SHRED BATTLE :: Michael Angelo Batio vs. Chris Impellitteri

[@kylavixen6034]

Chris playing is ways more articulated, also considering his slides and vibratos, usage of dynamics too. However i like them both - Mike`s dexterity is very notable ) and yeah - REH video was insane. Sweeps that flies almost undetectable to the eyes )

[@stopthehate1749]

Chris Impelleteri's REH instructional video should have been included - I think that was his fastest most blistering playing. Both him and MAB are amazing.

[@ghostwriter1415]

YES! There's arpeggios that are alternate picked, and a bunch of licks that would annhillate today's virtuosos like Roy Marchbank, Jason richardson, and all of the other uber shredders!

[@stopthehate1749]

@@ghostwriter1415 yes, Impelleteri, MAB, Frank Gambale, and especially Shawn Lane and Stanley Jordan were amazing to watch on those old instructional videos.

[@Fotzkopp1980]

You mean the "Speed Soloing" instructional video (1989). I don't like it, because the alt picked parts are sloppy. Insane speed without control. Don't get me wrong, i think, that Chris is one of the best shredders out there, but most of his 80s stuff is sloppy. He has improved a lot since then.

[@stopthehate1749]

@@Fotzkopp1980 thats interesting, but i wish I could be as "sloppy" as him - lol.

[@machtnix222]

i must say ,my deepest respect for those shredders it takes a lot of time and perserverance to get that high technical level, but, i cant help it, i can stand it for 10 minutes and then it sucks,

[@rogerkoobjr.840]

Chris all-day.., Our CT. Native is influenced Also by local legend Jimi Bell...., Another incredible talent..

[@pranaakbary9924]

Paul Gilbert, Marty Friedman and Chris Impellitteri are my top 3 fav guitarists

[@carlos25021977]

Impellitteri's REH instructional video was a MUST for this comparison, yet it was sadly not included. This instructional to me was the pinnacle of fast shredding probably in the whole 80s decade (I had not seen anyone playing as fast by then and I am even considering other guitarists like Jason Becker or Shawn Lane) . I suggest whoever made this comparison to upload portions of this REH video.

[@obicross]

Agreed!

[@Fotzkopp1980]

You mean the "Speed Soloing" instructional video (1989). I don't like it, because the alt picked parts are sloppy. Insane speed without control. Don't get me wrong, i think, that Chris is one of the best shredders out there, but most of his 80s stuff is sloppy. He has improved a lot since then.

[@stopthehate1749]

Agreed - the REH video should have been included. I made a similar comment about this video myself.

[@carlos25021977]

@@Fotzkopp1980 I don't think he was sloopy (he has become an even better player over the years, granted). Talking about the REH instructional, Impellitteri plays very fast but he is also very clean. I think it was an incredible instructional from back in the day. I appreciate you were respectful on your reply as well.

[@damienthorne861]

I agree I was floored with that instructional video....5 string runs, economy picking or not I was like WTF?

[@luvyesmusici4886]

Mike can do it all, and at speed. He is ambidextrous. But in addition to his speed, it is also his sweeping that blows me away.

[@zackvanhalen]

I'll go with Chris. He's more musical and he's shredding on a strat.

[@blapblapblapblap]

2:14 ok this sold me on MAB that shit is fucking hard to do, alternate picking, at that speed.

[@GerhardGeficky-jg4ok]

Both Great Italian Americans. Michael for teaching me technique. Chris for musicality . Both have taught me a lot about technique .

[@knightstalker87]

Yea true.. Both of them is amazing!

[@martyrocks2091]

It's a tie! Then MAB says ok, let's do left handed now...

[@donaldlandau7831]

It doesn't count

[@stanhowe6410]

Both ARE greats & MAJOR influences!! however MAB is clearly in a catagory to his own where he's 1 in a bazillion. Great players & much respect to both!

[@timhenderson2643]

Both are good but MAB can play left handed as well.

