Top 10 Best Metal Guitarists

In the world of metal, guitarists are the sorcerers weaving spells with six strings, and they're some of the most insanely skilled and groundbreaking musicians you'll ever encounter.

So, what separates the legends from the mere mortals in the realm of metal guitar? It's not just about finger-blistering speed or brutal down-tuning. The titans of metal guitar are masters of the dark arts, conjuring haunting atmospheres and spine-tingling tension with their axes. They deploy a lethal arsenal of techniques, including palm muting, alternate picking, and sweep picking, to forge their sonic masterpieces.

The Top Ten

Dave Mustaine

David Scott "Dave" Mustaine (born September 13, 1961) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, actor, and author. He was the original lead guitarist of Metallica before being dismissed in 1983. Afterward, he formed the band Megadeth, where he became the lead vocalist and primary creative force.... read more

It was a really close call between Dave and Dimebag. They're both extraordinary guitarists. My vote goes to Dave for two reasons. First, he's been through copious amounts of adversity. Second, people are incomprehensibly crude towards him.
Although Dave and Dimebag have unmatched skill and similar unique qualities, Dave has had the sustained ability to perform and shred wicked solos for decades. Unfortunately, Dimebag's career was cut short. If that hadn't happened, I'd most likely be swayed to choose Dime, depending on if he could maintain his legendary skill.
All in all, I believe Dave and Dime are equally talented, and their legacy is passed on to and through our generation.
Dimebag Darrell

Darrell Lance Abbott, also known as Diamond Darrell and Dimebag Darrell, was an American guitarist and songwriter. He co-founded the bands Pantera and Damageplan with his brother Vinnie Paul. Abbott was tragically shot and killed during a performance in 2004 by a mentally unstable fan.

Let me put this together for you. By the '90s, two of the Big Four thrash metal bands (Metallica and Megadeth) had shifted to a more traditional heavy metal and hard rock sound. Other thrash metal bands did the same, and grunge rose to the mainstream. Pantera filled that gap for metal in the '90s.
Hell, bassist Rex Brown has said that Metallica's change in sound was what inspired them to transition from glam to heavy. They created the metal genre of Groove Metal. Dime was one of those main driving forces. He was an insanely great guitarist with so many riffs and solos. He inspired me as a guitarist so much.
Dime, I miss you, man. Love you. DIMEBAG FOR LIFE!
Tony Iommi

Anthony Frank Iommi, known as Tony Iommi, is an English guitarist, songwriter, and producer. He's best known as the lead guitarist and a founding member of the pioneering heavy metal band Black Sabbath. At age 17, he lost the tips of the middle and ring fingers of his right hand in an industrial accident... read more

Acts such as Cream, King Crimson, and Blue Cheer helped reshape rock music. However, it was not until Black Sabbath's arrival onto the budding heavy rock scene that the face of music would be changed forever. Tony Iommi took the blueprint set by other musicians and added heavier distortion, lightning-fast solos, and killer riffs. Mixed with the gloomy and depressive lyrics of Geezer Butler (Geezer also deserves credit for being one of the most creative bass players in heavy metal history), the wailing vocals of Ozzy Osbourne, and the pummeling drumming of Bill Ward, the result was an unorthodox rock machine that favored dark topics over the optimism of the hippie era. The driving force behind the band's songs was Iommi's riffs.
Songs featuring notable riffs by Iommi include: Black Sabbath, N.I.B., War Pigs, Paranoid, Iron Man, Electric Funeral, Sweet Leaf, Children of the Grave, Lord of this World, Into the Void, Wheels of Confusion, Supernaut, Snowblind, Under the Sun, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, A National Acrobat, Hole in the Sky, Symptom of the Universe, Megalomania, and so on.
Kirk Hammett

Kirk Lee Hammett (born November 18, 1962) is an American musician who has been the lead guitarist of the heavy metal band Metallica since 1983. In addition to playing guitar, he contributes as a songwriter for the band.
Prior to joining Metallica, Hammett co-founded the thrash metal band Exodus... read more

