The Future of the Guitar Solo

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Original Score by Ways in Waves: waysinwaves.bandcamp.com/music
Written by Noah Lefevre and Mathew Brule
Imagery from Getty
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[@andrewz1313]

I don't comment on videos very often, but since you are going on hiatus I wanted to show my appreciation for what you have done. This channel has never failed to put out high quality and interesting content. I hope you enjoy the break and really hope to see a new Polyphonic video on my feed one day.

[@ZippyLeroux]

+1 for this sentiment

[@antlerbraum2881]

I’m in agreement, I’m confident that when he returns he’ll bring a great few videos with him.

[@TheZnth]

Thank you so much Polyphonic

[@theafterlife474]

So happy to see John Frusciante and Wet Sand get a section in this. RHCP is my favorite band of all time and Wet Sand is an often unseen gem of the Pep's stacked catalogue, and the entire song start to finish is a testament to the musical and emotional chemistry between those 4. Great video series, one of the best music channels on this site!

[@therobotFrom94]

Wet Sand is probably my favorite chilis song of all time - I remember hearing that song, and the whole SA album, back when it came out and it just blew 11 year old me away

[@Lowtierhero7777]

Yeah I agree with you both, wet sand is one of my favorite songs of time

[@levi777ish]

same here, wet sand is out of this world...

[@veljkobogdanovic4771]

Wet Sand is my favourite solo of all time and is criminally underrated outside of the Chilli's fanbase

[@pbabiesinspace6112]

The first solo to 'I Could have Lied' is my favorite John solo. The main riff in 'My Smile is a Rifle' is my favorite John riff. Amazing song but some people don't like his vocals.

[@eryanez8337]

Your picture of Ray Toro is actually of Frank Iero, rhythm guitarist not lead. Just noticed but in the end you get the point across of MCR's force as a band. Will miss you during the hiatus, hope it comes with the best fulfilment.

[@tomaslopez2940]

“For the first time since Sister Rosetta Tharpe, women guitarists are leading the way!” Nancy Wilson and Joan Jett: 😑 But seriously. I’ve loved this series so much! Thank you for making it and also the other great videos you’ve done!

[@LanceEads]

Nancy and Joan are both incredible, but they are sadly among the exceptions that prove the rule. There were others (Bonnie Raitt, the Great Kat) but not enough.

[@floridaman5202]

lita ford, jan kuehnemund, jeniffer batten,

[@LauraTeAhoWhite]

Don't forget Elizabeth Cotten, she has a finger picking style named after her.

[@pepperidgefarm8793]

Maybelle carter 💀

[@andrewweaver2517]

Please don't quit! I know you get a lot of love and a ton of requests to do everyone's favorite genre, band, or point in time. But you've just opened the door to so many about why and where their favorite song or artist came from. Much love and I hope you can continue this Noble quest to help people learn and appreciate music more.

[@jakubnowak649]

Wow, I thought this series cannot get any more incredible, and as a person who mostly listens to music from 50s to 80s, you gave me hope that the beautiful instrument has a great future, thanks for this

[@SkorpioMusic]

Phenomenal series, well done! I always love your content, but this one on the guitar solo has been amazing. I'm a little surprised that Tim Henson of Polyphia is not in this episode. Few guitarists have been more innovative or influential since the mid 2010s. Also, a quick correction: I'm pretty sure you put a picture of Frank Iero instead of Ray Toro for My Chemical Romance. Thanks for this amazing series! Hope you return soon!

[@ke_neil_we]

Agreed, It's truly a crime that Guthrie Govan, Tosin Abasi, Tim Henson, Steve Vai etc. Were left out of this series completely. Especially after the iconic moment in guitar history "Ego Death" created a year ago.

[@CarlosKTCosta]

I think Polyphia is a more noticeable omission since the series ends with guitar on Hip-Hop and that is the whole Tim Henson thing

[@ke_neil_we]

@@CarlosKTCosta yes! Especially that!!!

[@m_nch7]

yeah polyphia… also animals as leaders, periphery, mateus asato, marcin, matteo mancuso, and many more

[@C.SchitzPopinov]

THANK YOU! I have really enjoyed your muse, your passion, your contribution to my interest. Without these, I'd be less of a person.