[@thereaper7682]

17th Century Chicken picking of Chris Impellitteri will beat MAB all day long

[@BurakAlakent]

Angelo's precision is only matched by Shawn Lane, as far as I'm concerned.. Musicality, on the other hand, is totally another story.

[@FredRios-wk9ys]

Shawn is randomly fast...and all over the place....no alot of context of musicallity

[@g3shred641]

This is a tough one. In my opinion, both players have an absolute insane command of the instrument. Both players know how to write cool tunes. Both players have killer tone, and really improved their phrasing over the course of their careers…yeah love them both. Oh man, I can’t decide! 😄

[@andreas_XX]

The choice of notes does it for me. Chris wins

[@Azis_Dul.M]

Yeah..agree.. Also.. Differents notes per second , Chris wins

[@Johnnysmithy24]

Damn those MAB licks are insane, they remind me of Shawn Lane

[@KUDGHAT1]

Lane was a different thing altogether

[@YaoEspirito]

Maybe like a goofy, dumbed-down, meathead version of Shawn Lane.

[@guitarman...]

I've always liked Impelliterri's playing better, sounds organic. MAB sounds like a MIDI sequencer.....

[@kevinsurber3950]

They both pick 16 notes per second! (50 Fastest Guitarists of All Time, Guitar World, July 2008)

[@kotogray8335]

I knew who both of these guys were back in the day, but I couldn't name one song

[@Danergert]

We are not all born to be famous, popular or whatever. Some of us are just good without anyone knowning, and that is ok as well. Respect.

[@thechordacademy1062]

Respect to both of these players. I’ve watched both of them for over 30 years. My two cents: MAB is defiantly cleaner picking technique. I do think Chris’s music is more listenable though. One thing to note is when you focus on fast alternate picking, most shredders can’t pick fast string to string. That’s why they stay on one string for at least 3 notes. That’s also why it starts sounding the same Try alternate picking an arpeggio is you want impressive. Steve Morse style. Try alternate picking jazz lines. Both of these guys would collapse

[@faj7342]

well it is BS. They even can skip strings at that speed. Also, have you noticed no hammering?

[@ultimategolfshredder]

That's actually something Michael Angelo Batio does extremely well. He does all the picking styles at incredible speeds with unbelievable precision and clarity. Very few guitarists are as clean as MAB with every facet of guitar work.

[@drdave971]

MAB all day

[@TheBachelor81]

In every way Michael Batio! He's in an anather class, so much higher! His is a alien

[@jans1982]

No clips from No Boundaries?

[@powerseostrategy]

Chris's string skipping is awesome.

[@AlexLacorum-hf9ie]

MAB shreding is very clear and precise note to note

[@mayorrodgers7446]

When they both open the throttle and simply blow chops at top speed I have them tied.

[@ericmeyers5438]

Both are evenly matched, but I would have to give the edge to Michael, because he can switch it up and play both right and left handed at the same speed. ITS ABSOLUTELY UNBELIEVABLE HE CAN DO THAT. I was blown away the first time I saw him do it.

[@MichaelWeizenfeld]

Do you have real video when hi did it? I didn't see he can play good in reverse position, it's more a show. Post proof here please.

[@RanzatoFlaminio]

They inspired Italian Virtuoso Richard Benson...

[@33LEANDROHER]

O Chris tem uma linha melódica em alta velocidade e acho isso diferencial entre ambos

[@faureswanepoel1665]

Chris is faster

[@robertappleby4891]

Shawn fuckin Lane Baby

[@losferwords7830]

Chris!!! But The best Chris Impelliteri stuff is not presented here. Post stuff from his first teaching video as where the video starts with him soloing to Yngwies black star.

[@commonsensehill372]

MAB plays like a machine. Very clean and precise. Chris plays like a machine with a soul. Both are great... but I have to go with Chris on this one because I have heard a lot of his music over the years and he has a way of making a Strat sound like it will eat you alive.

