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One thing’s for sure: the world of guitar and rock music is still very much popping, with millions of you visiting Guitar.com over the past year to stay up to date with the latest news – from gear launches to the hottest takes from your favourite artists. And as Guitar.com’s News Editor, it’s been my distinct pleasure keeping you informed…

Now, as we wrap up 2025 and get ready to celebrate the festive season, I thought we’d take a quick look back at some of the biggest news stories from the past year that had you all clicking the most. No further beating around the bush – you probably have plenty more gifts to wrap (or, like me, buy…). Enjoy!

Metallica guitar tech on how ditching real amps helped the band improve the spectacle of their live shows

When many of us think of a rock show, part of the image in our heads is a wall of Marshalls at the back of the stage. For many years it was. But now, many of the world’s biggest bands are turning to amp modellers for their tones, thus freeing up space on stage to play around with set design. And Metallica guitar tech Chad Zaemisch says the switch has led to “a lot more opportunities” when it comes to providing a spectacle for the fans.

“The people in set design realised that if we don’t have this wall of speakers anymore, we have all of these other things available to us,” he said.

“Everybody’s all about content these days, and not a lot of people want to watch a band stand in front of their amp line with nothing else going on. Now we can use large video screens. It opens up a lot more opportunities to do different things.”

What do you think – should it be mandatory for a rock band to be seen in front of their amp line, or does it not really matter anymore?

Read more.

We said goodbye to some rock legends

Credit: Getty ImagesThere’s no getting around it – some of our biggest rock heroes are getting older, and this year we’ve had to say goodbye to some of the genre’s most legendary figures.

In June, we lost Beach Boys legend Brian Wilson at the age of 82, prompting a flood of tributes from far and wide, including from the likes of Paul McCartney, Sean Ono Lennon, Bob Dylan and Ronnie Wood. Wilson’s influence on the world of pop music cannot be understated, his creative vision and keen ear for melody shaping the sound of the genre in the decades following the formation of the Beach Boys in 1961.

It was hard to believe the news when it came – particularly as Black Sabbath had played their monumental farewell show in Birmingham just two weeks prior – but the metal world mourned in July when Prince of Darkness Ozzy Osbourne passed away aged 76. His death prompted thousands of tributes from across the music world, with bandmate Tony Iommi calling it “such heartbreaking news that I can’t really find the words”.

The guitar world was also stunned when it was confirmed that founding Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley had passed away at the age of 74. His former Kiss bandmates called him an “essential and irreplaceable rock soldier”.

Tobias Forge comments on Ghost’s phone ban for their 2025 tour

We’re all more glued to our phones than ever, and some artists have been looking for solutions to make their shows feel more organic and connected. Swedish metal powerhouse Ghost – a troupe of Nameless Ghouls led by frontman Tobias Forge – were one of the most high-profile acts this year to instate a ban on mobile phones at their 2025 shows.

This year, fans have been forced to seal their devices in Yondr pouches, designed only to unlock when outside the venue so fans are more present while watching the show. “If you have 10,000 people at a concert and 8,000 of them are holding a phone, there’s something deeply disconnected,” Forge said while justifying the ban.

It ignited considerable debate this year, with many commending the ban for making shows feel more “connected”, while others took issue with certain logistical challenges, like not being able to contact others while inside a venue, or not being able to take videos.

Read more.

Machine Gun Kelly revealed how he once accidentally stole a Martin guitar from a hotel room

Rockstars and hotel rooms have never really been a match made in heaven, and Machine Gun Kelly revealed how he once got on the wrong side of hotel staff when he accidentally swiped a Martin guitar from his room. Believing it to be a gift for playing his show in LA, he told Norman’s Rare Guitars that he took the instrument on the way out, and later received a call from his label saying the hotel had alerted them of the theft.

“I took the guitar out of the room, we exited the building, and Interscope called me 20 minutes later. They said, ‘The Ace Hotel just called us and said that they have you on camera leaving with the guitar,’ and I was like, ‘Oh yeah, well, I thought it was a gift for doing the show!’ They were like, ‘Yeah, well, it wasn’t a gift, that’s just what they put in their hotel rooms,’” he said.

MGK decided he didn’t want to give the instrument back, as he had already developed an attachment. “I love the guitar, just tell them I have to have it,” he told the Interscope rep. “The hotel billed me for $5,000.”

Read more.

Cory Wong kicked up some dust with this opinion…

Is it necessary as a guitarist to know every single note on the fretboard? Cory Wong definitely thinks so, and wasn’t shy in sharing his opinion back in March. In an Instagram Reel, the jazz-funk maestro said: “Gentle call out to the folks that consider themselves advanced guitarists. You should know where all the notes are on a guitar!”

As it does best, the guitar world erupted in debate, with many refuting Wong’s claim and saying it’s not essential to know your fretboard inside out after all.

Wong was undeterred by the furore spurred on by his comments, though, later saying: “Didn’t know this would trigger so many folks,” he writes. “I’m here for it.”

Read more.

The post The biggest news stories from the world of guitar in 2025 appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

2025 is nearly over – across the last 12 months we’ve seen some seriously impressive guitar products arrive, ranging from overarching software suites to gorgeous metal guitars, from innovative utility pedals to gorgeous ambient delays. Over the last few days  myself and the rest of the Guitar.com team have been collating our favourites from the whole year – let’s dive into our picks!

Best premium acoustic: Taylor 314ce

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News Editor Sam: “Forget the scene when Jack lets go of the door and Rose watches him fade into the icy abyss of the Atlantic Ocean. A real tragic end to a beautiful love story came earlier this year when the UPS courier came to collect the Taylor 314ce Studio I had spent months developing an intimate bond with. I’ve never quite felt heartbreak like seeing that van – carrying what I can only describe as the love of my life – fade into the distance. I won’t be judged for being dramatic.

“The Taylor 314ce is among a small crop of the finest instruments I’ve ever played. Everything, to me, is exactly how I want it to be. The action is set up pristinely, which, paired with Taylor’s “easy-playing” neck profile – and satin-finished neo-tropical mahogany neck and West African Crelicam Ebony fingerboard – makes for one of the most luxurious acoustic guitar playing experiences imaginable. The guitar also delivers a stunningly balanced and earthy tone, with satisfying low end projection plus gorgeous sparkly highs, making everything from simple chord strumming to intricate fingerstyle playing an utter delight. I must also note that I had this guitar for months and played it regularly, and somehow the strings still sounded brand-new.”

Best affordable acoustic: Martin 000 Jr Sapele

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Commissioning editor Josh: “I am not a small person. I am big and broad enough that I will begrudgingly accept that I do look rather silly playing any kind of student or parlor guitar. And yet… I bloody love a small-bodied acoustic. Especially as the entirety of my acoustic playing life is now at home, I don’t really care about the power and projection of a big-bodied guitar at this point. I just want something that’s comfortable, plays well and sounds good.
That said, I was not expecting to get on with the Martin 000 Jr quite as much as I did – but something about the whole recipe really did just click with me in a way that made it a very, very hard guitar to say goodbye too.

“That scaled-down 000 body shape doesn’t feel as dainty as a parlor-sized instrument, and the full-size scale length certainly combines with that to make it feel every inch a ‘proper’ guitar, but just a big more ergonomic and compact. It also sounds and looks great too, and with its stained sapele finish, it just looks at home in any space you put it in – a killer instrument and a killer price too.”

Best gigging amplifier: Orange Tour Baby 100

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Senior Staff Writer Cillian: “It’s no secret I love Orange amps, and I’ve recently been having a very good time with the brand’s solid-state offerings. Late last year I bagged myself a used Super Crush 100, which is essentially a JFET version of the Rockerverb preamp running into a Pedal Baby power amp. It’s a great amp and I love how it sounds and looks, but I was really impressed with one of Orange’s more compact solid-state offerings this year – the Tour Baby.

“The Tour Baby is the same size as the Pedal Baby, but adds two preamp channels and a built-in compressor for the cleans. Given its miniscule size but beefy 100-watt power stage, it’s a really compelling option for small gigs where you don’t want to load the boot of your car to bursting but still want to kick out some serious dBs on stage. Its overdrive sounds were great too, and it took dirt pedals amazingly – in all, a very Orange take on the solid-state thing, with some added versatility and portability, all for under £400. What’s not to like?”

Best practice amplifier: Orange O Tone

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Commissioning editor Josh: “I didn’t actually review this one in the end, Richard did, but the O Tone 40 spent a few weeks in my house while it was waiting to be photographed and man, did I have a good – and extremely loud – time with it sitting in for my trusty Princeton over that time. Because, as the O Tone 40 proves, nobody really designs amps like Orange’s design guru Ade Emsley. Here’s a solid-state, non-modelling amp that sounds absolutely fantastic, responds like a tube amp in all the best ways and is unapologetically and unreasonable loud with it.

“I am a paid up member of the ‘most people play at home we need amps that sound great at bedroom levels’ club, but I love that there are people out there like Orange building these uncompromising machines in 2025 – it’s a dying art and we should appreciate it.”

Best utility pedal of 2025: Boss PX-1

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Commissioning editor Josh: “A confession, before we start: I think we might have reached something of a saturation point in terms of pedal innovation in 2025. That’s not a particularly original thought I know – my esteemed colleague Cillian said much the same last year – but it’s something I’ve been coming back to a lot this year. It’s not that there aren’t still good and interesting pedals being made all the time of course. But I think we’ve reached the point in the curve where the ‘surprise and delight’ aspect has started to wear off. Pedals are a bit like iPhones now – what would have blown your mind a decade ago is kinda normal now, and it takes a lot to really inspire much strong emotion.

“Which is why I found the reaction – and dare I say the backlash – to the Boss PX-1 so interesting. There’s no doubt that what Boss is trying here is quite different – creating a pay-as-you-go archive of classic and rare stompboxes from the brand’s illustrious past is not what anyone had on their bingo cards I don’t think. And while I think that the discussion and debate it provoked was actually quite useful and important – I’ll be very surprised if anyone tries a subscription-based pedal thing any time soon on the back of it, for example – it did rather obscure what the pedal itself was about.

“And taken on its own merits, the PX-1 is a very fun thing to have around – a living library of Boss rarities to pull out as and when the mood strikes. And judging by how quickly they flew off the shelves, a lot of you agreed with that sentiment.”

