Metal - What Happened to the Lead Guitar?

[Solarmist]

The 80's & 90's was such a great time for Metal, but most of the newer bands are severely lacking in screaming lead guitar solos. It seems like only the still standing Metal bands of the 80's / 90's use lead guitars anymore, and I loved stuff like Pantera - Testament - Megadeth - ect.

[CRONOS]

I hear you music has changed maybe it well come back... Someday.

[Spector_Ray]

Originally Posted by Solarmist

The 90's was such a great time for Metal, but most of the newer bands are severely lacking in screaming lead guitar solos. It seems like the only the still standing Metal bands of the 90's use lead guitars anymore, and I loved stuff like Pantera - Testament - Megadeth - ect.

It's easier to sell music and instruments to kids if they think that all you need to do is tune down two whole steps and play barre chords. I blame Korn and Linkin Park.

[stratovani]

Kids today got to get off their butts, leave the video games alone and practice more. You're not going to become a good lead guitarist playing Guitar Hero!

[StanFan]

This was more of a problem 6-10 years ago. Not so now. Many of the more popular "pop" metal bands like Trivium, A7X, Dragonforce, and I believe Bullet For My Valentine even solo. Death metal and extreme metal bands are always stepping up the level of technicality in metal with regards to lead guitar (and even drums and bass).

Are there any bands in particular you are referring too?

[baalroo]

Honestly, I think most guitar solos destroy the "heaviness" of a good metal track, but I listen mostly to sludge, doom, drone, etc. Every once in awhile I'll hear a solo that fits/makes a song better but most of the time it's more "alright that riff was awesome sounding but now listen to me wheedly-wheedly-woo-widdly-widdly-widdly randomly for awhile for no reason."

[The Golden Boy]

Originally Posted by Spector_Ray

It's easier to sell music and instruments to kids if they think that all you need to do is tune down two whole steps and play barre chords. I blame Korn and Linkin Park.

What on Earth are you talking about?

All that stuff is drop tuned- barre chords are for chumps.

[Valerus]

I hate unnecessary guitar solos. Which unfortunately happens the majority of the time.

[Joey3313]

What are you guys talking about? There are totally guitar solos in current metal.


Mind you, they are so staggeringly unimpressive, boring, and uninspired that perhaps you just don't notice them...but they are there, I swear to God.


Guitar solo=the new breakdown?


(Which reminds me, the singer in my band is in a metal band, so when we are doing one of his songs, they never have a "bridge". No matter what, it is always referred to as a breakdown, even if it is so dull that it literally has nothing to "break down")...crazy...

[sarcastro83]

I think I'm in the school of thought that prefers subtlety when it comes to guitar solos... but then, I'm also really into doom/stoner metal...

[IanStephenson]

The 90's was an AWEFULL time for rock guitar in general. Nirvana killed off a whole generation of guitar players. Up until 92 every band had great guitar, and then it just stopped dead (no pun intended). Kids didn't have guitar role models to aspire to like they had in the 70's and 80's. We're still recovering.

[Spector_Ray]

Originally Posted by IanStephenson

The 90's was an AWEFULL time for rock guitar in general. Nirvana killed off a whole generation of guitar players. Up until 92 every band had great guitar, and then it just stopped dead (no pun intended). Kids didn't have guitar role models to aspire to like they had in the 70's and 80's. We're still recovering.

+1
There are only a few but they're holdovers from that day and age. Zakk Wylde, Dimebag(R.I.P.), Satriani, Vai, Lynch, etc. are still around but not as present as they once were, with the exception of Wylde.

[baalroo]

Originally Posted by IanStephenson

The 90's was an AWEFULL time for rock guitar in general. Nirvana killed off a whole generation of guitar players. Up until 92 every band had great guitar, and then it just stopped dead (no pun intended). Kids didn't have guitar role models to aspire to like they had in the 70's and 80's. We're still recovering.

I completely disagree here, Nirvana just taught people that you don't have to be Dimebag or Satch to play some awesome guitar since "awesome" is subjective.

[Selta]

Depends heavily on what you listen to. The crap that's played on the radio (even sirius/XM) doesn't really reflect what Metal is doing lately.
Find the DC++ hub Metal4Ever. Tell those guys that metal is lacking solos .

[()smoke()]

if this is what you think, you need to become more active in seeking music and take the radio and or mtv/vh1 with a grain of salt...i mean this in a good way--there's plenty of metal with great solo playing, it's just not necessarily popular

[KingCrimson]

Solo ruining metal??? BS thats part of the music usually it fits well very well and its nice to have something different from DUhn duhn DURRRRRRNN.


I agree unnecessary ones ruin it, but i can't think of many, solos only have inhanced my listening pleasure and i think its part of the genre.

Megadeth, Metallica, Motorhead, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Diamond Head, Iced earth, Helloween, Pantera, Anvil, Annihilator, Anthrax, Slayer, Testament, Exodus



All need solos and are done fairly well, lead guitar rocks as long as i'm having fun supporting the band i'm happy, but hey first song my band wrote i get a wah bass solo

[iamlowsound]

Check out Blessed by a Broken heart, a little cheesy at times, but a great lead player.

lowsound

[Josh Ryan]

It was a response to over wankery. I think that some more tasteful guitar are coming back, but sadly a lot of the pointless ones are back as well.

[Planets Collide]

The Squeedley and The Meedley are not dead, just sleeping.

[Murder_Worship]

maybe your not listinign to the right metal

if anything bands are doing far better solos than in the 80's and 90's