Top 10 Bands with Best Twin (Dual) Lead Guitars

Bands that use harmonized twin leads and dueling guitar solos. This occurs when two different lead guitarists harmonize melodies together, not when one guitarist uses double tracking. Additionally, bands with two or three guitarists that do not harmonize their lines should not be included on this list.

The pioneers of twin guitars include Fleetwood Mac, The Allman Brothers Band, Thin Lizzy, Wishbone Ash, Home, and Quicksilver Messenger Service (as well as possibly some other lesser-known bands).

The Top Ten

Judas Priest

Judas Priest are a British heavy metal band formed in Birmingham, England, in 1969. They are frequently ranked among the greatest metal bands of all time and are commonly called "The Metal Gods," after their song on the 1980 album British Steel. Their influence on the development of heavy metal is profound... read more

No other heavy metal band compares to Judas Priest. It's not just because of the dual lead guitars of Glenn Tipton and Ritchie Faulkner, either. Rob Halford as the lead singer puts the cherry on top of the greatest metal sound you'll ever hear.
He hits every octave and does things with his voice that defy logic, turning it into a musical instrument. Even their albums that are considered mediocre by so-called experts still rock. Every component of the group blends together seamlessly.

I have to give it to Judas Priest. Tipton and Downing played together on their first album and continued for over 35 years!
Also, I appreciate the different styles each brought when playing together.
Iron Maiden

Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Their most critically acclaimed period is widely considered to be from 1983 to 1989, during which they released landmark albums like Piece of Mind, Powerslave, Somewhere... read more

I'm torn between Priest and Maiden, but I enjoy the intricate melodies Dave and Adrian play back and forth. They are technically perfect in how they play off each other.
While Tipton and Downing were more in your face, Adrian and Dave take you on a journey.
The Allman Brothers Band

The Allman Brothers Band was an American rock band formed in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1969 by brothers Duane Allman and Gregg Allman, along with Dickey Betts, Berry Oakley, Butch Trucks, and Jai Johanny "Jaimoe" Johanson. They are known for pioneering Southern rock and blending blues, jazz, and country... read more

Wishbone Ash and The Allman Brothers Band are the only two groups that need to be mentioned. Period.

Stop right now! Nothing comes close to the ABB. It's like comparing Michelangelo to a velvet painting of Elvis.

Allman Brothers, world-class dual guitar army. Rock royalty.
Thin Lizzy

Thin Lizzy are an Irish rock band formed in Dublin in 1969. Their leader, Phil Lynott, was composer or co-composer of almost all of the band's songs and was the first black Irishman to achieve commercial success in the field of rock music.... read more

Thin Lizzy was one of the first bands to employ dual-guitar harmonies. Their album Jailbreak (1976) contains great examples of twin guitar work, and Thin Lizzy forged a style from which future British heavy metal bands would draw inspiration.

For me, Thin Lizzy was the first to make twin guitar melodies sound so good!

The greatest twin guitar band of them all!
Primal Fear

Primal Fear is a German metal band formed in 1997 by Ralf Scheepers and Mat Sinner. They are known for playing heavy metal, power metal, and speed metal, with a style often compared to Judas Priest, though Primal Fear is generally faster and heavier. The band features dual lead guitars, and Ralf Scheepers... read more

They use the Judas Priest formula. I have to say, Primal Fear's twin guitar work is very intense and damn good. Currently, I like their twin guitars the most, especially the fast yet melodic solos (e.g., Strike, Riding the Eagle).

What can I say? Heavy metal at its best! For over 20 years, Primal Fear has defined heavy metal with scorching guitars, heavy grooves, and soaring vocals.
Classics like Running in the Dust, Final Embrace, Revolution... the list goes on!

Absolutely brilliant musicianship and totally fierce showmanship to go with that! Respect!
Fleetwood Mac

Fleetwood Mac is a British-American rock band formed in July 1967 in London. The band has sold more than 100 million records worldwide, making them one of the best-selling music acts of all time. Their 1977 album Rumours is one of the best-selling albums ever, with over 40 million copies sold globally... read more

Peter Green and Danny Kirwan were ahead of the curve. They took blues to another level. Add Jeremy Spencer, and you have three lead guitarists who played it all: blues, rock, and oldies.

