Ok, here goes. I love a good shred album. Something I can listen to all the way through and be wowed! You know the thing; hairs on your neck stand up good. Shivers down your spine good. The ones that make you go ‘fuck me, this is utterly incredible’ good.
What are you’re favourites? You can pick albums or individual tracks. Give me a top 10, top 5. Whatever really floats you’re Inner-shredder boat really.
Here’s a few of mine. Pretty obvious ones to start us off but I’d love something new to inspire and wow me.
Apologies, but I have to start with Passion & Warfare. So many superb tracks. The entire album is just brilliant.
I have a real soft spot for Zack Wyld’s Pride and Glory album. The more people I can get to listen to this the better!
I think I’ll plug some Jan Cyrka next. Spirit and Beyond the Common Ground. Super emotional and I think the most visual tracks I can think of. Some of those tracks really conjure up some vivid images for me.
How about a bit of Yngwie? Amazing albums from the 80s. I remember when I were a lad, flipping out to Live in Leningrad. That Spacebo Blues track drove me wild. Rising Force, Odyssey and Trilogy are all pant wettingly good too.
I’ll go with a single track now. Vai’s The Moon and I. Sometimes I just can’t believe it’s actually playable by anyone. Gotta be a favourite track of all time.
Anyone remember Helloween? Keeper of the Seven Keys parts one and two. Superb guitary, power metaly goodness.
Going a bit more 21st century for some Aristocrats. All four of their albums are just sublime. A special shout out to the Tres Cabelleros album and the tracks, I want a Parrot and See You Next Tuesday.
Jeff Beck; Who Else, You Had it Coming and Jeff. You all HAVE to listen to these three albums. Totally nothing like ‘em and nothing to compare them to.
Last one for now, although I could go on for ages... Van Halen, Van Halen. Can’t think of another album that has stood the test of time so well.
Ok one final odd-ball. The League of Crafty Guitarist’s Intergalactic Boogie Express. The acoustic guitarist in me loves this one. Not really a shredder but still stirs something inside me.
Plenty more where these came from so let’s hear some of yours first...
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Satriani - Crystal Planet. Pretty much the whole album. Probably his most exciting, tasteful and well written album. Everything works.
Dream Theater - Under a Glass Moon. Mental solo and a perfect example of why Petrucci is a god.
Angra - their song Speed on the Fireworks album. My favourite Angra song. A vocalist with a huge range and incredible guitarists. Still gives me chills.
Megadeth - Ashes in Your Mouth. Considerably more dark and aggressive for a 'Deth song. But the solo section is incredible and drives the nail through with a 100 pound sledgehammer.
The guy is a genius.
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Going to dive into Plini next, when I have the time.
Band Stuff: https://navigationofficial.bandcamp.com/album/silhouette-ep
My favourite "shredder" these days is Brent Hinds. Instantly recognisable style, very fluid and melodic.
I don't really think of it as a shred album, but it's one of my all-time favourite albums. So much better than anything else Zakk has done.
I prefer albums with vocals, so I'll say all the Megadeth albums with Marty Friedman, the first Fifth Angel album with James Byrd, the first couple of White Lion albums with Vito Bratta, Richie Kotzen's Fever Dream... and Dawn Patrol by Night Ranger.
I guess the scope is broadened if we’re including stuff like Jeff Beck.
Obviously the Ozzy albums + Randy.
Most of Vai’s albums are rewarding although Flexable would be the last Id recommend as it’s too full of weirdness for a newcomer (and me). Alien Love Secrets is a good place to start, followed by P&W. Seventh song is a great compilation. Actually, the Essential Steve Vai album is well put together and the second disc covers some of his best esoteric stuff like Boston Rain Melody.
Surfing with the Alien is one of my top 10 albums of all time in any genre.
All pretty generic, sorry. Guess I’m more into blues these days. Walter Trout can shred with the best of them!
Though if you want shredfulness, The Driving Force is probably the way to go - a cursory search turned up this video, which is the better of the two versions I found, though perhaps not the most interesting looking video ever. I've played both Intergalactic and Driving Force (bass part, I have quite a lot of limits) and they're amazing to play. For the basses, the most difficult bit of Intergalactic is the first note, as the lead part seems deliberately designed to mislead as to where the downbeat is. I've been lucky enough to play with people who are insane enough to get their chops to the point that they can play the Driving Force lead much, much faster than this, and it's kind of exhilarating. I think the hardest part to play isn't the lead so much as the kind of banjo-sounding drone throughout the second half.
/Tedious ex-crafty out.
Intergalactic Boogie Express:
Not really too much in my list that hasn't been mentioned already, but I'll add a couple of tracks:
Chords of Life by Joe Satriani: when the solo kicks in it gives me proper chills every time. It absolutely shreds out but doesn't overwhelm the song - and being Satch, you know it's not as simple as he's making it sound.
Prisoner by King's X: Ty Tabor is one of my favourite guitarists, and this is just the most perfect guitar solo
Also a fairly obscure one, Rob Johnson - https://open.spotify.com/album/2b5Ft0uZ97nia8M2rtTNLB?si=FrrSuAOGTpOidYZ4JJIzkw
Has all the hallmarks of the genre: OTT soloing, as many notes possible crammed into each bar, listless drums and bass. Completely tasteless and I love it.
Speaking of Rob, he made a huge Spotify playlist with shred guitar - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1hfFMqmrEpu580eL04yyy6
btw, Jeff Beck has no business in this list, just not in his thing.
I like this!
Band Stuff: https://navigationofficial.bandcamp.com/album/silhouette-ep