Watch closely for #55 or you might miss everything he does:
Michael Angelo Batio is perhaps the best of the "shredders", so named because of their relentless, high-paced attacks on the guitar, playing notes as fast as they possibly can play them. Batio has done most of his work in metal music and its subgenres and has spent a good deal of his career as a solo artist.
That in and of itself isn't going to get you a high ranking; it's not even necessarily going to earn you a spot in The Top 100 Guitarists*. But if you've given some thought into how the notes are going to sound to your audience and your listeners before you play them, and can play at a rapid pace with a melodic sense, absolutely that's going to get you recognition. Batio was voted the #1 Shredder of All-Time by Guitar One Magazine in 2003. Guitar World listed him as one of The Top 100 Greatest Metal Guitarists of All-Time, and Batio won the 2009 Guitar World Reader's Choice award as the Best Shredder. In a 2011 vote of over 440,000 guitarists who subscribe to Guitar World, Batio was voted as the Fastest Guitar Player of All-Time.
Yet piano was the instrument in which Michael first started playing, composing music at the age of five. He took up guitar at age ten, and at age 16, won the Chicago-based "All-State Jazz Solo Award". Batio went to Northeastern Illinois University and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Theory and Composition. You can be a much better guitar player if you have a solid background in music theory and composition.
After graduation, Batio applied for a job at a Chicago recording studio as a session guitarist. Michael was given a piece of music and asked to play it. He proceeded to do that, adding his own improvisations and fills, and thus became the studio's primary guitarist. Batio recorded music for such companies as McDonalds, United Airlines, KFC, United Way, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Burger King and Beatrice.
Batio joined the heavy metal band Holland in 1984, a group started by Tommy Holland, the ex-Steppenwolf singer. The group was signed by Atlantic Record and released the 1985 album Little Monsters. Little Monsters enjoyed moderate success but the band split up shortly after.
Batio then struck out on his own, starting his own eponymous band with lead singer Michael Cordet, bassist Allen Hearn and drummer Cammarata. The group did not release any albums, and in 1987, Batio founded Nitro with bassist T.J. Racer and drummer Bobby Rock. Nitro released the album O.F.R. in 1989. The music video for one of the tracks, "Freight Train", received considerable airplay on MTV, which used to stand for Music Television. The video was famous for featuring Batio playing his now famous "Quad Guitar".
Batio also released his first instructional video as part of the "Masters Series", which was the first "shred" instructional program featuring many modern guitar techniques for the first time.
In 1992, Nitro recorded their second album Nitro II: H.W.D.W.S., including a cover of Ted Nugent's "Cat Scratch Fever". However, the group split up shortly afterwards.
Batio then founded his own record label, M.A.C.E. Music, and released his first solo album, No Boundaries, in 1995. Michael followed that album up with Planet Gemini, in which he showed his progressive side. In 1999, Batio released another instructional video, Jam With Angelo, which was included with his third solo release Tradition. The next year, Batio released Lucid Intervals and Moments of Clarity.
In 2003, Batio released his first DVD, Speed Kills, followed quickly by the DVD Speed Lives.
Batio released one more solo album, Hands Without Shadows, featuring cover songs, and four more DVD's: Speed Kills 2, Speed Kills 3, 25 Jazz Progressions and MAB Jam Session.
In 2011, Michael debuted the multi-media show Hands Without Shadows - A Tribute to Rock Guitar in Las Vegas, Nevada. Batio is now touring the world with this show, a chronological tribute to the history of the rock guitar.
Batio taught himself to be ambidextrous, a skill which enables him incredibly to play two guitars at the same time, either synchronized or playing separate harmonies. He can thus play different parts at once, as he exhibits when playing his Double-Guitar.
Michael Angelo also invented and designed the Quad Guitar. The guitar was originally built by Wayne Charvel in conjunction with Gibson. The top two guitars have seven strings and the bottom two six. The first Quad was used in the video for Nitro's "Freight Train" video.
#55: Michael Angelo Batio, Holland, the Michael Angelo Band, Nitro, solo
29 years as an active guitarist
Michael Angelo Batio is perhaps the best of the "shredders", so named because of their relentless, high-paced attacks on the guitar, playing notes as fast as they possibly can play them. Batio has done most of his work in metal music and its subgenres and has spent a good deal of his career as a solo artist.
That in and of itself isn't going to get you a high ranking; it's not even necessarily going to earn you a spot in The Top 100 Guitarists*. But if you've given some thought into how the notes are going to sound to your audience and your listeners before you play them, and can play at a rapid pace with a melodic sense, absolutely that's going to get you recognition. Batio was voted the #1 Shredder of All-Time by Guitar One Magazine in 2003. Guitar World listed him as one of The Top 100 Greatest Metal Guitarists of All-Time, and Batio won the 2009 Guitar World Reader's Choice award as the Best Shredder. In a 2011 vote of over 440,000 guitarists who subscribe to Guitar World, Batio was voted as the Fastest Guitar Player of All-Time.
Yet piano was the instrument in which Michael first started playing, composing music at the age of five. He took up guitar at age ten, and at age 16, won the Chicago-based "All-State Jazz Solo Award". Batio went to Northeastern Illinois University and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Theory and Composition. You can be a much better guitar player if you have a solid background in music theory and composition.
