Latest articles by Michael Astley-Brown
’90s alt-rock giants unite and blink-182 make a surprisingly heavy return: this week’s essential guitar tracks
Tasty new guitar tracks that need to be on your radar from Johnny Marr, Yasmin Williams, Art of Anarchy, The Vaccines, Bleachers, Joanne Shaw Taylor, Chelsea Wolfe and more
“We’re doing this because Black Sabbath did it. Neil Young did it. Van Halen did it. Are you going to tell Eddie Van Halen he wasn’t playing guitar properly?” Soundgarden’s Kim Thayil recalls his battles with drop-D trolls
Thayil brought drop-D tuning to the mainstream with the grunge guitar revolution – but he had to contend with “purists and nitwits who would write into guitar magazines saying, ‘Drop D is cheating; you’re not really playing if you do that!’”
“Angry, aggressive, loud and brutal”: Combined, these 36 fuzz pedals are a literal work of art – individually, they sound terrifying
Only the Dead… is the latest jaw-dropping stompbox from Gone Fishing Effects – the brainchild of guitar tech to the stars Richard ‘Churd’ Pratt
Death metal SG tones, the drummer from Slayer and “unabridged hatred in musical form”: get a load of this year’s filthiest riffers Empire State Bastard
Mike Vennart is touring guitarist for Biffy Clyro and former frontman of UK prog heroes Oceansize, but he’s finally let his extreme metal alter ego out – and it’s seriously nasty, as evidenced in this no-holds-barred playthrough
“My original ’60 Stratocaster will always sound the best. This one is right next to the best”: Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready on why he’s playing his more affordable signature guitar live, covering Eruption and embracing digital amps
Now onto his second signature Fender, grunge’s answer to Stevie Ray Vaughan reflects on his greatest Stratocaster moment, how Eddie Van Halen and Chris Cornell inspired his guitar playing, and why you should be excited for the next Pearl Jam album – oh, and his rock opera about the Seattle scene
“A moment for modern guitar playing” that reaches new technical heights and Spinal Tap’s antidote to the Barbie hype: this week’s essential guitar tracks
Hot new cuts courtesy of Unprocessed, Derek Smalls, Meet Me @ The Altar, Wargasm, While She Sleeps, Erja Lyytinen, Wilco, Big Thief and more
“They’re some of the best amps I’ve ever played”: Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready on why he made the switch to Fender’s digital Tone Master amps
The self-confessed tube lover changed up his backline for Pearl Jam’s 2022 US tour – but it wasn’t a decision he took lightly
“Andrew Watt pushed us as hard as we could be pushed”: Pearl Jam’s energetic new album is “just about finished” – but Mike McCready is also working on a rock opera about the Seattle music scene
The lead guitarist shares the first details of his ambitious new musical that honors Chris Cornell and other Seattle legends – and why he used Andrew Watt’s gear rather than his own for the rock veterans’ forthcoming record
Remarkable returns from the Rolling Stones and Måneskin, plus a Tool bassist’s sonic experiments: this week’s essential guitar tracks
Besides stadium and arena mainstays, we’ve got fresh cuts from The Gaslight Anthem, Dead Poet Society, Shylmagoghnar and an eclectic Justin Chancellor side-project
“I was able to do something weird when I played, something unusual I couldn’t do with anything else”: Kevin Shields’ signature Fender Shields Blender sold out instantly, but now it’s back – and $200 cheaper
In honor of the sought-after fuzz pedal’s return, My Bloody Valentine’s sonic genius has teamed up with J Mascis for one of the most psychedelic gear demos you’ve ever heard
“This guitar does things most guitars aren’t gonna do”: It took three failed attempts and three decades of waiting, but Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil finally has a signature Guild S-100
The long-awaited signature model for the grunge guitar icon has landed at last, complete with nods to the Seattle institution’s discography and hand-wound Jason Lollar pickups
Metallica just launched the world’s first-ever guitar-shaped ice cream bar
Based on James Hetfield’s ESP Truckster, the Enlightened x Metallica vanilla dark chocolate bars will raise money for the metal icons’ All Within My Hands foundation
Want to try your hand at pedal building? Mojotone’s easy-to-assemble pedal kits are based on classic designs – and keep soldering to a minimum
The four kits – based on the Tube Screamer, Rat, Big Muff and Blues Breaker – offer extra versatility over the original designs
“All the pedals should be put in a big pile and we should light ’em on fire”: Mac DeMarco is synonymous with woozy vibrato guitar – but he hates pedals
The hugely prolific singer-songwriter dubs pedals “cheap pieces of s**t with crappy electronics” – and don’t even mention patch cables or power supplies…
Pantera-inspired groove-metal throwdowns and the return of one of the 21st century’s foremost tapping talents: this week’s essential guitar tracks
New releases you can’t afford to miss from Marnie Stern, Jason Hook, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, George Lynch, Ty Segall, Blackberry Smoke and so… much… more!
The ravaged rock wasteland between Endless Boogie and Mötorhead, and a comeback for one of the most influential riffsmiths of his generation: This week's essential guitar tracks
From Robin Trower to Spiritbox, Black Pumas to George Lynch, Helmet to Polaris, these are the guitar-forward songs you can't afford to miss this week
Gossamer tremolo picking and the stuff of Phrygian nightmares: This week's essential guitar tracks
Unmissable new songs from Fiddlehead, HotWax, Guns N’ Roses, Emily Wolfe, Born of Osiris, Babymetal ft. Tom Morello, CLT DRP, and more
The best-value electric guitar of 2023? Shergold unveils the surprisingly affordable Telstar – and it’s a serious looker
The revived UK brand’s third electric guitar model delivers boutique Cabronita Telecaster vibes with a low price tag and an offset twist – but there’s a catch
Palm-muted gut-punches and Strandberg shred that sounds like Plini meets Mario Kart: This week’s essential guitar tracks
Fresh, guitar-driven cuts from Bleed From Within, The Joy Formidable, Ottto, Angra, James Bay, Eliza McLamb, and loads more
Electro-Harmonix just launched a serious competitor in the mini compressor pedal stakes
The Pico Platform Compressor/Limiter won’t take up much room on your pedalboard, but it will deliver studio-style squeeze with plenty of flexibility
The Halcyon Gold Overdrive just became the most exciting Klon-inspired pedal on the market – because it’s so much more than just a clone
Thanks to Adaptive Circuitry, Origin Effects’ latest overdrive can go far beyond the capabilities of the original Centaur
Johnny Cash’s 1930s Martin makes a comeback – and so does Napster-era crunch: This week's essential guitar tracks
You just gotta hear these new songs from Sophie Lloyd, The String Revolution ft. Tommy Emmanuel, Crypta, Graveyard, The Linda Lindas, Wilco, Nervosa and so very many more
He’s one of Japan’s most iconic shredders and plays in a band called Loudness – now Akira Takasaki has an outrageous fuzz-loaded Cry Baby worthy of his reputation
The fleet-fingered virtuoso has collaborated with Dunlop on one of the wildest Cry Babys yet
Chuck Berry-by-way-of-the-gutter riffs and choppy Strat-isms from Fender's latest signature artist: This week's essential guitar tracks
Must-hear new cuts from Brian Setzer, Steve Lacy, Of Mice & Men, Buck Meek, Bad Wolves and loooads more
Introducing nu-disco shred, a fresh genre of guitar playing that combines ’70s pop and ’80s soloing – and where dancing while you two-hand tap is an absolute must
Nile Rodgers meets Eddie Van Halen in these tap-happy fretboard freakouts – creator Dre DiMura explains what inspired his daring mashup and why “tradition can be a prison”