He is the best composer out there! He is the reason why I picked up the guitar. Although I'm influenced by a lot of bassists, he's the one who made me discover my passion.
Listen to his solos in Master of Puppets, One, Fade to Black, Orion, and Enter Sandman. Not only is he the best guitarist, but he is also a well-behaved artist, a music worshiper, and a calm person. He never minds when people compare him with others like Dave Mustaine because he plays to feed his soul and to feed the souls of music worshipers.
The guitar is a part of his body, and he makes it cry. He doesn't make noise with it. He is a true source of inspiration for those who understand music.
Randy Rhoads

Randall William "Randy" Rhoads was an American heavy metal guitarist who played with Ozzy Osbourne and Quiet Riot. He was widely regarded for his innovative guitar work and neoclassical metal style. Rhoads was killed in a plane crash on March 19, 1982, at the age of 25.

This just demonstrates the folly of democracy. Either those who have voted for other guitarists have not listened to Randy Rhoads, or they're in denial that any guitarist outside their obscure (probably destructive) taste could be any good. Randy Rhoads is the best metal guitarist because he doesn't play metal for the sake of metal. He plays music for the sake of music and, luckily for metalheads, he just happens to play metal.
Maybe other guitarists are better at playing pretentiously technical arrangements in a metal format, but none are better at playing music in a metal format than the legendary Randy Rhoads.
Marty Friedman

Martin Adam "Marty" Friedman is an American guitarist known for his technical skill and genre-blending style. He was the lead guitarist for Megadeth from 1990 to 2000 and previously played in the band Cacophony with Jason Becker. Since 2003, he has lived in Tokyo, Japan, where he has appeared on several... read more

It's really funny that some people say Kirk is better than Marty, claiming he is more melodic. These people have no understanding of music whatsoever. The only thing they can decipher is pentatonic scales, wah, and triplets. Marty is a very tasty player who never gets boring. Kirk just happened to be lucky to be in a band with James and Cliff. James is a much better soloist than him. At least he constructs better solos.
Kirk has had a few great solos like One and Fade to Black, but Marty's whole career is filled with awesomeness. Marty has put so much time into his bends that comparing Kirk's vibrato to Marty's is like comparing trash to gold.
Also, where the hell is Chris Poland? He can make a guitar sing and has such a fluid legato. Vote for Marty, people!
Chuck Schuldiner

Charles Michael "Chuck" Schuldiner (1967-2001) was an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He was the founder and leader of Death, a band widely considered one of the pioneers of the death metal genre. Schuldiner died from brain cancer on December 13, 2001, and is often referred to as the "Godfather... read more

If Schuldiner had done a collaboration with Marty Friedman, then that would be the most melodic thing the world had ever heard. Chuck had a sense of melody that very few others have (Friedman is the only one that comes to mind), and the fact that he could change keys easily only goes to show that he was on par, if not above, most of the guitarists in the top ten. Also, my favorite quality of his was that he could make his own sound out of sweep picking, instead of just, in Friedman's words, blBLOOP bloop, blBLOOP bloop.
If there are any guitarists to compete with Schuldiner, then Friedman is the only one. Both were badass enough not to care about what key they play in when they're in a jam session. Long live Death!
John Petrucci

John Peter Petrucci is an American guitarist, composer, and producer, best known as a founding member of the progressive metal band Dream Theater. He is widely recognized for his technical proficiency and complex compositions. Despite his acclaim among musicians and fans of progressive metal, he remains... read more

In terms of sheer technique, Petrucci wins hands down. He is the most consistent of everybody on the list, especially when watching live performances. Most of these guitarists can only play their own parts so-so in live shows, but Petrucci always delivers.
Even in videos where he is covering other bands, he plays the guitar parts better than the original guitarist (even when I don't want it to be so) and even mimics their style of playing. I really like most of the other guitarists on this list, but in a completely objective comparison of "who is the best guitarist," Petrucci is by far at the top.

