Gary Lenaire, Guy Ritter, Luke Easter & Other Ex-Tourniquet Members Making Music Together?

Lol

bodachi wrote:They can call the new band "Expire Gladly" or something like that 
(And Tourniquet can change to "Tourniquet Rising")

Now that is funny.

I just mentioned Tourniquet and Gary Lenaire's new album on our latest video.... 

https://youtu.be/FzBT4WFaCbA

Ok, let's make an in depth analysis on what made/makes Tourniquet Tourniquet.

Let's take a look at the band up to the last point of anyone from the classic lineup still being in the band (minus Ted of course).

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STOP THE BLEEDING

Kirkpatrick:
The Test for Leprosy
Ark of Suffering
Whitewashed Tomb
Somnambulism

Lenaire:
Tears of Korah
Swarming Spirits
Harlot Widow and the Virgin Bride

Ritter:
The Threshing Floor
You Get What You Pray For

Lenaire & Ritter:
Ready or Not

Here Lenaire and Kirkpatrick have an about equal amount of credits.

Kirkpatrick seems to be oriented more into groove, classic heavy metal and thrash metal.
His song is the first one to mix together two types of vocals.

Lenaire's talent in this album is clearly speed metal.
His songs are the first long epic ones of the band. Both Tears of Korah is over 6 minutes long and Harlot Widow is nearly 8 minutes long.
Ready or Not is pure speed metal and Swarming Spirits is a mixture of speed and heavy metal.

Ritter has two songs fully credited for him.
His compositions base clearly more on traditional heavy metal, but has speed metal elements too.

This album didn't yet have Macias and Mendez, so the all of the bass guitars are played by Kirkpatrick and Lenaire.

On second lead guitar we have Mark Lewis who also does fantastic job and we shouldn't forget his input in the sound of the early Tourniquet either.
I'm not exactly sure who plays the better solos, Lenaire or Lewis. The lead guitar in the end of The Test for Leprosy by Lenaire has always been amazing to me.
I feel he has a special sense of rhythm in some of his leads and it's clearly his strength.

On the other hand, the very next lead in the album, the lead on Ready or Not is played by Lewis and is also really really good!
On Ark of Suffering there is the part with three lead guitars sections in a row. First two are played by Lewis, the last is by Lenaire. I like the last one the best.
Again there is this rhythm in the lead playing and I love the wailing and crushing noises Lenaire does with the guitar.

But then again one of my favorite lead parts on the album is in Tears of Korah at 4:28 and that's credited to Lewis.

And another of my favorites is on The Threshing Floor at 2:56. Simple stuff but I love the noises Lewis does there. Really impactful stuff!

The opening lead to You Get What You Pray For was also played by Lewis and it's great too.

Interestingly on Whitewashed Tomb Kirkpatrick played one of the leads. My favorite lead on that song goes to Lenaire who played the last lead. I particularly love how he plays along the main guitar riff melody at one point.

Lenaire's lead in the end of Somnambulism is really great too.

I think Mark Lewis was a great addition on the leads in the first album but I think Lenaire was good enough that he could've been able to done it alone too.
I'm glad Lewis did many of the solos as they came up really well, but in retrospect I'm glad Erik Mendez took his spot as I think he was even better as a lead guitarist.

The overall sound of the album is quite clearly a mixture of all in the band. No other singer in Tourniquet was quite like Guy Ritter. His voice really does a lot of the sound in the early albums. There is this certain sense of commitment in how he delivers the words. Lots of emotion, lots of unique little things. And it only got better in the second album.

The drumming by Ted is obviously great during the whole album, but it doesn't yet have as much of the little unique details as it starts to have from the next album forwards.
One of the details in this album is the 2:04 part on Harlot Widow. Or the 3:24 part on Ark of Suffering. His drumming throughout the album has a special driving force to it but a little moments like those here and there makes the drumming into something really special. I couldn't imagine Tourniquet without that kind of stuff, and that is what the Ex-Tourniquet band will be without Kirkpatrick.
That said, I'm excited to hear whatever they will end up doing with or without Ted. Their own strengths will carry the songs in their own ways.

