It goes without saying that Nita Strauss knows a thing or two about good guitar riffs, and recently the Alice Cooper electric guitar hero sat down with Guitar World to run through the five riffs that changed her life.

And, during her selection, Strauss named a cut from a Swedish melodic death metal group, whose music had the same informative and influential effect on her as The Beatles had on the wider musical population when the Fab Four burst onto the global scene in the 1960s.

Of course, countless artists – and casual music fans – cite the Beatles as being their biggest influence, and for good reason: their music forever changed the sound of rock music.

But, for Strauss, she had her own Beatles: In Flames – a Swedish outfit that first emerged in the 1990s, and that pioneered the melodic death metal scene worldwide.

“The next riff is by a band that I consider to be my Beatles, and that is Sweden's own In Flames,” Strauss says during the video. “In Flames is, you know, the band that I always list as my favorite band.

“When I was growing up getting into heavy music, I was always really drawn by these sort of inversions and chords that the Swedish melodic death metal bands use, and this is a song called Bullet Ride.”

Of course, Strauss dutifully gives us a quick taste of the pumping Bullet Ride riff, which she commends for its clever use of pedal tones and chord shape alterations.

“[It’s] really, really fun to play the dramatic shift of those chords with that pedal tone, and just using that root in the fifth in a different way, rather than just adding the tension with those different notes – I just think it's so cool.”

Strauss’ fondness of In Flames go beyond being a casual listener, though. In 2023, she tapped the band’s vocalist Anders Fridén for her solo record, The Call of The Void.

Head over to Guitar World’s YouTube channel to watch the full video.

In related news, Strauss recently revealed she received a call to audition for Michael Jackson, but ended up playing funk with his brother. She also looked back on what she described as the worst gig of her life, and reflected on what she learned from it.

When they surfaced from the darkened streets of Gothenburg, Sweden, in 1990, In Flames were among the pioneers of Swedish melodic death metal, combining the speed of fellow countrymen Dismember and Entombed with the guitar harmonies of Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, injecting the genre with a newfound virtuosity that inspired scores of other acts, including American metalcore bands like Killswitch Engage and Unearth.

By the early 2000s, however, In Flames weren’t blazing quite as brightly. They slowed down their songs, curbed their aggression, incorporated more melody and drew from elements of alternative rock and industrial, causing many of their early fans to jump ship. 

In Flames didn’t care. They enjoyed playing death metal for about 10 years, then became more inspired by other, more experimental types of metal. That’s exactly what they delved into between 2002 and 2019 – and in the process, they attracted a larger fanbase.  

“We’ve always been lucky enough to do whatever the fuck we wanted,” says guitarist and main songwriter Björn Gelotte. “We don’t ever go into an album with anything in mind, but we decided early on that we never want to repeat ourselves, and we’ve had the opportunity to make so many records, so we’ve always tried to make the process interesting and challenging.”

The follow-up to 2019’s I, the Mask marks yet another departure – at least it’s a departure from the commercial metal they’ve written over the past 17-plus years; Foregone, the band’s 14th full-length studio album, is fast and frenzied – pretty comparable to the melodic death metal In Flames released in the late ’90s.

Foregone isn’t exactly a return to form, since there are still clean vocals and the songs are more structured than those on the band’s first five records. At the same time, fans who have missed the savagery and velocity of 1997’s Whoracle and 2000’s Clayman should be thrilled with the rapid tempos, buzzsaw riffs and fleet-fingered leads of Foregone.

“I don’t think that the difference in the songwriting is necessarily that extreme; it’s more a matter of how we packaged and arranged the songs,” Gelotte says. “I’ve always enjoyed fast songs, and as we were going along on this album, we liked the big, heavy stuff we were coming up with and decided we should make something heavier and more metal sounding than the previous couple of records.”

Foregone marks the In Flames recording debut of lead guitarist Chris Broderick (ex-Megadeth, Act of Defiance), who has played live with the band since 2017, when Niclas Engelin left. And while all the rhythm parts on the album were written and played by Gelotte, Broderick’s multi-faceted, neo-classical and technical thrash-based runs provide a welcome contrast to Gelotte’s slower, more hook-laden solos. 

As In Flames gear up for the summer festival season, Gelotte and Broderick discuss Broderick’s leap into the Flames, how his seven-string guitar blends with Gelotte’s six-string, the obstacles the band navigated while making Foregone, and why Gelotte hates being in the studio.

Did writing Foregone take you back to the late ’90s, when you released the Gothenburg melodic death metal classics Colony and Clayman?

Björn Gelotte: “Not much, because how I write and arrange are so different now compared to how I did things back then. I like to think everything through these days, and we didn’t do that in the beginning. It was full-on riff after riff without much thought about structure or even how to be able to recreate it live. 

“Chris [Broderick] is obviously a wizard, so it didn’t take him long to learn those older songs that we still play. But sometimes I don’t understand the arrangements anymore and I have to work hard to play them because they almost sound wrong to me now.”

Was this new level of aggression on Foregone a reflection of surviving the pandemic and creating music during a period of fear and instability?

Gelotte: “Perhaps it was. I didn’t think about it at the time. I was just writing what came to me. But I think I was fueled by the frustration not just of the world turning upside down, but of not being onstage. 

“Playing live is my absolute favorite thing – not recording. Recording sucks. It’s hard work, and I’m not in a band for the hard work. I’m there to enjoy myself doing shows. And that was all gone for two years. So, in hindsight, that might have been part of the reason for the level of intensity in the songs.”

Chris, were you an In Flames fan before you joined?

Chris Broderick: “I grew up in this hole in Colorado, so I wasn’t exposed to a lot of different kinds of metal. I just heard what they played on the radio. But when I was touring with Jag Panzer, [the label] gave us access to the warehouse and I was looking at all these shelves full of CDs. 

“The first one I picked up was In Flames. That was my first exposure to Scandinavian metal. And from that, I discovered At the Gates, Meshuggah and Scar Symmetry, and that all became a big influence.”

Were you able to incorporate any of the chops you learned from Swedish metal into Megadeth?

Broderick: “I think everything you like can’t help but influence you. It was never an intent, but you internalize it, and it becomes part of your personality.”

When did you first meet In Flames?

Broderick: “They toured with Jag Panzer and Iced Earth in 2002. To me, they were the cool guys on the tour. I was a dorky nerd playing my guitar and they were this happening band. We got to know each other, and then when they would come through town, I’d go see them and we hung out and became friends.”

Did they ask you to join or did you call them when Niclas Engelin left the band?

Broderick: “In the beginning of 2019, I heard through a friend that In Flames needed a guitarist to fill in on tour. They asked me if I’d be interested. I thought it would be awesome. I would get to tour with my friends who I haven’t seen in a long time. It came together very fast, and everything took off from there.”

Vocalist Anders Friden told Sticks for Stones that Engelin “had to stay home to deal with some personal things” and called you “48 hours before [you] had to leave, and he went to the hospital.” More recently, in June 2023, bassist Paul Bryce Newman, who joined in 2017, quit and was replaced by ex-Dillinger Escape Plan’s Liam Watson. Why so much turnaround?

Gelotte: “In Flames has always been an awesome band to tour with when people are at 100 percent. But as soon as that feeling is not the same anymore, it starts to deteriorate. There’s obviously so many layers to everything, but I’ll just say that you can’t force somebody to tour, right? So even though the situation was shitty, we came out stronger in the end because now we don’t have any negative feelings about anything anymore. We’re all out there knowing we’re doing this together.”

You seem level-headed about the situation, considering how Niclas left you in the lurch. Do you think he’s as accepting of what happened?

Gelotte: “I will not speak for Niclas, but it was a difficult situation because not only is it something involving a work colleague, it’s something with a friend. You share so much together when you’re in a band. That part will always be really, really hard to think about. But if you look at it from a musical perspective, I would say we’re in a better place, playing-wise. Vibe-wise, everything is for the better.”

Did you have a lightning round of auditions to find a full-time replacement for Niclas?

Gelotte: “There wasn’t time. We were really in a weird place because the tour was not only announced, it was already on. Our crew was in the U.S., and we were getting ready to fly over. We didn’t know what to do since we are a two-guitar band. We talked to management, and they gave us a couple of names of people that were available. 

“As soon as we heard Chris’ name, I knew we were good. ’Cause I know of nobody who works harder and has the ability to learn songs quicker than Chris. And that developed into a really cool relationship for me because it was like I had my teacher with me, and I learned so much from him every day.”

What has Chris taught you?

Gelotte: “Just stuff about technique, warmup routines, different ways to do things. I’m not a natural lead guitarist and he’s a master. He picked up the songs so quickly, we developed our own versions of them live. He would say, ‘Okay, you play this. Can I do this instead?’ Even though we’ve known each other for so long, we never really played together, so to be able to work together like that was incredible.”

Broderick: “It has been fun for me because I’ve always loved dual guitars and trying different things with the melodies and the harmonies. A lot of times, I’ve been pigeonholed as a solo lead player, so it’s fun to work with Björn, especially on harmonies. Even if we don’t use them in the songs, we’ll work on them backstage and incorporate them with little things that we write.”

Chris, what was the biggest adjustment when you joined In Flames?

Broderick: “Seeing the relaxed nature of everybody, because I’m used to being in an environment where you’ve got to… How do I put this? I’ll just say it was great to be in a position where there was no real pressure on me to make sure things were done right. 

“I adjusted my playing based on what I knew I needed to work on. Björn has a really good right hand for rhythm, so I’ve had to up my game in that area. But he just let me do my thing and handle anything I needed to do to integrate what I do into the band. And that has left us with more time to develop friendships, and now we really get to have a lot of fun onstage.”

Gelotte: “I love it because I don’t need to think about anything onstage but what I’m playing, and that hasn’t always been the case. I’ve had to worry about what other people were going to do. I’ve never worried about Chris.”

Chris, you play a seven-string guitar and Björn plays a six-string. How do you make the two work together?

Broderick: “Björn will tune down to C standard. I actually take my seventh string, the B, and tune it up to C and tune the rest of the strings in C standard.”

Gelotte: “It’s really cool that he can use his first string to pull off a lot of super high-pitched notes that I could never do with C standard tuning. It’s refreshing to hear his solos.”

When did you start working on Foregone?

Gelotte: “We did the majority of the early stuff in a four-week session before Christmas 2021. Then after a break, we got back together in mid-January and sat down and started making actual demos. We don’t make 30 songs and then pick 12. It’s always about getting the right stuff all the time and making a record we’re super comfortable with – something you want to hear from track A all the way to the end. 

“We worked again with [producer] Howard Benson for four to six hours a day. The sessions were really intense, but super-productive, and I still had the energy afterwards to go back home and continue writing to get ideas together for the next day. We did most of the recording in two and a half months.”

You recorded at West Valley Recording Studios in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles. Was that enjoyable for you?

Gelotte: “We’re really comfortable with Howard and the way his team works. We bounced ideas off each other really well and he was really into the new songs. But it was intense. I worked for all those weeks and months, and I rarely did anything else. 

“I sat in front of a computer with a guitar in my lap for hours and hours. But that just means we can finish everything quickly and we don’t have to spread it out over two or three years. 