After graduation, Batio applied for a job at a Chicago recording studio as a session guitarist. Michael was given a piece of music and asked to play it. He proceeded to do that, adding his own improvisations and fills, and thus became the studio's primary guitarist. Batio recorded music for such companies as McDonalds, United Airlines, KFC, United Way, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Burger King and Beatrice.
Batio joined the heavy metal band Holland in 1984, a group started by Tommy Holland, the ex-Steppenwolf singer. The group was signed by Atlantic Record and released the 1985 album Little Monsters. Little Monsters enjoyed moderate success but the band split up shortly after.
Batio then struck out on his own, starting his own eponymous band with lead singer Michael Cordet, bassist Allen Hearn and drummer Cammarata. The group did not release any albums, and in 1987, Batio founded Nitro with bassist T.J. Racer and drummer Bobby Rock. Nitro released the album O.F.R. in 1989. The music video for one of the tracks, "Freight Train", received considerable airplay on MTV, which used to stand for Music Television. The video was famous for featuring Batio playing his now famous "Quad Guitar".
Batio also released his first instructional video as part of the "Masters Series", which was the first "shred" instructional program featuring many modern guitar techniques for the first time.
In 1992, Nitro recorded their second album Nitro II: H.W.D.W.S., including a cover of Ted Nugent's "Cat Scratch Fever". However, the group split up shortly afterwards.
Batio then founded his own record label, M.A.C.E. Music, and released his first solo album, No Boundaries, in 1995. Michael followed that album up with Planet Gemini, in which he showed his progressive side. In 1999, Batio released another instructional video, Jam With Angelo, which was included with his third solo release Tradition. The next year, Batio released Lucid Intervals and Moments of Clarity.
In 2003, Batio released his first DVD, Speed Kills, followed quickly by the DVD Speed Lives.
Batio released one more solo album, Hands Without Shadows, featuring cover songs, and four more DVD's: Speed Kills 2, Speed Kills 3, 25 Jazz Progressions and MAB Jam Session.
In 2011, Michael debuted the multi-media show Hands Without Shadows - A Tribute to Rock Guitar in Las Vegas, Nevada. Batio is now touring the world with this show, a chronological tribute to the history of the rock guitar.
Batio taught himself to be ambidextrous, a skill which enables him incredibly to play two guitars at the same time, either synchronized or playing separate harmonies. He can thus play different parts at once, as he exhibits when playing his Double-Guitar.
Batio invented and often plays the "Over-Under" technique, which involves flipping his fretting hand over and under the neck rapidly, playing the guitar normally and as if it were a piano. Batio is known for his extremely fast and alternate picking--Batio will anchor his fingers while picking on the body of the guitar to restrict motion. Batio's training in music theory has given him a great understanding of complex scale combinations and time signatures whereas many guitarists lack this knowledge.
For those who admire the guitar work of Tom Morello, who was featured at #82 of our special, it was Batio that taught Morello. Batio also gave lessons to Mark Tremonti, guitarist of Creed.
For those who admire the guitar work of Tom Morello, who was featured at #82 of our special, it was Batio that taught Morello. Batio also gave lessons to Mark Tremonti, guitarist of Creed.
Michael has an extensive collection of guitars, including a Dave Bunker "Touch" guitar, which has a double neck with both bass and guitar, a 1968 Fender Mustang, a 1986 Fender Stratocaster and several other vintage and custom guitars. Among his custom models is a 29-fret guitar made of military grade aluminum. In live performances, Batio uses Dean Guitars exclusively. In 2007, he designed and developed a signature guitar with Dean, called the MAB1 Armorflame. Michael also developed the MAB Hands Without Shadows pickup, specially designed for shred guitar playing.
Batio invented the Double-Guitar, a V-shaped, twin-neck model which can be played both right- and left-handed. The guitar features a flight case latch attacked to the back of each guitar. Batio's most famous double-guitar is his USA Dean Mach 7 Jet. The guitar has since been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Museum and was put on permanent display in February, 2012.
When Batio first played the Double-Guitar in concert, the guitars created a lot of feedback when played together. Hence, he invented the "MAB String Dampener", which prevents this from occurring.
Michael Angelo also invented and designed the Quad Guitar. The guitar was originally built by Wayne Charvel in conjunction with Gibson. The top two guitars have seven strings and the bottom two six. The first Quad was used in the video for Nitro's "Freight Train" video.
Batio prefers Marshall JCM 2000 amps on tour. In the studio, he uses a Marshall JMP-1 preamp and Rocktron Chameleon and Voodoo Valve preamps. While with Nitro, Batio used Randall amps and has used Marshall JCM800 and JCM 900. He uses 4 x 12 Marshall cabinets loaded with Celeston vintage 30's and Greenbacks in mono and stereo.
Batio uses effects pedals exclusively made by T-Rex and developed his signature model MAB Overdrive. In the past, Batio used Boss overdrive (DS-1, SD-1) pedals. In the studio, Michael uses a Vintage Digitech Whammy, a Dunlop Cry Baby, a Vintage Digitech 256 multifx and an Eventide Eclipse.
Michael Angelo can do things with the guitar that few behind him can do. What makes him special, though, is that he understands melody and technique and his never-ending desire to stretch the boundaries of his craft. Michael Angelo Batio--#55 for the Rock Era*.
Michael Angelo can do things with the guitar that few behind him can do. What makes him special, though, is that he understands melody and technique and his never-ending desire to stretch the boundaries of his craft. Michael Angelo Batio--#55 for the Rock Era*.
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