Best guitar software of 2025: Positive Grid Bias X

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News editor Sam Roche: “My colleagues Cillian and Josh started their year-end gear picks lists with their favourite guitars, and I’ll get to mine, but first I have to highlight BIAS X, the groundbreaking new AI-powered amp and effects suite from Positive Grid. Essentially an evolution of the brand’s long-adored BIAS FX 2, BIAS X blew the in-the-box tone market wide open when it landed in September, bringing with it an AI assistant, on hand to turn the tone in your head into a reality, in some cases in seconds.

Creativity should be the ultimate goal, and the tone-making process taking too long can be a hindrance to that end. With BIAS X, you can enter any prompt (“give me a high-gain tone for modern metal”), and the AI assistant conjures a signal chain from the platform’s vast amp and effects library to best match the vibe you’re going for. Like any AI, it’s not always perfect, but almost always offers a solid starting point which you can then tweak to your heart’s content. For the record I’m not a fan of any AI which takes creativity out of the hands of humans. But this is an application which expedites the tone-chasing process, and ultimately keeps you in your creative flow, so it’s a big A+ in my book.”

Best vintage-style electric of 2025: Fender Road Worn 50’s Jazzmaster

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Commissioning editor Josh: “Okay, I’m going to cheat slightly here because, frankly, this is my article and you can’t tell me what to do. Yes, you will probably have noticed that Guitar.com hasn’t quite got round to publishing our review of Fender’s latest Road Worn return… but I’ll let you in on a little secret: I’ve had one in my house for the last month and it is K-I-L-L-E-R killer.

“That might be somewhat spoiling the review when it comes out early next year, but time is a construct and I will not be constrained by such trivialities. I love a Jazzmaster at the best of times, but the Road Worn Vintera II is such a wonderfully bang on version for the money.

“I remember the first RW Jazzmaster Fender made over a decade ago, and while it was cool, it did very much look like a factory-aged guitar. The subtle ageing and lacquer checking on the 2025 variant is so much more believable. The only thing that’s lacking is the colour options – Fiesta Red and Sunburst? Come on guys, give us some custom colour options – Sonic Blue, Seafoam Green, Shoreline Gold… who cares if it’s vintage-correct, live a little!”

The best rock/metal electric of 2025: Jackson Lee Malia LM-87

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Senior Staff Writer Cillian: “Is it a metal guitar for offset nerds? Or an offset guitar for metal nerds? Who knows, but either way, Jackson’s new Lee Malia signature is absolutely my top pick of 2025’s new guitar releases. Firstly: it looks cool as hell, and in a super classy way. This is not the kind of heavy guitar that, aesthetically, screams “mettuuull”, shotguns a beer and stage-dives into the moshpit – instead the dark, open-pore finish, the offset shape and the weird tune-o-matic nabbed from Malia’s love of weird vintage Gibsons make it appealingly minimalist but still mean looking. Sonically, the combo of a subtle P90 in the neck and an absolute jackhammer of a bridge humbucker makes it great for doing things that aren’t just drop-A chugs – but it does still excel at those.”

Best modern electric of 2025: Sterling By Music Man Kaizen

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News editor Sam: “I’m fortunate enough with this job to have many guitars across my desk, and every now and then there’s one which has me tempted to get my wallet out to persuade the powers that be to let me keep it. When I was delivered the Sterling by Music Man Kaizen 6 last month, it was one of those moments.

“I love to experiment with jazz, blues and all manner of other genres, but really I’m a metal player through and through. And the SBMM Kaizen – an affordable take on its Ernie Ball Music Man counterpart, developed in partnership with Animals As Leaders visionary Tosin Abasi – is genuinely up there as one of the best guitars I’ve ever played. Much is often made of a guitar’s ergonomics, and for good reason. The way it sits in your lap and contours against your body will often be the defining factor in whether you play it casually for 10 minutes or get lost in it for two hours. And when I say I couldn’t put the Kaizen down, I mean I actually couldn’t put it down. I had plans on the evening of the day I received it which I was late for because I was so consumed.

“It’s so lightweight and thin that it quickly starts to feel like an extension of yourself – which in my mind is the perfect recipe for creativity. Oh, and I’m not even mentioning the high-gain and clean tones offered up by its duo of ceramic humbuckers. And add to that a floating trem? Take my money.”

The best ambient pedal of 2025: Old Blood Noise Endeavours Bathing

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Senior Staff Writer Cillian: “A lot of guitar gear is rooted in what was – but it’s hard to level that accusation at Old Blood Noise Endeavour’s Bathing. It’s a delay with a totally unique signal chain that shunts the feedback through a variable-stage and variable-LFO phaser – which is a whole lot of jargon to say it sounds utterly unique, totally gorgeous and, true to OBNE’s stated goal, very ‘liminal’. While it’s by no means for everyone, it’s hard to think of a pedal release I was so intrigued by this year, and I have a lot of respect for the approach of aiming for a totally new, uncharted feeling with a pedal – the art of the thing is in the driving seat, and it’s the sort of thing I’d love to see more pedal companies do.”

The post The Guitar.com staff picks: this is the best new gear of 2025 appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Noel Gallagher may happily reach for a Stratocaster in the studio or on stage with High Flying Birds, but don’t expect to see one slung over his shoulder at an Oasis gig. According to fellow Oasis guitarist Gem Archer, it’s simply not how Noel approaches the band live, as the musician “doesn’t need all the bells and whistles”.

Speaking to Guitar World in a wide-ranging new interview, Archer sheds light on Gallagher’s live guitar philosophy, and shares why certain instruments – however iconic – just don’t fit the Oasis blueprint on stage.

• READ MORE: What guitars does Noel Gallagher use? The instruments that will power the Oasis Live ’25 reunion tour

Archer, who rejoined Oasis for their mammoth Live ’25 reunion tour alongside Noel and Liam Gallagher and original rhythm guitarist Paul ‘Bonehead’ Arthurs, says that while Strats have their place elsewhere in Noel’s world, Oasis is a different beast entirely.

“He plays Strats with High Flying Birds, but in Oasis that’s not his thing,” explains Archer. “He doesn’t need all the bells and whistles live – it’s a direct thing, and he’s not gonna go from his wall-of-sound Les Paul to suddenly playing a Strat. It’s not needed.”

That said, despite Noel’s Gibson-heavy reputation, Archer reveals that at least one defining Oasis track was cut with a Fender, much to his own surprise.

“Don’t Look Back in Anger… was done with a Strat on the record,” he says. “I think it was a sunburst Strat. One of the first times I met Noel, I was round his house and he went, ‘Do you wanna come upstairs and see some guitars?’ And he went, ‘This is what I played on Don’t Look Back in Anger.’ I was like, ‘What?’”

Meanwhile, Gallagher himself has previously addressed his mixed feelings about Stratocasters. Speaking to Guitar.com in the past, the Britpop veteran admitted he was “never a fan of Strats” – even if he’s happy to rotate guitars in the studio, noting that “all guitars have got songs in them”.

The post Why Noel Gallagher will never play a Strat live with Oasis, according to Gem Archer: “He doesn’t need all the bells and whistles” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Session ace Larry Carlton has opened up about a chaotic, late-night studio date with John Lennon that turned out to be such a “drag” he ended up quitting after just one night

The session in question was for Rock ’n’ Roll, Lennon’s fifth and final solo album, released in February 1975. A covers record paying tribute to the rock and roll songs of Lennon’s youth, the album’s creation was famously turbulent, unfolding amid Lennon’s legal battle with Morris Levy over The Beatles track Come Together and his separation from Yoko Ono.

• READ MORE: Ed Sheeran is inspiring more people to play the guitar than The Beatles, according to a new study

Speaking to Jonathan Graham on the Thinking About Guitar YouTube channel, Carlton explains that he was booked for what was meant to be a full week of sessions at A&M Studios.

“I didn’t end up on the album,” he says [via Ultimate Guitar]. “Phil Spector, the producer, had booked a lot of us musicians for seven o’clock every night that week, five nights. And so, I went to the session for John on time, and Leon Russell [keyboards], I forget who else was there that night…”

“But anyway, what I’m getting at, is the seven o’clock session. [It’s] nine-thirty, still no John Lennon and Phil Spector. We’re just sitting around A&M Studios, Leon Russel and I went to another studio, he sat at the piano, and we just kind of jammed a little bit.”

When Lennon and Spector finally arrived, Carlton says the atmosphere only deteriorated further.

“So, John and Phil finally got there at ten o’clock or something. I didn’t tell the story for a lot of years, but it was a bad time for John,” Carlton recalls. “He was drinking. And so, we were gonna do a song, Bony Moronie [cover of the 1957 Larry Williams single]. I played Bony Moronie when I was 12 years old. So, I was in my cubby here, and John’s right there, and he had been drinking. He’s calling the chord changes; it’s only three. He’s going, ‘A!’ ‘Oh, I got it!’ ‘D!’ I said, ‘I got it!’…. It was a drag.”

By the end of the night, Carlton had made up his mind.

“It was not professional,” says the guitarist. “So, we finished that night’s session, I drove Leon Russel back to his hotel, and I said, ‘Man, that was a drag, darn it!’ And with his Oklahoma accent, Leon said, ‘You’re kiddin’, I’m back at Tulsa in the mornin’.’ I got home and called Phil Spector’s office, and just left a message at midnight, and said, ‘Sorry, I can’t make it for the rest of the week.’ I canceled. That wasn’t how I wanted to spend my time. It could have been so cool. But, one of those things. For me, it was the right decision. That wasn’t fun.”

That fateful session turned out to be the last time he crossed paths with the Beatles star as well, with Carlton admitting, “I’m an admirer, but that was a bad time.”

The post “I canceled. That wasn’t how I wanted to spend my time”: Guitar legend Larry Carlton reveals how he quit working with John Lennon after one drunken session appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Matt Heafy is at a transitional point. With his band, Trivium, he’s recently released the EP Struck Dead and is in the process of bringing aboard new drummer Alex Rüdinger while writing album number 11. Things are also changing behind-the-scenes. Revered for years as the busiest man in metal, Heafy is trying to scale things back.

• READ MORE: How Women Are Giving Metal Guitars A Mainstream Moment

“[Last year] I was doing 15 to 20 to 30 projects at the same time,” the singer/guitarist says, talking to Guitar.com during a down day on Trivium’s North American tour. “I was producing bands, I was managing bands; I was making all these different products and trying all these different things, like scoring video games and scoring a movie and starting a pop-up restaurant.”