[@thereaper7682]

I know MAB is fast but Chris is so much better in terms of the style and being dynamic

[@Helmutandmoshe]

Impelleteri is less articulate when he's picking fast sequences. His sequences are more simple to play also - descending and ascending sixes for the most part. MAB actually sequences quadruplets at that speed - much more difficult.

[@backslash68]

at last, an informed comment!

[@MichaelWeizenfeld]

Did you tried to play Impellitteri's stuff? It's not simple at all.

[@Helmutandmoshe]

@@MichaelWeizenfeld I agree that playing any kind of patterns, sequences, scales and arpeggios very fast and clean is a difficult task. That doesn't mean that they aren't musically simple. Great guitarists like George Benson, John McLaughlin, Allan Holdsworth or Pat Metheny could utterly blaze simple patterns like Impellitteri and many other neo-classical shredders play. They actually do that kind of stuff as a finger warmup. Virtually all great players can rip scales and arpeggios. They don't play those kind of things in their music because the ideas and patterns are too simple and don't carry much musical content or weight. And yes, I have played for more than 40 years and I used to play stuff by many of the neo-classical shredders back when I was in my 20's.

[@MichaelWeizenfeld]

@@Helmutandmoshe we talking about metal which is musically simple in nature (except prog metal). So straight gammas, arpeggios are commonly used. But in lots of Impellitteri's solos and instrumental songs can be found unusual patterns, string skips and other unusual technically complex stuff, making it not so boring as just diatonic scales. When you trying to play it, it blows your mind. It is fair to compare Impellitteri to Paul Gilbert, MAB, Nuno and so on, not to fusion or prog guitarists. I agreed that his early solos was crappy. The opposite situation to Malmsteen where early solos were excellent and gets worse with every new album )

[@Firmansyah_official]

both are amazing

[@elbertrandconner867]

They are facing different challenges with every shape they try to master so trying to compare them makes sense if they are given the same shapes and then individually try to master them and then the speed of who's faster can just be done by slowing everything down to see what notes comes in first for each player having started at the same time and judging the speed is only one tiny aspect of the world that comprises playing in general .

[@Virtuoso78]

That lick at 3:56 is identical to the one that George Lynch did on The Guitar Bible who happens to be another amazing guitarist. As far as who is the fastest between these 2 Italians, I think it’s too close to call.

[@Gloppp]

Love them both, & if you have been working on these patterns yourself over the years you know that Chris has the edge on speed when he was playing at his height.. Kinda into the Roy Marchbank speed thing now, but damn do I miss this stuff

[@michaelpeacestewart]

And Shawn Layne would walk in guys let me take that up a couple notches lol

[@jani14jani]

I'm a more of a MAB fan so i'm biased towards him. His No Boundaries always gives me chills when I hear it. What would you say is Chrises best song? I go listen so I can decide.

[@Darren_Tay]

You can try his 17th century chicken pickin.

[@unleashthefury111]

Secret lover

[@nergalshagrath6667]

Spanish fire, somewhere over the rainbow, playing with fire, for your love, kingdom fighter and more

[@jaymzguitar6]

Check out the song The Young and the Ruthless. It's a shuffle number at around 140BPM, starting off with an almost Queen-like harmonized acapella, then a very EVH-like groove-driven guitar riff kicks in. The chorus is so catchy and infectious it won't leave your head! The first half of the solo is very EVH-inspired and you can tell how much he loves EVH, the second half of the solo is perhaps the most difficult solo in the history of music that even Niccolo Paganini wouldn't dare to try; he plays insanely difficult 16th note arpeggios in odd-numbered bars, and 6-string 16th note alternate-picked arpeggios in even-numbered bars. What's even more crazy is he can pull it off flawlessly even during live performances! I think it's one of his top 3 tunes alongside Beware of the Devil and Slowkill.

[@Heisenberg8307]

Can't beat Chris Impellitteri in the first Black EP album, that was when he was at his peak, unearthly fast that even an amplifier couldn't catch up.