All in all, the sense of a BAND is really strong in this album. Nothing sounds fake. Everything sounds like a true collaboration by people close to each other.


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PSYCHO SURGERY


Kirkpatrick:
Psycho Surgery
Viento Borrascoso
Vitals Fading
Spineless
Stereotaxic Atrocities

Lenaire:
Dysfunctional Domicile

Ritter:
Broken Chromosomes

Lenaire & Ritter:
A Dog's Breakfast

Lenaire & Kirkpatrick:
Officium Defunctorum

Here we can see the first clear signs of Ted having tons of extra creativity.
Over half of the album is fully credited to him.
He has now written the fastest song of Tourniquet at this point.

However, here we have the appearance of the first doom song by Tourniquet.
While it's credited for both Lenaire and Kirkpatrick, we know Kirkpatrick only wrote the ending of the song. Most of it was done by Lenaire.
So up to now, when we say Tourniquet is known for long epic songs and sometimes doomy songs, both came to existence at first by Lenaire.
The end of Spineless was pretty doomy too though.

Ritter's Broken Chromosomes is a piece of art what comes to using human vocals in a song. Again, no other vocalist in Tourniquet has brought out quite the same feeling of a sense of commitment to vocals than Guy does in this album.

What comes to lead guitars, I think Mendez might be the strongest lead guitarist of Tourniquet, but Lenaire does really great job too.
Mendez' leads in the title track are phenomenal.
Both Mendez and Lenaire play a lead on A Dog's Breakfast and here I think Lenaire plays the better lead.
Mendez is again phenomenal in Viento Borrascoso, but so is Lenaire on Spineless.
But then Mendez ups the ante in Dysfunctional Domicile.
And oh man the leads by Lenaire and Mendez in Officium Defunctorum are amazing...
The lead work on this album sounds very HUNGRY.

The addition of Macias on bass really shows here. The band has sounded great when Kirkpatrick and Lenaire or Guerra or Andino played bass but the bass playing was never as good as it was in between Psycho Surgery and Collected Works.


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PATHOGENIC OCULAR DISSONANCE

Kirkpatrick:
Impending Embolism
Pathogenic Ocular Dissonance
Phantom Limb
Ruminating Virulence
Gelatinous Tubercles of Purulent Ossification
Descent into Maelstrom
The Skeezix Dilemma

Lenaire:
Spectrophobic Dementia
En Hakkore

Macias:
Incommensurate

Lenaire & Ritter:
Exoskeletons
Theodicy on Trial

Again, the creativity of Kirkpatrick is getting even higher here.
Over half of the songs are fully credited for him.
The style of his compositions is really varied and he writes the heaviest songs of the album.

Interestingly we now also have a song fully credited to the bass player Victor Macias, and what an amazing song it is!
Really fast, really heavy.

Ritter didn't do anything alone anymore, but still had two collaborations with Lenaire.

The lead guitars sound like Lenaire and Mendez are constantly trying to top each other and it's great!
Even Kirkpatrick plays one lead on Phantom Limb and it's really good too!


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VANISHING LESSONS

Kirkpatrick:
Bearing Gruesome Cargo
Pecking Order
Drowning Machine
Vanishing Lessons
Acid Head
K517 (arranged by Kirkpatrick)
Twilight

Lenaire:
My Promise
Your Take

Macias:
Sola Christus

Lenaire & Kirkpatrick:
Pushin' Broom

Here even more songs are credited to Kirkpatrick. A rare Lenaire/Kirkpatrick collaboration has Lenaire's lyrics and Kirkpatrick's music.

Macias made an amazing doomy and partly bit thrashy track in Sola Christus. One of my favorite Tourniquet tracks.
He really should've made more songs for Tourniquet. Or for any band! I want a Macias solo album!


