Metal Monday: The Art of the Metal Solo

posted in: Features • Rock

“Shred ’til death” ” the battlecry of thrash metal dudes (and chicks) around the globe. With the advent of faster and more extreme metal genres like thrash,  the tradition of the metal solo has been a mainstay.  A great way to prove one’s chops, there are a few schools of thought when it comes to soloing which vary according to different metal camps.

First and foremost, there’s the “faster is better” approach straight from ’80s thrash metal. Bands like Megadeth, Dragonforce, and Cellador are very adept at this style, and play some of the fastest solos around. These solos are usually filled with more sweeps than you could shake a stick at and feature lots of pentatonic melodies.

Less prominent are jazz-influenced solos, which don’t necessarily subcribe to the “faster is better” mantra. These solos relyon lots of bent notes and cromatic harmonies, as well as new themes in the song (not just variations on the main riffs in the song). Bands like Cynic, Athiest, Sikth and PsyOpus examplify this jazzier metal solo best.

A close cousins to the jazz solo is the blues metal solo. These are solos that follow blues forms and scales, and you’ll likely know them when you hear them (you’ll feel the blues, too). Most often, these solos are used by bands with southern roots or bands who love southern rock (but not exclusively). Examples of  bands who employ the blues solo are Lamb of God, Priestess and Maylene and the Sons of Disaster.

Above all else, a band needs to be able to do every major kind of solo, and put their own style on it. Think of some of your favorite solos you’ve ever heard. How many of those are one-dimensional? How many have fast parts, slow parts and unique parts? I’d be willing to bet that your favorite solos are more like the latter. Some of the greatest metal solos ever have many dimensions and a unique flavor to them.

So, what kinds of solos do you like best? Do you have a guitarist who consistently tops your list? What’s your favorite solo of all time? I’d love to know (so, you know, leave your comments below)!