Clearwater, FL (July 25, 2008) -- Dean''s "Get Your Own Wings Shredder Search" now has YouTube capability. Instead of uploading videos straight to Dean''s site, shredders are now able to embed their YouTube clips on Dean''s website instead.
The company tells us that guitarists from over 35 different countries are now featured in the search. To upload your video, rate others shreds or check out the specifics, head over to Dean''s Shredder Search.
For more information: Dean Guitars
Bay Area thrash metal icons TESTAMENT returns this Fall with their fourteenth studio album, Para Bellum. The album which will be released on October 10th via Nuclear Blast Records stands as both a battle cry and an observation of humanity's uneasy alliance with its own creations. As technology accelerates and disconnection grows, Para Bellum sees TESTAMENT reflecting the modern chaos through music that’s urgent, sharp, and unflinchingly human.
Photo by Fred Kowalo
Today, TESTAMENT deliver one of their most intense songs they've written to date, 'Infanticide A.I.'. Lead by the blinding speed of their new drummer Chris Dovas, the band shows off its musical talent far beyond their expected norms. Watch the music video for 'Infanticide A.I.'' directed by Joey Durango, here: https://youtu.be/Gtw3lcQvyPU
TESTAMENT's Chuck Billy comments, "The new album Para Bellum consists of some fast, heavy and melodic tunes. Once again Peterson has found a way to keep the song writing fresh and modern sounding. It’s gonna be hard to choose what songs to play live cause to many to choose from."
TESTAMENT's Eric Peterson states, "It’s been 5 years since our last record Titans Of Creation was released. Since then, we all waited to get back to it and we all did in a big way! Now our long over due new record Para Bellum is upon us and about to be released in October. We are super stoked and excited to release new blood and fury to you all! With our first single 'Infanticide A.I.' we’re coming out swinging! But with new velocities of fury, while maintaining a balance that we all love and know from a Testament track, enjoy!"
Para Bellum Tracklisting 1. For the Love of Pain 2. Infanticide A.I. 3. Shadow People 4. Meant to Be 5. High Noon 6. Witch Hunt 7. Nature of the Beast 8. Room 117 9. Havana Syndrome 10. Para Bellum
Para Bellum is now available for pre-order in the following formats:
Yellow, Black & Brown Splatter (Band/King's Road Exclusive - Limited)
Copper (Mass Market Retail (US/EU))
Bone & Brown Marbled (NB Europe Exclusive)
Black and Orange Swirl + Splatter (NB Europe Exclusive)
Orange & Black Swirl (NB U.S. Exclusive)
Para Bellum was recorded with Juan Urteaga, mixed by Jens Bogren at Fascination Street Studios, and was mastered by Tony Lindgren at Fascination Street Studios. The album is extremely polished and operating at full throttle. The band once again enlisted Eliran Kantor tocreate the album artwork. In an era flooded by AI-generated imagery. the hand painted creation encapsulates the album’s essence: a serene angel made of missiles, an explosion turned halo, surrounded by shovel-bearing cultists with books strapped to their faces.
From first note to last breath, Para Bellum is an album by warriors—crafted in chaos, and built to outlast the wars to come!
TESTAMENT live dates:
Latin America Tour 08.21.2025 BR Brasília @ Toinha Brasil Show 08.23.2025 BR Rio De Janeiro @ Circo Voador 08.24.2025 BR São Paulo @ Carioca Club
US Festivals 09.21.2025 US Louisville, KY @ Louder Than Life 2025 10.03.2025 US Sacramento, CA @ Aftershock 2025
European Tour 10.05.2025 DE Hannover @ Capitol 10.07.2025 UK Bristol @ Beacon 10.08.2025 UK Birmingham @ O2 Academy Birmingham 10.09.2025 IE Dublin @ Olympia Theatre 10.10.2025 UK Manchester @ Manchester Academy 10.11.2025 UK London @ O2 Forum Kentish Town 10.12.2025 BE Antwerp @ Trix 10.13.2025 DE Stuttgart @ LKA Longhorn 10.14.2025 DE Hamburg @ Große Freiheit 36 10.16.2025 CH Pratteln @ Z7 Konzertfabrik 10.17.2025 DE Wiesbaden @ Schlachthof 10.18.2025 IT Milan @ Live Club 10.19.2025 DE Saarbruecken @ Garage 10.21.2025 SI Ljubljana @ Media Center 10.22.2025 AT Vienna @ Arena 10.23.2025 PL Wroclaw @ A2 10.24.2025 DE Munich @ TonHalle 10.25.2025 DE Oberhausen @ Turbinenhalle 10.26.2025 NL Utrecht @ Tivoli Vredenburg - Ronda
TESTAMENT is: Chuck Billy | Vocals Eric Peterson | Guitar Alex Skolnick | Guitar Steve DiGiorgio | Bass Chris Dovas | Drums
Today, GRAMMY-winning guitarist Tommy Emmanuel announced his new album Living In The Light, out October 10. Recorded and mixed with producer Vance Powell (Jack White, Chris Stapleton, Phish), Living in the Light is a virtuosic blend of acoustic pop, jazz, classical, and roots music delivered by one of the modern era’s most accomplished and versatile guitarists. The announcement arrives alongside the official video for the propulsive debut single “Scarlett’s World,” dedicated to Emmanuel’s granddaughter.
