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![Cradle of Filth’s Marek “Ashok” Šmerda [left], looking a little like Pinhead from Hellraiser, and Donny Burbage, resplendent in corpsepaint.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Z9d7Mw4qyjZNCd5YcTScBL-840-80.jpg.webp)
Cradle Of Filth’s Donny Burbage and Marek ‘Ashok’ Šmerda on landing their theatrical metal roles
The hands that rock the Cradle reveal the guitar tones behind their theatrical metal mayhem and find modern guitars are weak and false
![Session legend Paul Jackson Jr. [left] wears a white shirt and plays a black single-cut onstage. On the right, a young Whitney Houston performs in 1985 after her self-title debut catapulted her into the A-list.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/RuJoJsQo2ZMwsUhM4HYk9X-840-80.jpg.webp)
40 years ago, session ace Paul Jackson Jr. turned up to record with a then unknown singer – her name was Whitney Houston
Jackson tells us how, armed with the Strat he played on Thriller, he turned up for a studio session that would introduce us to one of the world's biggest stars
The inside story of Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble’s Soul to Soul
Chris Layton, Reese Wynans, Tommy Shannon, and Joe Sublett recall the difficult birth of the 1985 classic of Texas blues, as cocaine, whiskey, and fatigue took their toll
![Joe Bonamassa [left] hits a high note on his 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard. He wears a dark suit and shades. On the right, Rory Gallagher is pictured at the 1975 Reading Festival, and solos on his number one Strat.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/YKiQ5HKvEMDmjcdRofuwqL-840-80.jpg.webp)
Joe Bonamassa explains the slide guitar genius of his hero and icon, Rory Gallagher
In this tab and video lesson, Joe dons a metal guitar slide and unpacks the late Irish blues legend's glissando magic
The Smithereens’ Jim Babjak on how they went from broke to touring with Tom Petty – and became Kurt Cobain’s tonal reference for Nevermind
Babjak reflects on the remarkable career of the Smithereens, competing with tribute acts, and why he was too scared to speak to Pete Townshend
![Heart's Ann [left] and Nancy Wilson pictured in 1985. Nancy is holding her Gibson Les Paul Custom](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/P6HXpqzcZihm3WmjRcBJXc-840-80.jpg.webp)
Nancy Wilson knew Heart had to adapt to survive the excesses of the 1980s – but she didn’t expect their greatest success
Heart's self-titled 1985 album was just what the doctor ordered, ushering in a triumphant second act for the iconic Seattle rockers
Carol Kaye on why it is not who you are but how and what you play that defines you as a musician
As one of L.A.’s top studio musicians during the ‘60s, Carol Kaye’s credits rival anyone's. In this classic 2009 interview, she talks influences, teaching, and how she feels about being a role model
Bonnie Trash’s Emmalia Bortolon-Vettor on the pursuit of new sounds with $1 ring slide and a looper
Meet the Canadian quartet twisting post-rock with gothic noise and avant-garde surrealism, whose freewheeling approach requires economical gear and a curious mind
Cory Wong on collaboration and how to stack and blend guitar parts that complement the song
Looking for the perfect part to play with another guitarist? Wong says it's all about finding the compositional "hook" – and he has some practical examples to show us
Yngwie Malmsteen tells the story of how he broke the mold for rock guitar – and brought the Strat in from the cold
After the one-two punch of Rising Force and Marching out, rock guitar was never the same again. Malmsteen takes us back to 1985 – a different world – to explain just what was going on
