and most of his solos are improvised. Marty's apparently better and more memorable, whether he's preferred or not.
@chaseadams5037 totally agreed marty is top notch legends ever and kirk is a total deception literally the worst of them all in this list just aside Kerry king
Any man that can level on play with G govan is S teir Kiko is S teir even with dropping his guitar John petrucci is great but not s teir ,a lot of his work is repeated scales just over 20min songs
Loomis to me is definitely S-tier. I mean, his image is pretty stock and his stage presence is static, but his lead playing, finger-licking tastiness and songwriting skills easily overshadow those shortcomings. Also, Heafy at the bottom is weird considering you mercifully split Hammett up into past and present. Heafy's guitar work up to and including Shogun was inspired.
Averaging how outstanding he is and how much of a showman he is should net Jeff a very clean high A-tier. He's one of the best modern guitarists going, and he shouldn't be underestimated. Shogun-era Heafy is an easy S-tier in all regards. His playing and stage presence had been maybe the peak of 2000s metal. Present Heafy is still S-tier in terms of what he can play, because he's much more consistent with all of his old songs and the new ones, creatively, he's now B-tier, and in terms of showmanship, D-tier, because onstage he often looks like he's panicked and smiling to keep himself from crying because his voice isn't as brutal as it had been and he knows it, averaging to B-tier.
I think Loomis is S tier in regards to rhythm playing and Songwriting, but his leads, although he pretty much can play anything, they come across very scaley and his phrasing is not S tier.
George Lynch was legendary. Whether it was in Dokken, Lynch Mob and other projects hes put out legendary solos on so many songs. Plus the look was god tier for the time.
Some of these might be more technical or whatever but George Lynch solos are just perfection, always fit in a song. Vito Brava should have been here too, one of the most unique and one of my fav players.
Without Glenn Tipton, this list doesn't happen, so extra points for the "influentials". His solo in "Freewheel Burnin'" is enough for him to go into S tier for me... a song from 1984! Also, disappointing you could fit in Adrian Smith but no Dave Murray, who is on a similar level, and has some of the smoothest legato you'll ever hear.
Dave Murry? some of the tastiest guitar solos in metal, both his powerslave solo's are awesome, his futureal solo is awesome probably one of his best in my book, he doesnt write a huge amount but when he does its always great, Deja Vu and Lightning Strikes twice are some of my favourite Dave tracks..
Based on the lack of Jeff Hanneman and K.K. Downing, I assume the unspoken rule was that there would be a single guitarist per band I'm just glad that Adrian got the spotlight he deserves, he's usually overshadowed by Dave Murray imo
OMG! Jeff Waters. Was just thinking the other day I haven't seen you cover him ever, I think his band and himself are incredible and deserve more exposure.
Dude thanks for the info!!! Never heard of Impaled Nazarene. Alexi Laiho (RIP) and COB, the greatest metal guitarist and metal band from the last 25 years!!! Period.
Would have been cool to see Hank Shermann on here somewhere. His solos in Mercyful Fate were always insane, especially when he'd be duelling with Michael Denner. That was one powerful lead duo.
You should definitely make more of these ranking videos! Theres just something so satisfying about you (an amazing guitar player/musician) ranking amazing guitar players/musicians... Love it brotha
Brandon Ellis in C tier at the end is insane to me because technicality, tastiness, and song writing are all super high, but I guess the recognition/influence isn't there yet so fair enough. Gary Holt should have been on here as well though, chat dropped the ball on not even suggesting him.
was about to riot and set myself on fire in front of the lead metal guitar players embassy but then he switched alexi into S at the last moment, crisis averted
Matt Heafy has some really great solos, some are kinda melodic, some are shreddy and with some sweep picking here and there. He's not on the same level as many guitarist on the list but you didn't make him justice, guy's a low B at least, IMO
Agreed especially since he mainly plays rhythm, Ik this is a video based on lead guitarists but if we’re talking all around technical and rhythmic skill he is definitely one of the best modern guitarists out there
Glad to see you put petrucci as S tier. He's been easily my favorite guitarists for 30 years. Just everything about his playing is basically perfect. I'd put Kirk Hammet at D tier. He's not any better than I am. And I consider myself an intermediate player.