[@kevincgrabb]

MATT BELLAMY

[@bernardozuniga3662]

A great ending to an even better series! I must say I was surprised you didnt mention Arctic Monkeys at all in this video, considering they were one of the first bands to explode thanks to the internet, and were extremely popular through the 2010's. I'd love to hear your thoughts about them!

[@matthewbanton7077]

they don't have too much focus on the solo especially though

[@tokyoarrow]

⁠@@matthewbanton7077Even if Arctic monkeys don’t necessarily focus heavily on guitar solos, I’d say they have at least one or two per album which is more than many of the artists mentioned in the video. Ren is another who never got a mention but most of his music is guitar driven and very technical. Not necessarily featuring “solos”, but certainly featuring moments of what could be called virtuoso-style riffing.

[@matthewbanton7077]

@@tokyoarrow yeah they have solos but none of them are particularly iconic outside of the fanbase. they're hardly going to go down in guitar solo history. and Ren is quite a small artist compared to the legends who have been mentioned, he's only emerged in the last couple of years, and his music happens to be absolutely terrible

[@nerenahd]

The guitar solo will always exist, like the saxophone or trumpet solos still exist. But like those, it will never have the prominence it once had.

[@spark556]

true, it exists but it's not mainstream anymore

[@linatenenbaum6595]

Another amazing installment! This series has been absolutely incredible. Thank you so much for this beautiful work, and for everything you've done on KZbin! (one minor thing: I think that's a picture of Frank Iero from My Chemical Romance, not Ray Toro. I might be wrong though!)

[@Emily-mv4cx]

An amazing series, super well done and you've introduced me to some great new tunes. Thanks for your hard work!!

[@franciscodiaz3028]

Your channel is always something that got me jazzed when a new video was released. I felt I always learned something new and inspired to go further down that rabbit hole. I've been told that i get really passionate about music. I think part of it comes from telling stories I have come across in my journey from pitstops like your channel lured me to go down different avenues. I will miss your channel but I will say that I have witnessed 1st had what you have gone through. I needed to take time off for myself and that time did help. I hope you get the time and space that gets you rejuvenated.

[@64north20west]

Thanks for suggestiing Nebula. This video rocks on that platform. Glad I subscribed.

[@andreborges2881]

St Vincent is such a unique artist. She’s absolutely one of my inspirations nowadays, along with the old masters, like Page, Rosetta, Green, the Kings et al.

[@H3lue]

THIS.

[@H3lue]

Also props to you for mentioning Greeny - the world's best guitar player few have heard of. Never have heard someone with a better tone.

[@dansolnite]

I loved your vids. Each one was just so well done. I hope your hiatus is restful, and if you come back to make more, we will be there for you!

[@Luminous-iLLusions]

Hope to see you back before too long! Love your channel and all that you do!

[@kbsouls3819]

The quality on here is still amazing even with limitations you make things great

[@Law-gi5ob]

Thank you so much for the hard work in putting these videos together. I've enjoyed every episode of the series.

[@franciscodiaz3028]

Another great video and anothet set of rabbit holes i need to explore! Thank you for all of these treasures you have given us!

[@Chiller11]

Good luck in whatever endeavours you pursue. Your KZbin creations were/are educational and inspirational. Thanks for those efforts.

[@blackflagsnroses6013]

The guitar work seen by people in their bedroom today is more complex than the guitar gods could have predicted. Amazing work that transcends Rock

[@MoonWalkerTexsRanger]

Totally. When you see what Max Ostro was already capable of doing when he was like, 15 or 16.. His level is absurde at that age.

[@lindamartinez9844]

Thank you for such good videos. You made me cry, you made me simple, you made me remembre and you made me look for new and old artists. I never comment. But wanted to show you my love for your work and how happy it makes me feel when I see a new video.

[@exxzackly]

My favorite video in the series yet :D Ever since finding you earlier this year, I've loved watching your content 😁And in just this video alone, I've found a bunch of new artists to check out, too :D I hope you have a nice, quiet time off during your hiatus, and I can't wait to see a new video again someday 😊

[@damianlopez-gaston2466]

Outstanding series. Thanks for all the excellent hard work and this tribute to the greatness of rock guitar. Your whole channel is awesome and I can hardly express the depth of my sincere gratitude.

[@JosephGallagher]

What a great video to close the year. I've been watching your channel for about a year I think, I think this break will help you create your next content with a stronger, renewed energy; best wishes (I'll catch up with your back catalog)

[@thedutchjuan]

This was a great video man! It's like you are telling a sotry, I ended having tiny shivers at the end. Man this video is beautiful! Thank you

[@rycolligan]

Thank you for such varied examples of new hotness on this video. Always happy to be reminded how much awesomeness is out there.