“I tried to write a theme that sounded like it came from the 80s,” Emmanuel explains. “Scarlett is my granddaughter, so I dedicate this song to her and her journey through life. However, there is a part of me that wanted to give a nod to Scarlett Johansson as I am a big fan. She’s one of my favorite actresses.”
Emmanuel captured most of the performances on Living in the Light in one or two takes, and the sense of joy and wonder in these sonic explorations is more than just palpable; it’s intoxicating. While many of the recordings are solo instrumentals, Emmanuel lends his voice to several of the album’s tracks, as well, grounding his dazzling, percussive fretwork with a poignant dose of warmth and vulnerability. “There are elements of rockabilly, blues, even traditional African music all woven into the music,” Emmanuel explains. “I’m a world traveler, and I’ve absorbed so much music along the way. It all gets synthesized through a kind of osmosis into my psyche and my soul and then comes out in my own unique style.”
Tommy Emmanuel first began touring at the age of six in his native Australia as part of a family band. In his teenage years, he turned heads as a highly sought after session player and sideman, and by his early twenties, Emmanuel was playing on chart-topping hits and performing with some of the biggest names in Australian music, including Air Supply and Men at Work. Inspired in part by his hero, Chet Atkins (who would later become a friend, mentor, and collaborator), Emmanuel stepped out on his own as a solo artist in 1979, releasing the first in a string of critically and commercially acclaimed instrumental albums that would make him an unlikely celebrity in his home country and beyond. In the decades that followed, he would go on to headline everywhere from the Sydney Opera House to Carnegie Hall; tour with the likes of Eric Clapton and John Denver; win a GRAMMY Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement; perform for a televised audience of more than two billion at the closing ceremony of the Sydney Olympics; and collaborate with everyone from Les Paul and Mark Knopfler to Joe Walsh and Richard Thompson. NPR’s World Café declared him “one of the best acoustic guitarists in the world,” while the New York Times hailed him as a “prodigy,” and Atkins crowned him with the title of Certified Guitar Player (an honorary only ever bestowed upon four other artists).
Emmanuel continued to push himself throughout his career, relocating permanently to Nashville in the early 2000s and collaborating with a rising generation of guitarists like Jason Isbell, Molly Tuttle, and Billy Strings on his latest studio albums, Accomplice One and Accomplice Two. “Those albums were a real labor of love,” Emmanuel explains, “and I was thrilled with how they came out. But I felt a strong desire to focus on my writing again after that, and I found that the songs for Living in the Light just started pouring out of me.”
More than sixty years into his storied career, Tommy Emmanuel is still hungry for adventure. “As I get older, I find myself taking a lot more risks, and having a lot more fun in the process,” says Emmanuel, who recently celebrated his 70th birthday. “When young people come to my shows and have this awakening that it’s okay to be different, that the possibilities of music and self-expression are limitless, that’s what it’s all about for me.”
PRS Guitars today announced the launch of the 40th Anniversary Custom 24 Satin Limited Edition. This release celebrates four decades of PRS Guitars by bringing some new and noteworthy features to the model that started it all. Limited to 500 pieces worldwide, this special edition uniquely features a mango top, ebony fretboard, satin nitro finish, and smoked black hardware for a new twist on a classic. Each guitar includes a 40th-anniversary certificate hand-signed by Paul Reed Smith.
“Our wood buyers search the world over for the most extraordinary tonewoods available. These mango tops (also on the new Mark Holcomb signature model) that they acquired are visually stunning. They also have this ringing resonance to them. Featuring the new wood along with the other unique appointments give this edition of our flagship Custom 24 its own unique character, worthy of a limited, anniversary model,” said Paul Reed Smith.
While the guitar may look different, it boasts many of the Custom 24’s beloved features, including a mahogany back and neck, 25” scale length, 24 frets, 10” fretboard radius, and Pattern Thin shape. Other classic Custom 24 appointments include the PRS Gen III patented tremolo, PRS Phase III locking tuners with wing buttons.
Most notably, this limited edition exchanges the Custom 24’s classic maple top for striking figured mango. Mango wood retains much of the sound characteristics as maple while bringing an almost “quilted” look to these guitars. The satin nitro finish adds to the guitar’s unique aesthetic appeal by bringing a more natural vibe to the instrument. The ebony fretboard and headstock veneer feature PRS “Old School” birds with outlines and a PRS “Pre-Factory” eagle on the headstock, which both pay homage to early PRS guitars.
The 40th Anniversary Custom 24 Satin Limited Edition is equipped with PRS’s DMO Treble and Bass pickups. DMO pickups (DMO standing for Dynamic, Musical, Open) were spec’d by Paul Reed Smith and the PRS New Products Engineering team to have a wide-open sound with vocal character. Paired with a 5-way blade switch, these pickups give players plenty of tonal range in their dual octave package.
