Who do you think is the best heavy metal guitarist ever?

[Portillo.]

Kirk, you must be kidding... seems like a nice guy, terrible guitarist.

I love revisionists. Metallica changed heavy metal forever, and Kirks guitar playing was a huge part of it.

[Peri]

I love revisionists. Metallica changed heavy metal forever, and Kirks guitar playing was a huge part of it.

Not sure what you're referring to. Bands like The Stooges/Ramones/Pistols redefined music in the 70's; I still wouldn't put any of them in best-musician lists. I first heard Metallica in 1986, and I thought he was terrible then too. His bends are always off-pitch, and I'm not fond of his phrasing. I just think there are much better examples: Uli Roth instantly comes to mind.

[Portillo.]

Fair enough. It just seems to me that during the Internet age, alot of people have turned on Kirk. I always thought his riffs and solos were pretty good.

[Peri]

Fair enough. It just seems to me that during the Internet age, alot of people have turned on Kirk. I always thought his riffs and solos were pretty good.

I actually went and listened to some Metallica MoP tunes again earlier.
He's actually a lot better than I remember him to be, definitely suits Metallica's music, so I take what I said earlier back.
Anyway, you'd probably think I'm an idiot if I told you who I consider the best metal guitarist is: Tony Iommi.

[Hedon]

Mikael Akerfeldt. Eclectic, emotive and an amazing song-writer. Not a shredder or extremely technical but the Yngwes and Satrianis doesnīt interest me, itīs just masturbation.

[Peri]

^^One of my favourite Opeth tunes. The way it kicks of at the 2:30 mark is incredible. I haven't been interested in much of their stuff after Ghost Reveries, they kind of lost something after Martin Lopez left. Not to say Martin Axenrot isn't any good, it just doesn't (to me) have the same vibe.

[Hedon]

Lopez was a unique drummer, perfect for Michaels music and his departure was a loss. I did enjoy Watershed though, but the Blackwater Park - Ghost Reveries years has the best music. The latest album is good in itīs own right, I like my stoner-music, it just isnīt Opeth really. More like a side-project...

[Senor Squat]

Fredrick and Marten from Meshuggah- they cant even explain the way they play into words.

These 2 spawned a whole new thing. Technical and popular in a time where solos and oddball rythms weren't popular. Only with guitar geeks. Between the Buried and Me really helped make this popular again, too. The 80's gave birth to some badass guitar wizardry, it died off, and now it's reborn with 7 and 8 string guitars and technical ability/creativity x10. All the bands that shunned this are now trying to catch up.

[Eclair]

I have been am Iron Maiden fan for years so Dave Murray, Adrian Smith and Janick Gers have to be mine. Think I would be hard pushed to pick just one of them though, as they have all contributed to Maiden's sound over the years.