Top Heavy Metal Guitarists – Ever!

I cringe a bit at putting up a list of the best heavy metal guitarists when the pool to choose from is so vast. The problem comes because of the huge number of styles and sub-genres involved. Your choices depend on your style and who you listen to, whether it be glam, doom, progressive, classic or any other type heavy metal group. So, for the short list of the best heavy metal guitarists, here goes…

Tony Iommi – Black Sabbath

Introduced at a concert as “the man who invented the heavy metal riff”, Iommi is a legend and original member of Black Sabbath. He plays keyboards and flute as well as guitar and has been associated with other groups including Jethro Tull, Heaven & Hell, Mythology and Necromandus.

Jimmy Page – Led Zeppelin

Page began his career as a studio session guitarist before he founded Led Zeppelin in 1968. He has been described as “one of the all-time most influential, important, and versatile guitarists and   songwriters  in rock history”. His inspiration to begin playing guitar was the song “Baby Let’s Play House” by Elvis Presley.

Kirk Hammett – Metallica

Also dubbed one of the best heavy metal guitarists by Rolling Stone magazine, Kirk Hammett is both musician and  songwriter . Hammett is known for always having his picking hand taped up, due to constantly palm muting and fast picking, when on tour.

Eddie Van Halen – Van Halen

Eddie Van Halen is known for his innovative tapping, rapid guitar playing and high frequency feedback. Along with the guitar, he is a keyboardist,  songwriter  and producer. He once claimed that he had learned all of Eric Clapton’s guitar solos “note for note” by the time he was 14 years old. Along with Eric Clapton, Van Halen says his main influence was Jimmy Page “who was more the way I am, in a reckless abandon kind of way.”

Randy Rhoads – Ozzy Osbourne

After Rhoads originated the group Quiet Riot at the age of 16, he paired up with Ozzy in 1979 to form Ozzy Osbourne. After a successful career with Ozzy, he mentioned to the group in the 1980s that he wanted to leave the group for several years so he could study classical guitar at UCLA. After Rhoads death in 1982, Ozzy stated that had he lived, he did not think that Rhoads would have stayed with the band.

Angus Young – AC/DC

Young is best known for his wild and energetic performances and is definitely one of the best heavy metal guitarists of all time. He was 18 when he and his brother formed AC/DC. Young tried out several stage costumes including a gorilla suit, Zorro and Spider-man before he settled on his school boy look. Young has been an influence on such groups as Guns N’ Roses, Slayer, Metallica and Def Leppard.

While far from being a complete list of the best heavy metal guitarists, there is no doubt that these artists have had a huge impact on the heavy metal industry.