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ESP M-II
''ESP M-II'' is a guitar model offered by ESP. It belongs to the category of guitars referred to colloquially as "Super Strats," which refers to any guitar (regardless of brand or model) drawing heavily upon the Fender Stratocaster design. Modifications to the original Stratocaster design usually enhance playability. For example, the M-II features a larger lower-body rout to assist with accessing higher frets. The vast majority of "Super Strats" are equipped with Floyd Rose type locking-vibratos which assist with tuning stability under extreme string-bending. The ESP M-II is produced in Japan and is currently available in three configurations; the first two feature bolt-on necks: * A maple fretboard and a Seymour Duncan JB in the bridge position and a Seymour Duncan 59 in the neck position. * A rosewood fretboard and two EMG 81 active pickups. * A neck-through body neck joint, rosewood fretboard and two EMG 81 active pickups. Not initially available in America for a while, th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jeff Hanneman
Jeffrey John Hanneman (January 31, 1964 – May 2, 2013) was an American musician, best known as a founding member and guitarist of the thrash metal band Slayer. Hanneman composed both music and lyrics for every Slayer album until his death in 2013 at age 49. He had his own signature guitar, the ESP Jeff Hanneman Signature model. Biography Early life Hanneman was born January 31, 1964, in Oakland, California, and grew up in Long Beach in a family containing several war veterans: his father fought in Normandy during World War II and his brothers in Vietnam, making warfare a common conversation topic at the dinner table. War films were popular on TV at the time, and Hanneman often joined his brothers in constructing and coloring tank and plane models. His interest in warfare and military history has been attributed to his upbringing. In a 2009 interview with ''Decibel'' magazine, Hanneman stated that his father is German but fought for the Allied side in World War II. His father ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Haruka Kudō (voice Actress)
is a Japanese voice actress and singer. She is best known as the voice of Hagumi Hanamoto in '' Honey and Clover'', Haruka Kaminogi in Noein: To Your Other Self, and Sayu Yagami in the anime adaptation of ''Death Note''. Kudō also portrays Sayo Hikawa in the ''BanG Dream!'' franchise, which includes playing guitar for the band Roselia. Career She worked for Top Coat and was an exclusive model for ''Seventeen'' Japan from 2003 to 2006. Kudō appeared in 2007 No.15. She was originally a reader model for magazines such as ''CUTiE''. The manager of the Top Coat era scouted her after seeing her photo in a magazine. She debuted as a voice actress in 2005 as Hagumi Hanamoto in the TV anime '' Honey and Clover''. She was a reader of the original manga for the same work, and was surprised when offered an audition. After graduating from university, she moved away from performing arts activities and her contract with Top Coat expired on the end of September 2007. Thereafter she star ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sonata Arctica
Sonata Arctica is a Finnish power metal band from the town of Kemi, Finland. Created as a hard rock band named Tricky Beans, they later changed to Tricky Means and finally to Sonata Arctica, when they shifted to power metal. The current lineup consists of drummer Tommy Portimo, lead singer Tony Kakko, keyboardist Henrik Klingenberg, guitarist Elias Viljanen and bassist Pasi Kauppinen. All the musicians of the band's history except Portimo also acted as backing vocalists. As of 2022, the band has released ten full-length albums (three via Spinefarm Records and seven via Nuclear Blast), their most recent being ''Talviyö'' on September 6, 2019. Biography Formation and early years (1996–1999) The band was founded by drummer Tommy Portimo and guitarists Jani Liimatainen and Marko Paasikoski in Kemi. At the end of 1995, lead vocalist Tony Kakko was added and bassist Pentti Peura joined in early 1996. Originally named Tricky Beans, they played hard rock rather than the power ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Elias Viljanen
Elias "E.Vil" Einari Johannes Viljanen (born 8 July 1975) is a Finnish musician from Tampere, Finland, known for being the guitarist for Sonata Arctica since 2007. Viljanen joined Sonata Arctica in spring 2007 in order to replace Jani Liimatainen, who left the band in August 2007 to fulfill his civil duties in Finland. The decision was only made official on 8 August 2007, but Elias Viljanen had been known to replace Liimatainen in concerts during the spring and summer tour. Viljanen cites Kiss, Metallica, Slayer, and Whitesnake as his musical influences. Biography Early life Viljanen was born in 1975, and started playing the guitar at eight, in 1983. Initially, he says that he began playing "because his dad forced him... and, of course, I wanted to be like Kiss." He got his first acoustic guitar a year later, but did not get an electric guitar until nearly four years later. After finally convincing his parents to let him purchase his first electric guitar (a white Leadsta ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Contrarian (band)
Contrarian is an American extreme metal band from Rochester, New York, founded in 2012 by guitarist Jim Tasikas. The band is known for its progressive and catchy songwriting alongside a technical playing style. They are known as one of the front runners at introducing an authentic yet modern approach to the progressive style of the 1990s progressive death metal bands such as Atheist, Death, and Cynic. The band featured famed Nile drummer George Kollias for their first three albums. History The band was originally formed in 2012 in Rochester, New York, by Jim Tasikas. Jim then enlisted his friend Ed Paulsen for bass duties, Brian Mason as lead guitar and George Kollias of Nile for drums. Contrarian roots came from the progressive and technical metal scene birthed in Rochester, NY in the mid-1990s which also brought to light bands such as Lethargy, Mastodon, Psyopus and Sulaco. Contrarian recorded their first EP "Predestined" in 2014. This EP caught the attention of Jason Tipton ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jim Tasikas
