The 20 Greatest Metal Guitarists Ever
18th Mar 2011 | 13:00

Fredrik Thordendal (Meshuggah)
Over 68,000 of you voted and the results of our Greatest Metal Guitarist Ever Poll are now in. There are a few surprises in here to say the least, but the public have spoken and, in this case at least, the public gets what the public wants!
Fredrik Thordendal (Meshuggah)
Proportion of vote: 0.48%
Essential listening: 'Bleed'
Next: Gus G (Ozzy Osbourne, Firewind) >>
For those of you not in the know, in celebration of our forthcoming new-look magazine, TG asked our readers and MusicRadar visitors to vote for their favourite player from a shortlist of 20 metal guitarists. It was a closely fought battle… click through to see the final order and hear them in action.
The new-look Total Guitar magazine goes on sale 18 March and with an extra 32 pages it’s our biggest ever issue! The first issue is a thrash special, celebrating 1986 – the year that thrash broke – featuring Metallica’s ‘Master Of Puppets’, Slayer’s ‘Reign In Blood’ and Megadeth’s ‘Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?’

Gus G (Ozzy Osbourne, Firewind)
Gus G (Ozzy Osbourne, Firewind)
Proportion of vote: 0.51%
Essential listening: 'Let Me Hear You Scream'
<< Previous: Fredrik Thordendal (Meshuggah) | Next: Kerry King (Slayer) >>
For those of you not in the know, in celebration of our forthcoming new-look magazine, TG asked our readers and MusicRadar visitors to vote for their favourite player from a shortlist of 20 metal guitarists. It was a closely fought battle… click through to see the final order and hear them in action.
The new-look Total Guitar magazine goes on sale 18 March and with an extra 32 pages it’s our biggest ever issue! The first issue is a thrash special, celebrating 1986 – the year that thrash broke – featuring Metallica’s ‘Master Of Puppets’, Slayer’s ‘Reign In Blood’ and Megadeth’s ‘Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?’

Kerry King (Slayer)
Kerry King (Slayer)
Proportion of vote: 0.66%
Essential listening: 'Raining Blood'
<< Previous: Gus G (Ozzy Osbourne, Firewind) | Next: Marty Friedman (Megadeth) >>
For those of you not in the know, in celebration of our forthcoming new-look magazine, TG asked our readers and MusicRadar visitors to vote for their favourite player from a shortlist of 20 metal guitarists. It was a closely fought battle… click through to see the final order and hear them in action.
The new-look Total Guitar magazine goes on sale 18 March and with an extra 32 pages it’s our biggest ever issue! The first issue is a thrash special, celebrating 1986 – the year that thrash broke – featuring Metallica’s ‘Master Of Puppets’, Slayer’s ‘Reign In Blood’ and Megadeth’s ‘Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?’

Marty Friedman (Megadeth)
Marty Friedman (Megadeth)
Proportion of vote: 1.41%
Essential listening: 'Hangar 18'
<< Previous: Kerry King (Slayer) | Next: Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine) >>
For those of you not in the know, in celebration of our forthcoming new-look magazine, TG asked our readers and MusicRadar visitors to vote for their favourite player from a shortlist of 20 metal guitarists. It was a closely fought battle… click through to see the final order and hear them in action.
The new-look Total Guitar magazine goes on sale 18 March and with an extra 32 pages it’s our biggest ever issue! The first issue is a thrash special, celebrating 1986 – the year that thrash broke – featuring Metallica’s ‘Master Of Puppets’, Slayer’s ‘Reign In Blood’ and Megadeth’s ‘Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?’

Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine)
Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine)
Proportion of vote: 1.44%
Essential listening: 'Killing In The Name'
<< Previous: Marty Friedman (Megadeth) | Next: Michael Amott (Arch Enemy, Carcass) >>
For those of you not in the know, in celebration of our forthcoming new-look magazine, TG asked our readers and MusicRadar visitors to vote for their favourite player from a shortlist of 20 metal guitarists. It was a closely fought battle… click through to see the final order and hear them in action.
The new-look Total Guitar magazine goes on sale 18 March and with an extra 32 pages it’s our biggest ever issue! The first issue is a thrash special, celebrating 1986 – the year that thrash broke – featuring Metallica’s ‘Master Of Puppets’, Slayer’s ‘Reign In Blood’ and Megadeth’s ‘Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?’

