Marc’s played on three Soulfly records, Prophecy, Dark Ages and Conquer, and written two solo instrumental albums, Colossal Myopia and The Ultimate Devotion. His other gig, Cavalera Conspiracy, is a side project with Sepultura co-founders Max and Igor Cavalera. The band’s debut record, entitled Inflikted was released in 2008.
When Rizzo takes a break from instigating mayhem in the mosh pit, he likes to kick back and study the masters -- Yngwie J. Malmsteen, Paco De Lucia and Al DiMeola. When he’s not thrashing away on his day gigs doing theatrical jump kicks on stage, Rizzo becomes the neo-classical Shred Master General from Mike Varney’s (Shrapnel Records) stable. His two solo records are the stuff of guitar magazine super licks. We’re talking mind-boggling chops here! His 2007 solo release titled The Ultimate Devotion is a lexicon of high technique shred styles and nose bleeding metal. He mixes it up with a flavorful blend of flamenco and jazz phraseology on various acoustic and electric guitars for spice.
Although his guitar playing and songwriting is primarily rooted in the genre of contemporary metal, Rizzo likes to make quick left turns -- his compositions will give you whiplash. Just when you got strapped in for a brutal metal assault on your synapses, he quickly veers off into the world of jazz, classical and flamenco. It separates him from the pack and gives you a panoramic view of his artistic musical vision. The way he arranges his music allows the heavy compositions to sound even heavier and the delicate nylon string flamenco and classical workouts to really shine. I caught up with Rizzo just before his trip to the 2009 NAMM show.
What’s new?
I’ve got a new solo record I’m working on.
What’s it called?
I don’t know yet [laughing]. I usually wait until I’m done with the music and then look through the dictionary and try to find some cool words.
How much have you recorded so far?
I got about eight songs recorded. I’m going to try to figure out if I’m going to do more because I’m running out of time. I’m leaving for the NAMM show on Wednesday and then I’m home for a week, then I’m off to Europe for like almost three months.
Wow.
I’m almost always on tour between Soulfly, Cavalera Conspiracy and my solo stuff. We just tour all year around.
How different is the new record from The Ultimate Devotion?
I think it’s going to be a progression. It should be very similar to that, although it seems like this record is more on the acoustic side. I’ve been listening to a lot more jazz guitar players and doing some clean electric guitar things. I’m trying to incorporate a lot more jazz phrasing into the music and key changes and stuff.
You shred with the best of them but what I like about your playing is how you incorporate a bit of flamenco in what you do. That’s really cool, where did it come from?
A couple years back I really got into listening and playing flamenco. I was really influenced by The Gypsy Kings and Paco De Lucia. That probably just stems from listening to Al DiMeola and tracing back his influences and the Friday Night in San Francisco CD. I think this was all during the era when Nu-metal was big -- ten to twelve years ago. Nobody was really into solos anymore, so I really got into pursing flamenco. It became my outlet for musicianship since nobody was into solos at the time.
Do you play any traditional flamenco repertoire?
Yeah. I really studied hard. Those guys are phenomenal to me. I’m definitely not on their level but I try to memorize some Paco De Lucia pieces and try to incorporate it into my set. I play a little Paco piece here and there between the heavy stuff.
I can hear that influence in your electric playing as well. When’s the next Cavalera Conspiracy record coming out?
We’re talking about doing a new record this year. This summer we’re going to go back to Europe and do all the festivals. It’s going to be back-to-back Soulfly and Cavalera Conspiracy on the same bill.
Wow, double duty.
Yeah that’s it basically. Two shows in one day. Then come September I think we’ll probably start a new record with Soulfly and Cavalera Conspiracy.
What’s an average day for you like?
I wake up and usually work out and go to the gym or go for a jog, depending on whatever part of the world I’m in. Then I spend the rest of the day just practicing. I really put a lot of time and effort into practicing and working on new music and memorizing new pieces. Most of my day is just spent playing guitar.
Are you practicing songs on the set list, doing exercises, or working on your own songs?
Usually I work on things that are in the set list with Soulfly or Cavalera Conspiracy and tighten up on things. Either that or I work on learning some of my favorite guitar player’s music. I’m always studying Yngwie Malmsteen, Paco De Lucia or Al DiMeola’s music.