[@theodorecathey-dy4sp]

A+ for technique, c- for musicality

[@oknod7363]

Nice Ironbird! Mine is white...

[@ChrisEllenback]

I'd say it was a tie, but Impelleteri has a certain magic about him, and a killer vibrato that MAB doesn't have

[@shredrick25]

Both are My Guitar Mentor, this is a Good Battle 🤘🏼🤘🏼🤘🏼

[@romgtr]

I vote for the originator YJM!🙂

[@tonycurrie2964]

Can anyone remember what they just played?

[@powerseostrategy]

17th Century Chicken Picking is my favorite of Chris!

[@Sphereal]

Loving your videos.

[@gryynt2479]

what is the name of the song at 6:32 please ??

[@adamrad2220]

Sounds like a live version of Impelliteri's "17th Century Chicken Pickin'". kzbin.info/www/bejne/bp6YfIRpoN2LitUsi=Q5mNlPq9W48TNCJV

[@gryynt2479]

@@adamrad2220 I've found it, it seems to be called "Screaming Symphony" like the album but never released on studio. In another version : kzbin.info/www/bejne/eYbZn3Snqcd3gMk

[@thereaper7682]

​@@gryynt2479 the song was never publish by Chris for a studio record

[@TomekGrzyb82]

I love that stuff Chris plays in 1:55... pure agression and attack❤

[@JohnBowl14690]

I believe Chris is a little faster, but that said, I think the two are pretty even when it's all said and done.

[@edlicari3909]

Impellitteri all the way! 🤘🏻

[@jhanolaer8286]

MAB use inside and out picking 3 notes per string, Chris use even number per string picking that you can pick fast efficiently.

[@nomad5375]

I like Chris's melodies and style more than MAB, who tends to play super fast scales and arpeggios only.

[@rudymartinez6242]

Long live ROCK. Long live METAL. Long live the SHREDDERS.

[@Lohengrin1966]

You should make an awful hair battle out of this, hard to tell who wins

[@gun_toting_lefty]

Speed is great and all... but you gotta but some Blues dirt in there or it's just typewriter Guitar. Going with Chris I.

[@ef2967]

I heard snippets of 17th century chicken picking

[@centaurus5676]

Batio is boring after 20 scales but Chris is still melodic at warp speed.

[@JayRoc17]

Impellitteri more technical and musical ie 17th Century Chicken Pickin. If it sounded not as clean it's bc many solos on bridge pickup on a strat and bc of the amps he used. Impellitteri all day!!

[@preston2636]

If anything it should sound cleaner on the bridge pickup because bridge pickups are inherently less muddy than neck pickups. If it sounds cleaner with the neck pickup then that just means you're using the neck pickup as a crutch to cover your sloppy playing because neck pickups are so much more forgiving during leads and sloppy playing than the bridge pickup. But as a guitarist, you should know that if the playing is clean it matters fuck all which pickup or guitar is used it's going to sound clean. Pickups never made any body sloppy except for the noobs who rely on it as a crutch for solos.

[@JayRoc17]

@@preston2636 Many shredders use the neck pu for shredding bc it covers up picking imperfections but impelliterri is confident enough to use the bridge pu.

[@Johnnysmithy24]

I’d like to see Buckethead vs Steve Vai

[@balanstaruriah1012]

Chris deserves the respect for his insane shredding and raw sound

[@moumouzel]

MAB all the way

[@vocamurioenmadrid]

CHRIS IS THE FASTEST

[@kulitputihhatiputih8404]

​@@vocamurioenmadrid No. MAB already unlocked all the techniques including jazz. He can play all in electric guitar

[@GerhardGeficky-jg4ok]

Chris is actually quite wealthy with his Japanese tour of Anime songs.

[@smoothpicker]

I prefer mab, his playing is so clean and refined. Chris is amazing as well. Tough choice!

[@knightstalker87]

Dang chris!

[@bobowrathsovine.]

Every time it's a Chris clip the notes are jumping out of my speakers. While Batio's audio is a bit flat/muffled in the mix.

