Weezer fan the flames of rock 'n' roll in Australian Guitar #143, out today

Never ones to settle in their ways, the generation-defining pop-rock rulers in Weezer have crafted not one, but two of their most unpredictably wild albums to date: the equally introspective and operatic OK Human (which features not a single lick of electric guitar, but instead makes use of a 38-piece orchestra), and the '80s hair metal-channelling Van Weezer (which is absolutely stuffed from cover to cover with rip-roaring riffs and soaring solos). To find out how these two boundary-breaking albums came to life, Australian Guitar caught up with frontman Rivers Cuomo – who also filled us in on Weezer's notably ambitious plan for 2022, which includes an epic four-album saga!

Before you dive into that wicked five-page cover story, though, why not catch up on all the latest happenings in the Australian rock world? In Australian Guitar #143, we're showcasing You Am I, DZ Deathrays, Polish Club, The Bamboos, Liz Stringer and Teenage Joans, all of whom have ripping new records they wax lyrical about with us. And from across the pond, we've got interviews with St. Vincent, Garbage, Dinosaur Jr, Wolf Alice, Manchester Orchestra, Royal Blood and Gojira – to name just a few.

We also got down to the wire with Pearl Jam shredder Mike McCready to chat about his stunning new signature Stratocaster from the Fender Custom Shop; then stepped behind the curtain with one of the actual master builders from the Custom Shop – the legendary Kyle McMillin – to hear the backstory behind his jaw-dropping inclusion in the 2021 Fender Prestige Collection.

Speaking of iconic guitar brands doing super cool things, we get a blast from the past with a story detailing how Gibson saved Epiphone from the brink of death in the '50s. Epiphone, of course, are best known for making the best guitars a future virtuoso could dream of getting their hands on – and for those budding players among us ready to shred up a storm, we've got five essential lessons for you to give a red hot go. Once you've got the technique down, learn some classic rock anthems with our trio of tablature highlights: "Lithium" by Nirvana, "Tangerine" by Led Zeppelin and "The Passenger" by Iggy Pop.

But what if you don't want an Epiphone? What about one of the most beloved guitars of all time – the one and only Fender Stratocaster – instead? There are literally hundreds of Stratocaster models on the market, but never fear! In AG #143, we're diving deep with shootout of the best Strats you can buy right now. We'd suggest checking that feature out while you revisit the mammoth prog epic that is Tool's latest album, Fear Inoculum – then read all about how its producer, Joe Barresi, managed to capture that one-of-a-kind guitar tone in this issue's Producer Profile column.

After that, suss the Fresh Frets column to find your new favourite local band, and the Spotlight column to catch up with some of the buzziest names on the scene right now. There's also the Hot Gear column hated by wallets everywhere – and once you've drooled over all the goodies in that, head to the last pages of the magazine for a stack of reviews for the latest and greatest gear on the market.

Australian Guitar #143 is available from today at newsagents all around the country, and online via techmags.com.au or iSubscribe.

Artist interviews in this issue:

• The Bamboos
• Dropkick Murphys
• DZ Deathrays
• Garbage
• Gojira
• K.Flay
• Manchester Orchestra
• Mannequin Pussy
• The Offspring
• Pearl Jam
• Polish Club
• Rag'N'Bone Man
• Royal Blood
• St. Vincent
• Teenage Fanclub
• Teenage Joans
• Waterparks
• Weezer
• You Am I
• Joe Barresi (Producer Profile)
• Aston Valladares of Towns (Spotlight)
• Christopher Vernon of Belle Haven (Spotlight)
• Rosie Tucker (Spotlight)
• Tyne-James Organ (Spotlight)

All the hottest gear reviews:

• CME WIDI Master
• Focusrite FAST Series Plugins
• Sterling By Music Man Jason Richardson 7-String Cutlass
• Line 6 HX Stomp XL
• Fender American Acoustasonic Jazzmaster
• Cort G300 Pro
• Epiphone Inspired By Gibson J-45 + J-200
• Electro-Harmonix Oceans 12 Dual Stereo Reverb
• Victory V40 The Duchess
• Carl Martin Plexiranger
• MXR M251 FOD Drive
• MXR M305 Tremolo
• MXR M299 Carbon Copy Mini
• Boss GT-1000Core
• Boss Pocket GT
• Blackstar Carry-On Deluxe Pack
• PRS SE Custom 24 + 24-08 

Subscribe to the print edition of Australian Guitar, and you'll enjoy each new issue on the day it's published, delivered straight to your door. Click here for all the details!