Rina's Recent Music Discoveries-

[jsem]

I think for technique....my top two would be Mark Knopfler and Eric Johnson.

MK FTW

[Rina]

I'm gonna recommend this here:

Cloudkicker - Beacons

and

Cloudkicker - The Discovery

The music is centered around the guitars creating a ton of atmosphere and sometimes just going metal (but with a sense of melody). It's all instrumental and the two aforementioned albums are excellent imho. It's a good mixture of some progressive metal and a ton of ambiance.

You can download the respective EP and albums here FOR FREE (as directed by the artist himself): https://cloudkicker.bandcamp.com/

OMG, CLOUDKICKER IS AWESOME. 

[Jamesman42]

I KNOW RIGHT

[wolfking]

To those already recommended I'll add Andy Timmons- tasteful and impressive. If you like Batio you've got to hear Groove or Die
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUFOYbPL_Og

Most of his stuff is less widdly than this.

Vinnie Moore, especially Mind's Eye and Meltdown.

Jason Becker- Perpetual burn

Yony Macalpine- Maximum security

definately get Satch's Flying In A Blue Dream but his voice is an acquired taste, I like it though.

If you like classical, Yngwie's Concerto Suite is fantastic.

Man, you know your shredders.  Mind's Eye is so damn good, it's an essential shred purchase.  Vinnie's new one To the Core is quite good aswell.  I love Maximum Security, but I think I like Edge of Sanity a bit more, every song is wonderful, and it has songs like Agrionia, Empire in the Sky and No Place in Time.  Violent Machine, Freedom to Fly and Evolution are amazing T-Mac albums also.

Any Yngwie is worth picking up, but I'd recommend Odyssey, Marching Out, Fire and Ice, Seventh Sign, Alchemy and Rising Force.

Andy Timmons is fucking amazing.  Just pick up That Was Then, This is Now.  Resolution is excellent too.  Cry for You is one of the best instrumentals I've ever heard.

Sacred Groove from George Lynch is a decent shred record too.

Paul Gilbert is worth checking out especially Racer X which is similar to Cacophony.  

Greg Howe is another good shredder but I'm unfamiliar with his work, same with Ritchie Kotzen.


Andy Timmons - Cry For You

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaVVZYOvMFY

Yeah, I think I kept Shrapnel going in the 80s with all the shred albums I bought. Some I enjoyed more than other: Michael Lee Firkins debut was a particular favourite with the bluesier approach. I liked the 1st Jjoey Tafolla but that was very Vinnie Moore/Macalpine in style.
Wasn't as big a fan of Geoff Howe or Kotzen but they were obviously great players, just not my style.
As I said, I tend not to listen to the newer guys though.

edit. And I totally forgot, David Chastain's Instrumental Variations and Within The Heat are really good too.
Michael Harris and George Bellas excellent and I love Luca Turilli (Rhapsody) guitarist's soloing. Also Guyhrie Govan is worth checking out.

Man I love George Bellas.  Planetary Alignment and Step Into the Future are amazing.  Check his work on Ring of Fire's Oracle album also, good stuff.

[Rina]

Thanks, will do. Loving all the recommendations so far, they're all really awesome. 

[Lowdz]

Rina, if you enjoyed the satriani stuff Vinnie Moore's Meltdown album is essential listening! this album is sweep picking 101.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKBE7u7byTk

[Rina]

Rina, if you enjoyed the satriani stuff Vinnie Moore's Meltdown album is essential listening! this album is sweep picking 101.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKBE7u7byTk

Ooh, awesome.