Do you have songwriting sessions where you sit around and try to incorporate that into your music?
Yeah. It’s pretty funny. I like to try to learn their songs, memorize them and then try to incorporate it into what I do. I have a little hand held tape recorder and I like to record my ideas on that. Nothing too high-tech. There are all these gadgets and things for recording at home. I just like the old fashioned way. You just hit record on the tape recorder and you get the idea down. When I get to a studio I’ll record it.
When you practice, do you jam to backing tracks or do you have picking exercises with a metronome?
I spend a lot of time with a metronome. When I first pick up the guitar early in the day I usually start my practice routine with the acoustic guitar. I set the metronome to a certain tempo and work on my picking technique and scales. I play with my fingers in the classical and flamenco style too. I usually do that for a half hour trying to speed it up to get it as fast and tight as I can. Then I work on flamenco pieces. When I’m done with that, which takes about two or three hours, I switch to electric guitar and do the same thing.
After practicing like that you’re probably off to band rehearsal. I’m usually in a bus or in a dressing room. We try to sound check every day and work on new stuff, but usually I’m on tour. Whatever time we have we try to fit in a jam.
We play the same guitar.
What? A Peavey HP Special?
Yep.
I love that guitar! I’m obsessed with that guitar! I did have the stock pickups in it, which I really like but I just got an endorsement deal with EMG, so I’ve been throwing some EMG pickups in there. It makes it sound even better. I’m using the 81 and the 85.
That thing has an awesome neck.
I love it. Soon as I picked up that guitar I think it made me a better player. I don’t think I’ve ever played a guitar before where I pick it up and I feel so comfortable. Things just come out so much easier when I play that guitar.
Are you still playing through the JSX?
Yes. I’m still using the Peavey JSX head.
Which cab are you using with it?
I use the Peavey JSX 4x12 cab with that. I use a full stack. On my solo tours I use a half stack.
What does your pedalboard look like?
My pedalboard is basically a mish-mash of pedals. I have the Morley Wah pedal, a Boss Digital Delay, a Boss Tuner, a Boss Noise Suppressor and a Digitech Whammy pedal. I usually just go straight into the amp.
You don’t use the effects loop?
Nah, I really don’t. I kinda like the sound of everything going right into the front of the amp.
Do you use a distortion pedal?
No, I don’t use one. With the JSX I get plenty of gain going straight through it. I just go right through the head.
Do you have problems with the delay going straight into the amp when you switch channels?
Nah, I just use a little delay. I don’t use much. I just use it on some of the solos here and there and it seems to be working. I’ve been told it works better going through the effects loop so I’ll have to try that.
No reverb?
No reverb. Our sound guy hooks up a lot of delays and plays with my sound. I like to keep it pretty dry.
Any new guitar players you’re listening to?
I just saw Al DiMeola the other night in New York City. He’s really not a new guy -- I’ve been listening to him for a long time. He’s amazing. I’m actually going to see him again tomorrow. I’m really excited about that. As far as new guys, I love all the new bands out there. They’re all great. Trivium, Shadows Fall, Lamb of God… I’m really impressed with all of them.
Whose CDs do you have in your car?
Right now a lot of Yngwie Malmsteen ]Laughing].
[Laughing] Which CDs?
The new record [Perpetual Flame], which I like a lot. I think his last couple of records have been really amazing. He keeps getting better and better with every record.
Which Yngwie tunes do you whip out to practice with?
After my metronome practice I like to jam along note for note with “Black Star” and “Far Beyond the Sun.” I read an article and he said, “If you learn those two songs, then you’ll have my style down.” I took him up on that and started learning those two songs. I’m going to work on more too.
How do you feel about the last Soulfly record, Conquer?
I liked it. I thought it was definitely a progression for us. Every record seems like we keep going more into a thrash direction and Conquer represents that. I hope we keep going into that direction because we’re all really big fans of old eighties thrash metal bands.
What’s the hardest song to play on your various set lists?