[@elusory3735]

I have learned so much from these videos and this channel in general. Songs i discovered, artists i learned appreciation for and all that with incredible production value. I can imagine it is hard to create something with this much passion, but maybe struggling to find a wide audience for it. Anyways, i really do appreciate all of it and wish you the best forward.

[@KurtCollier]

Thanks for putting out a good body of work. I applaud your stepping back before you start cranking out videos you don't like. I hope you have a fun and good adventure and learn a lot on your hiatus. It would be cool to see another one of these videos someday when your inspired toward this again. but it would be cooler to learn that you did something even cooler when you chose to put this down instead of slave to it. Have fun and good luck!

[@ajithvishanathsai]

Love your videos, all of them have helped me learn to appreciate music more and pursue music production as a hobby. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on music, your passion is infectious.

[@origional_name_here1429]

I find that you can still see some areas of metal still keeping solos simple whilst others because a measuring contest with one of my favorite solos in newer metal being Sabaton's Stormtroopers which is similar to fire and the flames in its speed

[@NavelOrangeGazer]

It was metal guitarists like Alexi Laiho and Jeff Loomis that arguably made shredding cool again in the 00s.

[@augustgreig9420]

This type of guitar playing, or musicianship in general, has always felt completely alien and strange to me, like it isn't really music, or rather it doesn't have the same approach that a musician has, it doesn't have the same motivations. I can't help but get the sense that people who play and desire to play like this, i.e., as fast and technical and challenging as possible, are not viewing what they are doing as your normal means of self expression, especially not emotional or even intellectual expression. Rather, they seem to approach music and their instruments they way that athletes do. Specifically, they are like athletes who "compete" in contests where the competition is indirect and the scoring is done by judges. Think figure skating, gymnastics, etc. The goal of these people is merely to push themselves physically while attempting to perform some tricks perfect enough. And their fans are the same as the fans of these sports. They aren't interested in hearing some melodic solo which really ties the song together and pulls out its deeper emotional/intellectual/spiritual meanings, but rather, especially at live shows, they wait with baited breath to see if their athlete is going to be able to perform perfectly the extremely difficult physical task which they have laid out before themselves. It's so fucking boring. There may have been one point in time where this was fresh and new, and it was genuinely interesting and inspiring to see how far the limits of the instrument and the human body could be pushed. But at this point, it's basically all been seen before, and any innovation from some new virtuoso, even if he is the most talented and skilled guitar player of all time, is going to be so subtle, such a slight improvement, that only the most hardcore devoted musicians who are also fans would ever be able to explain to you why what that guy just did was any better than what someone else had already done 30 years ago. Again, I find it very strange. It's an incredibly male and masculine approach to treat something as delicate and abstract as music the same as a track and field competition.

[@a.nobodys.nobody]

I've had many of the same sentiments myself over the years - that's exactly what it is. Which is great and all, I think music can be a weightlifting contest or a weight-releasing endeavor and doesn't have to be an either/or. But after hearing Dillinger Escape Plan's Calculating Infinity when i was in HS, I just got into jazz instead of going any deeper. Nowadays, every so often I'll spend an evening going down some guitar-shaped rabbit holes and admiring the dedication. "Skill without imagination is craftsmanship. Imagination without skill is modern art." In that way, most of these modern wizards are craftsmen. They do seem to be differently motivated in much the way you described. The only guy that was a clear exception to this, was Shawn Lane. Who had impeccable technical capabilities but could put feeling into every note. (Check out his 'guitar solo improv w Indian masters' (or something like that. In San Francisco iirc). Though I kind of disagree with the idea that it's all been done before. You have guys like Henson who synthesized all these pre-existing albeit disparate techniques into his own thing and mashing up disparate genres into something fresh and cohesive and actually selling tons of records doing it. And then there's guys like Josh Meader and Stephen Taranto who are definitely on another level compared to 80s shred icons. Their videos honestly look 1.25x sped up. Personally I'm more into guys like Julian Lage, Nels Cline, U Srinivas, Marc Ribot and Christian Fennesz. But they are relatively old so I'm not sure they represent the 'future of the guitar solo' 😂

[@coyote4237]

Thank you for the content. Hope to see you back here putting out great content in the future, too!

