PRO PLAYERS WEIGH IN ON 2023’S BEST NEW SONGS, SOLOS, RIFFS, GUITAR MOMENTS, GUITARISTS OF THE YEAR AND MORE
Compiled by ANDREW DALY, JOE BOSSO & DAMIAN FANELLI
JANUARY 2024 PAGE FORTY-EIGHT
WOLFGANG VAN HALEN
Song: Periphery, “Wildfire” Riff: Covet, “Firebird” Solo: Intervals, “Mnemonic” Guitar Moment: Nuno Bettencourt and Extreme back with their new album, Six.
New Band: Blink-182 (They’re not new, but Tom DeLonge’s return makes it feel new again.)
New Guitarist: Olly Steele. Not completely new, but more people need to know about him.
New Gear: EVH SA-126. Take my word for it. Everyone can get one in 2024.
Album You Listened to Most: Foo Fighters, But Here We Are Guitarist of the Year: Aaron Marshall
CHRISTONE “KINGFISH” INGRAM
Songs: Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit, “Cast Iron Skillet” and Summer Walker (feat. Childish Gambino), “New Type” Riff: Jamilla Woods, “Practice” Album: Jamilla Woods, “Tiny Gardens” Guitar Moment: Paramore, “This Is Why” New Band: Yaya Bey New Guitarist: Mathias Lattin New Gear: Marshall ShredMaster Album You Listened to Most: Daniel Caesar, Never Enough Guitarist of the Year: Eric Gales
DEVON ALLMAN
Riff: “Lux Æterna” by Metallica’s James Hetfield Song: “Chaise Longue” by Wet Leg Guitar Moment: Me, jamming with my friends on stage while on tour.
New Band: Goodnight, Texas New Guitarist: Drew Smithers New Gear: Not new, but my ’63 Gibson SG in Alpine White — and my Klon.
Album You Listened to Most:
Lucifer on the Sofa by Spoon
Guitarist of the Year: Jackson Stokes
LZZY HALE (HALESTORM)
Song: “Violence No Matter What” by Avatar. I am a little biased because I’m featured on this song, but the whole reason I said “yes” to this collaboration is because it rips!
Riff: The one that I just wrote but I can’t tell you about.
Solo: The solo in “Violence No Matter What” by Avatar. It’s like you’re on a sinister merry-go-round.
Guitar Moment: The solo in Extreme’s “Rise” by Nuno. A friend recently showed me this, and Nuno’s performance blew my mind!
New Band: The Warning; they aren’t that new, and they’ve been at it since they were kids, but they are having a big moment crashing into the scene right now, and I couldn’t be happier for them. I challenge anyone to try and stay calm while those ladies wreck the stage.