Great guitar duos and trios on the Live at the Boston Tea Party (1970) CDs (three in total).
Kansas

Kansas is an American rock band formed in Topeka, Kansas, in 1973. They became popular in the 1970s with albums like Leftoverture and Point of Know Return. The band is best known for their hit songs "Carry On Wayward Son" and "Dust in the Wind."

I read somewhere that they influenced Iron Maiden in this area.
Wishbone Ash

What a ridiculous list. The only two bands that have truly beautiful twin lead guitarists are Wishbone Ash and The Allman Brothers Band.
They were also the first.

The Argus album was one of the first I ever purchased. I was too young at the time to fully appreciate the brilliance of the group.
Now that I'm older, I understand how guitars can act as actual voices in a song. Very few bands have that ability, and those that do are among the best in music.

They were the first band where both guitarists were hugely talented and could play both individual and harmony lead. Shout out to Ted Turner as possibly the most underrated guitarist of the early seventies.
Helloween

Helloween is a German power metal band founded in 1984 in Hamburg, Northern Germany. The band is a pioneering force in the power metal genre, and their second and third studio albums, Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part I and Part II, are considered masterpieces of the genre. The group has continued to release... read more
The Outlaws

They don't have specific roles for guitarists, but both guitarists played lead guitar.

Green Grass and High Tides is all I have to say.

The Newcomers

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Bullet for my Valentine

Bullet for My Valentine are a Welsh metalcore band from Bridgend, formed in 1998. The band consists of Matthew Tuck (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Michael Paget (lead guitar, backing vocals), Michael Thomas (drums), and Jamie Mathias (bass guitar). Former members include Nick Crandle and Jason James,... read more
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The Black Crowes

The Black Crowes were an American rock band formed in 1989. Their discography includes eight studio albums, four live albums, and several charting singles. The band is known for hits like She Talks to Angels and Hard to Handle.

The Contenders

King Crimson

King Crimson was a British progressive rock band formed in 1969. The group underwent numerous lineup changes, but guitarist Robert Fripp remained the consistent driving force. Their most notable lineup from 1972 to 1975 included Fripp, John Wetton, Bill Bruford, and David Cross. The band is best known... read more
Whitesnake

Whitesnake is an English rock band formed in London in 1978 by singer David Coverdale after his departure from Deep Purple. Originally assembled as Coverdale's backing group, the band quickly developed its own identity, though Coverdale remained the sole consistent member throughout its history.... read more

They started using twin guitars in the late 1970s. John Sykes of Thin Lizzy played for them, and also Steve Vai.
Accept

Accept is a German heavy metal band from the town of Solingen, originally assembled by vocalist Udo Dirkschneider, guitarist Wolf Hoffmann, and bassist Peter Baltes. The band rose to prominence in the 1980s with albums like Balls to the Wall and Metal Heart. Accept is considered one of the pioneers... read more
Eagles

The Eagles are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1971 by Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Bernie Leadon, and Randy Meisner.
The band achieved major success in the 1970s with hits like Hotel California, Take It Easy, and Desperado. They broke up in 1980 but reunited in 1994 for the Hell Freezes... read more
Megadeth

Megadeth is an American thrash metal band from Los Angeles, California. The band was formed in 1983 by guitarist Dave Mustaine and bassist David Ellefson, shortly after Mustaine was dismissed from Metallica. They have released 16 studio albums to date and have undergone numerous lineup changes, with... read more
Arch Enemy

Arch Enemy is a Swedish melodic death metal band from Halmstad, formed in 1996 as a supergroup. Its members have played in bands such as Carcass, Armageddon, Carnage, Mercyful Fate, Spiritual Beggars, and Eucharist. The band became known for its blend of aggressive guitar riffs, melodic solos, and dynamic... read more

A good example is their 2017 song The World Is Yours (watch the video clip), where Jeff Loomis plays an individual solo, followed by a harmonized solo with Michael Amott, and then Amott plays another individual solo.
Metallica

Metallica is an American heavy and thrash metal band formed in 1981. The original lineup included James Hetfield (vocals and rhythm guitar), Dave Mustaine (lead guitar), Lars Ulrich (drums), and Ron McGovney (bass). They first gained mainstream fame with their 1991 self-titled album (The Black Album... read more

Yes, Metallica used dual guitar licks. Orion, Master of Puppets, the middle part of For Whom the Bell Tolls, Ride the Lightning, Creeping Death, and more.
Dragonforce

DragonForce are a British power metal band based in London, England. Formed in 1999, the group is known for their long and fast guitar solos, fantasy-themed lyrics, and use of electronic elements to enhance their retro video game-influenced sound. Their 2006 song Through the Fire and Flames gained widespread... read more

As far as I'm concerned, Dragonforce is at the top of their game. There isn't anybody close to the speed and technical precision of these guys.

