In early October 2008, it was revealed that Joel McIver's twelfth book, namely "The 100 Greatest Metal Guitarists", would be published globally during January 2009 via Jawbone Press. The idea was spawned by a popular American guitar magazine, which listed musicians such as Kurt Cobain and Neil Young as being amongst the greatest metal guitarists of all time, who are frankly bizarre additions by anyone's account. Deicide vocalist Glen Benton supplied a foreword to the book, which journeys through the hundred greatest metal guitarists from number one hundred all the way to number one. Spanning eighty thousand words, selection was based on the technical ability, and historical significance, of each player. The guitarists are a range of ages, the oldest being sixty-one, and the youngest a mere twenty-six. Those who dwell in the hard rock sphere have been omitted, thus meaning that the likes of Randy Rhoads, Angus Young, Joe Satriani, Yngwie Malmsteen, and Ritchie Blackmore fail to feature.
A contributor to such magazines as Total Guitar, Metal Hammer and Classic Rock,
Joel McIver has published a dozen books to date. 2004 book "
Justice For All: The Truth About Metallica" has been translated into nine languages, with future revised editions in the future much assured. 2008's "
The Bloody Reign Of Slayer" marked another foray into the world of thrash metal, garnering further acclaim. 2009 will witness additional books from the man's pen, particularly the autobiography of erstwhile
Deep Purple and
Trapeze musician
Glenn Hughes. Plugging "
The 100 Greatest Metal Guitarists",
McIver was interviewed via email.
UG: Could you provide an introduction to your twelfth book 'The 100 Greatest Metal Guitarists', and how the project ultimately came to fruition?
Joel McIver: I’m a geek who makes lists, and while I was driving around one day it occurred to me that no-one had really made a definitive list of the most accomplished guitarists in heavy metal. It’s been done in a kind of half-assed way by a few magazines, but the compilers usually confuse rock with metal and fail to take into account the techniques that the musicians require to do the job. It felt like a fun book to write, but one which would serve a serious purpose - and that proved to be the case on both counts.
Jawbone Press will publish the book during January 2009. How did you come to work with Jawbone, and why did you feel they were a suitable publisher for the book?
Jawbone are not only suitable for a book like this, but are the world leaders in this field. I’ve known the people there for several years, since I was a magazine editor and used to commission reviews of their books. I’m very fortunate to be working with them. The book looks killer - they’ve done a great job.
In your fellow books, you pull no punches. Do you feel some of your opinions in this book might polarise fans?
Yes, and probably annoy them. That’s not what I set out to do, but it’s an inevitable consequence of making a list such as this. I enjoy all reader feedback, though, positive and otherwise - I’ve had hundreds of emails over the years calling me every name under the sun for things that I’ve said in print. Luckily, I’ve had a greater number of comments from people who like what I’ve written. Bring it on, I say. It’s only rock 'n' roll.
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| "It felt like a fun book to write, but one which would serve a serious purpose." |
Deicide frontman Glen Benton kindly agreed to write a foreword for the book. How did he come to be involved, and why do you feel he was an appropriate individual to write a foreword for a book of this nature?
I got to know Glen a couple of years ago after I approached him and Steve Asheim to see if they’d be interested in co-writing a Deicide autobiography, which may happen some time. I asked him to do the foreword for this book because he’s worked with some fantastic guitarists in his time, and because he has a no-bullshit approach that suits this kind of book perfectly. I wanted 'The 100 Greatest Metal Guitarists' to be straight, honest and non-political, and happily that’s how it’s turned out.
What's your opinion on the usual glut of 'greatest metal guitarists' that tend to surface? Some bizarre names seem to surface, like Kurt Cobain - although he was part of one of the best selling acts of the 1990s, I've never thought he had particularly distinguished playing abilities.
You’re referring to a list of supposed "best metal guitarists" that appeared in an American guitar magazine a few years ago, which made me cringe when I read it. Kurt would have been gutted if he knew that he’d been posthumously labelled a heavy metal guitarist. Technical ability is almost irrelevant in his case - he’s known for more important things, like the small matter of wiping out half of the world’s metal bands when grunge wiped the slate clean in 1991.
Guitarists such as Angus Young and Randy Rhoads don't feature, but the likes of Tony Iommi do. How did you ultimately decide as to whether a specific guitarist qualifies or not? Were there any you debated in your mind, but eventually didn't feature in the book?