As I listen to Fall Into the Light from Dream Theater's 2019 release, having followed them since high school when Images and Words came out, and having heard plenty from other talented guitarists on this list (including multiple live performances from many of them), it is my opinion that John Petrucci may be the best living guitarist on the planet today.
I love jazz, classical, world music, rock, country, and nearly every genre. I have a plethora of favorite guitarists. There is no doubt that, from a technical, songwriting, and heart-to-hands perspective, nobody comes close to JP. Some may play with more soul, but they lack everything else in comparison. Nobody can match Petrucci's genius level of imagination combined with wizard-like technique. Nobody.
James Hetfield

James Alan Hetfield was born on August 3, 1963. He is an American musician, singer, and songwriter known for being the co-founder, lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and main songwriter for the American thrash metal band Metallica. He helped form the iconic thrash metal group in 1981 after answering... read more

It's actually sad that people think Kirk is better than James. Have you seen Kirk's solos lately? They're pretty bad. There's a reason why James always plays the riffs first by himself and not Kirk, like in Blackened, Battery, and Creeping Death. He wrote almost all of their riffs from Kill 'Em All to ...And Justice for All, and then some.
Enter Sandman is an iconic metal riff written by Kirk Hammett, but Master of Puppets, Creeping Death, Battery, Harvester of Sorrow, One, and Ride the Lightning all have riffs that are masterpieces. The stuff James plays and sings at the same time is incredible. Not much else needs to be said about that. James has also had his share of solos, from Nothing Else Matters to Master of Puppets to The Outlaw Torn, etc. He puts more emotion into his solos.
The only emotional solo from Kirk was the Unforgiven solo. But of course, when it comes to solos, Kirk is the better guitarist because Creeping Death, One, and Blackened all have amazing thrash solos.
Synyster Gates

Brian Elwin Haner, Jr., better known by his stage name Synyster Gates or simply Syn, is an American musician best known as the lead guitarist and backing vocalist of the band Avenged Sevenfold. He joined the band in 2001 and has since become recognized for his technical skill and melodic solos. Gates... read more

Move this guy up the list, my buddies. Dave Mustaine, Kirk, and others may be legends but are confined to their age. Don't just consider the fact that they started doing something in metal. Think about how Syn started creating his own style of music, shredding like anything.
My God, look at his control when he shreds. Though his solos may sound devilish, who can create those kinds of scales? If you're serious about technique, who can play all of Kirk's and Dave's solos with a single hand without tapping? My boys, it's Synyster Gates!

He not only has speed and technicality, but he is also incredibly versatile and emotive. He is one of the very few who can strike a balance between technical prowess and tasteful phrasing. He has his own distinctive sound and creative use of conventional techniques.
His solos always complement the music, style, and underlying harmony, and are always memorable. Over five albums (six including DITR), he has never written a bad solo. In short, he is the complete package and an inspirational figure that represents all that a modern guitar player should be.

The Newcomers

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Euronymous

Øystein Aarseth (1968-1993), who went by the pseudonym Euronymous, was a Norwegian guitarist and co-founder of the black metal band Mayhem. Euronymous was stabbed to death by bandmate Varg Vikernes in August 1993.
He was a controversial figure in black metal. Euronymous claimed to be a theistic... read more

He is the best black metal guitarist ever lived.
Listen to his songs like freezing moon and necrolust its truly amazing.

How is he not on this list? He pioneered the black metal riff!
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Daniel Corchado

This guy is an incredible composition wizard and a boon for the existence of metal music. His riffs are manly and reek of ultimate badassery, especially on The Spell of Retribution.
Some death metalheads may remember him lending vocals for Incantation's Diabolical Conquest.

The Contenders

Alexi Laiho

Alexi "Wildchild" Laiho (April 8, 1979 - December 29, 2020) was a Finnish guitarist, composer, and vocalist. He was best known as the lead guitarist, lead vocalist, and founding member of the melodic death metal band Children of Bodom. Laiho also performed with Sinergy, The Local Band, and Kylähullut... read more

This position is an outstanding one, though he is really talented and should be first.
Being a lead vocalist and guitarist is really hard and requires immense concentration. Alexi excels in this role. He enjoys it and is clearly a crowd favorite. I also have to mention that some of his verses do not match his vocals, which shows great talent. Not only can he focus on his vocals, but also on his melodic guitar tunes.
Thanks for reading this comment. I hope to encourage other 14-year-old children like myself to explore pure music.

