Brian “Head” Welch's new band, Love and Death, released their debut album, Between Here & Lost, January 22 on Tooth & Nail. On the new disc, a melodic, ethereal experience, the former Korn guitarist is joined by teenage guitar phenom J.R. Bareis, bassist Michael Valentine and drummer Dan Johnson.

Every so often, I come across a stompbox I never even knew existed and — more often than not — surprises me in how good it sounds. Majik Box’s Krush Distortion is the signature pedal of James “Munky” Shaffer, guitarist from renowned nu-metal band Korn, and is the kind of pedal that provokes a wicked grin in the kind of distortion it dishes out.

Look around you. There seems to be a seven-string renaissance happening at the moment. Actually, eight-string guitars seem to be going pretty strong, too. But there's something particularly satisfying about plugging in a seven and riffing out in between the traditional ranges of the guitar and bass.