Feeling a bit empowered by the tentative success of the copyright dispute, I've decided to re-approach where I really began on youtube in 2019, but was denied at the time.

S.A.T.O. and Diary are probably my favorite Ozzy tuned from that era. I can't begin to express the amount of love and respect I have for the material. I only hope I've done it some justice. Heck, I even doubled the lead. Tbh, I recorded the guitars like 7 times and chose a single playthrough for both the audio and video (save for the double) and I'm not entirely sure that it's the same video track as audio. I'm about 99.98% sure, but really, don't look to me for answers... don't ask me, I Don't Know. ;^D This is one tune I've got down pretty cold.

There are theories about the title of the song. S.A.T.O. could stand for Sail Across The Ocean, which makes sense considering the lyric content, but some think it means Sail the Acid Trip Ocean. "Wind is high, so am I", then ending in a crash. Who knows. I decided to put kaleidoscopic visuals behind the footage just in case.

More than anything, this is a test for Ozzy. Really, a test for the youtube auto censors; In in 2019 I uploaded a performance of S.A.T.O. and Diary of a Madman, only to be globally blocked instantly. This is a test, this is only a test.

Randy Rhoads was my primary driving guitar influence since before I played. Sure, I liked EVH and Def Leppard, but it wasn't until 1987 when I heard a radio interview (KPLZ was hard rock back then) with Ozzy about the Tribute album that I started looking at guitar and thinking I have to do THAT! Of course they played Crazy Train (live) which was my first time hearing it. It was so ALIVE! His were some of the first songs I learned.

Fast forward to 1994. I was 20 and had been playing for 6 years. I (like all other aspirational guitarists) thought that maybe if I learned the entire Osbourne music catalogue back to front, I might have a shot at an audition. Well, then they hired Vai for a while and then Joe Holmes. I just gave up. What's another Rhoads and Lee freak gonna bring to the table? Besides, I was too about Prog/Death Metal and Atmospheric Death metal at the time. I wouldn't have been a good fit.

I still play some of the classics now and again, but haven't touched this one in almost 30 years.

Blocked, btw. Disputing. Am I the ONLY guy NOT allowed to play an Ozzy cover?

Spooky season still going strong!

I was way late to the Mercyful Fate party. First track I heard from them was Egypt, which prompted me to buy this album, but EVERYBODY metal I was into listened to them, so in a way I was influenced by their kids(?) and I was into King Diamond already.

By NO means is this an example of my best playing. I love the crap out of this tune and wanted to cover it. That's all.

Oh, and I made every instrument played here. :D

It's that time of year again, kiddies! That special, magical time when it gets dark a little earlier, the air gets a crispy chill, and the leaves began their colorful transition to death. In celebration, I present to you this timeless classic - King Diamond's Halloween.

Naturally I'm a huge fan, both of Halloween and the King, so something like this was inevitable. Perhaps one of these days I'll post my covering the album Them in entirety, but for now it was either this or The Lake. I've always felt The Lake was a bit more appropriate in summer, so this was it. If you haven't heard this, and you're into it, do yourself a favor and pick up Fatal Portrait and/or The Dark Sides. Really, really great stuff!

Laurie experiences the daily grind of life in a small town while battling latent superstitions, paranoia, loneliness, and other personal demons. Mike Meyers? Who's that?

Me covering Metallica covering Diamond Head.

Originally released as a B-side to One, this tune is a BLAST to play and contains just about the fastest playing of Kirk Hammett on record. Seriously, that lead in the intro has passages so quick, Yngwie would wince at the thought of having to play them. I know HOW he plays it... I just don't know how HE plays it. XD. I've noticed he doesn't try to pull it off live. Really though, Hammett gets a bum rep in certain circles, but that guy can play! Probably better than you. Try the intro lead and find out. I'll defend that dude's contributions to guitar until my end. Also, what about that rhythm in the middle? Very tricky rhythm for the right and left hands, but sounds so simple. Major props to James for being able to destroy at that speed. The original is NOT this fast.

Sorry for the potato quality of the widescreen vid. My bad. The test footage looked better.

One. Metallica's first foray into the video realm of Mtv. They had already a substantial cult following by this point, but with this, their popularity exploded. The world was ready for Metallica... but the Grammys were not! They were ready for Jethro Tull (in the hard rock and heavy metal category!? Idiots.) Metallica's performance at the Grammys that year was legendary anyway as they said the s-word on live television. XD

The shirt. I got that shirt on August 29th, 1989 in Seattle during the Damaged Justice tour. Yes, one of 2 Seattle shows that were filmed and later released on Live Sh*t: Binge & Purge. And I WAS THERE! 15 years old! Doesn't "quite" fit the same as it used to. It is the last tour shirt I own. It had disappeared for many, many years; and, as it turns out, my Grandfather had packed into his belongings at some point and took it with him when my grandparents moved to Alaska back in 1997. I found it in his belongings after he passed away in 2012. Wise man, he was - keeping it all those years. Thanks Grand-dad. It's home now.

This was not my strongest performance by any stretch and very experimental with the cameras. 10 video clips in all. Lots to mix together. Took MUCH longer than normal.

This was for you, Chad.