The biggest problem is writing these songs for my solo records and then going back and re-learning all the solos note-for-note. A lot of the stuff is improvised and then a lot of it I write in the studio so I have to go back and re-learn everything. I really try my hardest to get everything note-for-note. I would probably say right now we’re really working on getting “The Riddle of Steel” [from The Ultimate Devotion] perfect, note-for-note live and it’s just been pretty difficult. It’s such a long song. It’s close to ten minutes long and I really want to play the whole song live. Right now we’re only playing half of it. I recorded it two years ago and then I left for a Soulfly tour, then the Cavalera Conspiracy tour. Then I made the Soulfly record, the Cavalera Conspiracy record and I had to learn all those solos. I’ve been incorporating “The Riddle of Steel” into my solo band recently with a couple of shows I’ve done in the last month. We were only able to get about halfway through it.
That’s one of my favorite tunes off The Ultimate Devotion. Do you compose based on jamming at all?
It’s half and half. A lot of rhythm guitar and chord progressions are written at home. When I come into the studio, some of the solos are improvised. I’ll keep it if I think it’s a good take and I nailed it. I’d say like 50 percent is improvised and the other 50 percent is where I will take the time to work them out while I’m recording them to get them tight.
Are you using any other guitars besides the Peavey HP Special?
On this record I pulled out a 1990 Gibson Les Paul Custom.
A Black Beauty?
Yeah, the Black Beauty. I forgot how much I love that guitar. I haven’t used it in ten years. I pulled it out because I was looking to get some real jazzy clean tones. I’m using it on the record and I’m loving it. It really adds a whole other sound to this record. This record is starting to come off very organic.
Have you bought any new pedals lately?
I’m really not into the whole pedal thing. I just spend a lot of time just practicing and trying to go straight through an amp.
Is there anything on your pedal board that’s indispensable?
The tuner [laughs]. I like to be in tune. I love my Boss Chromatic Tuner. I love it because between songs I can throw it in front of me and right between songs I can tune up right there on the spot. I like the Boss Noise Suppressor too. I like having that because it really cleans up my sound a lot.
Were you happy with the last Cavalera Conspiracy record Inflikted?
That record is probably one of my favorite records of my career. To get to play with Max and his brother Igor for me was just unbelievable. I was a really big Sepultura fan when I was a kid. They were one of my favorite bands ever. For them to reunite after twelve years of not being together and to ask me to be part of that record and the band, was a dream come true. I went into the studio to record that record with that in mind and I knew I really had to step it up. I really do think that record has some of my best guitar solos on it.
For more on Marc, check out myspace.com/marcrizzo.
Duane Denison of the Jesus Lizard, EGC Chessie in hands, coaxing some nasty tones from his Hiwatt.
The Jesus Lizard’s sixth album, Blue, served as the band’s final statement from the frontlines of noisy rock for the next 26 years. By the time of their dissolution in 1999, they’d earned a reputation for extreme performances chock full of hard-hitting, machine-like grooves delivered by bassist David Wm. Sims and, at their conclusion, drummer Mac McNeilly, at times aided and at other times punctured by the frontline of guitarist Duane Denison’s incisive, dissonant riffing, and presided over by the cantankerous howl of vocalist David Yow. In the years since, performative, thrilling bands such as Pissed Jeans, METZ, and Idles have built upon the Lizard’s musical foundation.
Denison has kept himself plenty busy over the last couple decades, forming the avant-rock supergroup Tomahawk—with vocalist Mike Patton, bassist Trevor Dunn (both from Mr. Bungle), and drummer John Stanier of Helmet—and alongside various other projects including Th’ Legendary Shack Shakers and Hank Williams III. The Jesus Lizard eventually reunited, but until now have only celebrated their catalog, never releasing new jams.
The Jesus Lizard, from left: bassist David Wm. Sims, singer David Yow, drummer Mac McNeilly, and guitarist Duane Denison.
Photo by Joshua Black Wilkins
Back in 2018, Denison, hanging in a hotel room with Yow, played a riff on his unplugged electric guitar that caught the singer’s ear. That song, called “West Side,” will remain unreleased for now, but Denison explains: “He said, ‘Wow, that’s really good. What is that?’ And I said, ‘It’s just some new thing. Why don’t we do an album?’” From those unassuming beginnings, the Jesus Lizard’s creative juices started flowing.
So, how does a band—especially one who so indelibly captured the ineffable energy of live rock performance—prepare to get a new record together 26 years after their last? Back in their earlier days, the members all lived together in a band house, collectively tending to the creative fire when inspiration struck. All these years later, they reside in different cities, so their process requires sending files back and forth and only meeting up for occasional demo sessions over the course of “three or four years.”
