In the fall of 1980, rock guitarists were still trying to wrap their heads—and fingers—around the wizardry of the still-ascendent Eddie Van Halen. By late 1983, many would begin to be mesmerized by the hellacious shredding of Yngwie Malmsteen. Both of these guitar greats were heavily influenced by classical music; EVH, who grew up playing classical piano, would only occasionally showcase what he’d learned in his playing (the classically tinged iconic tapping section of “Eruption” comes to mind). Malmsteen, on the other hand, would wear his classical influences on his sleeve, spearheading the rise of a new and more overt neoclassical guitar movement. Fittingly, right in between came the height of the brief but storied career of metal master Randy Rhoads.