One of the most phenomenal talents in the metal world of all time. He composed, played lead guitar while doing vocals, and had that old school rock 'n' roll attitude till the very end. That attitude had its cost at some of the live events during his career, but he made it fit his style.
So, maybe he was not the most consistent player and performer, but most definitely, in my opinion, he was the rawest talent and most skillful musician of the metal world. He should be in the top 10 of the best guitar players and top 1 of the best metal musicians in the world.
Dave Murray

David Michael Murray is an English guitarist and songwriter, best known as one of the earliest and longest-serving members of the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden. He has appeared on all of the band's studio albums and is known for his fluid guitar style and use of legato techniques. He was born... read more

This list is beyond ridiculous. Dave Mustaine is good, but to say he's the best guitarist in metal is ridiculous. Marty Friedman was in the same band and is way more technical than Mustaine. Tony Iommi? Jesus, he just downtunes his guitar and tries to sound evil 100% of the time. Nothing that special. Dave Murray is the lead guitarist for Iron Maiden, the greatest, most emotionally compelling metal band of all time.
Why don't you actually listen to some of Dave Murray's solos on songs like Powerslave, Hallowed Be Thy Name, The Trooper, Number of the Beast, Fear of the Dark, Run to the Hills, and anything off the Number of the Beast album, really? Dave Murray's guitar solo on Hallowed Be Thy Name gives me goosebumps and chills, and it makes me feel emotional every single time. This is something that can only be said for very few other songs.
This guy may not be the fastest or heaviest, but he definitely has the most soul in his playing.
Adrian Smith

Adrian Frederick "H" Smith is an English guitarist best known as a member of Iron Maiden. He contributes as a songwriter and performs live backing vocals on some tracks. Smith has been part of Iron Maiden during several key periods in the band's history, first joining in 1980 and returning in 1999 after... read more

"Powerslave" is THE definitive metal album in my book. It's only one of seven masterpieces in a row that Iron Maiden put out. Adrian not only writes great riffs and plays great solos but also fleshes out the songs with his overall guitar playing. Listen to Maiden in the '90s, and a whole dimension is missing.
When Adrian rejoined the band (and when he joined Bruce's solo band), the quality went up a notch. He's not only a great guitarist. He makes the whole band better. That sets him above most others.
Adrian Smith fans note that his pre-Maiden band Urchin has finally seen a CD release. It's not really metal, but nice '70s guitar rock.

When Adrian Smith joined Iron Maiden, he formed a partnership with Dave Murray that became one of the most impressive yet underrated partnerships in metal history. The styles of the two guitarists formed the riffs and solos of some of the most influential and groundbreaking songs in metal history, like Hallowed Be Thy Name, The Trooper, and Aces High, to name a few.
Yngwie Malmsteen

Yngwie Johan Malmsteen is a Swedish guitarist, songwriter, and bandleader born June 30, 1963, in Stockholm, Sweden. He's renowned for his neoclassical metal playing style. Malmsteen gained prominence in the 1980s with virtuoso albums such as Rising Force (1984).

While ironically beaten at his own invention by Glenn, this man is still the next best sweep picker. His shred arpeggios are hard to beat, but he doesn't experiment much, so I ranked him down a bit.
After Randy and Ritchie invented Neo-classical metal, Yngwie invented sweep picking and developed the genre's true stylistic sound.

Yngwie's shredding is just amazing. I like what he does with his brand of metal. It wouldn't hurt to say that he's probably inspired a lot of bands within power metal, symphonic, and of course, neoclassical.
Jeff Hanneman

Jeffrey John "Jeff" Hanneman was an American musician best known as a founding member and guitarist of the thrash metal band Slayer. He co-wrote many of the band's most iconic songs, including "Raining Blood" and "Angel of Death." Hanneman was with the band from its inception in 1981 until his death... read more

How is Jeff not in the top 10? Some of the guys before him on the list are good guitar players, but is the music they play metal? The list should read as follows: Chuck Schuldiner, Dave Mustaine, Jeff Hanneman, Gary Holt, Kirk Hammett, Alex Skolnick, James Hetfield, Kerry King.