“Also, the fact that bands started playing a little bit after the pandemic made us feel like we saw the light at the end of the tunnel, and it was not an oncoming train. The world was opening up a little bit, which was extremely inspiring for me because I could see live shows, and then, all of a sudden, there was a real reason to make another record.”

Chris, did you plan to play on Foregone?

Broderick: “When Björn told me they were starting to work on an album, I thought, 'I hope he asks me to play a solo or two.' Then, all of a sudden, he brought me into the studio and put me to work. I laid down a decent amount of soloing on the CD, so I was really happy about that.”

Gelotte: “We’ve had some guest solos before, but having Chris doing that as an integral part of the band was really special.”

Did working quickly help you make a more spontaneous album?

Gelotte: “No, it just helped us finish everything, in like, three months. We didn’t cut corners or anything. We just worked really, really hard. But right now, we’re sounding so great and it’s such a joy to walk onstage.”

Has self-belief and motivation kept In Flames going for 30-plus years through lineup changes and shifting metal scenes?

Gelotte: “I’ve always done this because I love it. I never had a backup plan. I never went to college. After grade school, I did two years as an electrician, but I never wanted to end up as an electrician.

“I want to be in a band, and it’s incredible when I think about how long I’ve been able to do this with my friends, who have been like my family. There’s so much more that we can do, what we can achieve, and how we can sound. The sky’s the limit.”

• Foregone is out now via Nuclear Blast.

Sweden is a country well-known for producing world-class metal acts, but few if any have been as globally influential as Gothenburg’s melodeath originators In Flames. 

Guitarist Björn Gelotte reveals how he achieved the huge tones on new album Foregone – and how he’s playing better with ex-Megadeth shredder Chris Broderick at his side.

This new album feels more thick and metallic, and arguably less experimental than its predecessor...

“I think mostly that comes down the production. We never really know what’s going to happen, the writing sessions turn into demo recordings and then we end up in the studio, where we’ll carry on writing. It’s a very organic thing.

“I think our last album I, The Mask was more rock-sounding because of the mix. This time we wanted to sound big and sound metal, and it ended up being possibly the best-sounding record we’ve done.“

You’re known for using Gibson Les Paul Customs and prototype Marshalls in the studio. Is that still the case?

“For these sessions, we were open to trying different things. I can’t play a lot of amps I use in the studio live because I need a lot of gain. I don’t want that typical Marshall sound, with mids that sound like tossing Lego on a tiled floor! I hate those frequencies. 

“The prototype Marshalls I own do not have that sound. I mixed them with other things, from 5150s for that beefy aggression to stuff like Oranges and Wizards. For leads, ever since [1996 album] The Jester Race I’ve always loved using a rack-mounted SansAmp, maybe some wah or delay. I’m not a gear nerd! I just know what sounds right for me.“

So what was your main guitar?

“I used my prototype signature Epiphone Les Paul Custom, which I recorded the last few albums with. It’s one of the first ones they made and such an awesome guitar. Before, I had been using my Gibson Custom. I refretted it once and it was time to do it again. I realised it wouldn’t make it much longer. 

“A while back Gibson asked if I wanted to do a signature. I was flattered but it made no real point – most people who listen to our music won’t pay $4,000 for a guitar. I wanted something affordable. Epiphone said they could make it happen with a few adjustments. Basically, the coating is not the same and the headstock is different, but everything else is exactly like my Gibson.”

You hired ex-Megadeth guitarist Chris Broderick for a tour in 2019. Now he’s a full member of In Flames.

“I don’t know how Dave Mustaine does it, finding these incredibly talented guys. Chris is insane, as is his replacement Kiko [Loureiro] who is doing a killer job right now. We’ve known Chris for over 20 years, since he was in Jag Panzer and Nevermore. He’s extremely hard-working. If he can, he’ll play eight hours a day... in between workouts! It’s been so inspiring. 

“I’ve never played as much guitar as I do now... my fucking calluses! It’s a bit like having a guitar teacher with me on the road. For this album, he didn’t do any rhythms, but I asked him if he wanted to do solos and was happy when he said yes. He was super-prepared. He probably had it all written down on sheet paper. He’s funny that way, but very organised!”

• Foregone is out now via Nuclear Blast.

Welcome to Guitar World’s weekly roundup of the musical highlights from the, erm, world of guitar. Every seven days (or thereabouts), we endeavor to bring you a selection of songs from across the guitar universe, all with one thing in common: our favorite instrument plays a starring role.

The Banishment – Got What You Wanted

What is it? We never knew we needed the missing link between Dokken and Nine Inch Nails, but this new industrial outfit from George Lynch, programmer and multi-instrumentalist Joe Haze and vocalist Devix Szell is a surprisingly potent collaboration. It’s invigorating to see Lynch in eerie soundscape mode, but contrary to the track’s strong nu-metal vibes, there is a solo… and it’s an absolute firecracker.

Standout guitar moment: Remember that solo we mentioned 11 words ago? Lynch erupts with a torrent of three-note-per-string legato licks, followed by Grand Canyon-wide bends, tapped slides and feel-driven pentatonics. It’s a very different musical landscape for the shredder to traverse, but he adapts his style with aplomb.

For fans of: Nine Inch Nails, Korn, Envy of None

– Michael Astley-Brown

Last in Line – Ghost Town

What is it? The latest single from hard-rock supergroup Last in Line, which boasts the musical expertise of Def Leppard’s Vivian Campell, former Black Sabbath drummer Vinny Appice, ex-Ozzy Osbourne bassist Phil Soussan and frontman Andrew Freeman. On paper, that’s a recipe for a Damn Good Song, and that’s precisely what Ghost Town is – a moody, four-and-a-half minute guitar throwdown loaded with neat octave work, dense guitar soundscapes and a pummeling solo.

Standout guitar moment: It’s got to be Campbell’s solo, which explodes into action following a brief interlude of total silence. Filled with rapid-fire tap lines, wailing pinch harmonics and bounty of ‘board-breaking bends, it’s sure to quench your thirst for six-string pyrotechnics.

For fans of: Def Leppard, Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath 

– Matt Owen

Taj Mahal – Gee Baby Ain't I Good To You

What is it? The lead single from Savoy, the legendary bluesman’s forthcoming album of standards. Like the other tunes on the album, Gee Baby Ain't I Good To You is a song Mahal grew up with, one as familiar to him as family. His arrangement of it is unhurried, and imbued with that same sense of warmth and familiarity.

Standout guitar moment: With comfortable material and absolutely nothing to prove to anyone, Mahal moves through this slow waltz with elegance. His easy-swaying licks in the song’s first 30 seconds – before the horns and his vocals kick in – are an absolute masterclass in dynamics and phrasing. This song is evidently full of memories for Mahal, and in those beautiful opening statements, he brings them vividly to life.

For fans of: Buddy Guy, B.B. King, Tom Waits

– Jackson Maxwell

Metallica – Screaming Suicide

What is it? The second single from Metallica’s highly anticipated 11th studio album, 72 Seasons, Screaming Suicide finds the thrash metal titans offering up the same blend of gut-punching riffs and wah-heavy leads that’s propelled their career into the stratosphere the past four decades. But hey, why fix something that ain’t broke? 

With a similar production aesthetic to their previous two albums, Hardwired… to Self-Destruct and Death Magnetic, but taking stylistic cues from debut Kill ‘Em All, Screaming Suicide is yet another Metallica knockout.

Standout guitar moment: Screaming Suicide’s guitar solo is markedly less blistering than that of previous single Lux Æterna, but displays Hammett’s ability to offer a more melodic lead in some style.

For fans of: Megadeth, Slayer, Motörhead

– Sam Roche

Rival Sons – Rapture 

What is it? Last October, Rival Sons announced their first album since 2019's Feral Roots, and ushered in the news with its raucous lead single. Now, three months later, the Long Beach five-piece has stoked anticipation even further by dropping Rapture – Lightbringer’s second single, which doubles down on untethered riffs and a gritty tone that we just can’t get enough of.

Standout guitar moment: That slinky, beat-jumping main melody deserves a mention, especially with its warbly tone, and when used as a preface to the twangy, bend-laden guitar solo, the track really reaches its peak.

For fans of: Led Zeppelin, Greta Van Fleet, Royal Blood

– Matt Owen

Ana Popovic – Turn My Luck

What is it? The just-released single from the blues guitarist’s newly-announced LP, Power. With a delectable, bouncing groove, modern flourishes and biting acoustic slide licks, the two-and-change minute Turn My Luck is an incredibly catchy mix of old-world and new-world sounds. 

Standout guitar moment: Those aforementioned quickfire acoustic slide hits, especially those before the first verse. Perfectly executed, they set the scene of the song in short order – we just wish there were more of them!

For fans of: Samantha Fish, Erja Lyytinen, Bonnie Raitt

– Jackson Maxwell

The WAEVE – Over and Over

What is it? Blur’s anti-guitar hero Graham Coxon leans into his recent soundtrack work on this lusciously orchestrated chill guitar jam from new duo The WAEVE. With aching bends and crystalline chords, it’s a surprisingly traditional guitar performance from Coxon for much of the track, but the arrangement captures the magic of Blur’s more understated epics.

Standout guitar moment: All the above being said, we should probably talk about Over and Over’s gonzo solo, complete with raging slapback and Coxon’s wild vibrato arm shuffles, which give his leads a real Neil Young flavor.

For fans of: Blur, Widowspeak, Arctic Monkeys

– Michael Astley-Brown

In Flames – Meet Your Maker

What is it? The latest single from Foregone, the upcoming 14th studio album from Swedish heavy metal stalwarts In Flames. Driven initially by a thunder-conjuring double kick pattern from drummer Tanner Wayne, Meet Your Maker is unrelenting in its brutality, beautiful in its thoughtful smatterings of melody, and jaw-dropping thanks to the ever-killer guitar work of resident axe-slingers Björn Gelotte and Chris Broderick.

Standout guitar moment: A guitar solo reaches its pinnacle at the 3:06 mark, when both Gelotte and Broderick link up for a stunning alternate-picked harmonized lead line.

For fans of: Dark Tranquility, Scar Symmetry, Arch Enemy

– Sam Roche

Oxymorrons – Enemy 

What is it? A nu-metal-y, hip-hop/hard rock fusion offering from Oxymorrons, who have conveniently coined the term “Melanin Punk” to describe their expansive, riff-driven sound. There’s some subtle rap in there, and a touch of trap for good measure, but the sonic melting pot that is Enemy is underpinned by some speaker-smashing guitars, which transform the track from a conventional hip hop number into a monstrous low-end beatdown.

Standout guitar moment: Those mammoth, angsty riffs. Enough said.

For fans of: Kid Kapichi, Jackie, Vukovi

– Matt Owen

Mudhoney – Almost Everything

What is it? Through the spectacular rise and fall of the bands they influenced, countless rock micro-trends, global pandemics and what have you, Mudhoney have just kept right on going, delivering album after album of dependably solid sludge-punk for decades. Almost Everything – the careening and creepy first single off of the grunge godfathers’ upcoming 11th studio offering, Plastic Eternity – slots perfectly into that consistently killer discography. 