Dragonforce has the best twin lead and rhythm guitar players in the world. Speed and technical playing.
Queensryche

Queensrÿche is an American progressive heavy metal band formed in 1982 in Bellevue, Washington, out of the local band the Mob. They released their self-titled EP in 1983 and gained wider recognition with the critically acclaimed album Operation: Mindcrime in 1988. As of now, they have released one EP... read more

Seriously, this wasn't added until now?
Queensryche took Maiden's twin lead and elevated it, just like Maiden did with Thin Lizzy's and Wishbone Ash's twin lead styles.
Of course, they had classic twin riffs, but they took it to another level. Wilton and DeGarmo would write a solo and play it in a twin style. Not every song had a twin solo - often, they'd feature back-to-back solos or sometimes just one solo per song, or even no solos.
Take a listen to NM156 and you'll see what I'm talking about.
Scorpions

Scorpions are a German rock band formed in 1965 in Hanover by guitarist Rudolf Schenker. Early members included vocalist Klaus Meine and guitarist Michael Schenker, later replaced by Matthias Jabs. The band first gained international attention in the late 1970s, and has since explored styles ranging... read more

Matthias Jabs is a great lead guitarist. Rudolf Schenker plays awesome leads and can hold his own on rhythm guitar with the best.
Def Leppard

Def Leppard are an English hard rock band formed in 1977 in Sheffield as part of the new wave of British heavy metal movement.
The band rose to international fame with albums like Pyromania (1983) and Hysteria (1987), the latter of which sold over 20 million copies worldwide. They were inducted... read more

Def Leppard does not get enough credit, in my opinion. The template was laid with Pete Willis and Steve Clark, and continues today with Phil Collen and Vivian Campbell. Both guitarists can shred, no doubt, but they also know how to successfully employ the "less is more" approach.
Opeth

Opeth is a Swedish progressive metal band from Stockholm, formed in 1990 by David Isberg, who invited Mikael Åkerfeldt into the band as a bassist. Isberg ended up leaving the band, which led to Åkerfeldt becoming the band's vocalist, guitarist, principal songwriter, and driving force.... read more

Orchid and Morningrise are so beautiful because of the twin leads. The Night and the Silent Water is just a chef's kiss.
Slipknot

Slipknot is an American metal band that formed in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1996. They're recognized as a key force in the New Wave of American Alternative Metal from the late 1990s through the 2000s. The band is also known for their black and red jumpsuits and horror-inspired masks... read more
Warfaze

Warfaze is a Bangladeshi hard rock band founded in 1984. The current lineup includes Palash Noor (vocals), Ibrahim Ahmed Kamal (lead guitar), Sheikh Monirul Alam Tipu (drums and percussion), Samir Hafiz (guitar), Shams Mansoor Ghani (keyboards and vocals), and Naim Haque Roger (bass).... read more

Ibrahim Ahmed Kamal picked lead guitar and still is the lead guitarist of the band.
Russel Ali picked lead guitar and keyboards in the early days, but also played rhythm guitar. Then, they again had one lead and one rhythm guitarist during the middle years.
Jewel also joined the band as a lead guitarist. In Moharaj, the band again had two lead guitarists. Oni Hasan also joined as a lead guitarist and contributed to rhythm guitar.
After the departure of Oni Hasan, Samir Hafiz joined the band as a lead guitarist.
So, except for a few years, they mostly had dual lead guitarists.
Saxon

Saxon is an English heavy metal band formed in 1976 in South Yorkshire. As leaders of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, they had eight UK Top 40 albums in the 1980s. Four of those reached the Top 10, including two that made the Top 5.