The plates that Heafy was spinning all smashed on the ground when he had a self-described “metal breakdowns/mid-life crisis” in 2024. Burnt out more than he realised, his bandmates and loved ones staged an intervention, and he began to attend counselling and cognitive behavioural therapy.

“What we determined through therapy is that I’m naturally very low on serotonin,” says Heafy, explaining why he had to stay so busy for so long. “I have to be on SSRIs to help my very low serotonin. Once I corrected that, we realised that I’ve got intense ADHD, anxiety and OCD. I wanted to figure out what makes me tick. Why do I think this way? How can I stop going to such an extreme point every single time?”

By any other person’s standards, Heafy is still a wildly busy man, balancing Trivium with fatherhood, a regular Twitch presence and his passion for Jiu-Jitsu. However, he’s zeroed in on being a musician and a dad, and the lyrics on the three songs that make up Struck Dead are him interrogating his own thought process.

Opener Bury Me with My Screams is about the spiral that led up to his breakdown, centrepiece Struck Dead (Pain Is Easier to Remember) quotes something that bassist Paolo Gregoletto told him at his intervention, and widescreen finale Six Walls is about trying to break free from mental health struggles.

“I buried myself in my own coffin,” Heafy says, “and the six walls of this wooden coffin are what I pictured. I’m finally trying to break free. It took, like, a year. It was in January [2025] when I started coming to. On the first tour after treatment – after 38, 39 years of living the same way – I was like, ‘Holy shit! I’m having so much fun!’”

Musically, Trivium looked backwards while making Struck Dead: the writing coincided with their rehearsals for a co-headline tour with Bullet for My Valentine, where they played 2005 breakthrough Ascendancy in full. However, the EP is just as forward-thinking as it is nostalgic. Bury Me… closes with a torrent of breakdowns heavy enough to murder a newborn elephant, and the intro of Six Walls brings the shamisen, a Japanese stringed instrument, into Trivium’s world.

Ascendancy’s lyrics were just as bare as Struck Dead’s, with a 19-year-old Heafy opening up about depression and social anxiety. The album catapulted Trivium into metal’s stratosphere, but it was a mixed blessing. As great as all the magazine covers and blockbuster tours were, the band found themselves being bullied by jealous peers and gatekeeping fans.

“It was rough being bullied by our favourite bands, and by their fans,” Heafy reflects today. “We got bottles thrown at us [while onstage]. People tried to accost us by our van. We were on tour with Lamb of God, Machine Head and Gojira in 2006, and we had our sound guy walk out on us. I was going to our bus and some guy said [sarcastically], ‘Good show,’ and flipped me off and walked off.”

Having been through that and come out the other side, Heafy’s now a staunch advocate for new metal bands, not wanting them to be hazed the way he was. Trivium frequently pick young artists to open for them, and Heafy has a radio show dedicated to spotlighting rising talent. So, for the second half of our interview, we asked him to pick five up-and-coming metal acts who are truly impressing him right now. This is who he thinks will take over in 2026:

Fit for an Autopsy

“It was Corey [Beaulieu, Trivium lead guitarist] who first got me into them. I think he sent me Heads Will Hang first. I was like, ‘Holy shit, this is incredibly heavy!’, because it’s that mixture of stuff that I love. It feels a little bit like they would have been in the Gothenburg sound, a little bit like they’re into hardcore, and a little bit like they’re into modern metal. And then I heard Hydra, and I was like, ‘This is one of the best usages of a breakdown essentially being a song that I’ve heard since a band like Pantera.’

“We brought them out on the Trivium, Arch Enemy, While She Sleeps, Fit for an Autopsy North American tour, and they were just such lovely, wonderful guys. I spent hours or days playing games with Joe Bad [frontman Joseph Badolato] while we both streamed. Love him. I love all the guys: I had them all at my house, basically, when my kids were maybe a year old. We got them all Cuban food.

“They’re so freaking good live. They’re just perfect. The stuff that Joe can do, from his super low screams to his high screams and then his singing range, it’s just marvellous. The songs that Will Putney [guitarist/producer] writes… I think Putney is a wonderful songwriter and a great producer. When you hear a Putney record, you know instantly it’s one of his records. There’s this live energy to it while also being perfect. It sounds so well put together.”

Orbit Culture

“I love them so much. I’d say, if someone hasn’t heard them before, I don’t want to pigeonhole them but they’re for fans of Gojira, Machine Head, Fear Factory – the glory days of each of these bands. It reminds me of melodic death metal in a way, but it’s not. It’s got moments of the 2000s vibe of the Gothenburg sound. The songs are awesome, the production is awesome. But, it’s done very differently. I think it’s really cool that, at times, the drums will really just groove. It’ll give almost a Chaos A.D. kind of simplicity, drum-wise [referring to Sepultura’s influential 1993 groove metal album].

“Vocally, Niklas [Karlsson, vocals/guitars] is a powerhouse. Just like Joe, he’s able to do very low screams to very high screams. He has such a great grit scream. His gritty singing reminds me of [classic Metallica album] Ride the Lightning. It doesn’t sound like James Hetfield, but it makes you think of Hetfield from ’84, ’85, ’86.

“Niklas was one of the people who influenced me to get my grit scream back. The first time we toured with them, I was still doing my safe screaming that I’d done for 10 years [Matt adopted a new screaming technique after blowing out his voice in 2014]. I remember hearing Niklas’ voice and I was like, ‘Goddamn!’ He was definitely one of my inspirations to get that back. The fact that a band that’s relatively new can inspire a band that’s been doing it for 27 years, that’s awesome.”

Burner

“Burner’s album [2023’s It All Returns to Nothing] is that perfect fusing of these different sounds and styles and worlds while being its own thing, which is really cool. It so seamlessly blends things together. I think before, maybe in the 2000s, you could really feel the black and white combination of styles. But, I think the way Burner have done it, it’s their own palette they’ve created. It’s hard to say, ‘Hey, did they get this from Mastodon-era bands? From sludgier bands? From hardcore? From extreme metal?’, but you have all those tonalities within it.

“They have a really amazing recording quality, already. Straight out of the gate, hearing the guitar sound and the vocal sound, you know right away that it is Burner. I think that that’s a really important thing. When you can hear that individualism that quickly, that’s a rare thing, because there are a lot of bands today that are kind of chasing the same sound. There are five bands where I’ll hear five singles and go, ‘This all sounds like the same band.’ When you hear a band like Burner, you know right away that this is their sound.

“If I were to give Burner any advice, it would be the advice I gave to bands when I helped produce their records. I would say, imagine yourself playing at 1pm at Wacken or Summer Breeze or something, to 20,000 or 30,000 people who’ve never heard of you before. What is a guitar riff or a beat or a vocal line or a hook that by 2am, when they’re done watching the headliner, they can still remember you for? What’s your Roots Bloody Roots chorus, your Du Hast chorus? Let’s hear Burner’s version of these.”

Heriot

“Our manager’s just like us: he’ll tell us, ‘Hey, check this band out,’ and we’ll check them out. [When I first heard Heriot] I was like, ‘Holy shit, this is pulverisingly heavy.’ There are these kind of moody vibes in between. When I was dropping my kids off at school, another one of the dads was wearing a Heriot shirt. I was like, ‘Oh, man, we’re touring with them [in North America this autumn]!’ He was more excited about Heriot than us.

“Debbie [Gough, singer/guitarist] is fucking awesome and she looks so badass, too. With that Jackson old-school style guitar that she wears, it reminds me of Andreas [Kisser] from Sepultura. The music hearkens back sometimes to old 90s industrial, which is something that is near and dear to my heart: originally, Trivium was meant to be an industrial band. Sometimes I get vibes of Godflesh when I hear them, or if you stripped back and made heavier Napalm Death.

“I just love the visceral heaviness that goes on. I remember watching them a lot on this tour and people being very just, like, ‘Holy shit! This is so heavy! This is so good!’ They’re wonderful people. Rudy [Alex Rüdinger] actually just gave haircuts to a couple of the band members. I love the vibes of people who are just nice, good people, who can play incredibly heavy music. There’s something extra heavy about that!”

Paledusk

“HUGs is the opening song of Gachiakuta, which is a really wild anime. It’s a show where bad people are sent to this trash pit. I don’t want to give too much else away, but it reminds me of Borderlands and Dune and Fallout all in one. Musically, it starts off with this cool singing pattern that has a really heavy scream underneath. It almost reminds me of the screams that I do. And then it just gets really, really wild, like this kind of a new-school, super heavy, Bring Me the Horizons wildness mixed with Mick Gordon [composer of the recent Doom games]. Imagine the Doom score and Bring Me The Horizon when they’re really going heavy and nutty, using digital chops and stutters inside the song. It makes it seem like the music is glitching.

“The vocalist [Kaito Nagai], sometimes he’ll be singing pretty freaking high, and then he’ll go into this ultra-high, really strange, heavy, kind of Architects-three-or-four-records-ago stuff. Really, really cool, really bizarre. That’s what’s happening in the Japanese scene: it’s really weird. Being half-Japanese, I can say, us Japanese folk are pretty strange. It’s really cool that Paledusk are exemplifying that in a new way, with these no-holds-barred song structures. The hook structures don’t always make sense. They really don’t repeat like you’d expect them to. It’s very cool, very weird.”

The post Trivium’s Matt Heafy names the five up-and-coming metal bands everyone needs to watch in 2026 appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Singer-songwriter Chris Rea – the man behind the festive classic Driving Home For Christmas – has died aged 74.

His wife Joan and two daughters Josephine and Julia confirmed in a statement that Rea died “peacefully in hospital… following a short illness”.

Born in Middlesbrough, England in 1951, Rea went on to find considerable success as a musician, releasing 25 studio albums over his multi-decade career – touching on a multitude of genres including pop, blues and rock – and selling more than 30 million albums.

While Driving Home For Christmas has enjoyed a perpetual place on Christmas playlists every year since its release in 1988, Rea had hits with tracks including Looking for the Summer, Fool (If You Think It’s Over), Let’s Dance, Josephine and On the Beach, to name a few.

Chris Rea suffered a number of health issues throughout his life; in the early 2000s he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and had his pancreas removed in 2001. He later suffered a stroke in 2016.