[@filrut]

Thank you for this great series and all your work. I like your history podcast as well. Take all the time you need.

[@recelehberger1603]

This series has given me so many new songs to explore, which is truly the best gift. I have been following this channel for a long time, thank you. Enjoy hiatus.

[@Whoosh12345]

Love the range of genres you covered and all the great songs I grew up listening to

[@EwanMathewson]

You make good content, don't leave it too long till the next one!

[@The_Chewmiester]

What a great series to end on. Thanks Polyphonic for all you have done on this channel. If this is goodbye, then best of luck. Hopefully you do comeback, but most people who go on hiatus don’t come back. Either way, your work has been an inspiration to many and thanks again.

[@jeroenrl1438]

Thank you so much for this series and all the other content.

[@timedwards2903]

Congratulations on another incredible series! I want you to know I've been a subscriber for a few years now and you've never disappointed. Every video has been amazing. Looking forward to more when you're healthier, happier and more inspired. By The way, speaking of guitar solos. I would love to see more musicians play slide guitar. Duane Allman, Derek Trucks, Ry Cooder, Sonny Landreth. All legends!

[@delanguus]

Little late but try looking up Joey Landreth (of the Bros. Landreth), Ariel Posen and Dylan Adams. All amazing slide players carrying the torch of those you mentioned!

[@humanothumqn659]

Going to miss seeing these videos. They helped keep me sane at work

[@vibeprospector]

Man, your videos give me chills, thank you.

[@jedimindtrix2142]

Wow this was an amazing dive into the world of guitar and music in general man. I gotta say...watching you lift your foot up to hit the bass drum on your midi keyboard had me DEAD. I feel your pain man. I eventually just got an Ekit lol. Although what you can achieve with a decent midi keyboard and some time is pretty amazing these days. The fact that any artist with an interest in recording and producing their own music can have big time studio sounds for what is essentially a pretty small investment for a bare minimum set up has really changed the game. I think of all the bands from the 50s, 60s, 70s, etc... who never got heard by a wide audience and never recorded anything. Record labels and professional studios basically controlled the distribution of literally, everything. The result of this new wild west of recording is so far pretty amazing! Maybe you should make a video about that actually! Surely enough of your subscribers would be interested in that!

[@tanksnstuff2029]

This series is very very good. Thank you for the work you put into it

[@jesseniebolt]

Great video to start a hiatus on. Hope to see something from you in the future Polyphonic! Enjoy your time.

[@RemotelySkilled]

You need to stay on the ball and keep on creating, please. I enjoyed your productions quite a lot and appreciate your sober and versatile scripting incl. the choices. You know how to relate to musicians (especially guitarists) at least in thinking and leave little for debate. Thumbs up! 💚

[@fajardomanolojoset.2787]

Polyphia -Tim Henson and Scott Lepage Animals as leaders - Tosin Abasi and Javier Reyes Unprocessed - Manuel Gardner Fernandes

[@silversam]

Been loving these videos for years now. Sorry to see you go, but you are unquestionably going out on a good... note. 😃

[@cryptidpop]

Yves Tumor and specifically the guitar solo by Chris Greatti on the song Kerosene! is another great example of the guitar coming back this decade

[@blockingthesunmusic]

Please keep on making content, man. You’re one of my favorite KZbinrs!!!!

[@jroze33]

I’m a firm believer in cycles of trends and culture so I can see a future where general live instrumentation grabs the head of the main stream once again. As a musician I see everybody following the same formula of hopping on beats produced by someone else and I feel the over saturation of it all will lead to an underground movement of people finally finding enjoyment in live music. I think the most telling thing is how the same 3-4 artists have recycled the top spots since the early 2010s and we’re headed into the mid 2020s .

[@user-ec3tb9xe6p]

Yep, that passion for your subject comes right through every time! Damn. Don't be gone long!

[@Saybleu]

We absolutely love you polyphonic and we hope to see you back soon❤

[@JosephDuncan-fz4rb]

Thank you for all your great videos

[@noviatoria2436]

This series is amazing, one of the best documentaries ive ever seen. The ending few lines are really beautifully written, never thought I'd tear up over a video about guitar solos but here we are haha

[@maxschumann2761]

Wonderful series. It was a joy to watch all of the videos. Being born in 1991, the indie bands of the 2000s made me a music fan. It sure wasn't the highlight of technique and creative exploration, but bands like the Strokes, the Libertines, We are Scientists, Bloc Party, Foals and Arctic Monkeys made me start playing the guitar. They all had their very special place in rock guitar history.