I feel Jeff should be at least in the top 15. He was certainly the best guitarist compared to Kerry. Also, when he plays riffs, you can easily hear how challenging or easy one is, which is pretty unique.

Should definitely be in the top 5. He has created a parade of extraordinary thrash riffs throughout history.
Eddie Van Halen

Edward Lodewijk "Eddie" Van Halen (January 26, 1955 - October 6, 2020) was a Dutch-American musician, songwriter, producer, and inventor. He was best known as the lead guitarist, occasional keyboardist, and co-founder of the hard rock band Van Halen. He is widely recognized for popularizing guitar techniques... read more

The problem with this list is the fact that some people do not consider Eddie Van Halen or Jimmy Page as metal players, so they get fewer votes. If this were a best guitar player list and not a best metal list, these two would easily be in the top three. In my opinion, they are better than Hendrix, so they would be in the top two.
They, along with Iommi, are the biggest inspirations to metal guitar players. Zeppelin was the heaviest band at the time, other than Sabbath. Eddie Van Halen essentially invented the metal guitar solo, complete with pinch harmonics and whammy dives, but also with a lot of feeling. His rhythm playing is untouchable, and I wish he got more recognition for it.
Kerry King

Kerry Ray King is an American musician, best known as a guitarist for the American thrash metal band Slayer. He is a founding member of Slayer who has played with the band from its inception, through its 2019 farewell tour, and since its 2024 reunion. In 2024, King launched a new solo project under his... read more

It freaks me out that Kerry King isn't listed as one of the best guitarists in the world. Who plays faster, tighter, and cleaner than him? Whether you listen to him live or recorded, you cannot tell the difference. Slayer has 3 of the best musicians in metal and thrash: King, Hanneman, and Lombardo.

While King isn't the best at leads or at composing songs, it was King who taught Hanneman how to play guitar. In fact, King is the only Slayer guitarist who can play Sex. Murder. Art. live, and he has the correct picking technique, as Jeff Hanneman started picking with the elbow and not the wrist.
Zakk Wylde

Zakk Wylde is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. He is best known for his work as a guitarist with Ozzy Osbourne. Wylde also founded the heavy metal band Black Label Society, where he serves as the lead guitarist and vocalist.

Few guitarists can take the pentatonic scale as far as Zakk. Epics like No More Tears and Mama, I'm Coming Home have just perfect solos.
One thing he lacks is grooving with a drummer. He seems to work more off a bass player. In other words, the riffs aren't fun to listen to.
Zakk has started slacking in the last few years, but we all get old. However, his stage presence is unmatched by anyone. Rockstars are typically short, so seeing a large, muscular Viking is epic all by itself.

Zakk Wylde should be #1 on this list, or in the top 3 at the very least. For one thing, many guitarists mentioned don't play metal. The poll clearly says metal.
If you're talking about the greatest guitarists of all time, he's still in the top 10. In my opinion, in a guitar duel, Wylde can stand with anyone who's ever held a guitar.
Glenn Tipton

Glenn Raymond Tipton is an English guitarist and songwriter. He is best known as the lead guitarist for the heavy metal band Judas Priest. Tipton joined the band in 1974 and has contributed to many of their classic albums.

This is number one for me. Glenn Tipton is living proof that class and style beat technique any day of the week. Not that his work isn't technical or difficult - it is, but several on this list take it much further in that aspect.
However, he's a somewhat sloppy player, especially live. That doesn't prevent at least half of his solos from being beautiful, memorable tunes and mini-stories that fit perfectly within the song. That percentage is easily five times as high as any other guitarist on this list, in my very humble opinion.
Many guitar solos are either boring or just don't add much to what is already in the song, regardless of how difficult, unusual, or well-played they are.
Steve Vai

Steven Siro "Steve" Vai (born June 6, 1960) is an American guitarist, composer, singer, songwriter, and producer. He is known for his virtuosic guitar playing and has released numerous solo albums. Vai was born and raised on Long Island, New York.

Steve Vai is one of the greatest guitar legends of all time! He is an amazing guitar hero for the new generation and forever. Nobody compares to Steve Vai's skills except his master, Joe Satriani.

