What player did you recently realize is a badass?

[Wiltonauer]

Jeff Loomis, for one. Holy shit. Better late than never, amiright? (Please try to be patient with me; I’m just learning about some of the people who have been active in this century. Bonus, it looks like I’ve found that instrumental stuff I was looking for. That dude playing with him is decent, too, I guess. 😉)

 

[wheresthefbomb]

Robert Smith when I started trying to learn Plainsong. Nothing technically complex but there's a lot of nuance to the rhythm.

 

[RevDrucifer]

I’ve known Chris Broderick could rip as long as I’ve known his name, but I saw him with In Flames a couple weeks ago and the dude is such a great performer. Dude was mouthing the lyrics to all the songs, was all over that stage and just tore it up. I dipped out on In Flames after Soundtrack, but their new shit is pretty damn good and I’ll absolutely be checking out their future work directly because of Chris.

 

[gunshow86de]

Tobias Hoffmann, he has a few groups he plays live with, but these solo demo videos he does for a guitar shop in Germany are incredible. Similar vibe to Bill Frisell and Julian Lage, mashup of jazz and roots/folk music but not really squarely in either "camp."

 

[Wiltonauer]

I’ve known Chris Broderick could rip as long as I’ve known his name, but I saw him with In Flames a couple weeks ago and the dude is such a great performer. Dude was mouthing the lyrics to all the songs, was all over that stage and just tore it up. I dipped out on In Flames after Soundtrack, but their new shit is pretty damn good and I’ll absolutely be checking out their future work directly because of Chris.

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I make fun of him a lot because he’s not Marty Friedman and I think his sig Jacksons are ugly, but the time I saw him with Megadeth, he played the songs really well and seemed to be having a good time, so good on him.

 

[Dayn]

I only finally decided to listen to Necrophagist about two years ago. Earlier this year I watched a video of them playing Stabwound live. It's one thing to know exactly how it's played, and hear how perfect it is on the recording, but it's another to see it flawlessly executed in real time.

 

[Necky379]

Eschbach was already on my list of badass players but the balls to try and pull off what he did at that Detroit show is something different entirely. So I recently discovered he’s double badass.

Actual guitar playing, Warren DeMartini is a new one for me.

Seeing relative newcomer Steve Buhl from 200 Stab Wounds handle guitars and vocals live was pretty badass, not to take anything away from Lance. They’re both great, Buhl is a badass frontman while handling guitar duty though. They crush live.

 

[Wiltonauer]

Tobias Hoffmann, he has a few groups he plays live with, but these solo demo videos he does for a guitar shop in Germany are incredible. Similar vibe to Bill Frisell and Julian Lage, mashup of jazz and roots/folk music but not really squarely in either "camp."

Does this mean I have to stop laughing at people playing Jaguars? Dude cooks!

 

[BenjaminW]

I knew John Mayer was good but when I saw him back in March, I was amazed.

It’s a lot of fun to do that kind of Hendrix/SRV/Mayer type of thing every once in a while.

 

[Hollowway]

I only recently learned how good Prince was at guitar. The dude could legitimately play really well.

 

[Hollowway]

Robert Smith when I started trying to learn Plainsong. Nothing technically complex but there's a lot of nuance to the rhythm.

Off topic, but I still think the cure has the best songwriting of anyone ever. Love me some Robert Smith.

 

[John]

Recently discovered the band First Fragment, so that would count here.

Also the late Richard Benson. Many people in the west got their exposure to him from the unfunnier version of Dane Cook that is Steve Terreberry, which is messed up.
But there is a respect to be had in one's tenacity despite their loss and the anguish associated with it. Even with the jeers and related crap, he pressed on until his final days.

I only recently learned how good Prince was at guitar. The dude could legitimately play really well.

Off-topic part 2 electric boogaloo: he really could play ball, too. It wasn't just some sketch that was aired on Comedy Central.

 

[Lemonbaby]

Mateus Asato, Josh Smith and Ariel Posen.

 

[vilk]

I only recently learned how good Prince was at guitar. The dude could legitimately play really well.

I've always heard this, and one time I briefly tried to find evidence of it and came up with zilch... Got a link?

 

[KailM]

I generally recognize badassery right away when it comes to metal, because metal is almost the only thing I listen to.

But my wife dragged me to a Brad Paisley show one time and lo and behold, he was a badass on that Telecaster.

 

[Shawn]

Never really got too into Polyphia but I've been impressed by those guys. Tim Henson is pretty amazing.

 

[JimF]

Mike Schleibaum from Darkest Hour. Watching their live set online made me realise just how many of my favourite riffs he has written, and he's got great lead chops too.

 

[Shawn]

Also, not a big Five Finger Death Punch fan by any means but I have had a new appreciation for Zoltan...his guitar leads are tasteful imo.

 

[Nicki]

Also, not a big Five Finger Death Punch fan by any means but I have had a new appreciation for Zoltan...his guitar leads are tasteful imo.

Didn't Zoltan only ever take leads on their first album? I thought it was all Jason Hook after that.

 

[mastapimp]

Jordan Ziff after seeing him in Marty Friedman's band.

Matteo Mancuso - his fingerstyle leads are absolutely insane.

Wes Thrailkill - bought a bunch of his music and tabs in the last year. Dude's a monster.