[@thatrandomraichu9664]

Wish Queens of the Stone Age got a mention. Oh well.

[@DALEK138]

This has been possibly my favorite series on all of KZbin. Outstanding

[@GregorySpikeMD]

This documentary series really is some of best things I've watched on KZbin. You can be really proud of this.

[@zachstennes2569]

Thank you for all of your videos.

[@burgesssam]

Thank you for an incredible series, Poly!

[@loudspeaker003]

Great video! Minor correction: When you were talking about MCR's Teenagers, you showed a picture of rhythm guitarist Frank Iero instead of Ray. Small thing but figured I'd let you know. Thanks for all the amazing videos over te years, enjoy your break!

[@parkeaudio1338]

And there goes my favorite channel Thank you Noah

[@ann_jee]

I am so glad that you included Octavarium and Petrucci,heavily underrated prog gems❤❤

[@jacktowers7533]

Im so glad you mentioned Wet Sand, its probably my favourite Chilli Peppers song and no one ever seems to talk about it, Fleas Bass underneath the Solo/Climax of the song is almost a solo itself, so many fills and licks under Johns Searing Lead

[@Kbctl9190]

Thank you! I hope to see you back soon!

[@joehguitar7967]

Very well done, as always. Highlighting the genre-blending efforts of artists like St. Vincent, Lil Yachty, and yes, Lil Wayne's infamous attempts, is incredibly important. I've been playing live music in various styles and scenes for over a decade, and I can tell you that people still love guitar solos. The decadence of those hair metal shredfests might not be in vogue anymore, but people are definitely not over the instrument.

[@MorningThief_]

Great series. I wish there was a mention of acoustic guitar solos with the work of Rodrigo y Gabriela. Thank you for your work. Enjoy the holidays & your hiatus. See you on the other side.

[@workingorder2189]

Best of luck and thanks for everything!

[@madmaxronnie]

Amazing series and great video (as always). Was really pleased how you brought Guitar Hero in this conversation of guitar solos. However, I think there should have been some mention of Meshuggah, Frederick's angular, messed up style of Jazz, fusion soloing. I think it has really added something different to the landscape of guitar solos.

[@kostad00d]

Someone probably said it already but you used a photo of Frank Iero when talking about Ray Toro from MCR. Great series btw, thanks for all the videos during the years!

[@madmanarnold8498]

Great video. The whole series has been so interesting, but i have to say you missed tosin absi. The guy took the thumb thump sound and completely turned it on its head from its jazz roots, making "animals as leaders" sound so wild compared to any other guitar centred music in history.

[@TheErikjsm]

what a way to go on break. this series has been great.

[@AJEDDY97]

That ending had me in tears, because that kid was me ten years ago. Sure, I'm not playing in front of thousands, but bands like AC/DC, Van Halen, The Beatles, the mighty Led Zeppelin, and my all-time favorite, Metallica, inspired me to pick up the guitar, and, in doing so, would save my life a couple of years later.

[@johnhagan582]

That's awesome but wouldn't you like for these times to be like your heroes .touring around the world playing for millions of people to inspire the masses like those bands you mentioned did when they inspired you ? Truthfully it was my daughter's generation (she's 30 now) and half of this generation like the 10-14 year olds now that missed out on carrying Rock through into the future and it's not their faults really it's the invention of the mainstream internet and gaming that took it place ! Seriously it's a shame not so much for my generation cause we lived it and to the fullest I just hate it for your generation and the one coming up now

[@techno_max8000]

I feel you. But don't look back. Move on and become a rockstar at what you're doing now.