Steve Vai is one of those who has influenced me deeply. He is a god's incarnation. Nobody's skills should be compared to his. His solos are just too incredible.

What can I say? He's one of the top guitarists of all time. He may not be the most metal guitarist on here, but he still deserves to be higher.
Alex Skolnick

Alexander Nathan Skolnick is an American guitarist known for his work in both metal and jazz genres. He is the lead guitarist of the Bay Area thrash metal band Testament. Skolnick also leads the Alex Skolnick Trio, which focuses on jazz performance.

He should be in the top tens easily. He's way better than Kirk. Think about it: who has better guitar solos? Alex does.
Kirk's best solo is One, but Alex's solos are so good I can't even choose a favorite. Switch Alex with Kirk, and with a few other minor changes, this list is perfect.

Why is Alex at 64? He is definitely one of the most diverse guitarists out there. This is evident from his work in soft metal, to death metal, to his current jazz trio, not to mention being one of the lead guitarists for the philharmonic orchestra.
Testament!
Slash

Saul Hudson, known professionally as Slash, is a British-American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the lead guitarist of the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He has also released solo work and collaborated with... read more

Slash is probably the best technician after Jimi Hendrix, and he is an important part of one of the best bands ever. So, my vote goes to him. My favorites are also Dimebag, Iommi, and Hammett, though there are too many good guitar players, so probably in the next ten minutes I'll change my mind and say, I forgot some excellent guitarist.

After listening to my first Guns N' Roses song, "Sweet Child O' Mine," his introduction riff and his solo part kind of inspired and motivated me to learn electric guitar more, especially Les Paul guitar. Plus, I kind of like his hair and his hat.
K.K. Downing

Continually creates solos that work to connect with the melody of the song. Together with K.K. Downing, no other band can match Judas Priest's mastery of solos with such dedication to detail.

What's K.K. doing down here at #30? I'm pretty sure less than half of these guitarists would even be guitarists if he had never picked one up. The same thing goes for Glenn.
They should be #1 and #2. Best twin guitar attack ever.

He was shredding in the '70s, while no one knew how to play metal! I mean the solo of Victim of Changes.
Jeff Loomis

Jeff Loomis is an American musician best known for serving as the lead guitarist of the progressive metal band Nevermore. He later joined the Swedish melodic death metal band Arch Enemy in 2014. Loomis is recognized for his technical playing style and contributions to modern metal guitar.

I know that by best metal guitarist, we are talking about the most influential, skillful, and unique players. And while I understand Dave Mustaine's influence on metal (I have all Megadeth albums from before 2000) and agree that he is probably the most influential guitarist in metal, I would like to see him cover Miles of Machines.
Jeff Loomis takes inspiration from the likes of Marty Friedman, Jason Becker, and in my opinion, is one of the best metal players to emerge in the 21st century. I don't believe he is the best player in metal, but I don't think he should be as low as 34 on the list.

Probably one of the most underappreciated guitarists ever. There's no excuse not to have him in the top 10. He can sweep better than almost anyone (Devil Theory, This Godless Endeavor), has written some of the best riffs I've ever heard, and most of all, isn't just a mindless shredder like so many others.
Jimmy Page

James Patrick Page is an English musician, songwriter, and record producer who achieved international success as the guitarist and founder of Led Zeppelin. He's widely regarded for his innovative guitar techniques, production work, and influence across rock music genres. After Led Zeppelin disbanded... read more

Watch the live concert at the Royal Albert Hall from the very early days of Zeppelin. This guy, along with Bonham and the others, was playing something that would become metal in the future without them even knowing it. The insane guitar portion of Dazed and Confused was gloomier than hell. I always considered him to come up with the heavy music concept, but Iommi really pioneered it. Also Blackmore. Can't miss him. But it's really Page who deserves the top.

For their time, Stairway to Heaven and others were regarded as metal, though they are essentially a prog rock band. So far as influence on metal goes, if you look far off into the distance, Metallica's Fade to Black and Stairway to Heaven aren't entirely dissimilar. I may be right, may be not, but I have never in my entire life been wrong yet. Lol.