-------------------------------

CARRY THE WOUNDED

Kirkpatrick:
Carry the Wounded
When the Love Is Right
Heads I Win, Tails You Lose

Lenaire:
My Promise

Most songs by Kirkpatrick.
Lenaire's song is an orchestral arrangement for a song from the previous album.
It's also the first time real orchestral instruments were brought in a Tourniquet song (I'm not sure if the horns in Sola Christus were real or synth horns).

Even in this mellow EP one of the songs is to me an all time Tourniquet classic. It's the title track.


-------------------------------

THE COLLECTED WORKS OF TOURNIQUET

Kirkpatrick:
Perfect Night for a Hanging
The Hand Trembler

The last release with any other from the classic lineup than Ted in it.
After this album Lenaire and Macias left the band.

Both are Kirkpatrick's songs and both are amazing, and the heaviest songs up to that point.
Lenaire still shines on rhythm guitar and vocals. The Hand Trembler has my all time favorite Lenaire vocals.


-------------------------------


Looking at these albums it's not really a wonder it was Ted who ultimately stood alone with the Tourniquet name. Whether you like the post Lenaire albums or not, I think the amount and variety of the songs written by Kirkpatrick up to that point showed he has a special drive to release a lot of songs. I would say his creativity might've peaked in Microscopic View of a Telescopic Realm and while it's not as high anymore, it's not even nearly completely gone either. He clearly has what it takes to come up with full albums of full songs, whether you like them or not.

Sure, Lenaire is creative too, but on the other hand his previous two albums haven't had that many original songs. No Time Now had a lot of already finished Talking Snakes songs (some of them were really great songs though!) and Symphonic Liberties has only five original songs out of ten.
That said, I like what he has done and I'm more than excited to hear what they might do together with Ritter and hopefully Macias and Mendez.

All in all, the current Tourniquet is basically a mixture of unique drumming and certain type of music compositions and melodies. I mean, that's what there still is from the early Tourniquet.
Vocals and lead guitar work are gone from that old Tourniquet style, and the certain kind of a "band sound" including the bass playing work too. While Aaron might be the better rhythm guitarist, I think Lewis, Lenaire and Mendez were all better lead guitarists.

I don't think Ted can accomplish that feeling with the current band and I don't think the possible Ex-Tourniquet band can accomplish it either without Ted's input on drum playing and compositions what comes to riffs and melodies.

Even so, I love the current Tourniquet still a lot, it's my favorite band still today. And I'm still a huge fan of Lenaire, Ritter, Macias, Mendez and Easter. So while what once was can never be repeated again, all of those forces are able to create stuff that caters to my sense of what is good music, all in their own fields.
But honestly, if I had to choose the current or ex member who is the most creative of the bunch it really can't be anyone else but Kirkpatrick, whether you like what he's done or not.

But then again, both Ritter and Lenaire had done lots of songs already before Tourniquet and for Ted The Test for Leprosy was the first one. So going back in time the creativiness of both Ritter and Lenaire gets much bigger. And we shouldn't forget Lenaire's work in Echo Hollow and Cripple Need Cane either. But even so, out of all of these different projects and bands Tourniquet has been and still is the best.

Looking at Tourniquet's and Lenaire's previous outings, I think both of them needs someone to give input on parts of the songs. Both currently have less strong parts here and there and really great parts here and there. Just imagine if the best parts of Lenaire's new songs and the best parts of Tourniquet's new songs were connected and all the filler parts removed... And in Lenaire's songs there was a Kirkpatrick level of drummer playing instead of drum machine, and Guerra had Lenaire along him doing leads instead of a guest guitarists here and there (Poland was fantastic in the last album though)... And Ritter on vocals...

Oh well, I get what I can. And if it's "Ted's Tourniquet" plus his oddball solo things and whatever Lenaire does whenever he does, I'll take it gladly. The mixture of that is not going to ever happen.

I think you said it very well Airola.

I just don't think a "let's get together all the ex-members except Ted" reunion will ever produce anything close to being as good as "Stop the Bleeding".  I think the best we can hope for from either camp is a great song or two, but frankly we haven't even gotten that in at least a decade from them.

