AMONG THE NEW generation of instrumental guitarists, there are polyrhythmic proggers aplenty, a legion of djenters doling out extended-scale bludgeonings — and even a fistful of notable roots rockers making interesting guitar records without the need for any singing. And then there’s Detroit’s Sammy Boller, a young player who has studied and embraced the fundamentals of instrumental guitar rock as defined by the greats of the Eighties and infused the form with a flare for the unexpected. With his debut solo album, Kingdom of the Sun, Boller has issued an absolutely stunning first statement as a trans-generational instrumentalist whose music won’t just inspire you to grab your guitar and hit the woodshed — its melodies will be bouncing around your head long after you’ve unplugged.
While Boller’s songcraft and astounding melodic sensibilities are undeniably the bedrock of Kingdom of the Sun, fans of fretboard histrionics will be delighted by the Joe Satriani-co-signed and former Citizen Zero guitarist’s expert shred chops and deft use of tapping techniques to build multi-part passages that recall Stanley Jordan and Eddie Van Halen’s work in equal parts, but with a uniquely Eastern harmonic twist (Check out “Cloak of Light” for the record’s shining example). GW spoke with Boller about his meditative approach to penning universally catchy guitar instrumentals, how he avoids letting technical prowess get in the way of his songwriting, his unexpected singer/songwriter influences and how Instagram has changed the game for guitar culture in 2020.
Kingdom of the Sun is full of really memorable melodies, which I think is one of the toughest things for an instrumental guitar player to do. Can you tell us about your approach to writing melodies that stick?
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Denne historien er fra October 2020-utgaven av Guitar World.
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Kittie - Guitarists Morgan Lander and Tara Mcleod discuss the canadian metal powerhouse's unexpected rebirth — by fire!
Guitarists Morgan Lander and Tara McLeod explain that making new music was “not on their bingo card” when the band regrouped in 2022 for a few festival appearances, preferring to think of the sets as more of a “final lap” than a new beginning. But drilling into old favorites — whether the nu-flavored teenage slams of 1999’s Spit or the more venomously groove-thrashed tunes of their late-’00s period — revealed that despite not having raged together in years, there was something undeniably special about Kittie’s musical connection. “Playing with these girls is like putting on an old pair of pants,” Lander says. “It’s very comfortable — and it looks good too.”
McKinley James - Why all you really need is a guitar, a drummer and some serious low-end six-string skills
Nashville-based blues rocker McKinley James came flying out of the gate in 2022 with his Dan Auerbachproduced EP, Still Standing By. His momentum screeched to a halt, however, when his keyboardist split, leaving only him and his drummer, Jason Smay (who also happens to be his father). “For a moment, I was like, ‘What are we going to do?” James says. “But then I thought, ‘Well, other bands have succeeded as a duo. Maybe we can, too.”
TC Electronic TC 2290P Dynamic Digital Delay
THE MID EIGHTIES was a golden age for digital delay, thanks to the proliferation of pro- and studio-quality rack effects units from Eventide, Korg, Lexicon, Roland and Yamaha.
Danelectro Doubleneck
WHEN I THINK back to the Seventies, the famously coined “Me” decade, it seems the only surefire way you could leave audiences awestruck was to strap on a doubleneck guitar.
CARLOS ALOMAR
The former David Bowie guitarist talks Young Americans, Station to Station and the Berlin Trilogy, plus recording (and co-writing) \"Fame\" with John Lennon
GEORGE TERRY
It turns out Eric Clapton's Seventies guitarist (and co-writer of \"Lay Down Sally\") also played on ABBA's \"Voulez-Vous.\" Below, he looks back on a decade-plus of E.C., Bee Gees, Diana Ross and more
FRANK MARINO
The Mahogany Rush frontman charts the band's Seventies lows and highs, plus SG's, pickups and how he was definitely not visited by the ghost of Jimi Hendrix
DEWAYNE "BLACKBYRD" MCKNIGHT
The jazz/funk/fusion veteran on his smooth segue from Herbie Hancock sideman to full-on Funkdaledic member -plus his '70s gear and what he learned from Shuggie Otis
PAT TRAVERS
The Canadian-born virtuoso discusses the rise and fall of the Pat Travers Band, witnessing the U.K. punk revolution and the riotous roots of \"Snortin' Whiskey\"
JOE PERRY
The iconic guitarist looks back on Aerosmith in the Seventies, the decade that literally made and temporarily broke apart those Bad Boys from Boston
