Gutarist

I remember in the christian metal scene there were a few virtuoso guitar players back in the day. One of them that comes to mind was a guy called Jeff Scheetz.  Anyway, I wanna know who your fav Axeman is in christian metal and why you rate them so highly (and they don't have to be virtuosic).
I want to know--just cause.  GO!

Mike Phillips is the virtuoso IMO

He can shred like the best of the old Shrapnel players. Phil Demmel of Vio-lence and Machine Head respects him. Arpeggios and string skipping is his forte.

Gary Lenaire was one of my faves back in the day, had a classical approach and great tone.

Black Rider wrote:Gary Lenaire was one of my faves back in the day, had a classical approach and great tone.

Not to mention a great rhythm player too! 

Swarming Spirits, Harlot Widow and A Dog’s Breakfast are a few examples.

TZ75 wrote:Mike Phillips is the virtuoso IMO

He can shred like the best of the old Shrapnel players. Phil Demmel of Vio-lence and Machine Head respects him. Arpeggios and string skipping is his forte.

Band?  Or is he an instrumentalist?

Black Rider wrote:Gary Lenaire was one of my faves back in the day, had a classical approach and great tone.

Yeah he and Eric Mendez were a great team.  Fast and melodic and also very tasty!

Dustofyears wrote:

TZ75 wrote:Mike Phillips is the virtuoso IMO

He can shred like the best of the old Shrapnel players. Phil Demmel of Vio-lence and Machine Head respects him. Arpeggios and string skipping is his forte.

Band?  Or is he an instrumentalist?

I’m surprised you haven’t heard of him... 

He played in Deliverance and Fasedown. He also has a solo album. 

TZ75 wrote:

Dustofyears wrote:

TZ75 wrote:Mike Phillips is the virtuoso IMO

He can shred like the best of the old Shrapnel players. Phil Demmel of Vio-lence and Machine Head respects him. Arpeggios and string skipping is his forte.

Band?  Or is he an instrumentalist?

I’m surprised you haven’t heard of him... 

He played in Deliverance and Fasedown. He also has a solo album. 

It's been a long, long time.  I remember George Ochoa.  I remember the stay album.  Great to hear that song again.  The other albums must have come out once I bailed the scene.  Good choice in anycase.

TZ75 wrote:

Dustofyears wrote:

TZ75 wrote:Mike Phillips is the virtuoso IMO

He can shred like the best of the old Shrapnel players. Phil Demmel of Vio-lence and Machine Head respects him. Arpeggios and string skipping is his forte.

Band?  Or is he an instrumentalist?

I’m surprised you haven’t heard of him... 

He played in Deliverance and Fasedown. He also has a solo album. 

He also had a solo album "Mirrors within Mirrors" and was in the band Join the Dead.

deathisgain wrote:

TZ75 wrote:

Dustofyears wrote:

TZ75 wrote:Mike Phillips is the virtuoso IMO

He can shred like the best of the old Shrapnel players. Phil Demmel of Vio-lence and Machine Head respects him. Arpeggios and string skipping is his forte.

Band?  Or is he an instrumentalist?

I’m surprised you haven’t heard of him... 

He played in Deliverance and Fasedown. He also has a solo album. 

He also had a solo album "Mirrors within Mirrors" and was in the band Join the Dead.

That’s correct. 

I did mention the solo album in my post. I have the YouTube video above with a song from it.

Gotta go with Carl Johan Grimmark.  Started out borrowing a lot from Yngwie, but has morphed into his own style of Swedish shreddery.  His solos are the best I've heard from any guitarist of the past 25 years.  Check out "Into This Game," "Inner Sanctum," or "The Witch And the Lion" for proof.  He's much more than a player based on speed, but has a great vibrato and plays with tons of emotion (just listen to "The War That Tore the Land").  His worked is stretched far beyond Narnia playing in Saviour Machine for a time both touring and performing (I saw him live with SM and it was note-for-note what is heard on the album by Jeff Clayton) as well as guest spots with Rob Rock and his own solo album, Grimmark.

TZ75 wrote:

deathisgain wrote:

TZ75 wrote:

Dustofyears wrote:

TZ75 wrote:Mike Phillips is the virtuoso IMO

He can shred like the best of the old Shrapnel players. Phil Demmel of Vio-lence and Machine Head respects him. Arpeggios and string skipping is his forte.

Band?  Or is he an instrumentalist?

I’m surprised you haven’t heard of him... 

He played in Deliverance and Fasedown. He also has a solo album. 

He also had a solo album "Mirrors within Mirrors" and was in the band Join the Dead.

That’s correct. 

I did mention the solo album in my post. I have the YouTube video above with a song from it.

All I ever wanted reminds me a little of James Murphy with that distinct style of doubled up harmony.  Sweet!

Superjuice wrote:Gotta go with Carl Johan Grimmark.  Started out borrowing a lot from Yngwie, but has morphed into his own style of Swedish shreddery.  His solos are the best I've heard from any guitarist of the past 25 years.  Check out "Into This Game," "Inner Sanctum," or "The Witch And the Lion" for proof.  He's much more than a player based on speed, but has a great vibrato and plays with tons of emotion (just listen to "The War That Tore the Land").  His worked is stretched far beyond Narnia playing in Saviour Machine for a time both touring and performing (I saw him live with SM and it was note-for-note what is heard on the album by Jeff Clayton) as well as guest spots with Rob Rock and his own solo album, Grimmark.

Love Malmsteen.  I'll go check this guy out.  Thanks for posting.

Superjuice wrote:Gotta go with Carl Johan Grimmark.  Started out borrowing a lot from Yngwie, but has morphed into his own style of Swedish shreddery.  His solos are the best I've heard from any guitarist of the past 25 years.  Check out "Into This Game," "Inner Sanctum," or "The Witch And the Lion" for proof.  He's much more than a player based on speed, but has a great vibrato and plays with tons of emotion (just listen to "The War That Tore the Land").  His worked is stretched far beyond Narnia playing in Saviour Machine for a time both touring and performing (I saw him live with SM and it was note-for-note what is heard on the album by Jeff Clayton) as well as guest spots with Rob Rock and his own solo album, Grimmark.

I think he's grown tremendously. I have thoroughly enjoyed what he's become. The last few albums have so many tasteful solos. From Darkness To Light is especially filled with highlights, both riffing and solos.

There are many great players, but to me these stand out:

In no particular order:

Jani Stefanovic - Has perfected that whole Euro power metal style but does not play the same cliched runs that everyone else does.  His note choices are often unique and sometimes draw-dropping.

Tony Palacios - Has that kind of fluid, tasteful, intense style that Eddie Van Halen had without being a clone.  Could also reproduce that 1st VH album "brown sound" in his rhythm playing in the early days of Guardian.  That said, I was disappointed in his solo album, I found it kind of dull.

Mike Phllips - For aggressively virtuosic thrash-metal lead playing, he is hard to beat.

Carl Johan Grimmark - Blindingly fast but also extremely melodic and knows how to build drama with his playing.  Makes virtuosic guitar playing look effortless.

David Zaffiro - Very melodic, tasteful player.  Not too much flash but a lot of substance.

Jarmo Happonen & Sami Asp (guitar team in Gloriam Dei) - Amazing power metal players, and they sound great live too.