Thanks for the honest and well thought out review of the classic Tourniquet songs and credits. I do wholeheartedly agree that Ted is a great drummer and extremely creative. But for me, I’ve always liked the Lenaire songs and Lenaire/Ritter collaborations the best! It’s quality over quantity for me. I’m not saying the Ted songs aren’t quality... but like you pointed out, Guy Ritter had that certain thing with his voice and conveyed authentic emotion. And Gary has that element in his playing that is not too flashy but always enhances the songs.

Very very well said Airola, you nailed it and hit the mark!

I just disagree in two points.


1. The rhythm guitars of Lenaire where always stellar.
A good rhythm guitar is as important as drums, leads or melody to make a band special. Jimmy Brown at the Deliverance debut or the what a joke release is a good example. Or imagine how tight the Slayer or Believer (extruction and sanity) rhythm guitars are.

Just listen to the rhythm guitars at Psycho Surgery and A dog´s breakfast.
I can´t imagine many guitar players to accomplish and achieve these skills.

I haven´t heard the rhythm guitars this tight live or by any recordings past Lenaire area. Sorry.

2. Teds songwriting is less diverse and intricate than that of Lenaire from a guitarist
    perspective. You get more easily into the songs and the songs are more easy  
    to understand or to learn. Lenaires songwriting is very complex and the songs are 
    hard to practise from a guitarist point of view.
    But it´s no wonder Ted is a drummer ...

I had to add these thoughts besides your perfect description!

Temple of Blood wrote:I think you said it very well Airola.

I just don't think a "let's get together all the ex-members except Ted" reunion will ever produce anything close to being as good as "Stop the Bleeding".  I think the best we can hope for from either camp is a great song or two, but frankly we haven't even gotten that in at least a decade from them.

Yep, it´s due to Ted. He is keeping the Tourniquet thing going.

He is the creative driving force! It´s no wonder, he is a drummer!

I didn’t say it in my last post, but I agree with cailen. Gary was the best rhythm guitarist in Tourniquet. Aaron is good... but listen to the precise attack on the first two albums. We’re talking Ride The Lightning, Rust In Peace and Weapons of Our Warfare level perfection.

TZ75 wrote:I didn’t say it in my last post, but I agree with cailen. Gary was the best rhythm guitarist in Tourniquet. Aaron is good... but listen to the precise attack on the first two albums. We’re talking Ride The Lightning, Rust In Peace and Weapons of Our Warfare level perfection.

This

cailen wrote:Very very well said Airola, you nailed it and hit the mark!

I just disagree in two points.


1. The rhythm guitars of Lenaire where always stellar.
A good rhythm guitar is as important as drums, leads or melody to make a band special. Jimmy Brown at the Deliverance debut or the what a joke release is a good example. Or imagine how tight the Slayer or Believer (extruction and sanity) rhythm guitars are.

Just listen to the rhythm guitars at Psycho Surgery and A dog´s breakfast.
I can´t imagine many guitar players to accomplish and achieve these skills.

I haven´t heard the rhythm guitars this tight live or by any recordings past Lenaire area. Sorry.

2. Teds songwriting is less diverse and intricate than that of Lenaire from a guitarist
    perspective. You get more easily into the songs and the songs are more easy  
    to understand or to learn. Lenaires songwriting is very complex and the songs are 
    hard to practise from a guitarist point of view.
    But it´s no wonder Ted is a drummer ...

I had to add these thoughts besides your perfect description!

TZ75 wrote:I didn’t say it in my last post, but I agree with cailen. Gary was the best rhythm guitarist in Tourniquet. Aaron is good... but listen to the precise attack on the first two albums. We’re talking Ride The Lightning, Rust In Peace and Weapons of Our Warfare level perfection.

Oh, don't take me wrong, Gary is great as a rhythm guitarist too.
Mentioning Aaron as possibly the best rhythm guitarist is based on knowing that Gary didn't play all the rhythm guitars in those first albums, but Ted played some of them and that Ted has continuously said Aaron is the best rhythm guitarist he has worked with. I remember him, during the Microscopic View time, telling how this is the first time all riffs were played perfectly by the main guitarist and that Ted didn't have to play any of the riffs as Aaron played them perfectly. He also said it in an interview just a year or two ago.