[@SomniRespiratoryFlux]

As an addendum to this incredible show of passion making this whole documentary series, I want to urge people who wish to hear more life in rock or in guitar solos to dig for it in all eras and scenes. This series catalogued the most famous and notable guitarists, but in any of their styles there's many more people just behind them, in any era, whether their music made waves beyond its niche or not. The "Sieve of Time" is a real phenomenon, but it is a descriptive one, not a prescriptive one. The biggest hits will stand out years later while smaller ones fade away, but that doesn't always mean those ones were worse or not worth looking back at, or digging beneath what's currently popular to find something that slipped by the notice of the general population. Like... For one example, I'm a fan of modern prog metal, and I appreciate the mention of Octavarium in this video, but there are many more bands in the scene than just the most famous one. For prog from the later 90s to today there are plenty more guitarists that could be mentioned that just didn't have the level of public awareness of Petrucci and DT. The solos John Frusciante played as a guest performer on the first five Mars Volta albums, or Steven Wilson either solo or with Porcupine Tree, to more recent artists like Sam Vallen of Caligula's Horse, Tom Monda of Thank You Scientist, Richard Henshall and Charlie Griffiths of Haken, Tosin Abasi of Animals as Leaders, and those are just some I know well, there are plenty others I don't know as much from who are also worth a look. And more mainstream rock artists exist even today too, it just takes some looking. But it's more worth the effort to look than it is to complain that you have to. And if I took anything from this video, it's that it's worth looking in unexpected places too, and keeping an open mind to new ways to appreciate music. Thank you for your videos, and take all the time you need to rest and come up with new things to do. Your insights are really great, and even when you leave things unsaid, to me it's an inspiration to look further rather than an omission. I still have vague plans to make a "love letter" video to prog rock and metal inspired by your one for pop punk a while back, as it's a genre that I find gets saddled with a lot of unnecessary baggage, both by those who like it and those who deride it, and it deserves better from all involved than endless "actually, _my_ opinion is correct" arguments in all directions. Maybe someday I'll make it, maybe it'll just turn into a blog post instead, but either way you and Cory inspired me to share my own musical thoughts with the internet, and I can't thank either of you enough for it.

[@innoc3ntbystndr]

Thank you Polyphonic for the great contents!

[@jessebumann]

Great video! Obviously he can’t mention every prominent guitarist in the modern era, here’s some that weren’t mentioned that come to mind: Artic Monkeys, Marcus King, The Black Keys, Jason Isbell, Billy Strings, Derek Trucks, Warren Haynes, & Polyphia are all doing interesting things

[@matthewbanton7077]

AM are one of my favourite bands of all time but I wouldn't necessarily say they're famed for their guitar solos

[@tokyoarrow]

@@matthewbanton7077nevertheless, they do often feature guitar solos in their music. More than some of the artists which did get a mention. AM have at least two solos per album I’d say.

[@delanguus]

Agree on all your picks! Also interesting is that I don't see any mention of Mateus Asato. Especially since Polyphonic did talk about Ichika Nito, i'd expected a mention of Mateus as well; as the first (and still the biggest) "Instagram guitarist"

[@profvvv]

I watched this series with similar dopamine boost like MTV shows I watched in early 2000s when I had to wait a week for new episode. Truly great storytelling and important story to tell

[@augustgreig9420]

Something I really don't understand about your videos is that you always praise Tom Morello for his unconventional guitar techniques and solos, often pointing out how he was one of the last great innovators in the 2000's or even the 2010's, but you never ever mention Adam Jones from TOOL. He really did reinvent the guitar solo not only with his simplicity in his melodic approach, but in his incredible innovation in technique, like his use of vibrating motors held above the strings and pickups combined with the subtle use of the Wah Wah pedal to slightly shift the tone rather than to make the cliché "bow chicka wow wow" sound that it is so known for, or even the way Hendrix used it. And that only one example of his innovation and influence on the guitar solo. And that's also ignoring the fact that in 2019 with their album Fear Inoculum, Jones actually brought back more conventional solos in his own unique way of phrasing and melody, while at the same time continuing to push the envelope with his use of unconventional items and sounds to create something never heard before. It's not only you, but almost no one gives him the credit he deserves as a guitarist, and not just for his solos, but for his playing overall, which was some of the most influential of the 90's, especially when you consider their first EP dropped in 92 and their first full album dropped in 93, well, well ahead of all the bands that would come after who attempted to sound like them, with the most egregious example being Chevelle, who are basically a bad TOOL cover band only with "original" songs. He is always overshadowed by Maynard or Danny Carey, and at times even Justin, but as we saw with the song and music video that he created all by himself for the release of his signature Gibson guitar, he is definitely one of the most important elements of TOOL's sound, and it isn't fair or accurate to claim that any other band member is more talented or more responsible for the band's sound and greatness. I know it's a popular meme to hate on TOOL fans, and a lot of people extrapolate that into hating the band itself. But everyone must refrain from doing that. Hating something or someone because of their "fans" is just as absurd and unmerited a criticism as disliking something because it is "overrated". This is the exact same type of behavior as liking something simply because it's popular or critically acclaimed; you are letting the thoughts and feelings and opinions of other people determine whether or not you enjoy something. It is shameful and totally discredits any other opinion or analysis that you have.