Standout guitar moment: Steve Turner’s central riff is hypnotic in its minimalism, but… this is a band that named its debut EP Superfuzz Bigmuff. They’ve long had some of the best fuzzed-out tone in the business, and Almost Everything is indeed – between Mark Arm’s urgent rhythm work and Steve Turner’s Iommi-by-way-of-the-garage leads – a festival of prime dirt.

For fans of: The Stooges, MC5, The Velvet Underground

– Jackson Maxwell

Silver Moth – Mother Tongue

What is it? Mogwai soundsmith Stuart Braithwaite’s latest side-project, a collaboration with members of Abrasive Trees, Burning House and Prosthetic Head. Improvised in the moody surroundings of Black Bay Studio in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides, their output is the very definition of ‘mood’: all brooding arpeggiated chords and wrought, wiry leads.

Standout guitar moment: The lightly tremolo’d, gossamer guitars that open Mother Tongue hark back to Mogwai’s 1997 debut, with fragmented single-note lines that transport the track to the dusty plains of desert rock.

For fans of: Mogwai, Earth, Red Sparowes

– Michael Astley-Brown

BABYMETAL – Metal Kingdom

What is it? BABYMETAL have been on a quest for global metal domination since their formation in Tokyo, Japan in 2010. And in 2023, they’re gearing up for the next offensive in their assault, with their fourth album, and first concept album, The Other One.

Prior to this week, we were treated to two singles from the forthcoming album, Divine Attack – Shingeki and Monochrome. And now, the duo offer up the record’s third sonic morsel, Metal Kingdom.

Suitably grandiose, the track is relatively simple in its arrangement with a bed of gain-laden electric guitars providing an ample springboard for massive vocal choir sections throughout.

Standout guitar moment: Metal Kingdom is devoid of lead guitar, but its consistent wall of distorted powerchords is instrumental to the track's grandeur.

For fans of: BAND-MAID, Sabaton, Unleash the Archers

– Sam Roche

When an electric guitar star is given a signature Gibson, it’s usually – not always, but most of the time – followed by a more affordable Epiphone version, accessible to those whose budget might not stretch to the original Gibson model.

Standout examples include Slash’s Les Pauls and acoustics, which have been reimagined numerous times in multiple Epiphone formats, Joe Bonamassa’s recently released Lazarus Les Paul, Alex Lifeson’s Floyd Rose-equipped LP and Tony Iommi’s “Monkey” SG.

Having said that, it’s not uncommon for artists to have only a Gibson version of their signature guitar – we imagine Dave Mustaine’s ultra-boutique Flying Vs will remain Gibson-only, while Angus Young only ever had Gibson SG signature models.

However, it’s much more rare for artists to only opt for an Epiphone signature guitar – one that skips the Gibson phase and caters to those with smaller budgets.

Björn Gelotte of Swedish heavy metal outfit In Flames is one such example. Recipient of two Epiphone signature Les Pauls over the years – limited-edition Ebony and White versions – Gelotte has been using his Epis on stage ever since their release, with his flagship single-cut taking inspiration from his own, now-retired Gibson Les Paul Custom.

Not only that, he even turned down the opportunity to create a Gibson version of his signature Les Paul.

Speaking to Total Guitar, the In Flames maestro revealed why he turned down Gibson’s offer of a spruced-up signature Les Paul, and said his decision to stick with an Epiphone was largely due to the band’s listener base.

“I used my prototype signature Epiphone Les Paul Custom, which I recorded the last few albums with,” Gelotte replied when asked about his main guitar. “It’s one of the first ones they made and such an awesome guitar. 

“Before, I had been using my Gibson Custom,” he continued. “I refretted it once and it was time to do it again. I realized it wouldn’t make it much longer.”

“A while back Gibson asked if I wanted to do a signature. I was flattered but it made no real point – most people who listen to our music won’t pay $4,000 for a guitar. I wanted something affordable. 

“Epiphone said they could make it happen with a few adjustments. Basically, the coating is not the same and the headstock is different, but everything else is exactly like my Gibson.”

Those minor specs aside, Gelotte’s Epiphone Les Paul is – as per his own words – a solid build in its own right. Featuring the familiar mahogany body and neck construction, Gelotte’s signature features EMG 81 pickups and a premium ebony fingerboard.

Gelotte isn’t the only guitarist to have just an Epiphone signature guitar to their name. Jared James Nichols, for example, has his Epiphone Gold Glory under his belt, while Emily Wolfe was recently honored with a stealthy semi-hollow Epiphone Sheraton signature.

To read the full conversation with Gelotte, head over to Magazines Direct to pick up the latest issue of Total Guitar, which also features the ultimate Brian May interview.

Welcome to Guitar World’s weekly roundup of the musical highlights from the, erm, world of guitar. Every seven days (or thereabouts), we endeavor to bring you a selection of songs from across the guitar universe, all with one thing in common: our favorite instrument plays a starring role.

Living Colour – Cult of Personality (Rock in Rio 2022 Remix) (featuring Steve Vai)

What is it? Sure, you’ve heard Living Colour’s iconic late-80s-era breakthrough hit before, but not like this. In celebration of the 30th anniversary of the band’s first appearance in Brazil, the group re-recorded this hard-riffing classic with the special guest they jammed with during their recent set at the 2022 Rock in Rio festival: a certain Steve Vai.

Standout guitar moment: Right at the three-minute mark, when Living Colour axeman Vernon Reid and Vai embark on a guitar duel for the ages. Reid brings the light-speed funk, Vai his cosmic, just-on-the-edge-of-madness fretboard pyrotechnics. It’s a phenomenal musical conversation that puts a thrilling new spin on a beloved classic.

For fans of: Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Rage Against the Machine

– Jackson Maxwell

Buddy Guy – I Let My Guitar Do the Talking 

What is it? Buddy Guy’s upcoming album The Blues Don’t Lie is just over a week away, and to heighten the anticipation the blues guitar veteran has cranked up his wah pedal for the album’s fiery new single, I Let My Guitar Do The Talking. It’s Guy dialed to 11, boasting a detonation of explosive, uncontainable wah licks, which sporadically crop up and weave their way through the punchy rhythm progressions.

Standout guitar moment: At the 1:25 mark, Guy remains true to his word and lets his guitar do the talking: for more than 30 seconds, the guitarist goes to town on his axe, lighting sonic fires with a ferocious wah-fueled throwdown.

For fans of: Joe Bonamassa, Eric Gales, the wah pedal

– Matt Owen

Smashing Pumpkins – Beguiled

What is it? It feels like Billy Corgan has been teasing the sequel to Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness for, well, infinity, but its first single is finally upon us. Beguiled will be reassuring for fans put off by 2020’s synth-heavy Cyr, dominated as it is by relentless chugging riffs. We’re hoping subsequent singles have a little more bombast, but this is a decent start.

Standout guitar moment: The return of James Iha’s foot to the Whammy pedal – those Zero-esque wails add a welcome edge to proceedings. Nice to see his secret Yamaha prototype make an appearance in the video, too. Whatever happened to that guitar?

For fans of: Alice in Chains, Bush, Silverchair

– Michael Astley-Brown

TERMINA – Take Flight

What is it? A crushing new single from TERMINA, the metal duo comprising YouTube star Nik Nocturnal and Monuments leader Andy Cizek. Underneath Cizek’s blood-curdling vocals sits a clutch of vicious seven-string guitar riffs courtesy of Nik Nocturnal, which incorporate almost everything in the modern metal playbook: drop-tuned chugs, uber-melodic chorus leads and even the odd Gojira-style pick scrape.

Standout guitar moment: The two-handed tapping line in the intro and chorus sections offers an injection of melody in a track that’s otherwise unstoppably chaotic and brutal.

For fans of: Monuments, Carcosa, Periphery

– Sam Roche

Kenny Wayne Shepherd – True Lies 

What is it? After Kenny Wayne Shepherd hit headlines by performing Pink Floyd’s Comfortably Numb – using David Gilmour’s Black Strat, no less – the talismanic bluesman announced Trouble Is.. 25: a complete re-recording of his most successful album, Trouble Is… To preview the album – which will also feature unreleased cuts and an accompanying documentary – Shepherd has dropped a tightly reassembled version of True Lies.

All in all, it’s a faithful reinvention of the 1997 original, featuring ample amounts of swampy, Stevie-style six-string riffs and tasty turnarounds, though has been noticeably amped up – in every sense of the word. The riffs pack a heavier punch, the lead licks cut through like a razor and though the solo follows the same structure, it seems to be delivered with the additional finesse of someone who has seriously sharpened their chops since the original first arrived.

Standout guitar moment: It’s got to be the solo, which is quintessential Kenny. Served with a healthy dosage of swagger, it crams in every hammer-on, pull-off and rolling pentatonic lick of the original, but adds a layer of spice that Shepherd has been brewing ever since ‘97.

For fans of: Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Gales, Jimi Hendrix

– Matt Owen

The Mars Volta – Blank Condolences

What is it? If you think politics is divided, you should see the debates going on between Mars Volta fans right now.

The respected Texas prog outfit’s new self-titled album is their first in 10 years, and finds Omar Rodríguez-López and Cedric Bixler-Zavala taking a distinctly poppier turn. Some people really don’t like it. But the Mars Volta have been eclectic from the off – they ain’t gonna make another De-Loused at this stage.

Bury your expectations, and it’s a laid-back alt-rock album with Latin influences. It’s not going to melt your face. But it is going to gently massage your brain, and Blank Condolences is a good example of how Rodríguez-López’s six-string approach has also softened. His solos are as wiry as ever, but they’re clipped to tight, meaningful phrases rather than long, flowing improvisations.

Standout guitar moment: The outro, where Omar’s wah-teased leads play off Cedric’s vocals. It’s a bit like a De-Loused cut where the intensity has been dialed back by 75% and the duration cut in half. Whether that’s a good or bad thing is up to you.

For fans of: John Frusciante, Dredg, The Fall of Troy

– Michael Astley-Brown

In Flames – Foregone Pt. 1

What is it? A new track from In Flames’ just-announced 14th studio album, Foregone. In the band’s typically sprawling and expansive compositional style, Foregone Pt. 1 is flavored with the hallmarks of the early-noughties heavy metal, including frantic palm-muted electric guitar riffs over laser-precise blast beats and harmonised riffs that bolster the track’s sense of melody, therefore juxtaposing the sonic carnage that takes place in the verse sections.

Standout guitar moment: The solo from the 2:22 mark illustrates why In Flames remain standard bearers for metal guitar playing, with a series of feel-driven scale runs, occasionally harmonised for additional melodic intrigue.

For fans of: Avenged Sevenfold, Arch Enemy

– Sam Roche

Thrice – Open Your Eyes and Dream

What is it? 5/4? Crunchy baritones? Clustered arpeggios? It must be another post-hardcore bruiser from Thrice. There are clearly still embers burning from the fierce Fire chapter of the band’s Alchemy Index concept record, as Open Your Eyes and Dream traverses similarly aggressive territory, albeit with a little more light and shade.

Standout guitar moment: That mid-pushed, distinctly ‘woody’ tonality that bridges the riffs on some of the heaviest Thrice cuts makes a return here, and we are all in favor of its revival.

For fans of: Thursday, Glassjaw, Radiohead

– Michael Astley-Brown

Hannah Jadagu – Say It Now

What is it? A new, standalone single from the up-and-coming, New York-based singer/songwriter. The distorted guitar-pop field is crowded for sure, but Say It Now is effortlessly evocative, and stands out on the strength of Jadagu’s unique songwriting touch.

