From titans of shred to unlikely covers: here are this week's essential guitar tracks

Al Joseph
(Image credit: Kiesel Guitars)

Along with ever-warming weather, this week brought us an absolute treasure trove of boundary-pushing new music - packed with innovation on the guitar front - that we’re excited to share with you.

On tap today are an unlikely cover from one of the world’s finest fingerpickers, a frenzied instrumental from one of prog-metal's most exciting rising stars, bludgeoning Canadian power-metal and a whole lot more.

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Michael Astley-Brown
Editor-in-Chief, GuitarWorld.com

Mike is Editor-in-Chief of GuitarWorld.com, in addition to being an offset fiend and recovering pedal addict. He has a master's degree in journalism from Cardiff University, and over a decade's experience writing and editing for guitar publications including MusicRadar, Total Guitar and Guitarist, as well as 20 years of recording and live experience in original and function bands. During his career, he has interviewed the likes of John Frusciante, Chris Cornell, Tom Morello, Matt Bellamy, Kirk Hammett, Jerry Cantrell, Joe Satriani, Tom DeLonge, Ed O'Brien, Polyphia, Tosin Abasi, Yvette Young and many more. In his free time, you'll find him making progressive instrumental rock under the nom de plume Maebe.