Alexi was the man, and his stage presence was fantastic. Kissing the shadow solo imo is tasty for something going that fast and being fairly technical.
Andy Laroque at bottom C .Wow! His solo on " Trapped in the corner" is hands down one of the best solos in metal and his vibrato and feel is top notch.
Personally I'd put George Lynch and Michael Romeo into A tier, and put "Peak Kirk Hammet" into B, like top B but B+ at best George and Michael have their fair share of melodic/interesting solos that sometimes get overlooked The others I have no real arguments simply since I'm not qualified to say anything about, but imagine if Nuno's music was considered "metal" he'd be S Tier and near GOAT status
My criteria for great metal guitarist - how many thousands of notes per picosecond - how many stacks of amps all in full volume can be used in a gig - how long is the hair - how uncopiable are the licks - how many guitars in the collection There.
The only one of these I don't agree with is Jeff Waters thay guy was one fo the reasons I became a guitar player but so were other thrash players otherwise this was fire
As a lead guitarist in a metal band back in the 80's and early 90's, I approve this list. I always felt Lynch was underrated, his guitar tone was incredible live and impossible to reproduce. Sykes "could have" made the list if not for the Coverdale falling out cratering his career, and I always start my "all time best metal guitarists" with the God tier - Iommi.
George Lynch....WTF , should be nothing shy of B if not A!! I'm impressed you put Alex Skolnick at A though. Not sure how Carcass Metal God Bill Steer from Liverpool England!!!! is not mentioned but I guess he's not iconic enough. Damn shame. Also Dave Mustaine himself has a killer attack and style!! Should be a B or C.
I think that list is a generational thing (just like any other list). It's also absolutely subjective. Interesting to know what are Bradley's criteria and how he applies them. I like Tipton, Smith, LaRocque & Lynch, but that's because I'm (relatively) old and they ruled the metal world back in the day. I really like Waters but I can understand why he is controversial. I think that Dimebag is a kind of a last in line, the final great player & anyone who came after him doesn't interest me much. They are either boring, or lack original sound, or fall prey to technical wankery. The problem is that, as EVH put it, "there's only12 notes in western music and the number of ways to combine them is finite". I guess we simply ran out of "great combinations" ;)
I kinda agree with you, but then again one could say that while he's definitely a phenomenal guitarist his lead work isn't all too innovative/much anything that Holdsworth didn't do a decade earlier. If one wanted to blaspheme even further one could say he's a glorified world champion of counting to a thousand lol. Sol Niger Within was a groundbreaking album in many regards, but his lead work wouldn't be the first or probably even the second thing I'd mention as the source/reason for its acclaim and legendary status.
Indeed!!! Like ...they fucking influenced metal for the last 20+ fucking years , mainly Frederik's work. Abasi and Mansoor are on this list BECAUSE of Frederik ffs
nice video! I'm not so much of a lead guitarist anyway, but I don't see people comparing Kirk Hammet to Zakk Wylde. I don't really care if they both use the pentatonic scale, they sound very different from each other
I think I would agree with the entire S tier, except for the fact that I would definitely put Adrian up there. Despite not being some insane crazy technical guy, the tastiness of his melodies, the feel, everything he does is absolute magic for me, and I adore it.
A remarkable part of this channel's succes is also owed, not to a guitarist, but to the only one singer able to enhance the frequency of his voice thanks to the astonishing contorted-dilation ability of his tongue.
Since Kerry King is brought up yet again I would like to point out that he actually has a really, really great solo on Divine Intervention. It's a quite rare moment when he decides to ditch the whole "rabid squirrel" approach to soloing and plays some controlled, haunting, evil and beautiful leads (the solo immediately following the drum break). But yeah apart from that he's mostly into the whole MAN LIKES CHAOS BAM BAM type of lead guitar work
Can you do a list of badass slightly lesser known guitarists ? e.g Tommy Vetterli of Coroner, Tobi and Dean of Archspire, Paul Waggoner of Btbam, Malcom Pugh of Inferi, Josh Christian of Toxik
🎸 Join Bradley Hall's Guitar School for FREE! 👉 www.patreon.com/bradleyhallguitar
Seriously, join it’s really cool I recommend premium.
@@rebekahbehr517 thanks Rebekah!