Now obviously Ted might've exaggerated things a bit there and maybe he still wants to downplay Gary's playing, but the fact is that they always had the rule that whoever plays the riffs the best will play them on the album, and Ted played quite a bit of them. We don't really know which riffs were played by Ted and I kinda regret now that I haven't written down what Gary has recently posted on Facebook. He has been posting old Tourniquet songs and for some of them has confirmed where he played the riffs. I don't remember what Gary said about Psycho Surgery for example. I think one of the reasons Gary has been doing that is to not let Ted take too much credit for guitars in the old songs. After all, Ted just saying he played some of the guitars in the old albums can leave things too open what comes to who played what and it's no wonder Gary would want to make records straight. In the end he did play those riffs live, even the ones he might've not played on the album, and he was really good live. And I would say he had way better stage presence than Aaron has (which reminds me how much I miss Victor Macias as he had phenomenal presence on stage!). Maybe part of it is the hair and the lack of it, lol

Also, obviously we also should remember that maybe the new riffs aren't as hard to play than some of the old riffs were, so Aaron playing the new riffs perfectly on the newer albums might not mean he would've played some of the old riffs as well.

But still, the fact is that some of the riffs you thought were played by Gary might've been played by Ted or Erik. That's not to say Gary was bad in any way. Some of the riffs we know for sure that were played by him show exceptional skill! And really he was great live!

I would agree that on the first album Gary's songs surely were more complex than Ted's songs, that's for sure. There's really only one thing I think as a bit "faulty" for my taste in some of Gary's songs. It's that sometimes parts of the guitar parts are a bit unimaginative in that they are just a set of power chords played without any actual riffing going on. One of the examples is Dysfunctional Domicile, which I think is really underrated and it's one of my Tourniquet favorites. It has great riffing, BUT after the amazing opening of the song listen to the 0:48-1:04 part. Listen the guitars. Don't you feel like there could be some amazing riff going on instead of just a bunch of power chords following each other? Ever since I first started to really listen how the guitars go in Tourniquet songs, these parts have been puzzling me. I've tried to analyze them more and maybe they are like that for the purpose of highlighting what came before and what comes after. Maybe those parts wouldn't be as effective if that part wasn't played like that.
Ok, I have to take that back a bit... Now that I'm listening through the songs again, I'm not really hearing much of that in other songs. Maybe Dysfunctional Domicile was the only one like that so I'm not sure why I'm so hung up on that It's one of my favorite songs even!

Now that I'm reminiscing old songs, oh man how much I miss the riffs under solos in the old albums! Especially Ted had the habit of having a cool riff of its own, unique to the song, under the solo parts. Listen to Psycho Surgery after the 2 minute mark and really listen that riff under the solo. It's amazing! Or how about the riff under the solos on Ark of Suffering? What's going on under the solos of The Skeezix Dilemma is cool too. Gary had some of those moments too on Dysfunctional Domicile and En Hakkore for example. Vanishing Lessons still had that on some of the songs. Sola Christus by Victor Macias is one good example (his Incommensurate on POD had really cool "under the solo" riff too!). Pushin' Broom is another.

Listening to these old songs I really have to give a shout out to Guy Ritter again... Man I miss him... There are so many little details in his performance throughout the first three albums that still amaze me...

Good response and analysis. Aaron really works well with Ted and is a solid rhythm player. But he is also kinda plain potatoes and not very flashy in his writing. He’s a loyal sidekick just like David Ellefson from Megadeth that is good at what he does but has limited creative input. Gary was a boss (as they say), and that is why he eventually clashed with Ted. I’m willing to guess that the more technical riffs on the first two albums were most likely played by Gary. Ted’s style is more basic and I know for sure he played the riff on Twilight from VL. 

