When he's not presenting Gear Gods' popular YouTube channel (opens in new tab), Trey Xavier tears up the fretboard in prog-metal outfit In Virtue. Perfecting the art of heavy yet melodic riffs and pinpoint fretwork, he and co-six-stringer Rami Khalaf are as tight a guitar duo as they come.
In a Guitar World exclusive premiere, we're delighted to present the pair firing on all cylinders as they tear through Where The Edges Meet, a sonic journey that showcases some top-drawer modern metal technique. The track is the second single from the band's forthcoming concept album Age of Legends, which is due out later this year.
Both Xavier and Khalaf use 7-string electric guitars - specifically a Kiesel TL70 and a Strandberg Boden 7, respectively - tuned to A standard (ADGCFAD).
“I wrote this song about a time of uncertainty and division, which pretty accurately describes the current social climate the world is experiencing - but the takeaway is a message of unity, because the only way forward is always together," says Xavier.
"I wanted to have something really driving and groovy for the verses, and I tried to write the riffs to serve that goal and catapult the listener into a huge, anthemic chorus. There isn’t a proper guitar solo on this one, but the lead section is a pretty complex counterpoint-esque duel between the instruments that has a lot going on."
Keep up with In Virtue on YouTube (opens in new tab), Spotify (opens in new tab), Facebook (opens in new tab) and Instagram (opens in new tab).