@@BradleyHallGuitar did something happen to your shorts, I can’t see them on your channel?
@@Ucantcme04 yea I can't see them either man
I breathed a sigh of relief when you bumped Alexi up. He had it all man his style was so unique once he came into his own.
Had to be done!
Dude had one of the most aggressive picking styles.
Alexi's melodies were influenced by Jon from Dissection combined with classical.
Was about to say the same thing!!!
Same, except Jeff Waters should have been upped too.
Tony Iommi is so high in S tear he didn't show up on the video.
The lord of the riff, father of metal, hand of doom, Iommic leader, Anthony Iommi, presided over the creation of this list and as such looks upon it with a smile, his power cannot be contained by mere boxes
Tony " Riffmeister" Iommii cannot be judged by mere mortals
The criteria is that their not a solo guitarist. Iommi never really played with a rhythm guitarist
@@Mewhen12369 it dont matter he is literally the most important metal guitarist of all time
Tipton’s songwriting is unsurpassed. A level unto itself.
Agree
Him and KK were THE perfect and the best guitar duo ever, KK with his random ass, but turbo tasteful wankery and Glenn with his technicalities. The moment KK left the band, it could be noticed in their songwriting. They were perfect together, just sad how it ended.
@@dindinbre Absolutely!
He deserves S, for sure.
@@dindinbre Listen to One Shot at Glory, KK definitely wasnt doing "random ass" solos if you are not deaf
Seeing Synyster Gates just above Glenn Tipton is something that will haunt me forever
I tend to agree. Syn should be higher.
@@anglicantian Not higher than Tipton.
Nah man, Tipton is a legend
Syn is on another level than Glenn, should be S tier. Keep an open mind, give the younger player a listen.
@@fz6soldier182 He's talented, anyone who says he isn't is either clueless or a troll... but he just ain't better than Tipton. Peak Tipton > peak Gates.
Chuck outside S tier, L take, opinion rejected
Sick vocalist and rhythm guitarist but there is no way he's a better lead guitarist than the rest of the guys on this list lol
@@BradleyHallGuitarcry about it 😂
@@BradleyHallGuitarThen stop putting him in low tiers.
@@BradleyHallGuitar No. Simple 'as
@BradleyHallGuitar His solos are better than he likes of Jeff Waters imo. Realistically I think he is A or B tier.
I’m not watching anyone after George Lynch was put in C tier
I know, right? That's way too high.
@@8523wsxc😂
@@8523wsxc haha
He belongs in bin tier. I don't even know who dokken is LOL
@@LordOfSweden that’s your problem
GEORGE LYNCH IN C TIER?
BIN tier
George Lynch is S+ tier. Get your head together.
S tier absolutely. I get why he didnt though. Just not his jam.
Yup. I had problems taking this guy seriously with all the stupid shit he said from the beginning. Noting Lynch based on the “in my dreams” solo is pure ignorance.
I stopped the video before I see him rating Paul Gilbert based on the “to be with you” solo.
@@jean-francoisdavid3694 Paul Gilbert...on rock guitar? Not included here though?
@@JoelER78 yup… one of the best teacher also. He did intense Rock 1 and 2 and many more. Probably the best video to progress as a guitar player.
th-cam.com/video/PJyj0tGQ4q8/w-d-xo.htmlsi=udzmS-jV-mnUdQpz
@@metalfan1100 he's not familar with his work, his solos on wicked sensation is super tasty and mind blowing, the tone in his fingers is very unique
Andy Laroque at the bottom of C tier is criminal. He has technicality coming out of his wazoo. His style is very unique and he was doing things back in the 80s that no one ever heard before.
He also played some KILLER solos on Deaths Individual Thought Patterns.
And his back and forth soloing in King Diamond is superb.
I agree, this guys list is ok. Alot of hot takes imo
Preach, brother! This was my only criticism, Andy is so slept on and is always under the radar. Legend he is! So tasteful, Black Horseman, Mansion In Darkness to name just a couple!
andy is very good and his songwriting style is naturally beneficial to good solos since it has interesting modulations and harmonic choices which tend to lend themselves to more interesting lead playing
Yeh that one triggered me the most.