You are also correct about stage presence! That is something completely lacking now that the classic guys are gone. Gary and Victor really commanded the stage! Aaron is sadly anchored down as the only guitarist (very little moving). But I wouldn’t say “lack of hair” is a deal breaker... Scott Ian from Anthrax really gets around with his stage moves and bangs his head.

BaleMaster wrote:A similar case in point was the most recent Galactic Cowboys offering "Long Way Back From the Moon."  Monty Colvin is no longer a believer, yet the band was able to pull off decent lyrics and incredible music.  If this proposed ex-TQT lineup could hold to such a mindset, it might work.

Grammatrain also was able to release a new album back in 2010 despite the fact that Pete Stewart (the vocalist) left the Christian faith.  Most of the lyrics and songs had been written back when they were still together, so they just pulled from that.  There were new songs written as well that were clean but not directed solely at a Christian audience.  It can work, but everyone has to be on board with the change in direction.  If they truly want to capture the Tourniquet fan base, I would guess that there would need to be some Jesus brought into the project.

As far as Luke being a part of this, I am kind of on the fence.  I loved his EP that he released and would certainly rather hear a full-length album of his solo material.

Thanks Rami and everyone for your posts. A couple things: there is zero exaggerating as to the fact that I played some rhythm guitar parts on those first three albums in the studio - and - if they were only the "basic" ones - there would be no need for me to play them... Producer Bill Metoyer, who was there tracking and producing for every song - could easily attest to that fact. Ditto for producer Jim Faraci for Vanishing Lessons. I only mention it because of your thought that I may be exaggerating and long-ago history still deserves some accuracy.

As for "tight", right in the pocket and precise rhythm guitar playing, there is no better example in the Tourniquet catalog than the ENTIRE Microscopic View album, all played by Aaron. The song "Besprinkled in Scarlet Horror" alone is more difficult to play precisely on guitar than any song on the first three albums, without question. Speed picking, string skipping, fast muting, etc. For anyone to say we never achieved the tightness of the first three albums is - well, nothing short of silly.

As for song complexity, just listen through the entire new EPIC TRACKS release to hear the full range of Tourniquet song complexity that present difficulty for guitarists, where songs like The Tomb of Gilgamesh encompass everything Tourniquet is known for. In the early albums, listen to the complexity of songs like "Stereotaxic Atrocities, where there is a wierd dissonant/chromatic part that even Marty Friedman asked me what the exact note progression is. Or the 40 second long part in the middle of Gelatinous that goes on the beat/off the beat, accents on the beat/off the beat, before it finally repeats for a second time. Or the middle lead section of Ark, which is always a challenge for guitarists to play correctly, as there is a stagger beat with an extra note that is easy to get tripped up on. 

Also, thanks Rami for pointing out which leads Mark Lewis played on STB. He was an amazing lead player, and very few guitarists could come close to replicating those leads. He used a two hand tapping technique you would have to see in person to appreciate. As for leads: just FYI, if I had to pick my very favorite lead from the first three Tourniquet albums, it's gotta be Erik's lead at the end of Stereotaxic Atrocities... However, I do like all the leads and songs on those albums. To delete any song would diminish any of those first three albums... For the later albums, the lead playing by Marty Friedman on Where Moth and Rust Destroy - and Chris Poland on Gazing at Medusa - is not to be missed. It's just simply on another level, which is why they are recognized as world-class guitarists.


One last thing: We are thankful for all our fans - here on CMR and then the 99% of fans who are not on here at all. The coolest part is they all have their favorite albums, which thankfully span the entire catalog of Tourniquet - up to and including Gazing at Medusa. I'm currently writing for the next one!

BTW: We play with TWO guitarists live now. Had a blast in Sweden and Norway with CJ Grimmark on second guitar. Man, is that guy a great player and dedicated Christian.

P.S. - Lots of musicians from classic metal to death metal have short or no hair now - unless you're stuck in the 80's/90's or have been living under a rock...