Michael Amott (Arch Enemy, Carcass)
Michael Amott (Arch Enemy, Carcass)
Proportion of vote: 1.52%
Essential listening: 'Nemesis'
<< Previous: Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine) | Next: Yngwie Malmsteen >>
For those of you not in the know, in celebration of our forthcoming new-look magazine, TG asked our readers and MusicRadar visitors to vote for their favourite player from a shortlist of 20 metal guitarists. It was a closely fought battle… click through to see the final order and hear them in action.
The new-look Total Guitar magazine goes on sale 18 March and with an extra 32 pages it’s our biggest ever issue! The first issue is a thrash special, celebrating 1986 – the year that thrash broke – featuring Metallica’s ‘Master Of Puppets’, Slayer’s ‘Reign In Blood’ and Megadeth’s ‘Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?’

Yngwie Malmsteen
Yngwie Malmsteen
Proportion of vote: 1.81%
Essential listening: 'Far Beyond The Sun'
<< Previous: Michael Amott (Arch Enemy, Carcass) | Next: Zakk Wylde (Black Label Society, Ozzy Osbourne) >>
For those of you not in the know, in celebration of our forthcoming new-look magazine, TG asked our readers and MusicRadar visitors to vote for their favourite player from a shortlist of 20 metal guitarists. It was a closely fought battle… click through to see the final order and hear them in action.
The new-look Total Guitar magazine goes on sale 18 March and with an extra 32 pages it’s our biggest ever issue! The first issue is a thrash special, celebrating 1986 – the year that thrash broke – featuring Metallica’s ‘Master Of Puppets’, Slayer’s ‘Reign In Blood’ and Megadeth’s ‘Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?’

Zakk Wylde (Black Label Society, Ozzy Osbourne)
Zakk Wylde (Black Label Society, Ozzy Osbourne)
Proportion of vote: 2.14%
Essential listening: 'Miracle Man'
<< Previous: Yngwie Malmsteen | Next: Dave Murray (Iron Maiden) >>
For those of you not in the know, in celebration of our forthcoming new-look magazine, TG asked our readers and MusicRadar visitors to vote for their favourite player from a shortlist of 20 metal guitarists. It was a closely fought battle… click through to see the final order and hear them in action.
The new-look Total Guitar magazine goes on sale 18 March and with an extra 32 pages it’s our biggest ever issue! The first issue is a thrash special, celebrating 1986 – the year that thrash broke – featuring Metallica’s ‘Master Of Puppets’, Slayer’s ‘Reign In Blood’ and Megadeth’s ‘Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?’

Dave Murray (Iron Maiden)
Dave Murray (Iron Maiden)
Proportion of vote: 2.26%
Essential listening: 'The Trooper'
<< Previous: Zakk Wylde (Black Label Society, Ozzy Osbourne) | Next: Daron Malakian (System Of A Down) >>
For those of you not in the know, in celebration of our forthcoming new-look magazine, TG asked our readers and MusicRadar visitors to vote for their favourite player from a shortlist of 20 metal guitarists. It was a closely fought battle… click through to see the final order and hear them in action.
The new-look Total Guitar magazine goes on sale 18 March and with an extra 32 pages it’s our biggest ever issue! The first issue is a thrash special, celebrating 1986 – the year that thrash broke – featuring Metallica’s ‘Master Of Puppets’, Slayer’s ‘Reign In Blood’ and Megadeth’s ‘Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?’

Daron Malakian (System Of A Down)
Daron Malakian (System Of A Down)
Proportion of vote: 2.43%
Essential listening: 'Toxicity'
<< Previous: Dave Murray (Iron Maiden) | Next: Randy Rhoads (Ozzy Osbourne) >>
For those of you not in the know, in celebration of our forthcoming new-look magazine, TG asked our readers and MusicRadar visitors to vote for their favourite player from a shortlist of 20 metal guitarists. It was a closely fought battle… click through to see the final order and hear them in action.
The new-look Total Guitar magazine goes on sale 18 March and with an extra 32 pages it’s our biggest ever issue! The first issue is a thrash special, celebrating 1986 – the year that thrash broke – featuring Metallica’s ‘Master Of Puppets’, Slayer’s ‘Reign In Blood’ and Megadeth’s ‘Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?’