Dimitrios Jim Tasikas (born March 19, 1975) is a Greek Americans, Greek-American guitarist and founder of the Rochester, New York, Rochester-based progressive metal band Contrarian (band), Contrarian. Early life Tasikas is a Greeks, Greek citizen, he holds dual citizenship with the United States and Greece. His father and mother are Greeks, Greek immigrants who moved to the United States, U.S. from Florina, Florina, Greece. Career Tasikas is the primary songwriter and performs a number of different roles in Contrarian (band), Contrarian. These include complex guitar parts, keyboards and occasional lead guitar. He shares guitar duties with Brian Mason, playing mainly technical rhythm sections. Tasikas is also known for his extensive guitar collection which has been featured in Decibel (magazine), Decibel Magazine. As of September 2020, Tasikas has been endorsed by ESP Guitars, ESP guitars and primarily uses their M Series guitars. ''Death By Metal Assistant Producer'' Tasikas ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Buckethead
Brian Patrick Carroll (born May 13, 1969), known professionally as Buckethead, is an American guitarist, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. He has received critical acclaim for his innovative electric guitar playing. His music spans several genres, including progressive metal, funk, blues, bluegrass, ambient, and avant-garde music. He performs primarily as a solo artist, although he has collaborated with a wide variety of artists such as Bill Laswell, Bootsy Collins, Bernie Worrell, Iggy Pop, Les Claypool, Serj Tankian, Bill Moseley, Mike Patton, Viggo Mortensen, That 1 Guy, Bassnectar, and Skating Polly. He was also a member of Guns N' Roses from 2000 to 2004. He has recorded 325 studio albums, four special releases, and one EP. He has performed on more than fifty albums by other artists. Buckethead performs wearing a KFC bucket on his head, emblazoned with an orange bumper sticker reading ''FUNERAL'' in block letters, and an expressionless plain white mask ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stratovarius
Stratovarius is a Finnish power metal band that formed in 1985. Since their formation, they have released sixteen studio albums, five DVDs and six live albums. In its history, the band has gone through many chaotic lineup changes, and after founding guitarist Timo Tolkki's departure in 2008, there are no founding members of the band that remain. Currently, the longest standing member is singer Timo Kotipelto, who joined in 1994. The first incarnation of the band had the name Black Water, founded in August 1984 by singer and drummer Tuomo Lassila, guitarist Staffan Stråhlman, and bassist John Vihervä. After reforming as Stratovarius, line-up changes started to occur, including Timo Tolkki replacing Black Water member Stråhlman and taking over singing duties as well, and the band expanding to a quartet with the arrival of keyboardist Antti Ikonen the following year. Under this line-up, the band released its first album '' Fright Night'' in 1989, with Tolkki as the only so ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Timo Tolkki
Timo Tapio Tolkki (born 3 March 1966) is a Finnish musician best known as the former guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer of the power metal band Stratovarius. With his tenure lasting for more than twenty years, he was the longest standing member of the band before his departure in 2008. After leaving Stratovarius he formed two supergroups named Revolution Renaissance and Symfonia, both of which have since disbanded. In a 2011 article by ''Guitar World'' magazine, Tolkki was included in the all-time top 50 list of the world's fastest guitarists. Early years and Stratovarius Tolkki started playing guitar at the age of seven and practiced intensely, sometimes eight hours a day. When he was twelve years old, his father committed suicide by jumping from the fourth floor of his apartment.Tolkki, Timo (2010). Loneliness of a Thousand Years'. Finland. p. 4. Retrieved 31 July 2012. Before joining Stratovarius in 1984, Tolkki had played with the bands Antidote, Thunder and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Symphony X
Symphony X is an American progressive metal band from Middletown, New Jersey. Founded in 1994, the band consists of guitarist Michael Romeo, keyboardist Michael Pinnella, drummer Jason Rullo, lead vocalist Russell Allen and bassist Michael Lepond. They achieved some commercial success with the 2007 album ''Paradise Lost'' and the 2011 album '' Iconoclast'', which reached number 76 on the Billboard 200. Symphony X is often compared to other progressive metal bands such as Dream Theater, Fates Warning, and Shadow Gallery. Their music includes complex timings and odd meters while incorporating elements of heavy metal and progressive rock. Their early albums in particular contain strong neo-classical elements reminiscent of Yngwie Malmsteen, Randy Rhoads, and others. The band have been categorized as progressive metal, power metal, and neoclassical metal, though the band themselves dislike genre labels with Romeo stating they can be "misleading sometimes ... at the core ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Michael Romeo
Michael James Romeo (born March 6, 1968) is an American guitarist and a founding member of the progressive metal group Symphony X. He is one of two members to appear on every Symphony X release (the other being Michael Pinnella). Romeo was ranked #91 out of 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Guitarists of All Time by Guitar World. Early life Michael Romeo's introduction to formal music training began with piano lessons when he was 10 years old.Symphony X website , Michael Romeo tells the story of his influences and musical career. He also played clarinet. However, it wasn't until after hearing his first Kiss album that he seriously considered switching to the guitar. He ended up purchasing a cheap acoustic guitar at a garage sale. Influenced by Kiss, Led Zeppelin, Rush, AC/DC, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Deep Purple, and Emerson, Lake & Palmer, he became serious about the guitar after listening to the albums ''Blizzard of Ozz'' and '' Diary of a Madman'' by Ozzy Osbourne. He was als ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