“When the time comes to get more in performance mode, I have a practice space. I go there by myself and crank it up. I turn that amp up and turn the metronome up and play loud.” —Duane Denison
the Jesus Lizard "Alexis Feels Sick"
Distance creates an obstacle to striking while the proverbial iron is hot, but Denison has a method to keep things energized: “Practice loud.” The guitarist professes the importance of practice, in general, and especially with a metronome. “We keep very detailed records of what the beats per minute of these songs are,” he explains. “To me, the way to do it is to run it to a Bluetooth speaker and crank it, and then crank your amp. I play a little at home, but when the time comes to get more in performance mode, I have a practice space. I go there by myself and crank it up. I turn that amp up and turn the metronome up and play loud.”
It’s a proven solution. On Rack—recorded at Patrick Carney’s Audio Eagle studio with producer Paul Allen—the band sound as vigorous as ever, proving they’ve not only remained in step with their younger selves, but they may have surpassed it with faders cranked. “Duane’s approach, both as a guitarist and writer, has an angular and menacing fingerprint that is his own unique style,” explains Allen. “The conviction in his playing that he is known for from his recordings in the ’80s and ’90s is still 100-percent intact and still driving full throttle today.”
“I try to be really, really precise,” he says. “I think we all do when it comes to the basic tracks, especially the rhythm parts. The band has always been this machine-like thing.” Together, they build a tension with Yow’s careening voice. “The vocals tend to be all over the place—in and out of tune, in and out of time,” he points out. “You’ve got this very free thing moving around in the foreground, and then you’ve got this very precise, detailed band playing behind it. That’s why it works.”
Before Rack, the Jesus Lizard hadn’t released a new record since 1998’s Blue.
Denison’s guitar also serves as the foreground foil to Yow’s unhinged raving, as on “Alexis Feels Sick,” where they form a demented harmony, or on the midnight creep of “What If,” where his vibrato-laden melodies bolster the singer’s unsettled, maniacal display. As precise as his riffs might be, his playing doesn’t stay strictly on the grid. On the slow, skulking “Armistice Day,” his percussive chording goes off the rails, giving way to a solo that slices that groove like a chef’s knife through warm butter as he reorganizes rock ’n’ roll histrionics into his own cut-up vocabulary.
“During recording sessions, his first solo takes are usually what we decide to keep,” explains Allen. “Listen to Duane’s guitar solos on Jack White’s ‘Morning, Noon, and Night,’ Tomahawk’s ‘Fatback,’ and ‘Grind’ off Rack. There’s a common ‘contained chaos’ thread among them that sounds like a harmonic Rubik’s cube that could only be solved by Duane.”
“Duane’s approach, both as a guitarist and writer, has an angular and menacing fingerprint that is his own unique style.” —Rack producer Paul Allen
To encapsulate just the right amount of intensity, “I don’t over practice everything,” the guitarist says. Instead, once he’s created a part, “I set it aside and don’t wear it out.” On Rack, it’s obvious not a single kilowatt of musical energy was lost in the rehearsal process.
Denison issues his noisy masterclass with assertive, overdriven tones supporting his dissonant voicings like barbed wire on top of an electric fence. The occasional application of slapback delay adds a threatening aura to his exacting riffage. His tones were just as carefully crafted as the parts he plays, and he relied mostly on his signature Electrical Guitar Company Chessie for the sessions, though a Fender Uptown Strat also appears, as well as a Taylor T5Z, which he chose for its “cleaner, hyper-articulated sound” on “Swan the Dog.” Though he’s been spotted at recent Jesus Lizard shows with a brand-new Powers Electric—he points out he played a demo model and says, “I just couldn’t let go of it,” so he ordered his own—that wasn’t until tracking was complete.
Duane Denison's Gear
Denison wields his Powers Electric at the Blue Room in Nashville last June.
