Pantera, Slayer + More: Surprisingly Happy Metal Riffs
Nick Bowcott is a vet of Loudwire's Gear Factor, powered by Sweetwater, having shown off his skill in a variety of tributes during our video series. The Music Experience's Squiggy caught up with Bowcott at the Sweetwater headquarters, with Bowcott showing how some of your favorite guitar songs actually evolved from what he calls "happy" power chords.
When it comes to "happy," Slayer are probably not the first band you think of, yet Bowcott displays how a brighter power chord approach eventually evolved into Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman giving the classic song a darker edge.
Bowcott, a longtime friend of Pantera's Dimebag Darrell, knows Pantera's music quite well, and once again, we see the way in which most people might play a Pantera favorite and how it turned into something edgier along the way.
The guitarist also shows off something a little less metal, but definitely heavy and sludgy tracking the evolution of the power chords in Alice in Chains' "Would?" Then he finishes out his demonstration revisiting a standout from the man he calls "one of the happiest people on the planet," Megadeth's Dave Mustaine.
It's an interesting demonstration showing how tone and approach can change, taking something that may seem a little lighter initially and taking it to the point where there's more grit and attitude.
If you want to bone up on your guitar playing skills, you'll need the right gear, and what better place to start than Sweetwater.com? Be sure to check their online site for all your gear needs.
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