[@WaltPowellEnt]

It seem like Michael is a lot more cleaner and precise.

[@moreblack]

MAB all day and night

[@Anton_the_Vampire]

Camp Impellitteri here. I'm sorry, but I think k he's just faster. (though it's marginal) Both are technical monsters however.

[@David-mn2mp]

Chris for the win. 🤘

[@denselabat2921]

michael angelo...all day long😎😎😎

[@jsosgood]

Saw and met Chris Impellitteri in 2019 in a small club in Queens NY

[@fabiocameira7752]

MAB is a Shred Machine!

[@realguitarthur]

Shawn Lane is the winner. :)

[@jamesstacks4451]

CRISTOPHER IMPELLITTERI ALL DAY LONG N EVERYDAY 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@GordonHeaney]

Back in the late 80's, I listened to both and I had both their videos. I would say that technically, MAB had the edge, but the Imp was a better song/riff writer and better rhythm player

[@mrBDeye]

In a police lineup, both Michael and Chris are guilty of playing way too fast.

[@Thrillhouse84]

There's definitely no such thing

[@alsatiancousin2905]

Impellitteri's high speed shreds are tainted with pinch harmonics, meaning he can't play them clean if he goes that fast. It's the way his technique goes. He has to change the position of his hand and wrist in order to achieve really fast picking. Batio's whole picking style is unorthodox to say the least but it's consistent from slow to fast. And clear. Batio "wins".

[@OperationEndGame]

Impellitteri all the way.

[@BrianClem]

Impelliterri has a graphed on pinky finger. I have never seen a human pinky with that much speed and fret distance.

[@YaoEspirito]

Make sure you watch some Rick Graham videos. His left hand work is so tasty and super economical.

[@AndersonSilvaOficial]

6:40 to 7:20 awesome

[@officialgreenson4201]

michael angelo one of the alternate picker monster.whatever you people say,for me he is one of the best guitarist in this planet❤

[@MaxSalada]

Impellitteri!!!!!!

[@aguantecivile2]

MAB pick over the neck pickup sound, IMPELLITERI pick over the bridge pickup sound

[@lueysixty-six7300]

We may not recognise a single song/solo/lick of MAB (Mutually Assured Batio-struction!!), but when it comes to the category of speed shredding [ Speed. Accuracy.], ..you'd be downright ROBBING Michael -Anj to award it to anyone else. Dude's speed and accuracy are machine like! His picking hand, a half blur of robot-like efficient micro movements...and you'd expect a tough, raw sounding percussive element to it, the way he attacks the strings.. Instead, it's like he has the hands of a surgeon, lighning fast...efficient as hell..but the most impressive thing above all of that...is the smooth consistency he has to every single note. Every note has a full, round bloom, the volume is even...it's not what expect from someone pushing out the fringes of human capacity... MAB is definitely not human. Cyborg... alien... demon or angel maybe... Or even a demigod, or superhuman.. But not just...Human !

[@stopthehate1749]

And then there was Shawn Lane...

[@danielf462]

Reptilian?

[@alchemi5150]

Skills for MAB left and right acrobatic

[@chriskeiser303]

Chris I pick.i have all his music

[@HrhFish]

Both can play. I've said this before what gets me about Miucheal Angelo Batio is the fact that he says he is naturally left handed but plays a right handed guitar. He also has an what I call an overhand technique which is just as fluent as his natural technique. He can play left and right handed just as well. Here is a link to an old Nitro video of him playing a 4 neck guitar. Enjoy kzbin.info/www/bejne/l3jJZoGugbaie9E

[@FlashRayLaser]