[@DblTap317]

That was an essay guy just make your own video

[@adamprice3466]

I'd like to honorable mention to the mid 2010s rise of alt country headed by Sturgill Simpson. His old guitarist Laur Joamets was doing country riffs I'd never seen before. Got me interested in country guitar for the first time.

[@nyclurkerchowmein]

Im just glad u had a five second clip of stu from king gizz at the end.

[@Entoron055]

Awesome that you included Mdou Moctar

[@swingAE86]

As a lefty mdou moctar makes me so happy

[@Deepphoenix]

this was such good timing, i cant finish half of my songs because i've been stuck on the solos thanks!

[@audioray8145]

Thanks for the great series. Who knows what instruments would be on top in 10, 20, 30 years.

[@lucymay565]

Love to see a Mdou Moctar mention 🙌 I got to see these guys in London last year and my god is he a phenomenal guitar player!

[@Fatenashc]

Amazing series!

[@jackxavier3915]

Yves Tumor last two albums have AWESOME guitar playing man. Check em out if u read this especially the one that came out in 2020. ‘Heaven To A Tortured Mind’ so awesome. Chris Greatti.

[@Clorox39]

No mentions of players like Tim Henson and Scott LePage of Polyphia, Tosin Abasi, Misha Mansoor and Mark Holcomb of Periphery. These players are modern day guitar gods. Tosin and Tim might be the most technically gifted players to grace the guitar in its history. All of the players I mentioned have consistently been ahead of their peers in terms of songwriting, technique, and production. If I am a current day pop or rap star wanting to push boundaries, Im enlisting Tim Henson to do instrumental guitar work for me.

[@roadrunneruntd]

Yeah especially Tosin and Tim. So much of modern guitar is heavily inspired by them

[@ke_neil_we]

It's a crime tbh. I've been anticipating this episode especially for these artists and for them to be completely left out, I'm just... 😔😢

[@jofus1405]

i can’t believe this wasn’t mentioned:,(

[@joehguitar7967]

I'm not a fan of those players, but I do agree that it's weird to not mention them, given their popularity and influence. They are basically the new guitar heroes a la Satriani and Vai. Mateus Asato is another important name in that regard.

[@andrejz8954]

What about Guthrie Govan?

[@phecamp]

“Ray toro” *shows pictures of Frank Iero

[@r_rumenov]

I'm very happy to see Plini mentioned. You should check out Animals As Leaders - Tosin Abasi is amazing too!

[@andrewbeaudry280]

Rest well, sir. You still have work to do. I'll be waiting. AND THANK YOU for this.

[@stefangonzo]

Gotta mention Derek Trucks of The Teschedi Trucks Band, Marc Speer of Khruangbin & Max Newman of The Main Squeeze.

[@texasxenja2546]

Keep inspiring us 💎🔥🎶

[@Bartholomule01]

Really like the Nu Metal influence in pop lately. Like STFU by Rina Swayama, a lot of Dreamcatcher (Piri being one I really enjoy) Poppy's EAT EP, stuff on Calva Louise' ",Euphoria, etc. Modern guitar driven Pop is so cool!

[@andreasprokscha6357]

Amazing and inspiring Video! Love to See Brittany, St Vincent & Jack White on it!

[@hishamhilal8332]

I grew up on guitar hero and the intro was literally him throwing shade at it. But that aside, I always love your videos, your writing and visuals are amazing and live up to your vision. It is a shame yt is the way it is. Hope to see you back one day.

[@GangGang1]

Very good video! Found some new music! 🍻

[@mastermavrick]

Great way to close out this series, till whatever your next project is rest easy.

[@mateusbez2669]

Before I watch the video - thanks. You are probably the best music “documentarist” I’ve seen recently. There are several great music creators on YT - Neely, Beato, 12Tone, and several others - and each of the great ones have their true calling. You are among the best, and I truly believe you make music documentaries on a level with the best ones we’ve ever seen. So much that if you decide to do documentaries on other subjects, I’d certainly watch it. Enjoy your creative break.