Top 20 Guitarists in Metal

I have listened to so many great guitar players over the years it is really hard for me to put a list of my top 20 guitar players in music all together.  I mean there are greats like Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix, and Ritchie Blackmore.  I'm going to focus on just metal for this one because that's what I love the most.  So these guys are in no particular order because that also would be really hard especially the top five for sure.  There are things to take into consideration when thinking about a great metal guitar player.  There's technique, speed, style, fundamentals, diversity, and sound.  It takes a lot to achieve a sound like no other, and these days that's getting harder and harder, because the guitar is forever evolving.  The players that really have an authentic sound really stand out in the music world and this is a list of guys I think achieve all of that in their playing.  So hear it goes

1.  Kirk Hammett - Metallica

2. Dave Mustaine - Megadeth

3. Dimebag Darrell - Pantera/Damageplan

4. Kerry King - Slayer



5. Willie Adler - Lamb of God



6. Dino Cazeres - Fear Factory/Divine Heresy



7. Zakk Wylde - Ozzy Osbourne/Black Label Society

8. Marty Friedman - Megadeth/Solo

9. Matt Heafy - Trivium

10. John Petrucci - Dream Theater

11. Rhandy Rhodes - Quite Riot/Ozzy Osbourne

12. K.K. Downing - Judas Priest

13. Tony Iommi - Black Sabbath

14. Rusty Cooley - Outworld/Solo/Austrian Death Machine

15. Yngwie Malmsteen - Solo

16. Eddie Van Halen - Van Halen

17. Dave Murrey - Iron Maiden

18. Alexi Liaho - Children of Bodom

19. Steve Vai - Solo

20. Jonathan Donais - Shadows Fall

Ok so there they are.  Now I know there are going to be people that will be like what about this guy or that guy, but like I said its what I think not you haha.  There are so many great guitar players out there in metal, but really I think that all of these guys have either put their stamp on metal with their amazing playing for many years, or have changed the way the instrument is played, or shows great promise for the future of metal.  I idolize these guys like crazy and wish I can one day play half as well as these guys.  It takes so much work not only to just learn how to play like them but also take that skill on stage and play in front of thousands of people and make it sound awsome.  Some of these guys also front the bands they are in and sing.  That just makes things twice as hard to play with the perfection it takes to make it sound good live.  So now i'll probably do bassists, drummers, and vocalists later.  Vocalists will be fun.  So until next time laters.