1. “Eighties," Killing Joke
Geordie Walker is an underrated and revolutionary guitar player. This song sounds a lot like Nirvana's “Come As You Are,” huh? Well, everyone rips off Walker! If you like catchy melodic guitar riffage, this is your band.
2. “Scarified," Racer X
How can you go wrong with Paul Gilbert and Bruce Bouillet? My older brother introduced me to this band when I was in elementary school, and this collection of music has certainly held up over time.
3. “All I Had I Gave," Crowbar
Kirk Windstein has the best right hand of all time! This album, these riffs and that tone started my quest to play modern heavy metal guitar. After thousands of dollars spent on gear and years of practice, I still can’t play or sound like Kirk. It’s in the hands!
4. “Playing Dead," Turmoil
Turmoil will bring you back to a day when grown-ass men played hardcore and metal! The riffs make any new hardcore/metal band look childish. Aggressive, fast and straightforward riffs that a lot of bands lack today.
5. “Very Early," Bill Evans
I can’t believe how delicate and sophisticated these changes sound; it’s incredible the melodies Bill put to a bunch of II-V’s. And it’s fun to improvise to it!
