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Sam Roche

I'm a Staff Writer at Guitar World. I've played guitar for 15+ years and have a degree in Music Technology (Mixing & Mastering). I suppose that makes me qualified to talk to you about this stuff? I'm into all genres of music, but first and foremost I love all things rock and metal.

Articles by: Sam Roche

Spiritbox guitarist Mike Stringer

Spiritbox's Mike Stringer delivers a furious, pick scrape-laden playthrough of Holy Roller

By Sam Roche

Marvel at the chug and seven-string dissonance

Charles Elliott of Abysmal Dawn

Sick Riffs: Charles Elliott teaches you the blistering death-metal riffage of Abysmal Dawn's Coerced Evolution - with tab!

By Sam Roche

The riff-slinging frontman sheds light on the track's dextrous guitar lines

Liam Beeson of Brand of Sacrifice

Sick Riffs: Liam Beeson teaches you the technical onslaught of Brand of Sacrifice's Casca

By Sam Roche

Behold: a masterclass in irregular time signatures and pinpoint accuracy

Adam Bell and Ross McLellan of Viscera

Sick Riffs: Adam Bell and Ross McLennan teach you the fiendishly brutal verse riff of Viscera's Obsidian - with tab!

By Sam Roche

Grab your seven-string - extreme metal calls...

Tom Morello

From protest riff bombast to drop-tuned metal grind: here are this week's essential guitar tracks

By Michael Astley-Brown, Jackson Maxwell, Sam Roche

The hottest new guitar jams, from Tom Morello, Zakk Wylde, Emma Ruth Rundle, Spiritbox and many more

Brandon Ashley of The Dark

Sick Riffs: Brandon Ashley teaches you the grunge-meets-hard-rock main riff of The Dark's Where's Your God

By Sam Roche

Drop A# tuning and attitude required

Piotr Turek of Telepathy

Sick Riffs: Piotr Turek teaches you the palm-muted sludge onslaught of Telepathy's Pariah

By Sam Roche

Fan of unusual tunings? You'll love this one

Jay Tarantino of Etherius

Sick Riffs: Jay Tarantino teaches the sweeptastic lead lines of Etherius's The Rivers of Sand and Blood

By Sam Roche

Dig out your seven-string - it's about to get technical

Zack Anderson of Blues Pills

Sick Riffs: Zack Anderson plays through Blues Pills' hard-rock anthem Low Road - with live on-screen tab!

By Sam Roche

Learn to play the Swedish rockers' latest single, released ahead of upcoming album Holy Moly!

Raff Sangiorgio of Devil's mist

Sick Riffs: Raff Sangiorgio of Devil's Mist teaches you a truly astounding 20-second guitar solo

By Sam Roche

This stunning passage uses just about every six-string technique available

Al Joseph

From titans of shred to unlikely covers: here are this week's essential guitar tracks

By Michael Astley-Brown, Jackson Maxwell, Sam Roche

Brighten your day with killer new tracks from Al Joseph, Molly Tuttle, Tash Sultana, Bring Me the Horizon and more

Kieran Shudall of Circa Waves

Sick Riffs: Kieran Shudall teaches you the upbeat pull-off-driven riff of Circa Waves' Jacqueline

By Sam Roche

Learn the feel-good opener of the band's latest album, Sad happy

Becca Stevens

Sick Riffs: Becca Stevens teaches you the enrapturing acoustic lines of Heather's Letters to Her Mother

By Sam Roche

Learn to play the closing track from the singer/songwriter's latest album, WONDERBLOOM - in full!

Aborted

Aborted steamroll through Serpent of Depravity in this jaw-dropping grindcore playthrough

By Sam Roche

Guitarists Ian Jekelis and Harrison Patuto crank the dissonant riffs to the max

Jesse Dayton

Sick Riffs: Jesse Dayton teaches you swampy foot-stomper Hurtin' Behind the Pine Curtain

By Sam Roche

Learn to play this attitude-driven blues-rocker

Erik Paulson of Remo Drive

Sick Riffs: Erik Paulson teaches you the captivating clean opening riff of Remo Drive's Star Worship - with tab!

By Sam Roche

The track is taken from the duo's upcoming album, A Portrait Of An Ugly Man

January Jane's Mitch Mitchell

Sick Riffs: January Jane's Mitch Mitchell teaches you a virtuosic acoustic alternate picker

By Sam Roche

"I wrote this riff a couple of minutes before filming the video," the guitarist jokes

Ayron Jones

From djent-heavy 'EDM' to the next big name in blues-rock: here are this week's essential guitar tracks

By Michael Astley-Brown, Jackson Maxwell, Sam Roche

This week, check out some new tracks from Ayron Jones, Coriky, Kiko Loureiro, The Allman Betts Band and more

Tobi Morelli of Archspire

Sick Riffs: Tobi Morelli teaches you the crazy low-end dexterity of Archspire's Join Us Beyond

By Sam Roche

Learn this tech death-metal riff taken from the band's 2014 album, The Lucid Collective

Ben Lee of Radnor and Lee

Sick Riffs: Ben Lee of actor/musician duo Radnor and Lee shows you the gorgeous acoustic line of Welcome to Our House

By Sam Roche

The other half of the duo is, in fact, How I Met Your Mother's Josh Radnor

False Advertising singer and drummer Jen Hingley performs with the band at Band On The Wall Manchester on January 12, 2018 in Manchester, England.

Here are the 6 fresh guitar artists you need to hear this month

By Total Guitar editors, Sam Roche

From acoustic blues to horror-themed metal, these are the players to check out right now

Palehound

Sick Riffs: Palehound's Ellen Kempner teaches you the smooth main riff of Cinnamon

By Sam Roche

Don't worry - you needn't have a feline spectator to pull off this silky six-string passage

Joel Hoekstra

Play This Now: Whitesnake's Joel Hoekstra teaches you a truly jaw-dropping extended solo passage

By Sam Roche

It's got two-handed tapping lines, hammer-ons and pull-offs and, well, almost everything...

One Control Dyna Red Distortion 4K, Pale Blue Compressor and Blackberry Bass Overdrive pedals

One Control launches Dyna Red Distortion 4K, Pale Blue Compressor and Blackberry Bass Overdrive pedals

By Sam Roche

The Japanese company adds to its growing line of stompboxes in collaboration with legendary Swedish pedal designer, Björn Juhl

Myke Penney of The Jailbirds

Sick Riffs: Myke Penney teaches you the low-string thunder of The Jailbirds' The Black River

By Sam Roche

Learn the title track of the hard-rock trio's 2019 EP