Welcome to Throwback Thursday! This is the place where we get to indulge in nostalgia and wax poetic about excellent metal of years past. Today marks TBT number 70 and what better way to celebrate it than with the man with the shaggy, silky, black hair – who happens to lauded as one of metal's fastest guitar players. Stick around if you wanna to get the keys to your Lamborghini.
MICHAEL ANGELO BATIO
Michael Angelo Batio proudly proclaims on his own website, "Michael is one of the originators and pioneers of the entire “Shred” Guitar genre. Michael showcased guitar techniques and innovations, for the first time, on his early instructional programs as well as in live performances, which are now considered “standard techniques” among guitarists throughout the entire world."
Groovy.
With over 20 million views on YouTube, "Speed Kills" shows off just what Michael Angelo Batio (or MAB, as he is known by fans) can do:
As if playing faster than lightening wasn't enough, MAB decided that he to become king of all the shreddy noodle monsters by employing flashy techniques never before seen. Anchoring his thumb on the back of the guitar neck, MAB throws his fingers over and under the neck with a blindingly quick flick of the wrist. Combined with his unusual over-hand positioning for tight arpeggios, Michael Angelo Batio positioned himself as not only the one of the fastest players, but also as one of the most experimental solo metal guitar players.
When the bar is set that high for lead shredding, where is one to go to top that?
MAB knew. Why have one guitar neck – when you can have TWO guitar necks?
This insane creation is credited to Dean guitars and Michel Angelo Batio. Batio patented the uniquely shaped extra tool you see towards the nut of the neck. The MAB String Dampener busts sustain, allowing fast players to tap and shred without muddying the result. Without it, playing that fast with one hand would be a sloppy mess.
No one asked former Nitro band member Michel Angelo Batio if such a creation should be pursued; MAB just did it. There's a lot about Batio that is over the top – whether it be his studded, zippered, highly-stylized outfits or his menagerie of wildly customized guitars. In that hyperbole is a reflection of the metal spirit – go hard, or go home.
Still recording after over 35 astounding years, Batio is also still touring can be seen live across the US this summer. But if you're looking for a reunion of Nitro, Batio squashed the idea saying that, "We just can't go back." Check out MAB's official Facebook page for updates, merch and tour information.