Per the Guardian, he later described the stroke as a “very scary moment,” adding: “I got it into my head that my perception of pitch had gone with the stroke. And it took a lot of convincing from people saying there’s nothing wrong with what you’re playing.”

The post Driving Home For Christmas star Chris Rea dies at 74 appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Alice In Chains’ Jerry Cantrell has looked back on his friendship with Eddie Van Halen, sharing how the guitar mastermind gave him so much gear that it completely took over his manager’s garage.

The pair became buds when touring together for Van Halen’s For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge Tour in the early 1990s. Cantrell was originally nervous to play in front of EVH, but soon enough they would hang out together backstage playing ‘name that riff’.

• READ MORE: The Guitar Influences of Eddie Van Halen

In an interview for Gibson TV, Cantrell shares how Eddie generously gave him a guitar for free, and even went the extra mile to gift him even more guitars as well as amp heads and cabs, all for nothing in return.

“The first time I met Ed Van Halen I was getting ready to go onstage [to open] for his band, and he was standing in my pit with Valerie [Bertinelli] right next to him and Wolfie [Wolfgang Van Halen] in her arms. He’s got his guitar on, and he’s running scales like, ‘Hey, dude, what’s up?’ And I’m like, ‘Are you fucking kidding me?’”

He adds, “I think it was probably the worst show I ever played in my life, because I could not stop thinking, ‘He’s right there!’ I couldn’t focus, and I couldn’t wait until the gig was over. After that, it was fine… We ended up being really good friends.

“On that tour he had the [Peavy] 5150 heads that he had kind of made, and he had the [Ernie Ball] Music Man guitars; the EVH Music Man that he had designed. I was like, ‘Man I’d really like to have one of those, think you could give me a good price on one of those?’ And he was like, ‘Fuck that dude, I’ll just give you a guitar! Everybody gives me everything for free now, when I can totally afford it. When I couldn’t afford it, nobody would give me anything. So, let me do that for you. I’ll give you a guitar.”

Cantrell continues, “I remember coming home off that tour, and I was living with [Alice in Chains’ manager] Kelly Curtis and his wife, Peggy… He was like, ‘Hey man, welcome home. You had a good tour? Now you can relax. Hey, by the way, do you think you could clear your shit out of my garage? I need to put my car in there.’

“I’m like, ‘What are you talking about?’ And he says, ‘Eddie Van Halen filled the garage with gear for you. I haven’t been able to park my car in my garage for months.’”

You can watch the full interview with Jerry Cantrell below:

You can watch the full episode of Icons: Jerry Cantrell of Alice In Chains via Gibson TV on YouTube.

The post Eddie Van Halen once gifted Alice In Chains’ Jerry Cantrell so much gear it filled up his manager’s garage: “I haven’t been able to park my car for months!” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

The festive season is finally upon us. And amid the intergenerational wrestling matches that invariably break out over who gets the last Green Triangle in the Quality Street tin, it’s also a time in which we take stock of the past year, of our biggest wins and failures, and the resolutions we might look to carry into 2026.

But there’s a more important order of business on the agenda before you get into your 2026 personal growth plan: my favourite guitar gear of 2025.

I’m Sam – Guitar.com’s News Editor – and my inbox is busier than the Shibuya Crossing with guitar brands the globe over notifying me of exciting new gear releases and product innovations. So choosing my favourites from the past year was no easy feat, let me tell you. That said, there were a few that stood out as particularly innovative, and some I was lucky enough to get my hands on myself.

My identity as a guitar player can be defined in simple terms: metal and digital. A huge metalhead for nearly 20 years, and an avid lover of digital amp modellers and in-the-box tones, I’m genuinely thrilled to see the rapid pace of progress in the amp modeller space – not to mention the throngs of what you might call legacy players who have keenly made the switch. And that brings me to my first pick…

My favourite (amp) of 2025: Positive Grid BIAS X

My colleagues Cillian and Josh started their year-end gear picks lists with their favourite guitars, and I’ll get to mine, but first I have to highlight BIAS X, the groundbreaking new AI-powered amp and effects suite from Positive Grid. Essentially an evolution of the brand’s long-adored BIAS FX 2, BIAS X blew the in-the-box tone market wide open when it landed in September, bringing with it an AI assistant, on hand to turn the tone in your head into a reality, in some cases in seconds.

I get it: auditioning amp sounds can be very fun, and is invariably part of the process when recording music, but how often have you found yourself spending more time than you planned sifting through pages and pages of presets, never landing on the one you’re actually looking for?

Creativity should be the ultimate goal, and the tone-making process taking too long can be a hindrance to that end. With BIAS X, you can enter any prompt (“give me a high-gain tone for modern metal”), and the AI assistant conjures a signal chain from the platform’s vast amp and effects library to best match the vibe you’re going for. Like any AI, it’s not always perfect, but almost always offers a solid starting point which you can then tweak to your heart’s content.

For the record I’m not a fan of any AI which takes creativity out of the hands of humans. But this is an application which expedites the tone-chasing process, and ultimately keeps you in your creative flow, so it’s a big A+ in my book.

My favourite guitar of 2025: Sterling by Music Man Kaizen 6

I’m fortunate enough with this job to have many guitars across my desk, and every now and then there’s one which has me tempted to get my wallet out to persuade the powers that be to let me keep it. When I was delivered the Sterling by Music Man Kaizen 6 last month, it was one of those moments.

I love to experiment with jazz, blues and all manner of other genres, but really I’m a metal player through and through. And the SBMM Kaizen – an affordable take on its Ernie Ball Music Man counterpart, developed in partnership with Animals As Leaders visionary Tosin Abasi – is genuinely up there as one of the best guitars I’ve ever played.

Much is often made of a guitar’s ergonomics, and for good reason. The way it sits in your lap and contours against your body will often be the defining factor in whether you play it casually for 10 minutes or get lost in it for two hours. And when I say I couldn’t put the Kaizen down, I mean I actually couldn’t put it down. I had plans on the evening of the day I received it which I was late for because I was so consumed.

It’s so lightweight and thin that it quickly starts to feel like an extension of yourself – which in my mind is the perfect recipe for creativity. Oh, and I’m not even mentioning the high-gain and clean tones offered up by its duo of ceramic humbuckers. And add to that a floating trem? Take my money.

My favourite acoustic guitar of 2025: Taylor 314ce Studio

Forget the scene when Jack lets go of the door and Rose watches him fade into the icy abyss of the Atlantic Ocean. A real tragic end to a beautiful love story came earlier this year when the UPS courier came to collect the Taylor 314ce Studio I had spent months developing an intimate bond with. I’ve never quite felt heartbreak like seeing that van – carrying what I can only describe as the love of my life – fade into the distance. I won’t be judged for being dramatic.

The Taylor 314ce is among a small crop of the finest instruments I’ve ever played. Everything, to me, is exactly how I want it to be. The action is set up pristinely, which, paired with Taylor’s “easy-playing” neck profile – and satin-finished neo-tropical mahogany neck and West African Crelicam Ebony fingerboard – makes for one of the most luxurious acoustic guitar playing experiences imaginable. The guitar also delivers a stunningly balanced and earthy tone, with satisfying low end projection plus gorgeous sparkly highs, making everything from simple chord strumming to intricate fingerstyle playing an utter delight. I must also note that I had this guitar for months and played it regularly, and somehow the strings still sounded brand-new…

The cost of the Taylor 314ce Studio is lower than that of a fully US-made Taylor, owing to the fact the neck is made in Mexico. Some purists might take issue with that, but when a guitar looks, plays and sounds this good, who really gives a shit?

The post Ergonomic shred machines, AI amp suites and a real-life acoustic love story: these are my favourite guitar products of 2025 appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Höfner has given an update on its recent bankruptcy filing, stating that “business operations will continue” throughout the administration process. It has also cited the effects of a challenging export market, particularly due to the recent hike in US tariffs rates.

• READ MORE: Höfner – maker of Paul McCartney’s iconic violin bass – files for bankruptcy
  

A new press release from the German guitar and bass manufacturer adds some context to the filings, which were made on 10 December 2025. It claims that around 65% of its most recent turnover of €6.5 million was due to export business – hence, when the recent US tariff changes were made and EU businesses faced much higher export costs, this had an outsized effect on Höfner. The company also points towards a generally unenthusiastic market for musical instruments due to the “tense overall economic situation.”

Klaus Schöller, managing director of Hofner, adds: “This step [filing for insolvency] was necessary in order to open up realistic prospects for the future of the company. Our goal is to work with a strong partner to position the Höfner brand for the future and secure business operations and jobs in the long term.” The press release further clarifies that filing for insolvency has allowed it to continue operations, as employee salaries are secured by the Federal Employment Agency until February.

The company is, of course, best known for making the 500/1 bass, AKA the Violin Bass, made iconic by Paul McCartney. Last week McCartney paid tribute to Höfner, writing on Instagram about his longstanding relationship with Höfner and the instrument that helped shape his playing.

“It is very sad to see Höfner go out of business. They have been making instruments for over 100 years, and I bought my first Höfner bass in the sixties. I have loved it ever since. It’s a wonderful instrument to play: lightweight, and it encourages me to play quite freely. It also offers pleasing variations in tone that I enjoy. So commiserations to everyone at Höfner, and thank you for all your help over the years.”

It’s worth noting that McCartney may have been premature in stating that Hofner is going out of business. Insolvency proceedings could help secure investors in the company and get it back on track.

The post Höfner blames effects of US tariffs for bankruptcy, but “business operations will continue” throughout administration appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

The PRS SE Silver Sky is one of the most popular guitars of the modern day, and Sweetwater is offering a number of festive deals across the lineup – including on a rather spectacular one that caught our eye.

The SE Silver Sky launched in 2022 as a slightly more affordable alternative to the original John Mayer signature Silver Sky released in 2018. It’s gone on to become increasingly popular, having been crowned as the best-selling guitar on Reverb for two years in a row in 2022 and 2023.

If you’d like to get your hands on one as a last minute Christmas present, then look no further than this Gold Spark version, exclusive to Sweetwater.

[deals ids=”6pAkVCTjjCXWLTKDwHtdtt”]

Reduced to $679, saving you $170, this sparkling SE model’s striking finish was personally selected by John Mayer for Sweetwater, and it even has a sparkle-finished, colour-matched truss rod cover. Beneath the aesthetic upgrade lies the beloved SE Silver Sky foundation of a lightweight poplar body, a maple neck, a rosewood fingerboard (with an 8.5-inch radius), and a trio of 635JM “S” pickups.