Didn't Zakk Wylde say at one point that he picked that style so he wouldn't be compared to Randy, Jake E. Lee, or EVH? Not sure the truth to it, but he has shown he can play outside of that box.
Zakk can only play other people's music ,anything he tries to write himself is an epic failure, like pride and glory or black labia society.
@@johndutton5881 Quite the cynical take I feel. I'd actually be rather interested on your metrics for success? Seriously, not sarcasm. I don't feel I could ever qualify Pride and Glory, and Black Label Society as epic failures. Maybe you meant, when he is writing for other vocalists his music sounds better? No More Tears by example had help from Lemmy and Mike Inez, but Wylde's contribution to the writing was (understandably) very prominent.
@Taborius1 I had to set through a black labia society concert once,zakk the amazing songwriter he is ,played a twenty five minute rendition of eruption .It was the most awful concert I ever experienced.As for black labia society it's all the exact same song and it's all terrible. He should just stick to ripping off real musicians, you know like zakk sabbath or dime which all you brainwashed fans refer to as" honoring "his memory by capitalizing for over twenty years off of his death.Oh dime was my best friend so now I'm gonna make a living off of his music. How come zakk didn't put Pantera back together with Vinnie?Maybe because Vinnie didn't want that p.o.s capitalizing off of his brother. Oh and I call it black labia because zakk is a fake tough guy and it's a society of pussies.
@@johndutton5881Dude have you listened to black label? They put out some awesome songs. Zakk has made a ton of good music on his own.
@driller7714 yes I have listened to black labia society and had the misfortune to see them live.Its all just one horrible song,I couldn't tell where one song ended and the next began.If bls is so awesome and popular then why is zakk touring with Pantera instead and why did he wait for Vinnie to die to do so?
The "engineer guy" with George Lynch is the legendary Max Norman, known for producing Ozzy, Loudness, Grim Reaper, and a little Megadeth album called "Rust In Peace" (and "Countdown" and "Youthanasia").
the coolest part about zakk is that he knows everything from chicken picking to anything else but still decides to only play the same pentatonic licks.
Lynch in C hurt me
He's overrated tbh. His solos are so boring zzz, lol
People who rate George Lynch low, are just biased against Glam Metal. He could have played lead in any metal band successfully
At first I was like WTF, Alexi isn't in S tier?
And then I got relieved when you fixed that
yeah, I was raging for a moment
Alexi was more than just a high skilled player. Brandon ellise is insane in terms of technicality and maybe even better, but laiho had that innovative side to him that Influenced an entire generation...
@@thomasshredster4627 Exactly
We were RIOTING in the chat lol
Top of S tier if you ask me. None of those other guys were also frontmen
Saying that Alex Skolnick isn’t technical despite him literally going back to school to learn jazz and start his own jazz combos, then come back to metal and STILL have some of the most memorable solos is crazy to me lol
Haha yeah, that one left me scratching my head. Same with his comments on Lynch.
@@trevor4533 and I don’t think the necro phagist guitarist is that well known tbh lol
@@sangramos haha yeah, that too.
I remember him when he first got hooked up with Ibanez for the Xiphos guitars.
Really good guitar player though, and props for being able to do vocals at the same time.
He's an engineer for BMW these days...
@@trevor4533 I’ll have to check them out sometime then
Thought the same thing. Writing the solo for True American Hate 20+ years after what most would consider their prime is crazy.
Michael Romeo 🎸🔥
Romeo has some of the sickest riffs!!!!!
@@mybluguitar6051 In my opinion Romeo should be at the top. Great riffs, solo, and a composition that allows the singer to spread his wings. Additionally, he is an incredibly humble and down-to-earth person. But like I said, this is my opinion, I'm just a fan.
@@Voytek777Michael Romeo is definitely one of the greatest guitarist alive. Should have been on the S tier without a doubt.
Romeo is an easy S tier
Prefer him to petrucci!
George lynch C tier lol….if this was riff only i would agree but lead playing Micheal Romeo and Lynch should be A tier easy…seems like you haven’t heard enough of them
Exactly what i was thinking.
Like dismissing Romeo as "just technical" is absolutely insane. Hes legit one of the most melodic players here if you actually explore SymphonyX.