He actually fully admits he can't play left-handed equally well. He says he did get advanced enough left-handed to realize he would have been better playing left-handed but that he was just too advanced as a right-handed player by then to put himself though fully switching and losing years just to catch up. That's also why he crosses his arms over each other so often we plays on the left-handed neck, so that he's still picking with his right hand. He's admitted that's a bit of a stage gimmick to make it look like he's making it even harder but that that's actually easier to him than trying to pick that fast with his left hand, which he never fully developed even though he could tell it would have been better. I'm actually in the same boat as him. I'm left-handed but learned to shred quite well playing right-handed. I always wondered if I'd messed up. So many left-handed players who play standard guitars and still manage to learn to shred spend their lives under the delusion that it didn't hurt them at all, or even that it might give them an advantage because the fretting hand does more work anyway (I kinda thought that). Hearing Batio say he couldn't play as well left-handed but did get good enough to know he would have been better that way, was part of what finally settled that old debate for me. So after 20 years of shredding on standard guitars I made the painstaking decision to start all over left-handed before it just looked even more impossible like it did for MAB. Then or never, then or die never knowing my full potential. He was right. It took several years or relentless practice but I did eventually surpass myself. The weird thing is that even though the fretting hand does look like it does more, it's not that hard to train your non-dominant hand to do it. It's more of a body building thing than an aim thing, getting your hands strong, fast, and flexible. Speed picking across strings, even though it looks like so much less, requires way more articulation. So my legato and tapping is pretty much the same both ways now, but my picking is more accurate left-handed. I highly recommend left-handed players to play left-handed and it makes me sad wondering how insane MAB might have been if he'd always played left-handed, or at least fully went through on catching up left-handed.

[@FredRios-wk9ys]

How can ya Deny it not ..exceptional....MAB has a precision that otherworldly....and Chris has has a slightly more blues based aproach

[@enrico20957]

Impelliteri forever!!!! 💪💪💪💪

[@PhantomCounty]

MAB is just soulless speed (like a programmed machine), while Chris actually has some tasty licks besides the 1,000 notes a second runs. I’d choose Impellitteri all day.

[@bryanm7953]

MAB is clearly faster but Chris is a much better song writer. I dont listen to MABs music cause it isnt very interesting to listen to. Chris on the other hand has continued to level up. His cd's have only gotten better as he's aged. I would pick Chris as the better guitarist cause I listen to the music he writes. MAB has 1 great song No Boundaries, never wrote another song as good again.

[@DarthWinterMadness]

I have to agree with you. I'm not that familiar with Chris and I'm gonna check more of his work. Cheers from France! 🍻

[@bryanm7953]

@@DarthWinterMadness Watch a few music vids by Impelliteri on youtube. His bands last 3 cd's have been absolute killers. If you enjoy aggressive shred metal/hard rock with insane guitar solos then check them out.

[@DarthWinterMadness]

@@bryanm7953 For some reason your reply doesn't appear when I open the thread, but I can see it and reply to it through my notifications. Which record would you suggest I start with? I like to listen to full records. If you can't choose one, what is your Top 3/5/10? Just try to rank them as best as you can so I know where to start. Thank you man

[@bryanm7953]

@@DarthWinterMadness Wicked Maiden , Venom, and Belly of the Beast are the 3 most recent and probably 3 best. Venom and Belly are my favs with Wicked Maiden 3rd.

[@bryanm7953]

@@DarthWinterMadness Also if your a fan of Japanese Anime Chris was a member of the all star group Animetal USA. They do metal versions of anime theme music. Lots of ferocious shredding on those Animetal USA cd's. Alrighty there then hope that helps, enjoy! 🤘🤘🤘

[@pranaakbary9924]

I go with chris

[@12floz67]

Both are just beasts on the guitar but I prefer listening to Chris Impellitteri.

[@balanstaruriah1012]

Listen to ANIMETAL USA and ANIMETAL W. Chris just bombarded those ALBUMS. "21century Chicken picking" "7Stand in Line" "/Screaming symphony" / " Answer to the Master"/ "the Nature of the Beast"/ "Eye of the Hurricane " and many many more

[@stonerdemon]

3:34 His hairdo is the real winner.

[@macsimon6821]

Impellitteri end of story. MAB is just a show off but Impellitterri knows more scales and such. Actually cares about music writing