• READ MORE: “If you come up to the factory and draw it with me, I’ll do it!”: Mark Tremonti reveals how Paul Reed Smith challenged him to design his “coolest” custom guitar

If gold isn’t to your taste, Sweetwater is also offering a Platinum Spark colourway also at the same reduced price. If you’d like a refresh on how it sounds, then check out the demo below, from none other than John Mayer.

We scored the PRS SE Silver Sky a near-flawless 9/10 in our original 2022 review. We noted that it was incredibly comfortable to play, and that its voice remains balanced with no sharp jumps in volume or tonal character as you change pickups – making it an uber versatile axe.

The range was expanded back in August this year, with new finishes made available for the first time on any PRS model: Derby Red, Trad Blue, Laurel Green, and Dandy Lion (yellow). According to Mayer, each colour was inspired by traditional American fashion.

Get your hands on the Gold Spark exclusive via Sweetwater.

The post Save an incredible $170 on this Gold Spark PRS SE Silver Sky at Sweetwater appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

$269/£279, silktone.org

By now we can safely conclude that Charles Henry knows his shit. The man behind Silktone hasn’t exactly flooded the market with amps and pedals, but there’s been a common theme to the stuff he’s put out so far: utter brilliance.

• READ MORE: Coggins Audio Dinosaural Hypoid Drive review – a high-class overdrive with a difference

The Expander is his second overdrive. Seeing as we described the first one as an “instant classic”, I’m going to be massively disappointed if this new pedal – notable for its distinctively handsome enclosure design and lack of a conventional tone control – is anything less than stellar.

Silktone Expander – what is it?

OK, it isn’t just an overdrive… and nor is it, despite the name, a studio-style expander. What we’re promised here is one dirt pedal to rule them all, covering everything from subtle enhancement to aggressive drive and even fuzz. And the key to all of that is its novel approach to tone-shaping.

As mentioned, there’s no standard treble-attenuating control, but what you get instead is an interesting double act: a ‘choke’ knob for rolling off bass and a three-way toggle switch for dark, normal or bright voicing. On paper, that should have everything covered – just as soon as your overworked little brain has got a handle on how they interact.

Silktone Expander – usability

Three-knob pedals are never exactly difficult to use, but there is a learning curve with this one just because of those unusual tone controls. Luckily, there’s a card in the box with a basic manual on one side and three suggested settings on the other: an always-on tone-improver, a full-range drive and a Rangemaster-style treble boost.

If you’re wondering where the fuzz is, well so was I… but as so often in life, cranking up the gain will provide all the answers.

Silktone Expander – sounds

I begin with a Telecaster, a clean black-panel amp and the first suggested setting… and it hits the spot like the first cup of tea after being stuck up a tree for two days. It’s light, smooth and crisp-edged, with just enough compression to stop it getting abrasive – something like a sophisticated Rat at a low distortion setting. In fact, it’s a lot like the 1981 Inventions DRV, which is a heck of a start – but there’s lots more to this pedal than that.

The second setting is a mid-gain crunch that keeps the same sweet treble response but fills out the body of the tone a little, marking a step in the direction of transparent overdrive. This could come in very useful for a lot of players, and works just as well with humbuckers as it does with single-coils.

In a sense the third setting is more of the zingy same – lots more, in fact, as the gain is now close to maximum – but this can easily be turned into a more familiar full-range voice simply by flipping the toggle switch to the left, its darkest setting. Does that make it muffled? Actually it’s still quite bright, but you can now turn down the choke knob to let more bass through, which forces the treble to take a step back.

This can feel like a topsy-turvy way of doing things, but there’s no denying it’s effective at shifting the tonal balance. Set the choke to minimum and you can even get properly squelchy splat-fuzz, which is all about the overblown bottom end – and feels a long way away from the shimmery grit of that first suggested setting.

Silktone Expander – should I buy it?

There’s an awful lot of competition in the world of premium dirt – just look at the ‘alternatives’ paragraph below, phwoar! – but the Expander sets itself apart with an emphasis on addictively sugary treble. In that respect it’s very much an equal to the vaunted DRV, but with way more versatility.

It won’t make all your drive and fuzz pedals redundant, but put this thing anywhere near your existing pedalboard and there’s a good chance it’ll have its pick of which one to knock off.

Silktone Expander alternatives

Other ultra-classy overdrives that push all the way into fuzz territory include the Dinosaural Hypoid Drive (£219), Great Eastern FX Co Focus Fuzz Deluxe (£299) and Origin Effects Deluxe55 (£279). See also the 29 Pedals FLWR ($269.99/£285), which lets you shape its tone with a trio of three-way toggle switches.

The post Silktone Expander review – a refined and versatile drive pedal that does things a little differently appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

He may be Deep Purple’s longest serving guitarist, but Steve Morse isn’t expecting – or pushing for – a reunion with the band any time soon.

Morse joined Deep Purple in 1994, stepping into an unenviable role after Ritchie Blackmore’s departure, and went on to record eight studio albums with the band over a 28-year run. But since stepping away in 2022 to care for his late wife Janine, the guitarist has been candid about where he stands, and where Deep Purple are headed without him.

• READ MORE: Steve Morse reveals the guitarist with the best pre-show warm-up routine he’s ever seen

In a recent chat with Guitar Interactive, Morse was asked about the possibility of reuniting with the Deep Purple for one-off shows, to which the guitarist replies [via Blabbermouth]: “I think if the band felt differently, I would feel differently.”

“But I think that there’s a couple of guys in the band that were really glad for me to be gone, because they were sort of heading back to their roots and wanted just to be a rock band, and ‘don’t give me any of that fancy crap.’ And when you look at me as a writer, I definitely give you that fancy crap. I can’t help it. [Laughs]”

Which is why he doesn’t believe a reunion would make sense for either side.

“So I think the band’s happier the way they are, and it would be kind of a step back for them to wanna do something like that… Anyway, they’re happier and better off. And I think same here.”

Elsewhere, Morse has also opened up about the resistance he faced from some Deep Purple fans after replacing Blackmore. Speaking to Prog magazine about that period, he said that “For acceptance from a percentage of them, it took the first album and our first tour. But I never won over the whole audience. You can’t!”

That hostility sometimes turned physical too: “It sure as hell happened in the form of things whizzing by my face,” Morse recalled. “One of the bottles one time hit Jon [Lord, keyboardist] right in the head, nearly knocked him out.”

The post Don’t hold your breath for a Deep Purple reunion with Steve Morse: “A couple of guys in the band were really glad for me to be gone” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Paul McCartney has spoken out following news that Höfner – the famed German instrument maker behind his iconic violin bass – has filed for bankruptcy, describing the situation as “very sad”.

Earlier this week, filings in the Fürth District Court in Bavaria revealed that Höfner has entered insolvency proceedings in Germany. Founded in 1887, the company has become synonymous with McCartney’s early Beatles-era sound and remains one of the most recognisable names in electric bass history.

• READ MORE: Polarising Boss pedals, brilliant Martins and a relic Fender: these are my favourite new guitar products of 2025

Now, McCartney himself has weighed in on the brand’s uncertain future. In a new Instagram post, the former Beatle reflects on his longstanding relationship with Höfner and the instrument that helped shape his playing.
“It is very sad to see Höfner go out of business,” McCartney begins. “They have been making instruments for over 100 years, and I bought my first Höfner bass in the sixties. I have loved it ever since. It’s a wonderful instrument to play: lightweight, and it encourages me to play quite freely. It also offers pleasing variations in tone that I enjoy.”

“So commiserations to everyone at Höfner, and thank you for all your help over the years.”

View this post on Instagram

Despite the news, Höfner has also issued a statement reassuring customers and fans that the situation is not yet final.

While an insolvency administrator has been appointed, the company says day-to-day operations will continue for the time being: “Some of you may have already heard: our company has been going through a difficult period – especially since the introduction of the US tariffs – and filed for insolvency on Thursday, 11 December 2025.”

The firm also stresses that production and support remain unaffected during the initial phase of the process.

“We would like to clarify a few things: We are not discontinuing production, distribution or our media channels,” says Höfner “In Germany, there is a three-month period before the actual insolvency procedure is opened. This period offers the opportunity to consolidate the company and restructure it for a better future.”

“Within this period, we will continue to build and sell our instruments and the Höfner team is doing its best to provide you with the support, service and warranties you expect.”

View this post on Instagram

The post Paul McCartney calls Höfner’s bankruptcy “very sad” as the legendary violin bass maker faces uncertain future appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Nuno Bettencourt has admitted that unveiling his own guitar brand at Black Sabbath’s farewell show may not have been the smoothest exit strategy, especially considering how his longtime partner Washburn had no idea he was about to walk away.

Speaking about the launch of Nuno Guitars and his decision to end a 35-year relationship with Washburn, the Extreme guitarist reveals that the high-profile onstage debut of his Dark Horse model at Back to the Beginning earlier this year was, in fact, not part of a planned rollout.

• READ MORE: Nuno Bettencourt says bands often sabotage guest guitarists at gigs on purpose with sub-par gear: “I’ve dubbed it the ‘punishment’ rig’”

“To be honest with you, it probably wasn’t a good idea to play that guitar at all,” Bettencourt tells Premier Guitar. “I’d been thinking about this for a long time, and Washburn didn’t know I was leaving. So for them to see not only a guitar they’d never seen, but then to see not their name on the headstock – to see mine – was probably a really fucked up thing to do. [laughs]”

That said, the guitarist explains that his long-standing arrangement with Washburn was never bound by a formal contract.

“I didn’t really have a contract with them. It was more of a gentleman’s agreement that had been up for so long,” he says. “After a while, especially after [Extreme’s last album] Six came out, I just felt nothing from them. Guitars were back ordered, no press, nothing.”

“But the reason I pulled the guitar out that day is because when I got it, I played it and was like, this feels like the best N4 I’ve ever played. I was super excited. I just wanted to play it onstage. It wasn’t marketing or teasing. I was just authentically excited. I was blown away by how the neck felt. It just felt right.”

Bettencourt also shares that starting his own guitar company was something he’d “always wanted to do”.

“Without sounding like a hippie, it was time. Everything was happening organically – the Six album, the attention with Rise, that solo, the Back to the Beginning concert – all these dominoes were tipping,” he says. “I felt like the universe was saying, ‘Here are a few opportunities for you. You’ve worked your ass off, you’ve hustled for 40 years. This is it.’”