Then Lynch, such an iconic sound, easily the best vibrato and feel until Marty came around. Idk how you rate Adrian Smith high for his phrasing but rate Lynch C. His phrasing is equally amazing.
george lynch c tier
you must be joking
Michael Romeo and George Lynch a C? That's nuts!
Braaaah - Alex Skolnick tech ability in the middle? This must be your first day
damn right!
"no way marty's above kirk" i saw someone comment, well yes! yes he is
Even in their heydays it’s apples and oranges . If they where boxers they wouldn’t even be in the same weight class never mind facing off .
Lol that was an objective bad take by someone.
Dave Mustaine vs Kirk is a closer comparison to Marty vs Kirk. Marty’s skills as a lead player are miles ahead of Kirk and I love Kirk’s early work especially on RTL
Most people who prefer Kirk over Marty couldn't name his solos which are amazing outside of his Fade to Black, The Call of Ktulu, Welcome Home (Sanitarium), One, The Unforgiven, and Hero of the Day solos. People who prefer Marty could mention any solo of Rust in Peace through Cryptic Writings, or his Cacophony solos and solo solos, if they're diehard. Marty hasn't ever slacked and thrown effects like wah on randomized solos rather than composed coherent motifs, and most of his solos are improvised. Marty's apparently better and more memorable, whether he's preferred or not.
Marty is a million times better than Kirk, can't believe you actually said that! Metallica sucks 🤷🤤💯👎✅💪🤘
@chaseadams5037 totally agreed marty is top notch legends ever and kirk is a total deception literally the worst of them all in this list just aside Kerry king
Seeing Brandon Ellis and Michael Romeo in C caused me physical pain 🥲
Brandon should be s
Couldn't agree more. Snyster Gates an A. DAMN!!
Exactly this
Synyster above Brandon.. lmao
Lol yeah man... this list is terrible.
Wild card S for Nuno. Always awesome riffs and crazy solos from him with his solo stuff and Extreme
Extreme is metal, but not really Metal bro
Jeff Waters high A, Chuck low A or high B, Kiko Loureiro easy S tier for sure
👍
Any man that can level on play with G govan is S teir
Kiko is S teir even with dropping his guitar
John petrucci is great but not s teir ,a lot of his work is repeated scales just over 20min songs
Skolnick could be higher in the A tier I think.
I suggest everyone to go listen to the Testament cover of powerslave
His lead tone on that song is godly
Practice what you preach is still one of the greatest metal solo ever to me
@@los_blancos4499 he plays it really smooth too. Perfect execution
My god, that solo is insane
@@ggh_-ts6pn I agree, so underrated. But all of his stuff is awesome, his phrasing on the Souls Of Black solo is just incredible too
Loomis to me is definitely S-tier. I mean, his image is pretty stock and his stage presence is static, but his lead playing, finger-licking tastiness and songwriting skills easily overshadow those shortcomings.
Also, Heafy at the bottom is weird considering you mercifully split Hammett up into past and present. Heafy's guitar work up to and including Shogun was inspired.
Averaging how outstanding he is and how much of a showman he is should net Jeff a very clean high A-tier. He's one of the best modern guitarists going, and he shouldn't be underestimated.
Shogun-era Heafy is an easy S-tier in all regards. His playing and stage presence had been maybe the peak of 2000s metal. Present Heafy is still S-tier in terms of what he can play, because he's much more consistent with all of his old songs and the new ones, creatively, he's now B-tier, and in terms of showmanship, D-tier, because onstage he often looks like he's panicked and smiling to keep himself from crying because his voice isn't as brutal as it had been and he knows it, averaging to B-tier.
I think Loomis is S tier in regards to rhythm playing and Songwriting, but his leads, although he pretty much can play anything, they come across very scaley and his phrasing is not S tier.
bonus points for the hair as well
I thought he deserved an A tier, but seeing the other guitarists in B, at least he's in good company.
@@chrismeadows4216what on earth are you smoking man? Matt isn’t even the lead player in his own band.
George Lynch was legendary. Whether it was in Dokken, Lynch Mob and other projects hes put out legendary solos on so many songs. Plus the look was god tier for the time.
Yep yep. And his vibrato and pinch harmonics are one of the kinds!