Standout guitar moment: That solo after the first chorus. Vocal-like in quality, it plays beautifully off the song’s melody.

For fans of: Soccer Mommy, Breeders, My Bloody Valentine

– Jackson Maxwell

Bonecarver – Carnage Funeral

What is it? Spanish death metal purveyors Bonecarver have announced their new album, Carnage Funeral, and launched its pulverizing title track. The first release since the band’s brutal 2021 album, Evil, Carnage Funeral is driven by speaker-rattling seven-string guitar chugs and insanely complex drum patterns, placing Bonecarver as a promising new act to carry the death metal genre forward even further.

Standout guitar moment: The riff that begins from the 3:58 mark helps establish a solid groove in a track that's otherwise a grinding cacophony of guitars, kick drums and stomach-churning vocals.

For fans of: Cannibal Corpse, Nile, Carcass

– Sam Roche

Miss Grit - Like You

What is it? Not especially keen on St. Vincent’s shift into ’70s funk? Miss Grit – aka Margaret Sohn – is Annie Clark’s spiritual successor, and new single Like You is driven by a series of off-kilter guitar riffs whose disparate tones channel Sohn’s themes of multiple inner voices.

Standout guitar moment: Sohn’s production is always next-level, and those fuzzed-up main riffs slide into the mix real nice.

For fans of: St. Vincent, Soccer Mommy, Japanese Breakfast

– Michael Astley-Brown

Steve Hill – Everything You Got 

What is it? With the announcement that multi-instrumentalist Steve Hill would be dropping his 12th studio album in less than two months came Everything You Got – the LP’s scorching lead single, which serves up chicken pickin’ licks a plenty for three-plus-minutes of classic blues rock action.

Flaunting a hook akin to AC/DC’s Stiff Upper Lip – though delivered from the fretboard of Hill’s P-90-loaded Jazzmaster instead of an SG – Everything You Got leans heavily on the fingerstyle action, which is delivered with aplomb as Hill serves up robust riffs and snappy, vibrato-heavy solos.

Standout guitar moment: The infectious main motif gets the nod here, which pays homage to Angus Young with some see-sawing hammer-on and pull-off open string action.

For fans of: AC/DC, Derek Trucks

– Matt Owen

Girl Scout – Do You Remember Sally Moore?

What is it? The very first single from this young Stockholm-based quartet. Urgent, unique and catchy as hell, Do You Remember Sally Moore? explodes out of the speakers. Keep your eyes on these four… 

Standout guitar moment: We love the grimy side of the song’s lead guitar work. Those nasty bends early in the first verse and after the first chorus, in particular, are the perfect counterpoint to the sunny arpeggios in the first chorus, and the tune’s buzz-saw, laser-like bass line.

For fans of: Ramones, Alvvays, Best Coast 

– Jackson Maxwell

Welcome to Guitar World’s weekly roundup of the musical highlights from the, erm, world of guitar. Every seven days (or thereabouts), we endeavor to bring you a selection of songs from across the guitar universe, all with one thing in common: our favorite instrument plays a starring role.

Clutch – We Strive For Excellence

What is it? Well, it’s Clutch, the Maryland rockers who like to drive shift and cruise along in irresistible groove that works gangbusters on, say, a long summer’s weekend.

The songcraft is typically astute. Here, frontman/rhythm guitarist Neil Fallon, guitarist Tim and co observe the Mutt Lange rule, with guitars that let the snare drum largely have the mix to itself (think AC/DC, or indeed back to our recent rock anthem how-to with the stylistically adjacent Def Leppard).

Standout guitar moment: There are a few highlights worthy to note. Sult’s easy-greasy riffs always slip down a treat, and there is plenty muscle on the guitars. But We Strive For Excellence is particularly effective when Dan Maines’ bass guitar starts pumping out eighth-notes and everyone joins in. The post-solo riff at around 1.47 min in ups the ante nicely, too.

For fans of: Corrosion of Conformity, Red Fang

– Jonathan Horsley

Russian Circles – Conduit

What is it? One listen to that mid-forward triplet chug should tell you everything you need to know: this is a new single from Russian Circles, and it is absolutely savage. Eighth album Gnosis drops on August 19, and finds Mike Sullivan and his bandmates channeling two years of tension into what promises to be their most bludgeoning release yet.

Standout guitar moment: Those modal hammer-on/pull-off riffs channel Mastodon at their most primal. We like where Sullivan’s head – and, indeed, fret hand – is at.

For fans of: Pelican, Mastodon, Caspian

– Michael Astley-Brown

Deaf Havana – Nevermind

What is it? James Veck-Gilodi is one of the most honest and forthright lyricists in the biz, and has used Deaf Havana as a vehicle to tackle difficult subjects like coming of age, alcoholism and loss since 2005. And as he explains, the duo’s new single, Nevermind, looks into the “lowest point” in his life, and as a consequence results in one of his most visceral performances ever.

Standout guitar moment: Tastefully-crafted acoustic guitar lines are commonplace in DH’s back catalogue – think The Past Six Years or Saved – but the intro/verse to Nevermind might just host their very best.

For fans of: Don Broco, Young Guns

– Sam Roche

Julia Jacklin – I Was Neon

What is it? The second single from Pre-Pleasure, the forthcoming third album from Julia Jacklin. One of the sharpest songwriters to emerge from Down Under since Courtney Barnett, Jacklin has always had a great sense of what to surround her affecting lyrics with musically, and the anxious, driving I Was Neon is no exception in that regard. 

Standout guitar moment: Between the Krautrock-y rhythm and eerie vocal double-tracking in the chorus alone, Radiohead fans will find plenty to like about this tune, but it’s the distorted arpeggios that enter the scene after the song’s first chorus that’ll really keep them – and listeners of all stripes, really – coming back.

For fans of: Radiohead, Lucy Dacus, Courtney Barnett

– Jackson Maxwell

Ben Harper – We Need to Talk About It

What is it? The Grammy-winning multi-instrumentalist’s latest single is a socially conscious track advocating for more open dialogue on the issue of racial injustice and the legacy of slavery in America. It sets the plaintive vocal of Harper (whose voice, incidentally, just gets better with age) to a low-key funk groove that treads heavy on the wah pedal. Chavonne Stewart, De’Ante Duckett and Alethea Mills deserve huge props for stellar backing vocals..

Standout guitar moment: The production from Sheldon Gomberg and Harper  helps sell this – it sounds super-deep, pulling the audience in. That wah tone is intoxicating, the lap-steel solo throaty and divine.

For fans of: Keb Mo, Taj Mahal, Marvin Gaye

– Jonathan Horsley

Jimmy Eat World – Something Loud

What is it? Inspired by the hype around the emo festival to end all emo festivals – aka When We Were Young – Jim Adkins and co have dropped their first new music since 2019. Appropriately enough, it’s an anthemic rocker that nods to the pop-punk institution’s roots with XXL open chords, chiming leads and even the odd dalliance with tremolo picking.

Standout guitar moment: Although rising in popularity, P-90s remain the underdog(ear) of the pickup world. One listen to Adkins’ rich opening stabs in Something Loud will surely send the perennially underrated single coil’s stock soaring.

For fans of: Yellowcard, Saves the Day, Angels & Airwaves

– Michael Astley-Brown

Behemoth – Off to War!

What is it? The latest track and second single from the Polish extreme metal overlords’ upcoming album, Opvs Contra Natvram. As ever, it sees Adam “Nergal” Darski and co offer up desolate arrangements packed with walls of distorted electric guitar and surgically precise rhythms. 

Standout guitar moment: Nergal’s solo from the 3:17 mark kicks off with a series of long-held single notes – with a squealing pinch harmonic thrown in for good measure – before putting pedal to the metal with a rollercoaster-esque rapid ascending run and a mesmerizing passage of two-handed tapping.

For fans of: Dark Funeral, Dimmu Borgir, Emperor

– Sam Roche

Pool Kids – I Hope You're Right

What is it? The second single from the Florida emo quartet’s upcoming self-titled album, I Hope You're Right is an intense, enthralling examination of hypocrisy and arrogance.

Standout guitar moment: Pick your favorite! There are those delectable, chorus-y arpeggios in the verses, the massive dual-guitar crunch in the choruses, or the fretboard-melting outburst from Andrew Anaya just before the song comes to a close. They all work beautifully in tandem to make this a powerful, cathartic piece of music. 

For fans of: The World is a Beautiful Place…, Sinai Vessel, Retirement Party

– Jackson Maxwell

The Beths – Silence Is Golden

What is it? The latest single from New Zealand guitar-pop upstarts The Beths takes some unexpected turns. There’s a scuzzier, more punk aesthetic to Elizabeth Stokes’ rollercoaster alternate-picked main riff and the wall-of-guitar production, as well as some gloriously abrasive chord voicings – but the band’s knack for an irresistible hook is still very much present and correct. We look forward to hearing more of this sonic evolution when the band’s third album, Expert in a Dying Field, lands on September 16.

Standout guitar moment: We simply have to acknowledge a) Jonathan Pearce’s chaotic closing solo and b) his valiant effort at miming something that is clearly impossible to replicate. An absolute ripper, regardless.

For fans of: Jimmy Eat World, Weezer, Snail Mail

– Michael Astley-Brown

In Flames – State of Slow Decay

What is it? A four-minute helping of crushing guitar, thunderous drumming and visceral vocal work from Swedish metal stalwarts In Flames. A riff-fest from start to finish, State of Slow Decay finds guitarists Björn Gelotte and Niclas Engelin in stellar form, and with a new album on the way, we’d wager there’s more where this came from.

Standout guitar moment: Gelotte and Engelin display their unrivaled synergy from the 1:44 mark, with a harmonized guitar solo packed with winding turnarounds and swift ascending runs.

For fans of: Arch Enemy, Trivium, DevilDriver

– Sam Roche

Megadeth and Lamb of God have announced the second leg of their co-headline tour, dubbed Metal Tour of the Year. 

Trivium will again support the two metal juggernauts, alongside Swedish metallers In Flames. The latter replace Hatebreed, who appeared on the first leg of the tour in 2021.

The tour's first leg was initially announced in 2020 with In Flames on the bill, though after its postponement due to the pandemic and subsequent rescheduled dates, the Swedish outfit could no longer join owing to travel restrictions in place at the time.

Commencing April 9 at the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas, the tour's 23-date second leg will make stops in Lafayette, Fort Wayne, Kansas City and Pittsburgh among others, before wrapping up May 15 at the PPL Center in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

“The Metal Tour of the Year is exactly what it sounds like – a night of some of the best heavy metal bands in the world – live and loud,” says Megadeth leader Dave Mustaine. “Anyone who came to a show last year knows what I mean, only this one's going to be even better. Do not miss out.”

Adds Trivium frontman Matt Heafy: “The Metal Tour of the Year was one of the strongest, most incredible tours in ages – its namesake is nothing but accurate. How do you follow that up? By doing it again – even bigger, even better, and have it play everywhere it didn't on the first leg. MTOTYII – let's do this.”