The post Nuno Bettencourt admits debuting his guitar brand at Black Sabbath’s farewell show “was probably a really f**ked-up thing to do”: “Washburn didn’t know I was leaving” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

$1,469.99/£1,299, gretschguitar.com

If we accept that the most recognisable and iconic electric guitars of all time are exclusively made by Fender and Gibson, the Gretsch Falcon might be the exception to that rule. Whether in the hands of Neil Young, Joe Strummer, John Frusciante or The Edge, the Falcon has established itself as a big, bold and blingy holy grail guitar for many musicians – though the eye-watering price tag has usually disqualified most people who aren’t rock stars from indulging their raptor reverie.

• READ MORE: Warm Audio WA-TS Tube Squealer review: “it offers a great deal in a small enclosure”

But now the velvet rope behind which the Falcon has existed for the last 70-odd years has been dropped, and now Gretsch are for the first time producing a Falcon that won’t cost as much as a small family car.

The catch? It’s made in China like many of Gretsch’s more affordable instruments, but interestingly this isn’t part of the popular Electromatic range – instead these new instruments form the bedrock of a new class that sits between Electromatic and the Japan-made Professional Series – the Synchromatic collection.

Gretsch Synchromatic Falcon – what is it?

For years now, Gretsch has been one of the worst offenders for giving products overly long and unnecessary names. So it’s quite nice to see a guitar that is just called “Synchromatic Falcon” without the jumble of numbers and letters that no human being outside of Gretsch shipping and handling can understand spaffed in there somewhere.

They can’t quit cold turkey however, and so this guitar is technically called the “Gretsch Synchromatic Falcon Hollow-body Single-cut with Bigsby”. That certainly goes a long way to explaining the basic makeup of this guitar without having to consult a spec sheet, but beyond that is an absolutely insane thing to call a product.

Imagine if the new iPhone was called the “iPhone 17 Pro Max with 6.9″ Super Retina XDR display, A19 Pro chip and a USB-C port”? That’s what Gretsch is doing every time and someone needs to stage an intervention.

Anyway, this is a classic Falcon in all the ways that are fundamental to the concept: a big, deep hollowbody guitar with a honkin’ great Bigsby and a bunch of flashy gold hardware.

How big? Well, it’s actually a teeny bit smaller than a Professional Series Falcon. The classic is 2.5” deep and 17” wide, while my example is more like 2.45” deep and 16.9” wide.

That is basically nothing, but does correspond to bang on 6cm deep and 44cm across, so I would guess this is probably to make the measurements more straightforward in a metric-using Chinese factory than anything else. Still, the more you know!

The Synchromatic range is designed to offer “upgraded materials and components, enhanced bracing, and authentic aesthetic features”, says Gretsch, and that’s clear to see when you look closer.

Perhaps the most notable change here in terms of construction is the new Semi-Arc bracing. This is a variation on Gretsch’s classic trestle bracing – which has two straight braces running down the top of the guitar, anchored with two sets of ‘feet’ to the guitar’s back – designed in the 50s to improve sustain and reduce unruly vibrations and thus feedback, at the cost of a little resonance.

Semi-Arc bracing effectively does away with one of these sets of feet, meaning that the bracing is now connected to the back only beneath the bridge. The thinking is that this still retains the advantages of trestle bracing while allowing more liveliness and resonance.

Elsewhere it’s all very Falcon – the body and neck are maple, you get a nice “Classic C” neck profile and 25.5-inch scale length, plus a bone nut and thumbprint pearly inlays on the ebony fingerboard. You even get a set of Grover Super Rotomatic tuners to keep things as stable as a Bigsby-toting laminate hollowbody can hope to be.

Finishes are a choice between classic white or black for the finish, and there’s an abundance of gold sparkly binding throughout – though the headstock is a disappointingly demure affair compared to the regular Falcon.

While there’s precedent for Falcons having the simple Gretsch logo on the peghead, it does feel rather underwhelming compared to the glorious bewinged ostentatiousness of the classic design – but I suppose costs have to be factored in somewhere.

That’s also something you’ll have to make peace with for two of the most important components. The Bigsby is a B60 with V cutout, but it’s a licensed version as opposed to the proper USA-made model, while the pickups are Gretsch’s own Hi-Fidelity Filter’Tron units – no TV Jones for those in the cheap(er) seats.

In happier news, the guitar ships with a deluxe Gretsch hard case – something that has been a glaring omission from the top end of the Electromatic line.

Gretsch Synchromatic Falcon – build quality and playability

Whenever an iconic guitar gets reimagined at a significantly reduced price point, the first thing you’re looking to ensure is that the inevitable corners that have been cut to get there don’t compromise the essence of what the guitar should be.

But for the Synchromatic Falcon, the initial impression is very positive indeed. Pulling it out of the case, it looks every bit the Falcon – the drab headstock ornamentation aside.

I happen to have a Japan-made Professional Falcon to hand and visually it really does stand up to muster on initial inspection. The binding and hardware are equally as vibrant and sparkly on both guitars, and you even get the same red jewel-encrusted control knobs for an extra bit of opulence.

White is obviously the classic Falcon colour, but I tend to think the black version here is actually the connoisseur’s choice – black and gold is a timeless guitar pairing, and it feels more gig-ready than the white’s ‘looks nice in a music video’ aesthetic.

On closer inspection, however, there are a few finishing issues that you would not expect on a near-$1,500 guitar. The binding is generally well applied, but there are a few areas where the binding has some tool marks and roughness, mainly in the f-holes, and there’s also an excess of glue around the heel which really should have been tidied up.

The fingerboard also has some unsightly residue above the 12th fret – something easily removed with a bit of wire wool but again, this is a $1,500 guitar and I’d expect a bit better on the QC/finishing side of things at this price point.

Most problematically, however, there’s a white blemish to the finish on the top of the neck just before the neck joint. It’s a tiny dot, but one that’s pretty visible against the black finish, and is also right in your eyeline as you look down at the guitar – it’s the sort of thing that you might not notice at first but you’d never stop noticing once you did.

I’d be surprised if this wasn’t an isolated issue – another Synchromatic guitar I have in for review has no such oversights – but it’s also the sort of thing that really should have been spotted and rectified before it left the factory.

Strapping it on, and while a hollowbody is never going to be a boat anchor, I was still surprised at its weight – a hair off 9lbs isn’t a deal-breaker by any stretch of the imagination, but if you’re buying this expecting to feel like you’ve got a cloud wrapped around your neck, take heed.

The neck is described by Gretsch as a ‘soft C’ and it certainly makes for a smooth and enjoyable playing experience. It might not have the personality of a bigger and more heavily-shouldered neck, but it feels comfortable in the palm and doesn’t discourage meandering up to the dustier regions.

Be warned, however, that this does ship with 11s out of the box – a suitably robust thickness of string to ensure better tuning stability, but one that might come as something of a shock to those used to 10s or 9s.

The Bigsby’s travel is smooth and responsive, and while there’s always going to be a degree of compromise in terms of stability with one in situ, the Grover tuners and a nicely cut and lubricated nut certainly make the experience as in-tune as you could hope for.

A nice touch that deviates from tradition is the presence of an oval jack plate. There are too many sad stories about plate-less hollowbodies getting a new and entirely unwanted hole in the side courtesy of a free-mounted jack socket, so this is a definite upgrade.

Gretsch Synchromatic Falcon – sounds

With more freedom for the top to vibrate, you’d expect the new bracing used on the Synchromatic would make this a more strident acoustic instrument, and an unplugged strum certainly presents a little more volume and vibration than I’d expect, even from a big ol’ hollowbody like this one.

Confession time before we plug in – I absolutely love Filter’Trons. If you’ve never played a guitar with a set in before, do yourself a favour and rectify that because they split the difference so well between single-coil and humbucker, while still maintaining the punch and power that makes them so well suited to rocking out.

Plugging in, and it’s immediately apparent that these High Fidelity units capture a lot of the best bits about Filter’Trons – with plenty of growl, punch and articulation. However, they’re definitely not overburdened with the airiness that characterises a ‘classic’ Filter’Tron.

In fact, the bass frequencies can get a little overwhelming at times – part of that is just what you’d expect from a big-bodied guitar of course, but I wonder if this new bracing pattern makes those low-end frequencies resonate more forcefully.

It makes for a guitar you have to keep a watchful eye on when played clean and at volume then – it doesn’t take much for that punchy bass to tip things into feedback. The Falcon has the classic Gretsch four-control wiring, however, including the master volume with treble bleed, and this is an effective way to tame some of those thuddier frequencies on the fly.

Add a bit of gain to proceedings and it all starts to come together in a way that’s tremendously rewarding. Rhythm tones are thick and muscular while retaining the note separation that you’d expect from a Gretsch, while adding fuzz to proceedings is an absolute riot.

The liveliness of that more freely vibrating top makes the Synchromatic a perfect companion to my Bigfoot King Fuzz, and emphasises the inherent sonic character of the guitar. It feels like something of a hybrid between a traditional humbucker and a Filter’Tron.

That might mean it’s not going to nail the Brian Setzer rockabilly sound necessarily, but if your White Falcon heroes are more at the Neil Young end of the spectrum, turn it up and have fun.

Gretsch Synchromatic Falcon – should I buy one?

For an awful lot of potential buyers, the proposition of cutting the price of entry for a Gretsch Falcon in half is compelling enough on its own, regardless of how good the guitar is. And you can certainly make the argument that for $1,500 you can easily drop a few hundred bucks on a pair of TV Jones pickups and get a lot closer to a Professional Series instrument for a fraction of the cost.

And that’s because, QC issues aside, this is a fundamentally very good guitar that captures much of the essence of what a Falcon should be without cutting too many obvious corners. Even the decision to use pickups that are voiced a little bit more to the middle ground probably makes sense in the grand scheme of things – they still sound great and will rock in the free world with the best of them.

Some Falcon owners will be dismayed at what they perceive as a dilution of the exclusivity of the model. For decades it has been a Rolex of a guitar that was as much a status symbol as it was a musical tool.

There’s no doubt that this guitar is going to make Falcons a much more common sight on everyday stages, but the Tudor Black Bay hasn’t stopped people wanting to buy Rolex Submariners, has it? Falcons for the masses – it’s a beautiful thing.