Some of these might be more technical or whatever but George Lynch solos are just perfection, always fit in a song. Vito Brava should have been here too, one of the most unique and one of my fav players.
almost everyone in the chat: where is dave mustang?!???!?!??!!!!!!!!!!!
Dave has that 5.0 V8
DAMMIT MAN I KNEW IT WAS A MUSTANG
Dave would be on the rhythm list for sure but his leads aren’t the greatest. Although, Kerry King was on here. 🤔
@@driller7714 Exactly!
Without Glenn Tipton, this list doesn't happen, so extra points for the "influentials".
His solo in "Freewheel Burnin'" is enough for him to go into S tier for me... a song from 1984!
Also, disappointing you could fit in Adrian Smith but no Dave Murray, who is on a similar level, and has some of the smoothest legato you'll ever hear.
What do you guys think of our ranking?? Can't wait for the comments from people that skipped to the end with no context 🥰🥰
You forgot the guy who plays acoustic Wonderwall at parties... what a miss...
move alexi to S tier so i can like this video
Bro Loomis is nowhere above Waters or Romeo cmon Ctier you trolled lol
The shade 😂😂
I'm content with the ranking, but Loomis B tier? I mean come on! LOL
Bro Chuck didn't have to be so low. Still a good list though.
Blasphemer
imagine watching this video as a megadeath fan seeing kirk in s tier and dave not even mentioned
yeah dave should go kick the shit outta him
Dave Murry? some of the tastiest guitar solos in metal, both his powerslave solo's are awesome, his futureal solo is awesome probably one of his best in my book, he doesnt write a huge amount but when he does its always great, Deja Vu and Lightning Strikes twice are some of my favourite Dave tracks..
Based on the lack of Jeff Hanneman and K.K. Downing, I assume the unspoken rule was that there would be a single guitarist per band
I'm just glad that Adrian got the spotlight he deserves, he's usually overshadowed by Dave Murray imo
Maiden solos are uninspired and random ass
@@tyronedonut8336 Edgelord detected.
@@maldororfiend butt licker detected
@@maldororfiend Cringelord detected
Glenn Tipton, AWESOME 👍🤘, and I liked that section of Ram it Down you played, Glenn and K. K. Soloing together harmonized🤘
Glad you stuck Adrian in A. I'll love keys to the Lamborghini shred till I die, but songwriting, phrasing, feel, and tone at his level can't be beat.
OMG! Jeff Waters. Was just thinking the other day I haven't seen you cover him ever, I think his band and himself are incredible and deserve more exposure.
Alexi's work with Impaled Nazarene elevates him even above S
I didn't even know about this
Yeah wtf, was it a guest spot or was he an actual member?
Listen to the album Nihil, there are two solos on this record that are like "bonus content" for Alexi / COB fans
Dude thanks for the info!!! Never heard of Impaled Nazarene. Alexi Laiho (RIP) and COB, the greatest metal guitarist and metal band from the last 25 years!!! Period.
@@stevenchayer9199 you're welcome amigo. Czech out the demos on my channel for some groundbreaking guitar work ⛓️🦈⛓️
I missed Jason Becker, Yngwie Malmsteen and Dave Murray.
Jason becker MUST be s tier there is no way he goes anywhere else
Roope latvala also has a unique and cool style you should check him out. Alexi laiho was influenced by him
Top 25 Finnish quitarists 😅
Would have been cool to see Hank Shermann on here somewhere. His solos in Mercyful Fate were always insane, especially when he'd be duelling with Michael Denner. That was one powerful lead duo.
Came here to say the same thing! Andy is definitely S tier as well.
You should definitely make more of these ranking videos! Theres just something so satisfying about you (an amazing guitar player/musician) ranking amazing guitar players/musicians... Love it brotha
Cheers AJ, stoked you enjoy this stuff!
@@BradleyHallGuitar Cheers Beans
@@BradleyHallGuitarthe lack of Brendon small makes me sad and disappointed 😔
Brandon Ellis in C tier at the end is insane to me because technicality, tastiness, and song writing are all super high, but I guess the recognition/influence isn't there yet so fair enough. Gary Holt should have been on here as well though, chat dropped the ball on not even suggesting him.
was about to riot and set myself on fire in front of the lead metal guitar players embassy but then he switched alexi into S at the last moment, crisis averted
Matt Heafy has some really great solos, some are kinda melodic, some are shreddy and with some sweep picking here and there. He's not on the same level as many guitarist on the list but you didn't make him justice, guy's a low B at least, IMO
Agreed especially since he mainly plays rhythm, Ik this is a video based on lead guitarists but if we’re talking all around technical and rhythmic skill he is definitely one of the best modern guitarists out there
0:01 BEANSSS
Sorry, but Michael Romeo is way too low. Should be A Tier at least just for The Odyssey album.
