Top 10 Best Neoclassical Metal Guitarists

Yngwie J. 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).

What makes Yngwie known as the inventor of neoclassical metal is that he does neoclassical stuff in all of his songs. People who say Ritchie and Uli were the pioneers are wrong. They only did a few neoclassical things, not as their main musical part like Yngwie does. In fact, he was severely criticized for doing the same music throughout his career, to the point that I would become annoyed because it gets boring if it's always the same.
But I respect his opinion for doing what he wants to do like we know him now. Other neoclassical artists only do it at the beginning, and after a few albums, they start leaving it. It's proven that all his catalogs are full of neoclassical stuff, and there's no doubt that not only as a guitarist but the entire catalog defines neoclassical metal.
He took guitar playing to a new level a few years after Eddie Van Halen. Any modern shredder guitarist today knows him as a pioneer of this genre. Sadly, only his '80s work was great. The rest was average, and his post-2000s work has creepy home production quality. Mostly, I listen to his '80s stuff. Of course, I have listened to many main bands in almost every known metal subgenre.

Ritchie Blackmore

Richard Hugh "Ritchie" Blackmore is an English guitarist and songwriter best known for his work with the hard rock and heavy metal bands Deep Purple and Rainbow.

In 2004, Guitar World ranked him number 16 on its list of the "100 Greatest Metal Guitarists of All Time," and in 2011, Rolling Stone... read more

At his prime, he was untouchable live when he felt like it. Creative, innovative, and always interesting.

Jason Becker

Jason Eli Becker (born July 22, 1969) is an American neoclassical metal guitarist and composer. At age 16, he became part of the Shrapnel Records-produced duo Cacophony alongside his friend Marty Friedman. They released two albums, Speed Metal Symphony in 1987 and Go Off! in 1988.... read more

He was already very good when he used to perform and created great songs in his teenage years. He beats most sweep pickers with what he did at 18 or 19. He could've been even better if he hadn't developed ALS. The sad thing is that he doesn't even have an image on this site. Not even saved in the database.

I really don't care what the list says. Jason will always be my guitar hero. He's simply the best. Richie and Yngwie won't stand a chance against him, to be honest.

This is simple: No one at age 18 can compose an album like Perpetual Burn. Oh wait, Jason Becker did it. Unmatched talent.

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.

Randy Rhoads, a name synonymous with shredding, is one of the greatest metal guitarists of all time. He should unseat Ritchie, as Ritchie was more blues. He is the main influence on my guitar playing (besides Dave Mustaine and Yngwie), and he should be viewed as the best.

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 throughout the 1990s and previously played in the band Cacophony with Jason Becker. Since 2003, he has lived in Tokyo, Japan, where he has hosted several... read more

There are other guitar players that should be here like Mendel Bij, but from this list, the amazing Marty Friedman is the best one!

Because of Tornado of Souls, Poison Was the Cure, Lucretia, Hangar 18, and Cacophony.

Jeff Loomis

Jeff Loomis is an American musician, best known for his role as the lead guitarist in 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 work.

Uli Jon Roth

Uli Jon Roth is a German guitarist who rose to fame as the lead guitarist of the Scorpions. He played with the band during the 1970s and helped develop the neoclassical metal genre. Roth is known for his unique playing style and custom Sky Guitar design.

Uli Roth flat out blows everyone away, including Eddie Van Halen. With albums like In Trance, Virgin Killer, and Fly to the Rainbow, nobody was playing this technically and furiously. Period!

Gus G.

Konstantinos Karamitroudis, also known as Gus G, born September 12, 1980, in Greece, is a heavy metal guitarist. He is best known as the founder and lead guitarist of Firewind and for playing with Ozzy Osbourne. Gus G has also collaborated with other artists and released several solo albums.

Michael Angelo Batio

Michael Angelo Batio, also known as Mike Batio or MAB, is an American heavy metal guitarist and columnist from Chicago, Illinois. He is known for his technical skill, particularly his ability to play complex pieces on a double-neck guitar. Batio has released several solo albums and instructional videos... read more

Even faster than Yngwie. He's an epic shredder, way too low on this list. The only one here that might be better is Vinnie Moore.

Paul Gilbert

Paul Brandon Gilbert is an American hard rock and heavy metal guitarist. He is best known as the co-founder of the band Mr. Big. He was also a member of Racer X, with whom he released several albums, including Street Lethal and Second Heat.

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Wolf Hoffmann

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John 5

George Lynch

George Lynch is an American hard rock guitarist and songwriter. He is best known for his work with the heavy metal band Dokken and for founding his own band, Lynch Mob. Lynch is regarded as one of the most influential guitarists of the 1980s glam metal scene.

Michael Romeo

Michael James Romeo is an American guitarist and a founding member of the progressive metal group Symphony X. He's recognized for his neoclassical metal influences and technical proficiency. Romeo has also released solo albums showcasing his compositional range and virtuosic guitar work.

If Malmsteen knew how to write riffs.

Vinnie Moore

Ron Jarzombek

Ron Jarzombek is an American guitarist recognized for his pioneering work in progressive and technical metal. He is best known for his contributions to the bands WatchTower, Spastic Ink, and Blotted Science, which also features Alex Webster of Cannibal Corpse... read more

Muhammed Suiçmez

Muhammed Suiçmez was born in Karlsruhe, Germany, to Turkish immigrant parents. He is the frontman and guitarist of the German technical death metal band Necrophagist. He is also known for writing and performing most of the instrumental parts on their albums.

He mostly plays technical death metal, but some of his licks sound like neoclassical metal licks.

Tommy Baron

Tommy Vetterli, also known as Tommy T. Baron, is a Swiss musician best known for his tenure with the metal band Coroner. After that band's dissolution, he joined Germany's Kreator for a time. He also runs the New Sound Studio in Pfäffikon, located in the canton of Schwyz.

Coroner guitarist Tommy Baron basically plays technical and progressive thrash metal, but his style is neoclassical, especially in solos and instrumentals.
His instrumentals: Arc-Lite, Nosferatu

Timo Tolkki

Timo Tapio Tolkki is a Finnish musician best known as the former guitarist, songwriter, and producer of the power metal band Stratovarius. He joined the band in 1984 and was a major creative force until his departure in 2008. Tolkki later founded other projects, including Revolution Renaissance and... read more

Chuck Schuldiner

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

Luca Turilli

If everyone on Earth listened to his entire discography with every band he's been in, they wouldn't think twice before immediately putting him in the Top 10.
He created his own genre of music and universe. He has his own online guitar course with worldwide subscriptions.
When people from all walks of life listen, the bare minimum response is appreciation. When I put Rhapsody's first album on at maximum volume in a warehouse, the whole staff stopped working, was in awe, and asked me what it was they were hearing.
A man who studied all forms of music and only loves the best said, "He's a genius of his style." Another musician I know, who has been practicing music his whole life from the rock, country, jazz, and classical greats with extreme ease, and is now part of the official Led Zeppelin tribute band of North America, felt timid upon first listen.
The music is the epitome of epic music. It's considered a given that many audience members of both sexes will weep during performances. Many experience an incredible natural, sober, whole-body buzz. One time, someone even 'climaxed' near the end of the show just due to the sounds.
This music ennobles people to have better characters.