Gretsch Synchromatic Falcon – alternatives

If you want the big-bodied Gretsch hollowbody vibe without the Falcon appointments, the Gretsch G5420T Electromatic Classic Hollowbody ($839 / £769) is a great value alternative. At the other end of the scale, the Professional Collection Falcon ($3,789 / £3,549) offers Japanese build and quality of life improvements like a string-thru Bigsby. Another affordable hollowbody with prestige and heritage is the Guild M-75 Aristocrat ($1,199).

The post Gretsch Synchromatic Falcon review – “this guitar is going to make Falcons a much more common sight on everyday stages” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

In Alex Van Halen’s 2024 memoir, Brothers, he wrote that “when there was a disagreement within Van Halen, he was taking [his brother’s] side” – and the band certainly had its fair share of disagreements. From Sammy Hagar to David Lee Roth, there was seemingly always a drama in the Van Halen camp.

However, Wolfgang Van Halen argues that drama is the last thing his father ever wanted. In a new interview with Song Cake, Wolfgang explains how Eddie Van Halen always just wanted to rock out and have a good time. “He just wanted to play music,” he insists. “There was never a desire for drama.”

• READ MORE: Sammy Hagar thinks Alex Van Halen is “angry” because he’s still “out doing it” – and Alex can’t

“He just wanted to play guitar,” he continues. “He just wanted to make music. Why can’t you just make music and have a good time with people you love?”

It’s possible that some of the older Van Halen dramas were a by-product of Eddie’s addictions. For example, in a 2016 interview with AXS TV, Hagar called Eddie’s behaviour “horrible” on Van Halen’s 2004 World Tour, adding that the guitarist “did horrible things to people”.

However, Wolfgang’s introduction to the lineup in 2006 helped keep Eddie in check. “I was just there for my dad,” Wolfgang reflects. “My dad was newly sober, had a noted, you know, problem with addiction, and he needed me there.”

However, even after Eddie cleaned up his act, ex-members have caused a stir countless times over the years. Notably, Hagar called Eddie a liar for implying Michael Anthony was a subpar bassist in 2015 – and he did so with a big “fuck you, Eddie Van Halen”. And, even since Eddie’s passing, David Lee Roth has had an ongoing drama with Wolfgang.

Last year, David Lee Roth posted a YouTube video titled This Crazy Kid, a fiery 5-minute verbal rampage aimed at the late Eddie’s son. “This fucking kid…” Roth said. “He’s complaining the entire tour like I’m not paying enough attention to him on stage.”

He also seemingly took another swipe at Wolfgang in another video entitled Family Therapy. “Son, commercially speaking, you got your ass handed to you,” he said, referring to Van Halen’s 2012 record A Different Kind Of Truth.

The post “There was never a desire for drama. He just wanted to play guitar”: Wolfgang Van Halen believes his father hated the politics and arguments in Van Halen appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

2025 marked my 16th year working as a guitar journalist. And before you ask, yes – the very act of writing that sentence made me feel so old that it receded my hairline by an extra half a centimetre and my knees started to ache. It’ll come for you too, younglings.

Anyway, it’s safe to say that in that decade and a half, I’ve played, reviewed and written about a LOT of guitars, amps and effects. Some of them were inspirational enough that I still use or think fondly of them today. Others, well… let’s not dwell too much on the Peavey AT-200, lest we frighten the children.

With the benefit of hindsight, the thing that I always find remarkable looking back is that somehow I’ve not run out of stuff to say about these things – no matter how many hundreds of thousands of words I’ve scribbled down about them over the years.

I don’t think it has much to do with me, or my gift for prose for that matter. It’s more to do with the fact that every year – every month really – the guitar industry continues to delight and surprise me with its creativity. Given that we often joke about how the fundamentals of this whole thing haven’t really changed in 70-plus years, it’s amazing how often I come away from someone’s NAMM booth, or a product demo thinking that I’ve played or experienced something I’ve never seen before.

2025 was no different in this regard – we saw innovation and exploration in every part of the guitar world, with a special focus on the more affordable end of the market. As someone who still winces at the thought of spending over a grand on a new guitar, it’s something that’s always hugely encouraging to see.

Read on then, to get my personal picks of the best guitar gear for 2025:

My favourite electric guitar of 2025: Fender Vintera II Road Worn ‘50s Jazzmaster

Okay, I’m going to cheat slightly here because, frankly, this is my article and you can’t tell me what to do. Yes, you will probably have noticed that Guitar.com hasn’t quite got round to publishing our review of Fender’s latest Road Worn return… but I’ll let you in on a little secret: I’ve had one in my house for the last month and it is K-I-L-L-E-R killer.

That might be somewhat spoiling the review when it comes out early next year, but time is a construct and I will not be constrained by such trivialities. I love a Jazzmaster at the best of times, but the Fender Road Worn Vintera II is such a wonderfully bang on version for the money.

The original Vintera II guitar was already great, but adding a properly worn-in finish to the whole thing just really makes you feel like you’re slipping into an old pair of well-loved Chuck Taylors.

It’s also a real exercise in restraint – I remember the first RW Jazzmaster they did over a decade ago, and while it was cool, it did very much look like a factory-aged guitar. The subtle ageing and lacquer checking on the 2025 variant is so much more believable. The only thing that’s lacking is the colour options – Fiesta Red and Sunburst? Come on guys, give us some custom colour options – Sonic Blue, Seafoam Green, Shoreline Gold… who cares if it’s vintage-correct, live a little!

My favourite acoustic guitar of 2025: Martin 000-Jr Sapele

I am not a small person. I am big and broad enough that I will begrudgingly accept that I do look rather silly playing any kind of student or parlor guitar. And yet… I bloody love a small-bodied acoustic. Especially as the entirety of my acoustic playing life is now at home, I don’t really care about the power and projection of a big-bodied guitar at this point. I just want something that’s comfortable, plays well and sounds good.

That said, I was not expecting to get on with the Martin 000 Jr quite as much as I did – but something about the whole recipe really did just click with me in a way that made it a very, very hard guitar to say goodbye too.

That scaled-down 000 body shape doesn’t feel as dainty as a parlor-sized instrument, and the full-size scale length certainly combines with that to make it feel every inch a ‘proper’ guitar, but just a big more ergonomic and compact.

It also sounds and looks great too, and with its stained sapele finish, it just looks at home in any space you put it in – a killer instrument and a killer price too.

Read the full review.

My favourite amp of 2025: Orange O Tone 40

I didn’t actually review this one in the end, Richard did, but the Orange O Tone 40 spent a few weeks in my house while it was waiting to be photographed and man, did I have a good – and extremely loud – time with it sitting in for my trusty Princeton over that time.

We film quite a lot of our Guitar.com Originals videos on London’s iconic Denmark Street. As a result, I often find myself on the street, glancing up to the nondescript workshop Orange Amps design guru Ade Emsley keeps above the guitar shops there, wondering what one of the true geniuses of modern amp design is cooking up there.

Because, as the O Tone 40 proves, nobody really designs amps like Adrian. Here’s a solid-state, non-modelling amp that sounds absolutely fantastic, responds like a tube amp in all the best ways and is unapologetically and unreasonable loud with it.

I am a paid up member of the ‘most people play at home we need amps that sound great at bedroom levels’ club, but I love that there are people out there like Orange building these uncompromising machines in 2025 – it’s a dying art and we should appreciate it.

My favourite pedal of 2025: Boss PX-1

A confession, before we start: I think we might have reached something of a saturation point in terms of pedal innovation in 2025. That’s not a particularly original thought I know – my esteemed colleague Cillian said much the same last year – but it’s something I’ve been coming back to a lot this year.

It’s not that there aren’t still good and interesting pedals being made all the time of course. But I think we’ve reached the point in the curve where the ‘surprise and delight’ aspect has started to wear off. Pedals are a bit like iPhones now – what would have blown your mind a decade ago is kinda normal now, and it takes a lot to really inspire much strong emotion.

Which is why I found the reaction – and dare I say the backlash – to the Boss PX-1 so interesting. There’s no doubt that what Boss is trying here is quite different – creating a pay-as-you-go archive of classic and rare stompboxes from the brand’s illustrious past is not what anyone had on their bingo cards I don’t think.

And while I think that the discussion and debate it provoked was actually quite useful and important – I’ll be very surprised if anyone tries a subscription-based pedal thing any time soon on the back of it, for example – it did rather obscure what the pedal itself was about.

And taken on its own merits, the PX-1 is a very fun thing to have around – a living library of Boss rarities to pull out as and when the mood strikes. And judging by how quickly they flew off the shelves, a lot of you agreed with that sentiment.

The post Polarising Boss pedals, brilliant Martins and a relic Fender: these are my favourite new guitar products of 2025 appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

If you’ve ever laid eyes on a St. Vincent signature axe, you’re sure to have clocked its distinctively angular design. While its certainly reflective of Annie Clark’s experimental and bold musical identity, her guitars are designed with something else in mind – boobs.

In a since-deleted Instagram post, Clark wrote that her initial 2016 Ernie Ball Music Man signature was made to be “ergonomic, lightweight, and sleek” while also allowing for “room for a breast – or two” [via Dazed]. Ever since, Clark has continued to release guitars designed with a feminine edge – and Olivia Rodrigo loves them.

• READ MORE: How Women Are Giving Metal Guitars A Mainstream Moment

On her recent Guts tour, Rodrigo was seen wielding Clark’s Ernie Ball Music Man St. Vincent Goldie. We awarded the guitar we awarded a strong 9/10, and Rodrigo is equally as enthusiastic about it. “It’s such a fucking cool looking guitar,” she praises on the Music Makes Us podcast.

What really excites her about the guitar is Clark’s consideration of women when designing the axe. “She made [the] guitar specifically designed for women,” she explains. “Because she plays her guitar really high up, it’s cut so that you can have boobs and play guitar, which is so awesome.”

Ironically, some argue guitars were initially designed to mimic the shape of a woman’s body. As The Guardian’s Cate Le Bon pondered in 2017, if guitars are “inspired by female bodies” then “why are they uncomfortable for women to play?”

Clark took this problem and worked to produce her own solution. Prior to the release of her first signature, a 2016 interview with Guitar World saw Clark explaining her mindset when designing the guitar. “For me a guitar that is not too heavy is really important because I’m not a very big person,” she said. “I can’t even play a ‘60s Strat or 70s Les Paul! I would need to travel with a chiropractor on tour in order to play those guitars.”