The Metal Tour of the Year is part of Live Nation's Live Stubs initiative, which provides digital, collectible ticket stubs in the form of NFTs to ticket holders. These Live Stubs will be automatically included with tickets for select shows, and fans will be able to view, share, gift, trade and resell their stubs on Live Nation. 

These stubs are “collectors items” and will not replace the digital tickets required to physically enter a live show.

Check out the full list of dates for the Metal Tour of the Year's second leg below.

• Sat Apr 09 – Las Vegas, NV – Michelob Ultra Arena 
• Sun Apr 10 – Tucson, AZ – Tucson Arena 
• Tue Apr 12 – Colorado Springs, CO – Broadmoor World Arena 
• Thu Apr 14 – Corpus Christi, TX – American Bank Center 
• Fri Apr 15 – Lafayette, LA – Cajundome 
• Sat Apr 16 – Brandon, MS – Brandon Amphitheater 
• Tue Apr 19 – Grand Rapids, MI – Van Andel Arena 
• Thu Apr 21 – Fort Wayne, IN – Allen County War Memorial Coliseum 
• Fri Apr 22 – Green Bay, WI – Resch Center 
• Sun Apr 24 – Sioux Falls, SD – Denny Sanford PREMIER Center 
• Tue Apr 26 – Omaha, NE – Baxter Arena 
• Wed Apr 27 – Cedar Rapids, IA – Alliant Energy PowerHouse 
• Fri Apr 29 – Kansas City, MO – T-Mobile Center 
• Sat Apr 30 – Tulsa, OK – BOK Center* No Trivium 
• Tue May 03 – North Charleston, SC – North Charleston Coliseum 
• Wed May 04 – Greenville, SC – Bon Secours Wellness Arena 
• Fri May 06 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena 
• Sat May 07 – Peoria, IL – Peoria Civic Center 
• Mon May 09 – Pittsburgh, PA – Petersen Events Center 
• Tue May 10 – Rochester, NY – Blue Cross Arena 
• Thu May 12 – Portland, ME – Cross Insurance Arena 
• Fri May 13 – Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Arena 
• Sun May 15 – Allentown, PA – PPL Center

With Megadeth reportedly slated to released their 16th studio album The Sick, the Dying and the Dead this spring, and Trivium having released their 10th full-length In the Court of the Dragon in October, it's likely the tour will play host to some live song debuts.

Tickets go on general sale from 10AM local time on Friday, January 14. For more info, head to the Metal Tour of the Year website.

Members of Deftones, Killswitch Engage and In Flames have recorded a virtual cover of Björk’s Hyperballad.

Appearing on the latest episode of Two Minutes to Late Night – the heavy metal-themed YouTube talk show hosted by Jordan Olds – Sergio Vega, Adam Dutkiewicz and Tanner Wayne (of Deftones, Killswitch Engage and In Flames, respectively), deliver a more metal-inspired take on the track, swapping its ethereal keyboard lines and lush synths for overdriven guitars and heavier percussion.

Vega, Dutkiewicz and Wayne each assume their usual mantles of bass guitarist, guitarist and drummer, respectively, and they are joined by Stephen Brodsky (Cave In, Mutoid Man) on vocals and Ben Chisholm (Chelsea Wolfe) on guitar.

Rather bravely, Dutkiewicz also treats the performance as chance to get some cardio in. Watch the cover/workout video below:

Hyperballad is taken from Björk's second studio album, 1996's Post. The track has been subject to numerous covers over the years, with renditions from the likes of Swedish singer-songwriter Robyn, NY rockers Dirty Projectors and John Nolan of Taking Back Sunday.

The new take on Hyperballad marks a return for Two Minutes to Late Night, following a cover of The Rolling Stones' Rocks Off by members of Kvelertak, Royal Thunder, Against Me! and Red Fang back in March.

Two Minutes to Late Night has provided a means for struggling musicians to generate income during the Covid pandemic. All proceeds earned via the channel's Patreon page are distributed between the artists, engineers and editors that help make the videos.

Editor's note: this interview was conducted prior to the coronavirus pandemic. The Metal Tour of the Year is now the Metal Tour of Next Year, beginning July 9, 2021.

It's been 20 years since Megadeth teamed up with Anthrax and Slayer to headline the Clash of the Titans tour, arguably the first time a truly metal multi-headlining bill played to arenas of fans here in the States. 

That outing helped pave the way for bands at the heavier end of the spectrum to storm hockey-rink-sized rooms of metalheads. But that said, it’s been a minute since we’ve enjoyed a good ol’ thrash-ioned, arena-slaying, metal package tour. 

Thankfully, Dave Mustaine and Megadeth have once again come to our rescue, pairing up with Virginia thrash masters Lamb of God for a massive globetrotting jaunt, with support from two of metal’s other leading acts, Trivium and In Flames.

As for why these four bands decided to join forces for what will undoubtedly be the heaviest tour of 2021? “I think this is what metal needs right now,” Mustaine says simply. And if you ask why, well, Dave’ll tell ya.

“There’s so many different tours that go out where it’s just six or seven of the same band,” he continues. “That doesn’t do anything to promote the individuality of the acts, and it also doesn’t broaden the fan base.”

He acknowledges Lamb of God guitarist Mark Morton, Trivium frontman Matt Heafy and In Flames axe-man Björn Gelotte, who are gathered together with him on a Skype video call with Guitar World. “What’s really unique and special and great about this lineup is we’re all heavy as fuck, but we all have our thing going on, too.”

While the bands do all have their own “thing,” as it were, they also share deep musical connections. “Without the gentlemen I’m talking to right now, Trivium wouldn’t exist,” Heafy says. Gelotte, for his part, adds that “all you guys have been an influence on my guitar playing.”

Morton concurs, and also points out, “To put us all together, it’s exciting. Because every one of these bands is a headliner in their own right.” Indeed they are. But make no mistake – even though the four acts combined have something like a century of music-making under their belts, they’re also all rooted firmly in the present. 

Lamb of God and Trivium are touring behind new records – Lamb of God and What the Dead Men Say, respectively – and In Flames are out supporting their excellent 2019 release, I, the Mask.

Mustaine, meanwhile, recently got the all-clear after a battle with throat cancer, and in addition to the upcoming tour, he and Megadeth have been in the studio working on the follow-up to their 2016 release, Dystopia – arguably the band’s strongest effort in decades.

As for what the new Megadeth full-length, their 16th overall, will sound like? Megadeth, of course. “I’ve kept my thought processes pure,” Mustaine says. “Because if I go out on this tour with Matt and Mark and Björn and then all of a sudden the next Megadeth record sounds like a soup of all of us, it’s like, ‘Who are you?’ You do have to have your own identity.”

Mustaine, Morton, Heafy and Gelotte (with some input from Lamb of God’s Willie Adler, Megadeth’s Kiko Loureiro and Trivium’s Corey Beaulieu) got together with GW to have a chat about those distinct identities. 

They also took some time to talk touring and compare notes on gear, songwriting and how they continue to progress as players – as well as brainstorm a possible song for a suggested end-of-show all-star jam (you’ll be surprised at the answer).

Mostly, of course, they just talked about guitars.

“I’m in really good guitar company on this tour,” Gelotte says. “I’m going to play so much guitar, and I’m going to watch so many great players and hear so many great solos. I couldn’t be more excited about that.”

Nor could we, Björn. Nor could we.

What are each of you most excited about when it comes to this bill?

MATT HEAFY: “I’ll start. For us, these are three bands we grew up listening to at different stages of our career. In Flames, they taught us what it is to mix melodicism and heaviness together in one band. When I heard The Jester Race [1996], Whoracle [1997] and Colony [1999], if I didn’t get into those, I wouldn’t be here right now. 

“I could say the same for listening to Lamb of God. And Megadeth was one of the first metal bands I was ever into – I covered “Tornado of Souls” when I was 12 and a half. My voice was a little rough, but everything else was okay. [Laughs] I need to show you that, by the way, Dave!”

MARK MORTON: “To echo what Matt was saying, Megadeth was my favorite band when I was coming up playing guitar. I dreamed of being in a band like that. So to share a stage now… I mean, I’m still influenced by them. I still learn from them. 

“And it’s a similar thing with In Flames – I remember trying to wrap my head around just the depth of the guitar melodies they incorporated into their music, and how it was still so heavy and powerful. And Trivium are peers and friends and such great songwriters.

“We use the same producer [Josh Wilbur], so there’s kind of a family there. And you know, I think one of the best things about the tour is that it really showcases the strength of the genre as a whole. It’s the type of bill where, top to bottom, you want to be there before the show starts. I think that’s important for the fans, and it’s exciting for me, too.”

DAVE MUSTAINE: “It’s what America needs – some really talented tours with diversity. I think that a lot of the promoters over here, they’re stuck in that, 'Let’s get five of the same band' thing. Where, and you guys know this, our promoters that we use overseas they’ll put together a multitude of different bands. So you go to a concert and you see the B-52’s and then you see Saxon. And it’s like, “Whoa!”

How about you, Björn?

BJÖRN GELOTTE: “You guys have said it all, man. [Laughs] But this is a really exciting tour for us to jump on. Because Dave and Megadeth, the way they would weave melodies into the actual riffs, and the way the guitars would harmonize, that was something I’d never really heard before. 

“And the thrash sounds from Lamb of God and the clean vocals from Trivium, these are all things we have incorporated into our songwriting as well. Plus, I consider all you guys friends. As soon as we heard about this tour, we said, 'This is the tour we need to do!'”

In terms of sonics, playing fast and intricate metal in large, cavernous rooms is no easy task. You have to deal with muddiness, and with sound reverberating around the venue in unusual ways. Do you think about your musical approach differently in an arena than you would in a club or theater?

MUSTAINE: “If you care about your sound, yeah. Some people don’t really care about their sound that much – there’s a lot of the younger set that believes that volume makes up for tone.

“But when I played with the San Diego Symphony [in 2014], one of the things I said to them was, 'Don’t worry, I don’t play really loud. I’m more concerned with tone than I am with volume.' And the guy that was the head of the symphony, he told me, “Great, that’s all I needed to hear. Interview’s over!” Because he thought I was going to come in there and… boom!”

HEAFY: “When it comes to sound, I can imagine the guitar tone of any one of our bands, of any one of the eras of our bands, and it’s so unique. That’s because we all care so much about every single aspect of what our band is. So I feel like we know how to handle bringing that sound into big rooms, because we all have so much experience playing giant shows all around the planet.”

MUSTAINE: “Matt, are you using Fractals?”

HEAFY: “We’re actually now going back to old-school rigs. We were using Kempers for a while, and now we’re going to run through heads with this thing called the Box of Doom.”

GELOTTE: “The Box of Doom – we’ve had that for years!”

HEAFY: “Dude, the thing is insane! We did use the [Fractal] Axe-Fx II for a while, but now we’re going back to real heads. I have a block [letter] 5150 that I found used, although I’m not bringing it out on this tour. But I’ve been collecting tons of heads, cabs, speakers and pedals, and I feel like I’ve got my favorite tone for myself right now.”

What rigs are the rest of you bringing on the road this time?

MUSTAINE: “Well, clearly I’m using uncool Fractals! [Laughs]”

MORTON: “I’m using my [signature] Jackson Dominion with my Boogies, and I sort of alternate between Mark IVs and Mark Vs. But what I do is I’ll split my signal into two heads, and my front-of-house engineer gets his head, because he needs different things out there, different tones, different things to add to the mix. 