Photo by Doug Coombe
Guitars
- Electrical Guitar Company Chessie
- Fender Uptown Strat
- Taylor T5Z
- Gibson ES-135
- Powers Electric
Amps
- Hiwatt Little J
- Hiwatt 2x12 cab with Fane F75 speakers
- Fender Super-Sonic combo
- Early ’60s Fender Bassman
- Marshall 1987X Plexi Reissue
- Victory Super Sheriff head
- Blackstar HT Stage 60—2 combos in stereo with Celestion Neo Creamback speakers and Mullard tubes
Effects
- Line 6 Helix
- Mantic Flex Pro
- TC Electronic G-Force
- Menatone Red Snapper
Strings and Picks
- Stringjoy Orbiters .0105 and .011 sets
- Dunlop celluloid white medium
- Sun Studios yellow picks
He ran through various amps—Marshalls, a Fender Bassman, two Fender Super-Sonic combos, and a Hiwatt Little J—at Audio Eagle. Live, if he’s not on backline gear, you’ll catch him mostly using 60-watt Blackstar HT Stage 60s loaded with Celestion Neo Creambacks. And while some boxes were stomped, he got most of his effects from a Line 6 Helix. “All of those sounds [in the Helix] are modeled on analog sounds, and you can tweak them endlessly,” he explains. “It’s just so practical and easy.”
The tools have only changed slightly since the band’s earlier days, when he favored Travis Beans and Hiwatts. Though he’s started to prefer higher gain sounds, Allen points out that “his guitar sound has always had teeth with a slightly bright sheen, and still does.”
“Honestly, I don’t think my tone has changed much over the past 30-something years,” Denison says. “I tend to favor a brighter, sharper sound with articulation. Someone sent me a video I had never seen of myself playing in the ’80s. I had a band called Cargo Cult in Austin, Texas. What struck me about it is it didn’t sound terribly different than what I sound like right now as far as the guitar sound and the approach. I don’t know what that tells you—I’m consistent?”
YouTube It
The Jesus Lizard take off at Nashville’s Blue Room this past June with “Hide & Seek” from Rack.
Phat Machine
The Phat Machine
The Phat Machine is designed to deliver the tone and responsiveness of a vintage germanium fuzz with improved temperature stability with no weird powering issues. Loaded with both a germanium and a silicon transistor, the Phat Machine offers the warmth and cleanup of a germanium fuzz but with the bite of a silicon pedal. It utilizes classic Volume and Fuzz control knobs, as well as a four-position Thickness control to dial-in any guitar and amp combo. Also included is a Bias trim pot and a Kill switch that allows battery lovers to shut off the battery without pulling the input cord.
Silk Worm Deluxe Overdrive
The Silk Worm Deluxe -- along with its standard Volume/Gain/Tone controls -- has a Bottom trim pot to dial in "just the right amount of thud with no mud at all: it’s felt more than heard." It also offers a Studio/Stage diode switch that allows you to select three levels of compression.
Both pedals offer the following features:
- 9-volt operation via standard DC external supply or internal battery compartment
- True bypass switching with LED indicator
- Pedalboard-friendly top mount jacks
- Rugged, tour-ready construction and super durable powder coated finish
- Made in the USA
Static Effectors’ Street Series pedals carry a street price of $149 each. They are available at select retailers and can also be purchased directly from the Static Effectors online store at www.staticeffectors.com.
This outing of Dipped In Tone kicks off with an exciting update from Zach Broyles’ camp: He’s opening a brick-and-mortar guitar shop in Nashville, called High Voltage Guitars. Opening on October 8, the store will carry gear from Two-Rock, Divided By 13, Dr. Z, Castedosa, Fano, Novo, and of course Mythos Pedals. Zach hints that there might be some handwired JHS pedals from Josh Scott himself, too, and Rhett reveals that he plans to consign some of his guitars at the shop.
The business side of Zach’s new venture brings them to a key piece of today’s episode: Rhett and Zach aren’t running charities. They do what they do to make money; guitars, gear, podcasting, and content creation are their literal jobs. And they’re not as glamorous and breezy as most armchair commentators might guess.
Want to do what Rhett and Zach do? Welcome to the club. The guitar-influencer field is what one might call “oversaturated” at the moment, and it’s difficult to break out—but not impossible. As our hosts explain, it requires putting in 60-hour work weeks, a diverse skillset, a knack for catching people’s attention, and a certain level of genuineness. Rhett knows this path well, and he has hard-earned advice for staying true to oneself while building a following in the gear world.