I swear you saved yourself by putting Alexi on S… he was a Finnish Randy reincarnation.
Doesn't put Chuck in S: Balls +1
Puts Dime in S: Balls -1
A perfectly balanced guitar-tuber
Glad to see you put petrucci as S tier. He's been easily my favorite guitarists for 30 years. Just everything about his playing is basically perfect.
I'd put Kirk Hammet at D tier. He's not any better than I am. And I consider myself an intermediate player.
Zakk should be S imho. Very underrated ball roller
I think A or high b, but he doesn’t play on dimes level or anything
Alexi was the man, and his stage presence was fantastic. Kissing the shadow solo imo is tasty for something going that fast and being fairly technical.
Dime and alexi are criminally underrated. my opinion😊😊
Friedman IS sic too😊
Also The sepultura and death guys are awesome
Many people consider Dime the best metal guitarist ever. I don’t see how that is underrated.
If Marty Friedman fell in a deep fat fryer he'd be called Marty Friedman
Bro jeff waters is so underrated he made lots of bangers with annihilator
Thank you for giving Adrian Smith his dues! My favourite guitar player 🔥
Tipton S tier for me, master of the melodic metal solo. Curious, where you put Richie Faulkner? Really is the lead G for JP now.
No eddie VH?
Skolnick definitely S class, his jazz stuff too 😮
If John Petrucci wasn’t an S tier I was going to say this video is a sham. Haha
Andy Laroque at bottom C .Wow! His solo on " Trapped in the corner" is hands down one of the best solos in metal and his vibrato and feel is top notch.
I totally agree about the Follow the Reaper solo. It's my absolute favorite.
Personally I'd put George Lynch and Michael Romeo into A tier, and put "Peak Kirk Hammet" into B, like top B but B+ at best
George and Michael have their fair share of melodic/interesting solos that sometimes get overlooked
The others I have no real arguments simply since I'm not qualified to say anything about, but imagine if Nuno's music was considered "metal" he'd be S Tier and near GOAT status
My criteria for great metal guitarist
- how many thousands of notes per picosecond
- how many stacks of amps all in full volume can be used in a gig
- how long is the hair
- how uncopiable are the licks
- how many guitars in the collection
There.
Puts georg lynch c tier...opinions instantly ignored
The only one of these I don't agree with is Jeff Waters thay guy was one fo the reasons I became a guitar player but so were other thrash players otherwise this was fire
Hey Bradley! I was wondering; what's your thoughts on Jerry Cantrell as a guitarist? Much love from Texas!
"Judas Priest doesn't really do much on stage" we just gonna ignore the time Rob rode a freaking motorcycle on stage?
Brad, you should do a best lead guitarists from lesser known bands. Maybe then we can give my guys Syu and Luca Turilli some love.
Matt Heafy plays ryhthm guitar in Trivium, Corey Beaulieu does the lead + that was also Corey's solo.
Young Kirk is 10? Seriously? One pentatonic player is higher than Waters, Abasi, Loomis and Skolnick?
Andy LaRocque and George Lynch C Tier? C'mon dude...
Jeff waters c tier wtf hahaha thats crazy
As a lead guitarist in a metal band back in the 80's and early 90's, I approve this list. I always felt Lynch was underrated, his guitar tone was incredible live and impossible to reproduce. Sykes "could have" made the list if not for the Coverdale falling out cratering his career, and I always start my "all time best metal guitarists" with the God tier - Iommi.
George Lynch....WTF , should be nothing shy of B if not A!! I'm impressed you put Alex Skolnick at A though. Not sure how Carcass Metal God Bill Steer from Liverpool England!!!! is not mentioned but I guess he's not iconic enough. Damn shame. Also Dave Mustaine himself has a killer attack and style!! Should be a B or C.