“And then I have my own signal because I need a certain kind of response. And I’ve got my speakers onstage and there’s really not a whole lot of processing for me – I have a gate and a compressor and then I use a few pedals, mainly for solos.”

WILLIE ADLER: “My rig will consist of my signature ESP Warbird guitars, coupled with a combination of Mesa Boogie amps and cabinets – specifically, the Mesa Triple Crown and the Mark IV. I’ll also be running a series of Mesa pedals along with a couple of Fortin pedals.”

KIKO LOUREIRO: “For this run I’ll be using my Ibanez signature models [the KIKO200, KIKO100 and KIKO10p] as well as Marshall cabs, Fractal, DV Mark and D’Addario NYXL strings.”

GELOTTE: “I have a Marshall prototype that sounds really good – it’s based off the [JCM]800 models. It has a built-in little gate in there and it works pretty good because it’s really active. But besides that I do pretty much what Mark’s doing. I split the signal so I get my own speaker onstage – not very loud, but just to be able to control feedback and stuff like that. 

“And then the other signal goes to the Box of Doom that Matt was talking about, which is basically an iso cab. And our front-of-house guy can do whatever he needs with that one. Then I have a [Dunlop] 95Q wah in there somewhere that I use all the time for all my leads, and an [Ibanez] Tube Screamer.

“And for the clean stuff I use a Marshall JVM amp. My rig looks insane when you see it, but it’s really a very pure signal. And my guitar is my own Epiphone Les Paul signature model; It’s based on my first Les Paul Custom, only there’s EMGs in there. For me it’s a trusty go-to pickup that always works. And they make them in gold now for me as well, so I’m happy.”

COREY BEAULIEU: “I’m really excited about going back to tube amps, but I’m not locked into what exactly that will be yet. I have my signature Jackson guitars, and my new Winterstorm model will definitely be on all touring for the foreseeable future. And Matt and I have always been huge Peavey fans and we’ve been experimenting with a variety of pedals.”

Dave, what do you have going on besides your Fractals?

MUSTAINE: “I’m using square Marshall cabinets with Celestion Greenback speakers. I’ve always liked the square cabinets for some weird reason. I think it’s because the slanted ones remind me of when I was with Metallica and we played with Vandenberg at this place out in New Jersey. Adrian Vandenberg was a great guitar player, but he used these slanted red-and-white Marshall cabinets. 

“I looked at that and I swore to myself, 'Never, ever, ever will I have red-and-white Marshalls. And I’m not going to use slant cabinets either, unless they’re rentals.' [Laughs] And the Celestion Greenbacks – guys that use low tunings and lower-gauge strings would probably prefer a higher wattage, but they work great for me. 

“Then within my Fractal there’s tons of effects and stuff – I could list through all of them, but it would just be like reading an index card. But we’re just trying to get as close to what the records sounded like when we recorded them. And the Fractals can get you in the ballpark.”

Each of you has carved out a sound and style that you’ve become closely associated with. With that in mind, how do you also continue to progress at what you do, and remain open to new ideas and techniques?

GELOTTE: “For me, one thing is that I’ve played with a bunch of different guitarists recently, just due to different lineup changes and whatnot. And they all have very distinct and different sounds and disciplines and ways of playing the guitar. So it’s been awesome to be able to jam with these guys and pick things up and get all their influences.

“That even comes down to things like learning new ways of practicing before a show. We always try to play guitar an hour-and-a-half, maybe two hours before we go on. It drives other bands nuts because it’s constantly noisy, but it’s good for us and it’s been very good for me.”

HEAFY: “One of the biggest things for me was getting into Brazilian jujitsu, which taught me what it is to build something from the ground up. I’ve only ever played guitar and sang in Trivium, so I’ve never known what it was to learn something new – basically I was always just doing what I enjoyed. 

“But getting my butt kicked for three, four, five years in jujitsu and gradually having to realize that you have to put in so much time and practice to get good at something was really instructional…

“Another thing is about two-and-a-half years ago I started regimentally live streaming on Twitch, five days a week, two streams a day. That’s three to six hours a day of me playing Trivium songs to our fans all around the world. That much intensive extra practice helped my guitar playing and singing so much. Because I used to always be worried every night – 'Am I going to hit this note?'

“But you know, when it comes to practice, my dad’s a Marine, my mom’s Japanese and those two cultures are so regimented. When I was a kid trying to emulate my heroes I saw how many hours it took. Now I just keep those hours going, even at this point in my career.”

LOUREIRO: “I’m constantly learning and changing. I’ve been focusing a lot on rhythm guitars since I joined Megadeth [in 2015], and I’m trying to expand my symmetric and intervallic phrasing. 

“Regarding songwriting, I have my way of doing things; when I compose it usually starts with an acoustic guitar or piano – but it’s also been a great experience to see how Dave writes. Very inspiring!”

ADLER: “Other than simply continuously playing and writing, I’m always looking for new ways to be inspired. Currently, I’m obsessed with Toontrack’s EZkeys – not only does it aid in crafting interesting melodies, it’s brought me right back to a bit of my piano-focused roots.”

MORTON: “Now that we’re all at home and not working [due to the Coronavirus shutdown], the other night I learned Larry Carlton’s solo from [Steely Dan’s] Kid Charlemagne. I’ve always loved that solo, so I just sat down with it. 

“It’s not so wicked technically, but it’s just different shapes and different kinds of stops and note choices that are outside of my kind of ingrained comfort-zone patterns. So it helps to push the lane out a little bit. It’s been 35 years and I still feel like I’m learning how to play guitar. But it’s fun, man. I still have fun doing it.”

Mark, I would imagine that one thing that has been different for you is doing solo music, including an acoustic EP.

MORTON: “Yeah. In early 2019 I put out a solo record that I’d been working on for a long time.”

MUSTAINE: “Kickass, by the way.”

MORTON: “Thank you. And then I did an acoustic EP earlier this year. And you know, I’d say probably the last seven or eight years I’ve really focused more on songwriting than playing guitar.

“I’m a guitar player, so I write songs on guitar, but I’m definitely more interested in structure and how all the components work together and support each other and that kind of thing. So the solo record, just by virtue of the fact that it was so diverse stylistically, it kind of pushed me to play in different ways. 

“I’ve always been into blues and classic rock – my favorite guitar players are Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix and Billy Gibbons, and that’s always been the case pretty much since I picked up the instrument. But developing that in a songwriting context and being able to put that album out, that helped push my playing a little bit.”

How about you, Dave?

MUSTAINE: “Well, I always have a great opportunity to go out and play with different people because I’m an asshole and they all quit! [Laughter all around] I’m just kidding, but Mark, I’ll tell you, my favorite guitar players growing up too were both of the Jimmys. 

“Although not so much Billy Gibbons. For me it was probably more Michael Schenker, which is why I gravitated toward the V so much. Also, as far as the songwriting and stuff is concerned, it’s so interesting what Mark was saying about how he’s a guitar player but he’s also a songwriter.

“Because you try telling that to most normal people that aren’t musicians and they’ll look at you like you’re trying to teach a pig how to sing. They just won’t get it. But I would imagine all you guys have written lyrics down on a shred of paper, or sung a melody into your cell phone.

“Me, it’s coming up on 40 years I’ve been doing this, so I’ve also used those old cassette decks where you push the two buttons down and you carry it around like a really lame robotic purse kind of a thing.

“So how I get the ideas down has maybe changed and progressed over time. But writing and recording and all that stuff, for the true musician, it doesn’t matter how you do it – it just matters that you get it out.”

Finally, here’s the million-dollar question: With tours like this, the idea of a big onstage jam at the end of the night is a thing that is often talked about, even if it’s easier said than done. But let’s assume it was going to happen at each stop on this tour. What would be the song you guys would jam on?

MORTON: “Dave’s choice, man!”

MUSTAINE: “Okay – Gimme Shelter. And Randy [Blythe] has to sing. [Laughter all around]”

MORTON: “I love the first part of your suggestion!”

Does Randy also have to do the background vocal part?

MUSTAINE: “Of course!”

MORTON: “[Laughs] I believe in him. He can do it. He’ll figure it out, man!”

The Metal Tour of the Year begins on July 9, 2021 in Detroit, and ends September 10 in Las Vegas.

In Flames have shared the official lyric video for the song "Call My Name," from their upcoming album, I, The Mask, You can check out the clip above.

I, The Mask, the band’s 13th studio effort, is out today via Eleven Seven Music in North America and Nuclear Blast worldwide. Said In Flames singer Anders Fridén about the effort: 

"This album is really a special one to us. Since our last record, Battles, we've established our own annual festival in Sweden and have been touring non-stop worldwide, creating an even stronger bond with our fans. You could say it was a big part of our inspiration for this album. It's been such a long journey that just keeps going and growing. We feel extremely thankful for that, and for the support that makes it possible. We dedicate our 13th album, I, The Mask, to our fans who allow us to keep making music and playing it every night. In Jesterheads We Trust."

I, The Mask was produced by Howard Benson, mixed by Chris Lord-Alge and mastered by Ted Jensen. You can check out the full track list below.

I, The Mask track list:

01. Voices

02. I, The Mask

03. Call My Name

04. I Am Above

05. Follow Me

06. (This is Our) House

07. We Will Remember

08. In This Life

09. Burn

10. Deep Inside

11. All The Pain

12. Stay With Me

In Flames have shared the official lyric video for the song "Burn," from their upcoming album, I, The Mask, You can check out the clip above.

The album, their 13th studio effort, is out March 1 via Eleven Seven Music in North America and Nuclear Blast worldwide. Said In Flames singer Anders Fridén about I, The Mask: 

"This album is really a special one to us. Since our last record, Battles, we've established our own annual festival in Sweden and have been touring non-stop worldwide, creating an even stronger bond with our fans. You could say it was a big part of our inspiration for this album. It's been such a long journey that just keeps going and growing. We feel extremely thankful for that, and for the support that makes it possible. We dedicate our 13th album, I, The Mask, to our fans who allow us to keep making music and playing it every night. In Jesterheads We Trust."

I, The Mask was produced by Howard Benson, mixed by Chris Lord-Alge and mastered by Ted Jensen. You can check out the full track list below.

I, The Mask track list:

01. Voices

02. I, The Mask

03. Call My Name

04. I Am Above

05. Follow Me

06. (This is Our) House

07. We Will Remember

08. In This Life

09. Burn

10. Deep Inside

11. All The Pain

12. Stay With Me

In Flames have announced the release of I, The Mask, their 13th studio effort. The album is out March 1 via Eleven Seven Music in North America and Nuclear Blast worldwide. In advance of the record the band have shared two new songs, "I Am Above" and "(This Is Our) House."

Said In Flames singer Anders Fridén about I, The Mask: "This album is really a special one to us. Since our last record, Battles, we've established our own annual festival in Sweden and have been touring non-stop worldwide, creating an even stronger bond with our fans. You could say it was a big part of our inspiration for this album. It's been such a long journey that just keeps going and growing. We feel extremely thankful for that, and for the support that makes it possible. We dedicate our 13th album, I, The Mask, to our fans who allow us to keep making music and playing it every night. In Jesterheads We Trust."

