From yacht-rock reinventions to Viking metal: here are this week's essential guitar tracks

Laura-Mary Carter of Blood Red Shoes performs live on stage at the Metropol on November 5, 2019 in Berlin, Germany
(Image credit: Frank Hoensch/Redferns)

Exhale, for Friday has arrived, and the weekend is almost here. Of course though, we can’t in good conscience send you off without filling your ears with guitar goodness.

We’ve got an eclectic but bountiful plate of material this week, with everything from John Mayer’s yacht-rock reinvention, to a nice, calming slice of pure Viking metal from Amon Amarth, some straight-from-the-swamps Southern rock from Blackberry Smoke, Deftones-y shoegaze metal from Blanket and a whole lot more.

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Michael Astley-Brown

Mike is Editor-in-Chief of GuitarWorld.com, in addition to being an offset fiend and recovering pedal addict. He has a master's degree in journalism from Cardiff University, and over a decade's experience writing and editing for guitar publications including MusicRadar, Total Guitar and Guitarist, as well as 20 years of recording and live experience in original and function bands. During his career, he has interviewed the likes of John Frusciante, Chris Cornell, Tom Morello, Matt Bellamy, Kirk Hammett, Jerry Cantrell, Joe Satriani, Tom DeLonge, Ed O'Brien, Polyphia, Tosin Abasi, Yvette Young and many more. In his free time, you'll find him making progressive instrumental rock under the nom de plume Maebe.