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10. Marty Midgard

– The Midgard Project

Marty’s playing on the sophomore Midgard Project album really perked my interest. He plays in the vein of Michael Romeo, and thus is style is dark, vicious, and intense. I really enjoy his work.

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9. Andrea Chiodetti – MMXX

Andrea’s guitar work on the MMXX is quite diverse. I love the shadowy, chugging riffs that form the base of his style, but he also creates rhythms and licks that peal with gloomy melody and emotion, and in other moments his work can be bright and enlightening. Sometimes it may feel classic rock in style, and other times it feels doomy and lumbering.

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8. Matthew Doty – Deserta

I love Matthew’s style of shoegaze guitar work. There is something more than spacey, expansive, and trembling about it. He makes it almost cinematic, in a way, and his music feels larger than life, as a result.

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7. Tony Piccoli and

Scott Thompson – ISD

ISD is known for their guitar work—it’s part of what defines their sound. So, yes, I love the humongous, brutal riffs that Tony and Scott bring to the table. On their newest record, the pair are perhaps the most disciplined and yet effective that they have ever been.

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6. Lee Abraham – Galahad

Lee is a damn good guitarist, and his work with Galahad has only served to heighten the band’s already fantastic sound. I love his fierce and muscular style, and his solos are extraordinary.

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5. Dave Cureton

Dave Cureton is one of the most technically proficient, yet underrated guitarists out there today. His new solo album State of Mind is a spellbinding, ferocious guitar record that should be able to impress anyone.

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4. Johan Liefvendahl

– Seventh Wonder

Johan is obviously a skilled player. The return of Seventh Wonder in 2022 brought back his hypnotic, hyper-technical style, yet melody is still king with him. If fireworks is what you want, this is the performance you need to hear.

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3. Jon Courtney

and Greg Jong – PRR

PRR are fun as hell, and Jon and Greg brought a fierce, angular guitar style with serious staying power. I love how powerful their walls of distortion are, and also how kinetic and fearless their momentum is.

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2. Deadale – Etrange

“Epic” doesn’t even begin to do Deadale’s guitar work justice. His spacey, powerful, and technical work is simply breath-taking, yet it is also balanced with melody and heart.

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1. Gautier Lambla – Selenic

Gautier came out of nowhere to be my favorite guitarist of 2022. His work on the Selenic debut is fiery, calculated, and brilliant beyond his years. I love how expressive he can be in one moment, and then heavy and muscular in the next. He brings a balanced and diverse style that elevates the music considerably.

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