The video for "I Am Above" features Swedish actor Martin Wallström (Mr. Robot) lip syncing the song. Said Wallström: "I was very intrigued by doing something I've never done before and honored getting the question from In Flames. Also trying to portray a lively song in a dark room, sitting in front of a camera was challenging, but I felt strongly for the song and the lyrics, so that was a comfort."

The lyric video for "(This Is Our) House," meanwhile, features unseen footage from In Flames’ first annual Swedish festival, Borgholm Brinner (Borgholm is Burning).

Pre-orders for I, The Mask will begin January 11, offering "I Am Above" and "(This Is Our) House" as instant downloads. The album was produced by Howard Benson, mixed by Chris Lord-Alge and mastered by Ted Jensen. You can check out the full track list below.

I, The Mask track list:

01. Voices

02. I, The Mask

03. Call My Name

04. I Am Above

05. Follow Me

06. (This is Our) House

07. We Will Remember

08. In This Life

09. Burn

10. Deep Inside

11. All The Pain

12. Stay With Me

In this exclusive Guitar World video, In Flames guitarists Niclas Engelin and Bjorn Gelotte play some of the riffs from the band's upcoming album, Siren Charms.

The album will be released September 5 (worldwide) and September 9 in the U.S. via Sony/RED.

Check out the clip below and tell us what you think in the comments or on Facebook.

For more about In Flames, follow them on Facebook — and be sure to check out our exclusive video from this past Monday, "In Flames' Gear Secrets Unveiled!"

In this exclusive Guitar World video, In Flames guitarists Bjorn Gelotte and Niclas Engelin divulge some of their gear secrets. Check out the clip below and tell us what you think in the comments or on Facebook.

The band's new album, Siren Charms, will be released September 5 (worldwide) and September 9 in the U.S. via Sony/RED.

For more about In Flames, follow them on Facebook.

Trivium and In Flames have just announced the dates for a lengthy co-headlining trek through North America next year. You can check out all of the tour dates -- which will feature support from Veil of Maya -- below.

Trivium released their latest album, In Waves, this past August via Roadrunner Records. In Flames' latest effort, Sounds of a Playground Fading, hit stores back in February via Century Media.

Trivium and In Flames North American Tour Dates

• Jan. 12 – Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave
• Jan. 13 – Royal Oak, MI @ Royal Oak Music Theatre
• Jan. 14 - Baltimore, MD @ Rams Head Live
• Jan. 15 - Philadelphia, PA @ Trocadero
• Jan. 17 - Ybor City, FL @ The Ritz Ybor
• Jan. 18 - Atlanta, GA @ Center Stage
• Jan. 20 – Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live Ballroom
• Jan. 21 – Austin, TX @ Emo’s East
• Jan. 22 - Dallas, TX @ Granada Theater
• Jan. 24 - Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
• Jan. 25 - Winnipeg, MA @ Burton Cummings
• Jan. 27 - Edmonton, AB @ Edmonton Events Centre
• Jan. 28 – Calgary, AB @ MacEwan Hall Ballroom
• Jan. 31 - Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom
• Feb. 01 - Portland, OR @ Roseland Theatre
• Feb. 02 - Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory Concert House
• Feb. 03 - Seattle, WA @ Showbox SODO
• Feb. 04 - Spokane, WA @ Knitting Factory Concert House
• Feb. 06 - San Francisco, CA @ The Regency Ballroom
• Feb. 07 - Los Angeles, CA @ Wiltern Theatre
• Feb. 08 – Tempe, AZ @ The Marquee
• Feb. 09 - Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theater
• Feb. 10 - Denver, CO @ The Summit Music Hall
• Feb. 11 – Kansas City, MO @ The Beaumont Club
• Feb. 13 - Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues
• Feb. 14 - Toronto, ON @ Sound Academy
• Feb. 15 - Montreal, QC @ Metropolis
• Feb. 17 - Worcester, MA @ The Palladium
• Feb. 18 - New York, NY @ Best Buy Theater
• Feb. 19 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE
• Feb. 21 - Chicago, IL @ House of Blues

Swedish heavy metal band In Flames will not be on the remaining dates of the 2011 Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival, citing serious illness in the family of one of the band members.

A band-issued statements reads:

"It is with huge regret that today with immediate effect In Flames must cancel their current US shows as part of the Rockstar Mayhem Festival and their own US Headline shows. But due to a serious terminal illness of one the band’s immediate family members they feel they have no option.

We have had the most amazing and fun times as part of the Rockstar Mayhem Festival and we are truly grateful for all the support the whole festival has shown

We will be back at the start of 2012.

• Once again our apologies,
• In Flames"

Remaining Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival Dates:
7/31 - Susquehanna Bank Center - Camden, NJ
8/2 – Farm Bureau Live at Virginia Beach - Virginia Beach, VA
8/3 - Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion at Walnut Creek - Raleigh, NC
8/5 - First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre - Tinley Park, IL (Chicago IL)
8/6 - DTE Energy Music Theatre - Clarkston, MI (Detroit, MI)
8/7 - Verizon Wireless Music Center - Noblesville, IN (Indianapolis, IN)
8/9 - Zoo Amphitheatre - Oklahoma City, OK
8/10 – Gexa Energy Pavilion - Dallas, TX
8/12 - Aaron's Amphitheatre at Lakewood - Atlanta, GA
8/13 - 1-800-ASK-GARY Amphitheatre - Tampa, FL
8/14 - Cruzan Amphitheatre - West Palm Beach, FL

Trivium, In Flames, Rise to Remain and Ghost have all signed on for Metal Hammer's Defenders Of The Faith tour. The trek will cover seven dates in the U.K. this December.

"Prepare for the siege on the U.K. that is the 2011 Metal Hammer Defenders Of The Faith tour," says Trivium's Matt Heafy. "This is what it's all about: an epic night to celebrate all that is glorious about the diverse world of metal. This bill is a must-see tour and has something every fan of modern metal can enjoy."

"We are glad to be part of such an awesome bill on the Defenders Of The Faith tour," adds Anders Fridén of In Flames. "We are looking forward to playing the U.K. after such a good time this summer at Sonisphere."

"Without In Flames, Trivium wouldn't exist," explains Matt. "So needless to say, the ability to tour with these legends is a dream come true."

Defenders of the Faith Tour Dates

• Dec. 01 - Southampton, England - Guildhall
• Dec. 02 - Wolverhampton, England - Civic Hall
• Dec. 03 - Manchester, England - Academy
• Dec. 04 - London, England - Brixton O2 Academy
• Dec. 06 - Glasgow, Scotland - O2 Academy
• Dec. 07 - Newcastle, England - O2 Academy
• Dec. 08 - Plymouth, England - Pavillions

The new album from In Flames, Sounds Of A Playground Fading, is currently streaming in its entirety as part of AOL's Full CD Listening Party. You can listen to the full album here.

The follow-up to 2008's A Sense of Purpose, and the band's 10th studio album, Sounds Of A Playground Fading is the first In Flames album not to feature founding guitarist Jesper Strömblad, who left the band in February 2010.

Sounds Of A Playground Fading is out tomorrow, June 21, in North America via Century Media Records.

Check out some bonus footage from the official album EPK below.

Even with the absence of Ozzfest and an official Crue Fest tour this summer, there still will be plenty of opportunities for headbangers to get their fill.

Here are four kickass 2011 summer tours:

• Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival. Featuring Megadeth, Disturbed, Godsmack, Machine Head, In Flames, Trivium, Suicide Silence, All Shall Perish, Straight Line Stitch, Unearth, Kingdom of Sorrow and Red Fang. Starts July 9 at San Manuel Amphitheatre in San Bernadino, California. Ends Aug. 14 at the Cruzan Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach, Florida. The complete schedule for this tour -- and the other three tours -- is below.

• Metal Blade Records Summer Slaughter. Featuring Black Dahlia Murder, Whitechapel, Darkest Hour, Six Feet Under, Dying Fetus, As Blood Runs Black, Oceano and Flesh God Apocalypse. Starts July 22 at the Los Angeles Strip House of Blues. Ends Aug. 21 at the House of Blues in Dallas, Texas.

• All Stars Tour. Featuring For Today, In This Moment, Born of Osiris, the Ghost Inside, After the Burial, Attila, For All Those Sleeping, Chelsea Grin, Emmure, Alesana, iwrestledabearonce and blessthefall. Starts July 21 in Houston, Texas. Ends Aug. 23 in San Francisco.

• Rockstar Energy Drink Uproar Festival. Featuring Avenged Sevenfold, Three Days Grace, Seether, Bullet for My Valentine, Escape the Fate, Sevendust, Black Tide, Art of Dying and Orange Blossom Special. Starts Aug. 26 in Camden, New Jersey. Ends Oct. 14 (location TBA).

Gabriel Garcia, Black Tide's founder, guitarist and vocalist, is ready for Black Tide's outing on the Rockstar Energy Drink Uproar Festival.

“We were just confirmed for it a couple of weeks ago,” Garcia said during an interview from his home in Miami, Florida. “We're looking forward to hanging out with Avenged Sevenfold, Escape the Fate and Bullet for My Valentine. We know those guys, and they're awesome people. It's going to be like a summer camp.”

As an added bonus, Black Tide will release Post Mortem, the follow-up to 2008's Light from Above, on Aug. 23.

“I was 13 when we recorded Light from Above, so I really hadn't lived or experienced life,” said Garcia, who got his first guitar from a flea market when he was 8. “When we were writing songs for Post Mortem, we put everything we experienced in those four years of touring in the lyrics, so the CD is very real for us.”

Chris Howorth, guitarist/co-founder of In This Moment, one of the All Star Tour headliners, is expecting an interesting summer.

“We did the Vans Warped Tour in 2009, and it was a different experience for us,” Howorth said. “Our fan base is more of the Korn, Disturbed, Five Finger Death Punch types, but when we were on Warped, we were playing for young punk-rock kids.

“All Star Tour is similar to Warped,” he said. “There will be a lot of younger kids and break-down bands. So it will be interesting for In This Moment to play.”

2011 SUMMER TOUR DATES:

Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival
Jul 09 San Manuel Amphitheater, San Bernardino, CA
Jul 10 Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, CA
Jul 12 White River Amphitheatre, Auburn, WA
Jul 13 Idaho Center Amphitheatre, Nampa, ID
Jul 15 Ashley Furniture Homestore Pavilion, Phoenix, AZ
Jul 16 Hard Rock Casino Presents: The Pavilion, Albuquerque, NM
Jul 17 Fiddler's Green Ampitheatre, Englewood, CO
Jul 19 Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, Maryland Heights, MO
Jul 20 Riverbend Music Center, Cincinnati, OH
Jul 22 Comcast Center, Mansfield, MA
Jul 23 Parc Jean-Drapeau (Heavy MTL), Montreal, QC
Jul 24 Comcast Theatre, Hartford, CT
Jul 26 Darien Lake Performing Arts Center, Darien Center, NY
Jul 27 PNC Bank Arts Center, Holmdel, NJ
Jul 29 First Niagara Pavilion, Burgettstown, PA
Jul 30 Jiffy Lube Live, Bristow, VA
Jul 31 Susquehanna Bank Center, Camden, NJ
Aug 02 Farm Bureau Live At Virginia Beach, Virginia Beach, VA
Aug 03 Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion at Walnut Creek, Raleigh, NC
Aug 05 First Midwest Bank Ampitheatre, Tinley Park, IL
Aug 06 DTE Energy Music Theatre, Clarkston, MI
Aug 07 Verizon Wireless Music Center, Noblesville, IN
Aug 09 Zoo Amphitheatre, Oklahoma City, OK
Aug 10 Gexa Energy Pavilion, Dallas, TX
Aug 12 Aaron's Amphitheater at Lakewood, Atlanta, GA
Aug 13 1-800-ASK-GARY Amphitheatre, Tampa, FL
Aug 14 Cruzan Ampitheatre, West Palm Beach, FL

See the dates for the other three tours on the next page!