What I said about studying the old Testament earlier was true. After a trip to see the in-laws I set about learning this absolute killer opening track from their first album The Legacy. Alex and Eric's music made a huge impact on my playing; effects lasting to this day. It was a pleasure to learn and just trying to play this. It's very challenging in places! A true testament (hehe) to their skills. (Required skill/class: Level 50/Thrash guitarist)

To give you an idea how I work: From start to finish (learn, record, edit, upload) was about 3 hours. I know the freshness shows in the playing, but like I say in my "about" section, I leave in my mistakes to manage expectations. I'm certainly not as energetic as a bunch of thrashy teenagers anymore. I think it's good enough for live work though. ;)

Once again we travel back to 1988, the year I discovered Thrash. So Far, So Good, So What was released in January and within months became my first Megadeth album. I still had a few months yet before I started playing guitar and this being my favorite album from my (then) favorite band, it certainly fueled much of my desire to do so. There isn't a bad track on this record, but I chose this because of it's mystique, atmosphere, and technical weirdness.

The album came at a transitional period for the band. Too much history to write about, but I will tell of some interesting trivia: Chris Poland did play on the first side of it (though uncredited) and Jeff Young played on the rest. I "believe" this track marking his first appearance.

My apologies to Dave, David and the rest for not doing it justice. (Later that day edit) I've watched it twice now and am just dying over the 3 of 4 huge mistakes in the rhythms. I'm going to HAVE to redo it. I suppose that's what I get for sleeping 11 hours and doing it in a rush.

What can I say about Iron Maiden that hasn't already been said? I started listening to them in March of 1988 with the Seventh Son of a Seventh Son album, a little late as they were already into keyboards and just around the same time I found Thrash. Like any new fan of a band with prior albums, I set about going through their discography in retrograde. Somewhere in Time fell into my lap sometime in June 1988 and though I was already a fan of theirs thanks to SSoaSS, this work absolutely solidified them as an early favorite. As they were the original proto-Powermetal kings (along with Judas Priest) , new bands came around as the years went by who were also influenced by them solidified their spots on my cassette and CD shelves. Really: no Maiden, no Helloween, Edguy, Heathen, Blind Guardian, Rhapsody (of Fire) and Angra. Hell, even Metallica! They are essential!

I've known this tine since I was 16, but just learned the leads today... and somewhat botched them. I cringe.

Aydin Paladin asked on twitter for a metal cover, so I made one. Original Tweet: https://twitter.com/stillgray/status/1315775440095592448 Awesomeness: https://twitter.com/AydinPaladin/status/1315959380546850821

This is a compilation of leads I've done in 2020 so far.
Big thanks to Jeremy Mull of Deranged Human Productions: @jeremy-mull
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn2Q...
And Mike McIntosh: @mike-mcintosh-844366550
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR92...
for asking for my contributions for their wonderful music! Rock on, Gents!

Track listing:
00:00-00:30 | Damaged Goods - Jeremy Mull (Kirk Meredith - Lead Guitar)
00:31-00:51 | Dig Yourself a Hole - Mike McIntosh (Kirk Meredith - Lead Guitar)
00:52-01:42 | "Spaces" (written by Kirk Meredith for an outro of track #2. Unused).
01:42-03:15 | Echo - Mike McIntosh (Kirk Meredith - Lead Guitar)
03:15-03:30 | Our Time - Mike McIntosh (Kirk Meredith - Lead Guitar)
03:31-05:26 | P.M. (unreleased as of 07/12/2020) by Jeremy Mull
(Kirk Meredith - Harmony rhythm, Lead Guitars.)
(Nylon guitars composed and recorded by Kirk Meredith)

While in recovery for almost losing my eyes last week in an accident, and bored out of my mind unable to engage in my hobbies or go to work, I deiced that since playing guitar isn't very taxing in that I don't really need my eyes for it, and I love this tune (heavy as hell and a joy to play), why not make a vid of me playing all the guitar parts. Since I can only see out of one eye and just partially at that, editing was the only challenge.

I apologize for the darkness... my eyes after all.

Top Left: Playing fully blind. Eyes closed.
Top Right: One eye part of the time.
Bottom Right: Just the cleans.
Bottom Left: Hammett's harmonies with terrible camera work.

Thanks for watching and please be kind to one-eyed old people. ;)

Words and music: HETFIELD/ULRICH/HAMMETT and all credit should absolutely go to those awesome chaps! They wrote a masterpiece!

Guitar build #19 is completed. @ approximately 02:30 05/05/2020, The Pallet-caster breathed its first electric breath, and what a breath! Made of Pine from a scrap pallet, yellow birch neck and fretboard, antler nut, steel pickguard, Snake Oil mini humbuckers from cbgitty (sensational, btw!) I aged all the hardware. I wanted to make it LOOK like it came out of a barn near harvest time. Got to say it came out brilliant and sounds like a barn-burner!

Connect an A minor and G major arpeggio with a pentatonic lick. Fun to play and excellent for getting your fingers moving while wasting time on the computer.

Just a cover I did back in 2008 of The Outfield's classic, semi-synched to their original video. And yes, I find it hilarious.

Cover photo also taken from 2008. I figured I should be chronologically consistent. ;)

It's an older vid, but it checks out. ;) Circa late 2015 or early 2016. Figured I should probably upload it sooner or later. This one was tricky. Carl August Tidemann is a BEAST of a player! If you haven't heard his work, do check it out!

Solo begins at 1:58

I really need to shower and get out to the shoppe and BUILD SOMETHING, but for the 25th time today I apparently have to prove to myself (and now you, the viewer) I just can't play Angry Again... and I'm angry again about it. ;) No really though, maybe I should sit and actually figure out the solo... BAH! And if one wonders, yes I pitched it up to E so I don't have to tune to Eb.