Also starring High on Fire, Savatage, Fontaines D.C., Helmet, the Hooters (yes, the Hooters!), the Last Dinner Party and a review of Fender's 70th Anniversary Antigua Strat
(Image credit: Danny Clinch)
Hey, welcome back, everyone, and welcome to a new edition of "Here's what's in the latest issue of Guitar World"!
As you can tell from the the photo above (and another one below), Phish's Trey Anastasio is back, making his first GW cover appearance since our gallant January 2016 issue.
I was excited to have Alan Paul investigate the band’s new album, Evolve, which came out last month. Interestingly, however, Alan’s interview (and the resulting feature) evolved into something else; instead of a standard “new album” interview, we got a one-of-a-kind guide to Anastasio’s creative process and inspiring practice regimen.
It’s the sort of story that – with its first- and second-hand advice, courtesy of Quincy Jones – should appeal to any songwriter and/or guitarist, even those who haven’t yet marveled to tracks like Walls of the Cave, Free, The Inlaw Josie Wales, Down with Diease or Crowd Control.
And speaking of crowd control, here's what we've crammed into GW this month:
>>> Renaissance Man: As they celebrate their 41st year together, Phish are in the middle of a major renaissance – and the band is just one of frontman/guitarist Trey Anastasio's many projects. In this one-of-a-kind interview, Trey discusses his musical rebirth, creative process, intense practice regimen and so much more.
>>> Koa-Dependent: Anastasio – while revisiting his two prior GW covers – details his relationship with his custom-made koa Paul Languedoc guitars.
>>> Man of Adventure: A look at some of the creative ways in which Anastasio draws upon his diverse range of stylistic influences to take audiences on a thrilling musical ride (with tab and audio).
>>> Saving Savatage: In 1994, following the death of their brilliant young guitarist, Criss Oliva, reeling Tampa metallers Savatage enlisted then-ex-Testament man Alex Skolnick for an album and tour. Although his time with the band was brief, it would have a lasting impact.
>>> Firestorm: Matt Pike and Jeff Matz discuss the lead-up to – and aftermath of – High on Fire’s latest release, Cometh the Storm, an album that couldn’t have come at a better time for the Oakland metal masters.
>>> The D.C. Universe: Carlos O’Connell – half of the Irish rockers’ twin-guitar attack – discusses the importance of space in a mix, the finer points of his Rory Gallagher Strat and why the band’s singer played what just might be the best guitar solo on their new album, Romance.
>>> Eric Bazilian: The Hooters frontman/guitarist talks gear, massive '80s success, his one-take All You Zombies guitar solo and forging hits with Cyndi Lauper, Joan Osborne and Mick Jagger.
>>> The Gear Hunter – Victory Amps: With notable users including Guthrie Govan, Richie Kotzen, Chris Buck and Bill and Brent from Mastodon, Victory has gone from strength to strength since launching just over a decade ago.
>>> Joe Perry: Rock This Way! Get a grip on the Aerosmith co-founder's style – and put some swagger in your riffs and swing in your solos (with tab and audio).
Plus new interviews with Deep Purple's Simon McBride, the women of Kittie, Beaux Gris Gris & the Apocalypse, Helmet's Page Hamilton (who discusses the making of 1994's Betty), the creator of a new graphic novel about Jimi Hendrix, the Last Dinner Party's Emily Roberts, McKinley James and Samantha Fish, plus guides to Kiss's many session guitarists and Jimmy Page's best non-Led Zeppelin guitar work.
Gear-wise, we explore the history and allure of the Soldano SLO-100 amp and review a whole bunch of cool stuff, namely:
>>> Fender 70th Anniversary Vintera II Antigua Stratocaster >>> Blackstar HT Series MK III amps >>> Ultimate Ears Pro UE 150, UE 250 and UE 350 In-Ear Monitors >>> PJD Guitars St. John Standard >>> Death By Audio/EarthQuaker Devices Time Shadows II.
Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.