I think that list is a generational thing (just like any other list). It's also absolutely subjective. Interesting to know what are Bradley's criteria and how he applies them. I like Tipton, Smith, LaRocque & Lynch, but that's because I'm (relatively) old and they ruled the metal world back in the day. I really like Waters but I can understand why he is controversial. I think that Dimebag is a kind of a last in line, the final great player & anyone who came after him doesn't interest me much. They are either boring, or lack original sound, or fall prey to technical wankery. The problem is that, as EVH put it, "there's only12 notes in western music and the number of ways to combine them is finite". I guess we simply ran out of "great combinations" ;)
Got to see Alexi with CoB in 2013 mayhem fest in Atlanta. Was cool too see them once in the states
Alexi dueling the keyboardist is peak metal
I'm reaally glad we share the same opinion on alexi, this men has been so important to me in my musical journey !!
k mate george lynch and chuck down there? ... lacking steve vai, yngwie,joe satriani, tony mcalpine
I kinda missed Fredrik Thordendal from Meshuggah in there. Dude's been going for a while now!
I kinda agree with you, but then again one could say that while he's definitely a phenomenal guitarist his lead work isn't all too innovative/much anything that Holdsworth didn't do a decade earlier. If one wanted to blaspheme even further one could say he's a glorified world champion of counting to a thousand lol.
Sol Niger Within was a groundbreaking album in many regards, but his lead work wouldn't be the first or probably even the second thing I'd mention as the source/reason for its acclaim and legendary status.
Indeed!!! Like ...they fucking influenced metal for the last 20+ fucking years , mainly Frederik's work.
Abasi and Mansoor are on this list BECAUSE of Frederik ffs
Satchel?
George lynch is S+
For rhythm guitar, I'd definitely put Tom Warrior on that list. His riffage was monstrous on To Mega Therion.
Mostly a pretty good list. Think you're sleeping on Jeff Loomis a bit though, and I'd probably put Michael Romeo higher too.
Also: no Yngwie??
He'd clarified no solo guitarists, so Yngwie doesn't qualify for this list.
nice video! I'm not so much of a lead guitarist anyway, but I don't see people comparing Kirk Hammet to Zakk Wylde. I don't really care if they both use the pentatonic scale, they sound very different from each other
You had me at Dimebag...most of because he was the ONLY Guitar Player in the Band
you saved yourself a subscriber after moving alexi to s tier. dudes a legend, 10/10 in all parts, like how can you not give him that
I think I would agree with the entire S tier, except for the fact that I would definitely put Adrian up there. Despite not being some insane crazy technical guy, the tastiness of his melodies, the feel, everything he does is absolute magic for me, and I adore it.
Zakk is leagues above Kirk.
A remarkable part of this channel's succes is also owed, not to a guitarist, but to the only one singer able to enhance the frequency of his voice thanks to the astonishing contorted-dilation ability of his tongue.
Even Old Kirk which was his peak wasn't even C tier lmfao. He was always a mediocre lead player, but now he's just straight bad, E tier.
Alexi had EVERYTHING: monstrous natural talent, huge amount of taste in songwriting, punctual music theory knowing... He was an incarnated guitar GOD
Kirk is not S tier lmao
Since Kerry King is brought up yet again I would like to point out that he actually has a really, really great solo on Divine Intervention. It's a quite rare moment when he decides to ditch the whole "rabid squirrel" approach to soloing and plays some controlled, haunting, evil and beautiful leads (the solo immediately following the drum break).
But yeah apart from that he's mostly into the whole MAN LIKES CHAOS BAM BAM type of lead guitar work
Rabid squirrel! 😂
Can you do a list of badass slightly lesser known guitarists ? e.g Tommy Vetterli of Coroner, Tobi and Dean of Archspire, Paul Waggoner of Btbam, Malcom Pugh of Inferi, Josh Christian of Toxik
Hail for Tommy from Coroner!! Hail for BTBAM!
He will never add this guitarists in list. This list include most FAMOUS and this is the only criterion IMO
love the still shot of glenn fricker when you said tone, hilarious
I’m glad Alexi was moved to S tier the man was a pioneer in Metal. And in my bias, I’d say Syn is a low S tier as well. But that’s just my bias.