While she would love to be capable of using a ‘60s Stratocaster or ‘70s Les Paul, noting that they are great guitars, she explained how “they render themselves impractical and unfunctional for a person like [her] because of their weight”.

Rather than elevating her performance, she noted that that these guitars are “prohibitive” for her stature. Her guitar, on the other hand, “redistributed” its weight, making it easier for smaller players to play while still looking great – be that female, male or anything in-between. “I wanted to make something that looked good and not just on a woman, but any person,” she said.

And it isn’t just Olivia Rodrigo waving the St. Vincent signature flag; The Last Dinner Party’s Emily Roberts has also given Clark’s guitar her seal of approval. Speaking to Guitar.com in October, she explained: “What I like about the St. Vincent is that it really cuts through a mix, and it’s quite high-end. That’s a great quality that it has and it just doesn’t sound like a Fender or a Gibson. I wanted something that, when you hear it, it’s not obvious what it is. I wanted people to go, ‘What is that?’ and for it to sound new.”

She also shared her love in an interview with Guitar World last year. “I started out gigging on a Music Man Mariposa… but I had my eye on the St. Vincent one and saved up to get it,” she said. “It’s now my main guitar.”

“It’s iconic-looking and quite trebly and really sticks out,” she continued. “I’m only 5ft 2in as well, and some guitars give me backache, but this one fits really well. There aren’t many guitars designed by women, so it was kind of a no-brainer.”

The post “She made the guitar specifically designed for women”: Olivia Rodrigo on her love of St. Vincent’s feminine signature guitars appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Yungblud has responded to criticism from The Darkness following his headline-grabbing Ozzy Osbourne tribute at the 2025 VMAs, dismissing the band’s remarks as little more than gatekeeping from the sidelines.

The performance in question took place at the VMAs in New York on 7 September, where Yungblud – real name Dominic Harrison – joined forces with Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, alongside Extreme guitarist Nuno Bettencourt, to honour the late Prince of Darkness. The tribute earned a warm response inside the room, including from pop heavyweight Ariana Grande – though not everyone watching was impressed.

• READ MORE: Justin Hawkins takes another brutal swing at Yungblud: “if the future of rock comes from musical theatre and Disney, if this is Ozzy’s heir, we’re in trouble”

Dan Hawkins of The Darkness took to Instagram shortly after, posting images of Yungblud and Ariana Grande alongside a blunt verdict: “Another nail in the coffin of rock n roll. Cynical, nauseating and more importantly, shit.”

View this post on Instagram

The criticism didn’t stop there. In a video posted to the Justin Hawkins Rides Again YouTube channel, the band’s frontman expanded on his brother’s comments, accusing Yungblud of “[positioning] himself as a natural heir to the Ozzy legacy, having nothing to do with the really important stuff.”

Speaking separately to Classic Rock, Justin doubled down: “If the future of rock comes from musical theatre and Disney, if this is Ozzy’s heir, we’re in trouble.”

The pair’s comments soon sparked backlash online, with Justin later insisting that “none of that was intended to incite a feud”.

Harrison initially addressed the remarks during a conversation with Ozzy’s son Jack Osbourne, labelling the criticism as “bitter and jealous”. Now, in a new interview with Billboard, the 28-year-old has offered his latest take on the situation.

“The criticism at the VMAs was coming from people that were trying to be doormen at a party that they weren’t invited to,” he says. “That’s the harsh reality of it.”

Rather than viewing the backlash as a setback, Yungblud frames it as evidence that the performance had made an impact: “If you don’t have that fear that you need to prove something, you’re not on the right path and journey” he explains. “If people are indifferent about you, then you’re not truly anything at all.”

The post Yungblud fires back at The Darkness over Ozzy Osbourne tribute criticism: “They were trying to be doormen at a party that they weren’t invited to” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

On a fall Nashville evening, This Will Destroy You are minutes from performing 2014’s classic Another Language album in full. Backstage in the green room there’s laughter, small talk, and the familiar pre-show rhythm. But underneath it all, there’s something heavier – the quiet awareness of a band rediscovering itself.

• READ MORE: How Women Are Giving Metal Guitars A Mainstream Moment

Back in 2024 the band made what was certainly an unconventional announcement. The statement said that founding guitarists and the band’s only constant members, Chris King and Jeremy Galindo, were ending their working relationship to “pursue their own creative endeavors, focusing on solo, collaborative, and compositional work”.

So far so normal, bands break up all the time… but there was a kicker. Rather than call time on This Will Destroy You as a touring act, the King and Galindo announced plans to share the name for the foreseeable future. Each would have their own distinct line-ups, tours and setlists, but both would remain officially This Will Destroy You.

It’s a unique and rather equitable approach to a band breaking up, by any measure – but one that has certainly left outsiders somewhat bewildered. To try to get to the bottom of what this might mean, for the band and for the individuals involved, we sat down with King and multi-instrumentalists Jesse Kees to talk gear, new music, and the strange beauty of finding your way back through one of the worst moments of your life.

Drama Minor

When we ask King about the events surrounding the unconventional dissolution of his creative relationship with Galindo, it’s clear he doesn’t want to go into too much detail or air too much dirty laundry in public, but the emotion is clearly still raw.

“I was kicked out of my own band… and it broke me,” he reveals.

“I was sticking up for someone really close to me, and it resulted in me being kicked out of my own band,” he repeats quietly. “It took years to get back on social media and sort my head out. But now, I feel lucky. The energy’s different. I didn’t enjoy touring for a long time — and I finally feel things again.”

He smiles when he says it, but the words still hang heavy. Sitting beside him, Jesse Kees – a longtime bandmate but also a friend – nods in agreement, but he doesn’t add anything. It’s clearly not a tale that anyone really wants to get into, and maybe that’s fine.

Because today, King, Kees, Robi Gonzalez, Masaru Takaku, and multi-instrumentalist Emily Xander are having a great time representing the heavier, doomgaze-centric side of This Will Destroy You – and clearly they’re having a blast.

When questioned if the dual-lineup setup is permanent, King replies, “For now, that’s not up to us…We’ve been playing together for a while – this is how it’s going to go until it changes. The only thing I care about is that fans are happy.” King replies.

Kees adds, “We’re prioritizing mental and emotional health on tour. That’s not something we’ve always done. It feels good to finally make that part of the work.”

No Backing Tracks, No Shortcuts

Part of what makes this version of the band so vital again is how alive it sounds. Another Language is a dense record – layers of drones, sub-bass, and reverb-drenched delay that would usually demand a laptop to pull off. But this lineup refuses to fake it.

“After the [2009 LP] Tunnel Blanket run, I was covering two roles on a Bass VI,” Kees explains. “This time, we wanted every sound performed in real time. No backing tracks. That’s why Emily’s here. She handles synths and keys, and on the heavy parts, she’s on another Bass VI. When everything hits — bass, Bass VI, and sub — the whole room shakes.”

“Memory Loss feels like an airplane taking off,” King laughs. “People up front do that hair-blown-back face. It’s the best part of the night.”

For a band that helped define post-rock’s dynamic extremes and then spent years trying to outrun them, this moment feels like a reclamation of sorts.

The Sound of Feeling Again

If you’ve followed This Will Destroy You, you know the gear isn’t just aesthetic – it’s the architecture of emotion. King’s main guitar these days is a stripped-down Jazzmaster fitted with a Fishman pickup and a single knob. “No frills,” he says. “Heavy strings, almost a baritone feel. I got the idea years ago while tracking with John Congleton – he had this Thurston Moore Jazzmaster with just one knob, and it stuck with me.”

On the subject of gear, King doesn’t shy away. His pedals of choice have become a museum of TWDY textures and sounds: a Strymon El Capistan, a Vongon Polyphrase run in a feedback loop (“total game-changer”), a Pittsburgh Downward Spiral, and a vintage EHX Memory Man with the Japanese-chip mod that gives it a three-dimensional sheen.

Kees’s setup revolves around the Expandora. “It’s my secret weapon,” he says. “It’s not distortion — it’s how I shape touch and clarity. That crisp, fingerpicked attack that still feels human.”

The set thrives on drones, the band’s secret language since Young Mountain. “When people say ‘doomgaze,’ I think of drone plus emotion,” Kees says. “It’s closer to what post-rock originally meant — a hundred different ideas living under the same roof.”

Solo Ventures

One quirk of the This Will Destroy You split is that both band members agreed that the future music they produced would be released separately as independent new projects – not under the TWDY banner.

For King and Kees, that new thing is Dreamage – a project born of necessity but also friendship, that released its first album last year.

That first record felt intimate – made in a cabin, mics propped on stacks of toilet paper, the sound of the room bleeding into every take. “We didn’t even know we were starting a band,” Kees says. “We were just making what made sense to make in that moment.”

The next release, already finished, is bolder: full-band arrangements, real drums, vocal harmonies. “It’s the same DNA,” King says, “just a wider lens.” Dreamage doesn’t chase post-rock tropes; it lets them dissolve into ambience, electronics, even pop. “If This Will Destroy You is the cathedral,” King says, “Dreamage is the side chapel – smaller, but maybe closer to the heart.”

They’re also collaborating with Shed Project, the New Mexico collective founded by chef Johnny Ortiz, where meals and music intertwine in ritual. “It’s not really a venue,” Kees says. “It’s a living piece of art. You eat food grown on the same land you’re sitting on, served on plates made from local clay. We’re playing unplugged sets there – filmed, one-of-a-kind. It’s about connection.”

There’s no doubt that This Will Destroy You’s new two-band phase is novel, and fans will understandably wonder why they didn’t just call it a day and start fresh. But bands aren’t companies, they’re groups of people – and nobody involved was quite ready to put This Will Destroy You to bed.

“More than anything, there’s unity again,” King says of the new era. “Intent. The stuff that actually matters when you play music. Every show, I’m excited. I don’t take it for granted.”

Kees nods. “The past was heavy. Now it feels lighter. We’re chasing something honest.”

And for now, that’s enough — because no matter who’s on stage, This Will Destroy You is still an auditory experience that more than delivers on its namesake while remaining unequivocally steady and human. That’s all fans can really ask for.

The post How post-rock heroes This Will Destroy You split into two separate touring lineups – and rediscovered themselves in the process appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.