P.P.S. - The limited edition "mirror cover" of the new "EPIC TRACKS" CD is sold out, but you can get the regular "still really cool" version here: EPIC TRACKS CD

Thanks Ted for the response and your thoughts on this topic! Regardless of the strong opinions and bickering, at least you know Tourniquet fans are passionate about the favorite eras of the band’s catalog. I do sense a deliberate avoidance and downplaying of Gary’s worth on the classic albums. I want to make it clear that I like and appreciate every member, but especially the classic lineup! Those albums were and always will be some of the highest water marks in Christian Metal.

Hey Ted!

Any chance of you writing a biography? A great (no holds barred) journey through your mind and life experiences. Your conversion testimony, playing in Trouble, auditioning for Slayer, the love of animals and stoner rock!

For the record...

There is no faster Tourniquet song with an alternate picking rhythm than A Dog’s Breakfast in my opinion! Other stuff like “Besprinkled” does have some fast little stop and go spurts, but it’s not the same full out thrash context.

I'm very proud of those first three albums - as I am for every Tourniquet album. They are what they are because of everyone's valuable contributions. Biography? Lots of people have suggested it. Not on my front burner right now, but maybe someday. Would likely be a positive uplifting book...

Ted Kirkpatrick wrote:I'm very proud of those first three albums - as I am for every Tourniquet album. They are what they are because of everyone's valuable contributions. Biography? Lots of people have suggested it. Not on my front burner right now, but maybe someday. Would likely be a positive uplifting book...

Yeah, I’m not expecting a biography based on dirty laundry or slander. But it would be nice to get a glimpse into the details of the early years.

Has anyone ever suggested a collaboration between Jimmy P Brown and Ted Kirkpatrick. Now that would be interesting! Deliverquet  

I was playing devil's advocate quite a bit in my posts. Saying "maybe" this and "maybe" that to look at possible other explanations for things. So I hope no-one takes them as claims or even my actual opinions. Thanks for Ted chiming in to clarify things though!

And the hair thing was a joke obviously. I remember in some of the old discussion boards a decade or two ago Aaron commenting when someone asked if he was to grow his hair back, that he does it only if nature reverses its progression, or something like that. I thought that was hilarious, and TRUE to a lot of us! Aaron's a good sport.

By the way, as Ted mentioned Gelatinous, it's a song I've become to appreciate more and more throughout the years. I remember skipping that song often back in the 90's, but today it's one of my Tourniquet favorites. I think Erik said in the interview he did years ago that he played the rhythm guitars on that one.

And what comes to the Ark riff on the lead part, when I've tried to follow it I've always heard there's something very oddly off in it and I still haven't really got if it's a small thing in the actual riff or a thing that happens somewhere around where the leads change. I kinda get how it goes for the first lead part but then something happens and it somehow goes exactly the same yet differently. It must be the "extra note" thing Ted mentioned. It's one of my favorite Tourniquet riffs and as I mentioned earlier, one of those great "hidden" unique riffs that plays along the solo and only in the solo part. That and the Psycho Surgery solo riff are some of the best metal riffs ever. The main riff of Psychosurgery is amazing and one of the best fast thrash/speed riffs on its own but I think I've come to love the "solo riff" even more. It would be great to hear those riffs without the solo to really hear how they go (time for another guitar instructional video, Ted?).

I think you are a very fair and neutral person. I doubt anyone took what you said in a bad way.

Hi everyone,
 Hi Ted thanks so much for clearing up things here.

 We are euphoric Tourniquet fans 

 
Music is subjective and everyone listens and hears different things.
Every artist has his own strength and things where he shines.
I was refering to the way of playing rhythm guitar.

It was Garys song "A dog´s breakfast" I was refering to the most: Close your eyes







We are different, have different emotions and tastes and we prefer different things.

The is a difference in playing this song.
Like food or a served meal: It depends on degustation.

I don´t want to say: This is bad or this is good. It is different.
Hope I am not misunderstood.

Cailen

Is there a chance for a future live album?
I am REALLY looking forwards to a Tourniquet live record with

CJ Grimmark, Aaron, Les, Ted, and Andy      

all great musicians, but that is a different thread.