Metal Blade Records Summer Slaughter
Jul 22 House of Blues Sunset Strip, Los Angeles, CA
Jul 23 The Grove, Anaheim, CA
Jul 25 Roseland Theater, Portland, OR
Jul 26 King Cat Theatre, Seattle, WA
Jul 27 The Knitting Factory, Boise, ID
Jul 28 Ace of Spades, Sacramento, CA
Jul 29 The Fillmore, San Francisco, CA
Jul 30 House of Blues, San Diego, CA
Jul 31 Venue Of Scottsdale, Scottsdale, AZ
Aug 01 Sunshine Theatre, Albuquerque, NM
Aug 02 Summit Music Hal, Denver, CO
Aug 03 The Cotillion, Wichita, KS
Aug 04 Expo Five, Louisville, KY
Aug 05 Saint Andrews Hall, Detroit, MI
Aug 06 The Rave, Milwaukee, WI
Aug 07 House of Blues, Cleveland, OH
Aug 08 House of Blues, Chicago, IL
Aug 09 Sound Academy, Toronto, Canada
Aug 10 OLYMPIA, Montreal, Canada
Aug 11 Irving Plaza, New York, NY
Aug 12 THE PALLADIUM, Worcester, MA
Aug 13 Theatre of Living Arts, Philadelphia, PA
Aug 14 Starland Ballroom, Sayreville, NJ
Aug 15 930 Club, Washington, DC
Aug 16 The Masquerade, Atlanta, GA
Aug 17 Revolution Live, Fort Lauderdale, FL
Aug 19 House of Blues, Houston, TX
Aug 20 Backstage Live, San Antonio, TX
Aug 21 House of Blues Dallas, Dallas, TX

All Stars Tour
Jul 21 TBAHouston, TX
Jul 22 Las Palmas Racepark Mcallen, TX
Jul 23 Backstage LiveSan Antonio, TX
Jul 24 The Palladium Ballroom Dallas, TX
Jul 26 Expo Five Louisville, KY
Jul 27 Agora Theater, Cleveland, OH
Jul 28 Congress Theatre, Chicago, IL
Jul 29 Royal Oak Theatre, Detroit, MI
Jul 30 Eagles Club/The Rave/Eagles Ballroom, Milwaukee, WI
Jul 31 Station 4 Outdoors, St Paul, MN
Aug 02 Sound Academy Toronto, Canada
Aug 03 OLYMPIA Montreal, Canada
Aug 04 Sovereign Center Reading, PA
Aug 05 Mid Hudson Civic CenterPoughkeepsie, NY
Aug 06 Central Mass Expo Center Fitchburg, MA
Aug 07 Starland Ballroom Sayreville, NJ
Aug 09 Sonar Baltimore, MD
Aug 10 The National Richmond, VA
Aug 11 The Fillmore Charlotte Charlotte, NC
Aug 12 House of Blues Myrtle Beach North Myrtle Beach, SC
Aug 13 Plaza 'LIVE' Orlando, FL
Aug 14 Seville Quarter Party Plaza Pensacola, FL
Aug 17 Rialto Theatre Tucson, AZ
Aug 18 Venue Of Scottsdale Scottsdale, AZ
Aug 19 Soma San Diego, CA
Aug 20 The Grove Anaheim, CA
Aug 21 Rock The Block Las Vegas, NV
Aug 23 Regency Ballroom San Francisco, CA

Rockstar Energy Drink Uproar Festival
Aug 26 Camden, NJ Susquehanna Bank Center
Aug 27 Scranton, PAToyota PavilionDetail
Aug 28 Boston, MA Comcast Center
Aug 31 Washington DC Jiffy Lube Live
Sept 01 TBA
Sept 03 Tampa, FL 1-800-ASK-GARY Amphitheatre
Sept 04 Biloxi, MS Mississippi Coast Coliseum
Sept 05 Houston, TXCynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Sept 09 TBA
Sept 10 Buffalo, NY, Darien Lake Performing Arts Center
Sept 11 Hartford, CTThe Comcast Theatre
Sept 13 TBA
Sept 14 Toronto, ONMolson Amphitheatre
Sept 16 Pittsburgh, PA First Niagara Pavilion
Sept 17 Indianapolis, IN Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
Sept 18 TBA
Sept 21 Cleveland, OH Blossom Music Center
Sept 23 Omaha, NE WestFair Amphitheater
Sept 24 Kansas City, MO Sandstone Amphitheater
Sept 25 TBA
Sept 28 TBA
Sept 29 TBA
Oct 01 TBA
Oct 02 TBA
Oct 05 TBA
Oct 07 TBA
Oct 08 TBA
Oct 09 San Diego, CACricket Amphitheatre
Oct 13 TBA
Oct 14 TBA

Influential heavy metal titans In Flames have completed work on its new album. Entitled A Sense of Purpose, the long awaited record will see an April 1, 2008, North American release date via Koch Records.

The follow-up to the band’s most successful album to date, 2006’s Come Clarity, A Sense of Purpose was recorded at the band’s all new IF Studios in Gothenburg, Sweden. The record was mixed by Toby Wright (Metallica, Slayer) and merges the band’s ambitious, forward thinking songwriting with the familiar harmonized lead guitar melodies that have populated previous In Flames albums such as The Jester Race and Colony.

The roll out song from A Sense of Purpose will be the album’s lead track, “The Mirror’s Truth,” which will see release as a European single on March 7 through the band’s European label, Nuclear Blast Records. The track will be made available worldwide on March 11 via iTunes. In Flames have also tagged “The Mirror’s Truth” as the first music video from the new album.

Track Listing:

• 1) The Mirror's Truth
• 2) Disconnected
• 3) Sleepless Again
• 4) Alias
• 5) I'm the Highway
• 6) Delight and Angers
• 7) Move Through Me
• 8) The Chosen Pessimist
• 9) Sober and Irrelevant
• 10) Condemned
• 11) Drenched in Fear
• 12) March to the Shore

In support of A Sense of Purpose, In Flames will tour North America as one of the featured acts of Gigantour 2008. In Flames has been handpicked by Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine to provide direct support to his legendary metal band on the 29 city tour that will also include Children of Bodom, Job for a Cowboy and High on Fire.

For tour dates, click visit www.guitarworld.com/article/dave_mustaine_announces_gigantour_2008_new_guitarist

In Flames features Björn Gelotte (Guitar), Peter Iwers (Bass), Jesper Strömblad (Guitar), Daniel Svensson (Drums) and Anders Fridén (vocals).

Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine has announced that his annual Gigantour will kick off April 12 in Denver, CO, with headliner Megadeth, Scandinavian death metal band In Flames, Finland’s Children of Bodom, Arizona’s Job for a Cowboy and Oakland, CA, heavy power trio High on Fire all confirmed. The 29-date trek will criss-cross North America and wraps May 22 in Phoenix, AZ.

Mustaine sums up the philosophy behind Gigantour, hailed by Revolver magazine as “the mother of all shred-fests”: “If the bands and the fans are treated well, then the entertained and the entertainers go home happy—it’s a win-win situation.” Since its inception in 2005, Gigantour has galvanized bands that emphasize true musicianship and virtuosity, offering them a new opportunity to showcase their talents. “I think that in a small way, we are cleaning up the environment of crappy bands,” he says, laughing. “All of the people that really love this kind of music know that they can count on these bands to deliver the goods this year.”

In other Megadeth news, the group has officially welcomed new guitarist Chris Broderick (Nevermore, Jag Panzer) to the band after parting ways with Glen Drover—which was hinted at back in November. “I’ve noticed [on the internet] that people are pissed with me over the way things were handled with Glen quitting the group,” says Mustaine, “but they’re gonna be pissed even more when they hear how fierce we are with Chris! Megadeth is playing at a new level.” Broderick will make his live debut with Megadeth February 4 in Finland, where the group—guitarist/singer Mustaine, guitarist Broderick, drummer Shawn Drover and James Lomenzo on bass—is kicking off a long string of international dates which wrap March 14 in Bangalore, India. The full itinerary, including Gigantour UK dates, is below. To see Broderick in action, check out http://www.chrisbroderick.com/video/fiveoctave.html.

Gigantour features bands hand-picked by Mustaine with a sharp eye on true musicianship and a heavy focus on top-notch guitarists. The first incarnation in 2005 included Dream Theater, Fear Factory, Nevermore, Life of Agony, Symphony X, Dry Kill Logic and Bobaflex, while the 2006 trek included Lamb of God, Opeth, Arch Enemy, Overkill, Into Eternity, Sanctity and the Smashup. The trek always offers a strong connection between fans and musicians.

VIP ticket packages are available—via gigantour.com, www.megadeth.com and www.ticketmaster.com—whereby fans can take a personal photo with Megadeth at an exclusive meet and greet session and receive an official tour laminate, guitar picks, etc.

For more Megadeth news, check out theliveline.com or leave a message for Dave Mustaine at 866-597-MEGA.

North American Tour Dates

4/12 Denver, CO The Fillmore

4/13 Albuquerque, NM Journal Pavilion

4/15 Dallas, TX Nokia Theatre

4/16 Corpus Christi, TX Concrete Street Pavilion

4/17 Houston, TX Verizon Wireless Theatre

4/19 Louisville, KY Louisville Gardens

4/20 Atlanta, GA Tabernacle

4/22 New York, NY Hammerstein Ballroom

4/24 Worcester, MA Palladium

4/26 Baltimore, MD Merriweather Post Pavilion

4/28 Quebec City, QC Pavilion De La Jeunesse

4/29 Montreal, QC Bell Centre

4/30 Toronto, ON Arrow Hall

5/1 London, ON John Labatt Centre

5/3 Detroit, MI DTE Music Center

5/4 Cleveland, OH Time Warner Cable Amphitheater

5/6 Chicago, IL Aragon

5/7 Milwaukee, WI Eagles Ballroom

5/9 Minneapolis, MN Myth

5/10 Winnipeg, MB Convention Center

5/11 Saskatoon, SK Prairieland Exhibition Hall

5/12 Edmonton, AB Shaw Conference Center

5/14 Calgary, AB The Corral

5/16 Vancouver, BC Pacific Coliseum

5/17 Salem, OR Salem Armory

5/19 San Jose, CA Event Center @ San Jose State

5/20 San Diego, CA Cox Arena

5/21 Los Angeles, CA Long Beach Arena

5/22 Phoenix, AZ Mesa Amphitheatre