Randy Rhoads (Ozzy Osbourne)
Randy Rhoads (Ozzy Osbourne)
Proportion of vote: 2.77%
Essential listening: 'Crazy Train'
<< Previous: Daron Malakian (System Of A Down) | Next: Glenn Tipton (Judas Priest) >>
For those of you not in the know, in celebration of our forthcoming new-look magazine, TG asked our readers and MusicRadar visitors to vote for their favourite player from a shortlist of 20 metal guitarists. It was a closely fought battle… click through to see the final order and hear them in action.
The new-look Total Guitar magazine goes on sale 18 March and with an extra 32 pages it’s our biggest ever issue! The first issue is a thrash special, celebrating 1986 – the year that thrash broke – featuring Metallica’s ‘Master Of Puppets’, Slayer’s ‘Reign In Blood’ and Megadeth’s ‘Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?’

Glenn Tipton (Judas Priest)
Glenn Tipton (Judas Priest)
Proportion of vote: 3.77%
Essential listening: 'Painkiller'
<< Previous: Randy Rhoads (Ozzy Osbourne) | Next: Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath) >>
For those of you not in the know, in celebration of our forthcoming new-look magazine, TG asked our readers and MusicRadar visitors to vote for their favourite player from a shortlist of 20 metal guitarists. It was a closely fought battle… click through to see the final order and hear them in action.
The new-look Total Guitar magazine goes on sale 18 March and with an extra 32 pages it’s our biggest ever issue! The first issue is a thrash special, celebrating 1986 – the year that thrash broke – featuring Metallica’s ‘Master Of Puppets’, Slayer’s ‘Reign In Blood’ and Megadeth’s ‘Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?’

Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath)
Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath)
Proportion of vote: 4.13%
Essential listening: 'Iron Man', 'War Pigs', 'Paranoid'... We could go on...
<< Previous: Glenn Tipton (Judas Priest) | Next: James Hetfield (Metallica) >>
For those of you not in the know, in celebration of our forthcoming new-look magazine, TG asked our readers and MusicRadar visitors to vote for their favourite player from a shortlist of 20 metal guitarists. It was a closely fought battle… click through to see the final order and hear them in action.
The new-look Total Guitar magazine goes on sale 18 March and with an extra 32 pages it’s our biggest ever issue! The first issue is a thrash special, celebrating 1986 – the year that thrash broke – featuring Metallica’s ‘Master Of Puppets’, Slayer’s ‘Reign In Blood’ and Megadeth’s ‘Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?’

James Hetfield (Metallica)
James Hetfield (Metallica)
Proportion of vote: 4.16%
Essential listening: 'Enter Sandman'
<< Previous: Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath) | Next: Mikael Åkerfeldt (Opeth) >>
For those of you not in the know, in celebration of our forthcoming new-look magazine, TG asked our readers and MusicRadar visitors to vote for their favourite player from a shortlist of 20 metal guitarists. It was a closely fought battle… click through to see the final order and hear them in action.
The new-look Total Guitar magazine goes on sale 18 March and with an extra 32 pages it’s our biggest ever issue! The first issue is a thrash special, celebrating 1986 – the year that thrash broke – featuring Metallica’s ‘Master Of Puppets’, Slayer’s ‘Reign In Blood’ and Megadeth’s ‘Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?’

Mikael Åkerfeldt (Opeth)
Mikael Åkerfeldt (Opeth)
Proportion of vote: 4.59%
Essential listening: 'Porcelain Heart'
<< Previous: James Hetfield (Metallica) | Next: Dimebag Darrell (Pantera)
For those of you not in the know, in celebration of our forthcoming new-look magazine, TG asked our readers and MusicRadar visitors to vote for their favourite player from a shortlist of 20 metal guitarists. It was a closely fought battle… click through to see the final order and hear them in action.
The new-look Total Guitar magazine goes on sale 18 March and with an extra 32 pages it’s our biggest ever issue! The first issue is a thrash special, celebrating 1986 – the year that thrash broke – featuring Metallica’s ‘Master Of Puppets’, Slayer’s ‘Reign In Blood’ and Megadeth’s ‘Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?’