Tune in to learn why Rhett thinks Fretboard Summit, a three-day guitar festival organized by Fretboard Journal, blows NAMM out of the water and builds legitimate connections between guitarists, and catch the duo dipping a Dick Dale-inspired, all-Fender rig.
Get 10% off your order at stewmac.com/dippedintone
Galloup’s Plek tech Adam Winarski preps a Yamaha acoustic for the machine.
Presently, many certified guitar-repair specialists possess the expertise required to deliver an instrument that both sounds and plays wonderfully. The standards set by manufacturers and distributors have significantly risen, safeguarded by rigorous quality protocols to guarantee the best possible acoustic experience for customers. Additionally, lutherie training has raised the bar for critical processes, and one of the most tricky is fretwork.
Traditional fretwork once involved manual labor, with technicians utilizing sandbags or similar supports to steady the neck as they straightened it with a truss rod during the filing process. A notable advancement in this field came in the mid 1970s when Don Teeter, an author and repair expert, imposed a new method: fixing the guitar body to the bench and using blocks to maintain the neck in a playing position. This refinement was one of many in the continued quest to produce superior instruments by standardized methods.
An example of the Plek’s readings from an acoustic guitar.
Photo courtesy of Galloup Guitars
In the late 1970s, another pivotal innovation was introduced by Dan Erlewine. He created an advanced fret jig with a specialized body-holding system and neck supports, adding another layer of precision to the repair process. During my collaboration with Dan in 1985, we developed a rotating neck jig that counterbalanced the forces of gravity, keeping the instrument in its playing orientation while adjusting the neck supports. This step represented a significant leap in establishing control and standardization of fretwork procedures in our industry. By 1986, our approach had evolved into a freestanding workstation coupled with a sophisticated hold-down mechanism and enhanced neck supports, culminating in increased accuracy, efficiency, and consistency. Over the decades, the Erlewine/Galloup rotating neck jig has become a benchmark in numerous shops, enhancing fretwork performance.
"This step represented a significant leap in establishing control and standardization of fretwork procedures in our industry."
By the 1990s, automated and computerized technologies permeated the guitar manufacturing and repair sectors. Initially applied by import companies in the mass production of guitars, the technology, although expediting processes, did not immediately achieve high execution standards. However, the tech dramatically improved over time, with computer-driven systems eventually transforming the industry. Contemporary automated production utilizing such advancements meets exceedingly high standards of precision. Some bespoke guitar manufacturers, such as Steve Andersen, were pioneers in adopting these methods, but it was companies like Taylor that established them in the modern era.
Inevitably, the progression of technology extended beyond the mere production of parts. Around 1995, German engineer Gerd Anke envisioned the integration of computer-assisted technology into enhancing instrument playability, giving rise to Plek technology, which uses computers to precisely measure and analyze the various components of a guitar, like neck relief, fret height, nut and bridge specs, and more. Nashville guitar-repair tech Joe Glaser was among the first to recognize the machine’s value, followed by San Francisco luthier Gary Brawer. When Heritage Guitar Inc. invested in a Plek machine, the guitar industry could no longer disregard the significance of this innovation.
“The machine’s scanning data confirmed that there was one nature of an ideal fret plane, done by hand or machine, and unsurprisingly, it conformed exactly to what physics predicts, not personal mojo.”
In the spring of 2022, Galloup Guitars obtained its first Plek machine. Promptly, our technician Adam Winarski paved the way for the Plek’s integration in our shop. Now, it’s a rarity for an instrument to leave our shop without having undergone Plek analysis and machining. Impressed by the results of our integration, we created “Intro to Plek” as a course for all students enrolled at the Galloup School of Lutherie, offering our students a practical introduction to this technology. We furthered this educational initiative with a comprehensive one-week intensive “Plek Certification Training Course” for both students and the public. This advanced Plek course serves those seeking to boost their knowledge base and employability in this high-precision field.
Plek is rapidly becoming an industry standard for major manufacturers and smaller shops alike. However, this does not mean that those without access to this technology cannot execute proficient fretwork. Personally, I continue to use my Erlewine/Galloup neck jig—not only out of nostalgia, but also because it remains an excellent method for delivering accurate and reliable guitars. Still, it’s undeniable that the process of fretting, fret dressing, and analytics of fretted instruments has undergone significant transformation, resulting in better sounding—and playing—guitars. And ultimately, that’s what it’s all about.