Metal Reviews

I am a huge fan of guitar solos. Can you recommend a few bands where the guitar solos stand out? Coupled with good songs of course. King Diamond and Mercyful solos kill. Am looking out for some more bands.

Dream Theater and Nevermore are obligatory.

Was going to say them.

Dream Theater and I also agree with King Diamond and Mercyful Fate, but I could make a huuuuge list of bands with awesome solos. Some of my favorites are from Angra though.

Judas Priest. Glen Tipton and KK Downing may not be the best guitarists out there, but their sense of melody is impeccable; they can shred, but the shredding is always placed tastefully within the solo and done very well. Some of their best include:

Tyrant
Painkiller
A Touch of Evil
Freewheel Burning
Screaming For Vengeance
Hard as Iron
Dreamer Deciever
Beyond the Realms of Death
The Sentinel
Let Us Pray/Call For the Priest
Between the Hammer and the Anvil

And, the greatest guitar solo of all time:
Ram it Down


Out of all the thrash bands, Heathen has the best lead guitar. Their best leads/solos are Heathen's Song, Guitarmony, Death by Hanging, World's End, Hypnotized and Timeless Cell of Prophecy

I've also always loved Symphony X's, Virgin Steele's, and Manticora's guitar solos.

Symphony X, Dream Theater, Nevermore...the solos on Wintersun are pretty impressive as well.

JUST TO REPRESENTIN' THE DM SIDE OF THINGS

Arsis
Brutality
Immolation

otherwise:
Slough Feg
Exhumed/Dekapitator
Hammers of Misfortune
Manilla Road

Apart from all the classics mentioned, I suggest Therion's Gothic Kabbalah album (their latest). It's full of beautiful melodic solos. You'd enjoy it a lot.

Check out Candlemass's instrumental song Into The Unfathomed Tower, which is basically one long solo, and be amazed.

I second the Priest recomandations. Also, I'm surprised noone mentioned Maiden and Megadeth yet. And yes, anything by Andy LaRoque is mandatory.

The lead and solo work on the new Cage is pretty sweet.

Sonata Arctica have fantastic solos. Also anything with Zakk Wylde or Randy Rhoads.

The twin-guitar solo in that song is awesome

Ok, since I'm a big Maiden kiss ass, lemme suggest MAIDEN too. Although many of my friends say Maiden solos are easily played because they're on E all the time (which I don't really know what it exactly means), they're still great.

Thinking about it, most bands with solos do them well. More:
Mithras, Arch Enemy, Metallica, Slayer (ok, personal taste), recent Ministry, Machine Head, Enslaved, Sepultura.

Are there any bands people can think of that do especially bad solos? Someone'll say Slayer, I'm sure, but otherwise...?

Hibria > all. Neither Priest nor Maiden come close to maintaining that quality in soloing for an entire album. The guys in Scanner are also extremely underrated and truly world class.

Im not a big fan of any neoclassical meedlymeedly solos

Thanks for the recommendations. I will check out some of the bands mentioned here that I haven't listened to before. I agree with Brahm's post. Priest have some of the best solos. The solos in Painkiller, Touch Of Evil and Ram It Down are among my favs. Megadeth and Maiden's solos are fantastic too. If neither Maiden nor Priest solos come close to Hibria, then I will have to check them out .

Early Dream Theater is amazing, if you like wanking with feel, if yoou get my point...the new stuff is way to showi IMO.

anyways, Maiden has some amazing stuff, pagan's mind, w.a.s.p, accept, ac/dc, stevie ray vaughan, joe bonamassa, children of bodom, Allen Lande, Dragonland, Exodus, Judas Priest, racer x, symphony x, threat signal, velvet revolver

dragonforce, some slayer, newer dream theater,

actually i think Dragonforce's solos are pretty cool. not especially memorable, but that's probably because they're so long and fast - when you're listening they don't sound like wanking and they manage to sound like they're going somewhere with it, which is more than i can say for Dream Theater.

well i dont like solos without the "feeling". thats maybe because im a guitar player myself... i do not consider newer dream theater solos very good either. but i like petrucci's solo work. suspended animation is good.