Dimebag Darrell (Pantera)
Dimebag Darrell (Pantera)
Proportion of vote: 5.90%Link
Essential listening: 'Walk'
<< Previous: Mikael Åkerfeldt (Opeth) | Next: Mark Tremonti (Alter Bridge) >>
For those of you not in the know, in celebration of our forthcoming new-look magazine, TG asked our readers and MusicRadar visitors to vote for their favourite player from a shortlist of 20 metal guitarists. It was a closely fought battle… click through to see the final order and hear them in action.
The new-look Total Guitar magazine goes on sale 18 March and with an extra 32 pages it’s our biggest ever issue! The first issue is a thrash special, celebrating 1986 – the year that thrash broke – featuring Metallica’s ‘Master Of Puppets’, Slayer’s ‘Reign In Blood’ and Megadeth’s ‘Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?’

Mark Tremonti (Alter Bridge)
Mark Tremonti (Alter Bridge)
Proportion of vote: 7.26%
Essential listening: 'Blackbird'
<< Previous: Dimebag Darrell (Pantera) | Next: Mick Thomson (Slipknot) >>
For those of you not in the know, in celebration of our forthcoming new-look magazine, TG asked our readers and MusicRadar visitors to vote for their favourite player from a shortlist of 20 metal guitarists. It was a closely fought battle… click through to see the final order and hear them in action.
The new-look Total Guitar magazine goes on sale 18 March and with an extra 32 pages it’s our biggest ever issue! The first issue is a thrash special, celebrating 1986 – the year that thrash broke – featuring Metallica’s ‘Master Of Puppets’, Slayer’s ‘Reign In Blood’ and Megadeth’s ‘Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?’

Mick Thomson (Slipknot)
Mick Thomson (Slipknot)
Proportion of vote: 10.11%
Essential listening: 'Spit It Out'
<< Previous: Mark Tremonti (Alter Bridge) | Next: John Petrucci (Dream Theater) >>
For those of you not in the know, in celebration of our forthcoming new-look magazine, TG asked our readers and MusicRadar visitors to vote for their favourite player from a shortlist of 20 metal guitarists. It was a closely fought battle… click through to see the final order and hear them in action.
The new-look Total Guitar magazine goes on sale 18 March and with an extra 32 pages it’s our biggest ever issue! The first issue is a thrash special, celebrating 1986 – the year that thrash broke – featuring Metallica’s ‘Master Of Puppets’, Slayer’s ‘Reign In Blood’ and Megadeth’s ‘Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?’

John Petrucci (Dream Theater)
John Petrucci (Dream Theater)
Proportion of vote: 20.94%
Essential listening: 'Pull Me Under'
<< Previous: Mick Thomson (Slipknot) | Next: Alexi Laiho (Children Of Bodom) >>
For those of you not in the know, in celebration of our forthcoming new-look magazine, TG asked our readers and MusicRadar visitors to vote for their favourite player from a shortlist of 20 metal guitarists. It was a closely fought battle… click through to see the final order and hear them in action.
The new-look Total Guitar magazine goes on sale 18 March and with an extra 32 pages it’s our biggest ever issue! The first issue is a thrash special, celebrating 1986 – the year that thrash broke – featuring Metallica’s ‘Master Of Puppets’, Slayer’s ‘Reign In Blood’ and Megadeth’s ‘Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?’

Alexi Laiho (Children Of Bodom)
Alexi Laiho (Children Of Bodom)
Proportion of vote: 21.73%
Essential listening: 'Needled 24/7'
<< Previous: John Petrucci (Dream Theater)
For those of you not in the know, in celebration of our forthcoming new-look magazine, TG asked our readers and MusicRadar visitors to vote for their favourite player from a shortlist of 20 metal guitarists. It was a closely fought battle… click through to see the final order and hear them in action.
The new-look Total Guitar magazine goes on sale 18 March and with an extra 32 pages it’s our biggest ever issue! The first issue is a thrash special, celebrating 1986 – the year that thrash broke – featuring Metallica’s ‘Master Of Puppets’, Slayer’s ‘Reign In Blood’ and Megadeth’s ‘Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?’
