Top 10 Metal Songs with Neo-Classical Guitar Solos (Excluding Neo-Classical Instrumentals)

The Top Ten
1 Downfall - Children of Bodom

This solo literally sounds as if a classical violinist played it on violin. It also sounds as if Yngwie Malmsteen wrote and played it. Great job, Alexi.
Everyone who says Alexi Laiho or Children of Bodom are overrated should stop saying it.

2 Rising Force - Yngwie Malmsteen

It's a power-to-speed metal song.
Yngwie Malmsteen is the most prominent neo-classical metal guitarist so no surprise this song has a mindblowing neo-classical solo.

3 Tornado of Souls - Megadeth

Not as clearly neo-classical as Yngwie and Children of Bodom but still. Sweep picking Marty used for this solo makes it sound close to neo-classical solos.

4 Highway Star - Deep Purple

The song that started it all - Ritchie Blackmore solo is based on Bach-like chord sequences (Bach - Johann Sebastian Bach). Ritchie Blackmore played it ultra fast for the early 70s and in the end of the solo he even used tremolo picking which is the first documented use of this brutal guitar technique in a metal song. Tremolo picking is now used mainly in extreme metal (black and death metal), and sometimes - in power metal. Metallica's James Hetfield used it in his fastest song - Fight Fire with Fire.
Highway Star solo is actually the first metal solo in the strict sense of the word "metal" solo.
Now, what was the name of the Godfather of metal, the guy who invented metal and all metal subgenres?...err... Ozzy who?

5 Practice What You Preach - Testament

Thrash metal song of 1989. Alex Skolnick often plays neo-classical style (he is one of the best students of Joe Satriani)

6 Epitaph - Necrophagist
7 Towards Dead End - Children of Bodom

Same as their song Downfall - it sounds as if a classical violinist played it on violin but it was Alexi Laiho on guitar.

8 Ride the Sky - Helloween

Iconic speed metal song of 1985.

9 Anticosmic Overload - Obscura
10 Clown Parade - Annihilator

Jeff Loomis and Jeff Waters play the solos.

The Contenders
11 Imperiled Eyes - Annihilator
12 Akroasis - Obscura
13 As Above, So Below - Yngwie Malmsteen
14 Downright Dominate - Annihilator
15 Sea of Lies - Symphony X
16 Kissing the Shadows - Children of Bodom
17 Liar - Yngwie Malmsteen
18 Choir of Spirits - Obscura
19 Knight of Sword - Unlucky Morpheus
20 Fermented Offal Discharge - Necrophagist
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