There’s hard rock and there’s heavy metal, and it’s reasonably easy to differentiate the two. I’m absolutely not a categories nerd and would be the first to admit that the best bands have a bit of everything in them, but in this case I wanted to celebrate the achievements of the metal musicians and no-one else. There were loads of amazing axemen who didn’t make it into the Top 100, even though they’re world-class musicians: assembling the final list was agony!
Do you have intentions to write a book regarding 'The 100 Greatest Hard Rock Guitarists'?
Yes, if I’m asked. That would be a lot of fun. Yngwie, Randy, Satriani or Eddie Van Halen for number one?
In arriving at your decision as to whom ranks higher, which of the following did you rate higher, and why: technical ability, or a guitarist's ability to create emotionally affecting moods within their playing?
Not really the moods, although those are important too. I used two rigorous criteria:
1) The guy’s mastery of techniques such as sweep picking, tapping, alternate and legato picking and (crucially) whether he applies them tastefully or gratuitously.
2) How influential the guy is as a pioneer. So for example, Tony Iommi is without a doubt the most influential metal guitarist of all time because he was the first out of the blocks, but because he can’t do sweeps (as he cheerfully admits) he can’t be number one. However, he’s in the top ten, of course.
In the book, does a specific guitarist feature whom you feel is woefully underrated by the media and public?
God yes. Trey Azagthoth of Morbid Angel, Chuck Schuldiner of Death, Ron Jarzombek of Watchtower and Blotted Science, Jeff Waters of Annihilator, Ihsahn and Samoth of Emperor and Mikael Ã…kerfeldt of Opeth, plus quite a few others rarely get the credit they’re due as guitarists. I wanted this book to right that wrong. They’re underrated because their music is, by and large, too extreme or not exposed enough.
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| "I enjoy all reader feedback, though, positive and otherwise." |
In committing your opinions to paper, did any change when you thought about the topic more intensely?
Not really. I had a clear idea of what I wanted to do from the beginning. That’s happened with other books, though - for example I’ve just completed a biography of Tool and was utterly blown away by their music by the end, more than I thought I would be when I started it.
Why do you feel that guitarists become more iconic than say bassists, or drummers? Why do you feel that metal fans are particularly drawn to guitarists?
It’s the solos, and the prominent frequencies which they occupy in the mix. I love bass and drums too though - I’d like to do similar books on those instruments, that is if I don’t die of exhaustion first.
Game franchises such as 'Rock Band' and 'Guitar Hero' are now popular. Do you feel that such franchises may spawn the great guitarists of tomorrow?
Not at all. Those games are fun but they’re not for guitarists. Also, people who are really interested in learning the guitar will go straight to the real thing. I think the real strength of those games is that they will encourage the player to go out and buy a metal or rock album, which can only be a good thing.
At the moment, are there any plans to revise some of your older books to reflect current events, such as your acclaimed tome on Metallica ('Justice For All: The Truth About Metallica')?
Yes, the Metallica book is going into its third edition shortly, to reflect the 'Death Magnetic' album and tour. That book is up to about 35,000 copies in nine languages now, so I’m very pleased with it.
There's reports of you becoming a TV presenter. Thus far, what can you reveal?
Nothing right now, but if all goes to plan I’ll be presenting a metal show on one of the main satellite channels in the new year. You poor people.
Works for 2009 include Glenn Hughes autobiography, which you're helping him to co-write. What other book projects are currently slated, and how far in the development stage are all these respective works?
Glenn’s book will come out in 2009 and will be amazing, I kid you not. The Tool book comes out in April on Omnibus Press and then a biography of a major metal icon is coming out in June. No, not Dimebag. There will be press releases nearer the time. I also have a sci-fi novel brewing that I want to get out before too long, but finding the time to do all this stuff in between family, gigs, sleep and a reasonably debauched social life is tricky.
If somebody wishes to purchases an autographed copy of your new book, how may they do so?
Buy one, send it to me at my office address (see www.joelmciver.co.uk) with an SAE, and I’ll sign and return it. Or come up to me at a gig and buy me beer - that always helps.
Interview by Robert Gray
Ultimate-Guitar.Com © 2009