PRS Guitars continues its schedule of launching new products each month in 2025. Stay tuned to see new gear and 40th Anniversary limited-edition guitars throughout the year. For all of the latest news, click www.prsguitars.com/40 and follow @prsguitars on Instagram, Tik Tok, Facebook, X, and YouTube.
Chops: Intermediate Theory: Intermediate Lesson Overview: • Learn how to construct Dorian scales. • Understand the minor-key harmony of “Last Dance with Mary Jane.” • Develop an ability to hear the raised 6 in a minor scale. Click here to download a printable PDF of this lesson's notation.
I love modes. I love playing them. I love teaching them. But they are tricky to teach because it’s difficult to wrap your head around them without having to dive deep into theory, which isn’t an easy step for some players. As a teacher, I look for ways to make modes fun and relatable, and this always lives and dies by the quality of your examples and source materials. Over this past holiday break, I started researching the mighty 5-watt Fender Champ tube amp. What does this have to do with modes? Read on.
Tom Petty’s guitarist Mike Campbell is a well-known fan of low-wattage Fender amps. I was watching a segment on the history of the Champ and when the main riff to “Last Dance with Mary Jane” came up, it piqued my interest. It was a song I knew well, hadn’t really heard in a long time, and never had a reason to study—until now.
There was something about the song that was unique and I wanted to dig into. And because I needed inspiration for a new lesson, the timing was perfect. The first thing I like to do when figuring out how a tune works is to lay out the main chords as an inventory. For this tune, the chords are pretty simple:
Am–G–D–Am
Yet again, Tom Petty takes a simple harmony and crafts an enduring rock anthem around it. We all joke about three-chord rock, but this is not only three-chord rock, it’s modal as well. So, why is this a Dorian chord progression? Just looking at the chords might be enough if you’d studied harmony a ton, but if you haven’t, the next step we should take is to spell out the chords into their individual notes:
Am = A C E
G = G B D
D = D F# A
Now that we’ve deconstructed the chords, the next task is to decide which note you think is home, or in theory-speak, the I. In this case, it’s pretty clear that A is home. We keep coming back to it, and it really does feel and sound right. With that done, we can take the chord tones and alphabetize them, starting with A. This yields a string of seven notes: A–B–C–D–E–F#–G.
Okay, we’ve taken inventory of all the notes contained in those three chords, starting from our root (A). The next step is to ponder the harmonic consequences of this discovery. What makes this a Dorian progression is the D major chord with an Am tonic. This D triad brings us an F#, which is not the normal F you’d see in an A Aeolian, aka A natural minor, scale (A–B–C–D–E–F–G). With Dorian, you end up with a scale that sounds minor, but with a raised 6, compared to natural minor. This yields an intriguing sound that’s not quite as dark as the minor scale you’re accustomed to. Many people describe and teach Dorian as a minor scale with a raised 6, and that’s exactly what we have here.
To get familiar with this sound, grab “Last Dance with Mary Jane” on your favorite music service and play along in A Dorian. Ex. 1 shows a handy scale diagram based on the 5th fret root of A on the 6th and 1st strings.
Now that we’ve connected the chords to the Dorian mode and we have a scale fingering, let’s hear some riffs in context.
For Ex. 2, I’m keying off the fact that this Dorian scale position is in the same spot as the familiar minor pentatonic scale, so we’re getting to use both the mode and the pentatonic in the same phrase. I’m featuring the F# (or the 6) as the signature note that makes Dorian unique, and also because it’s the 3 of the D major chord. You can play that F# whenever you want in this progression, but it’s extra awesome over the D chord.
With its bluesy beginning, Ex. 3 is another line that relies on the pentatonic scale lurking inside of the Dorian scale. Again, when the D major chord occurs in the second measure, I’m calling attention to it with the F#. It’s a simple way to connect with the Dorian scale and still keep that rock/blues feel we all love.
For our final example (Ex. 4), I stayed away from the pentatonic sound and tried to create a simpler melody with just the Dorian scale. It starts in the middle of the guitar’s range and follows a see-saw pattern of “go up a few, go down a few.” At the start of each chord change—every two beats—I align to the chord in the progression: A for the Am chord, G for the G chord, and F# for the D chord. This is a little bit of voice-leading that reminds me of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.” It not only helps you anchor the chord progression, but it connects with the mode at the same time. We’re only using a portion of Ex. 1’s two-octave scale pattern—sometimes simple is best.
But wait there’s more! While the opening chords clearly spell out an A Dorian progression, the chorus shifts to yet another modal key. This song keeps on giving us things to learn and practice—how cool. When the chorus starts, we hear the following chords:
Em–A–Em–A–G
As before, let’s pull the chords apart to see what’s inside:
Em = E G B
A = A C# E
G = G B D
And just like last time, we need to determine the root. In this case, it’s clearly E minor, so we’ll call this an E something mode. Starting with E, let’s ascend through the pitches to see what we get:
E–G–A–B–C#–D
This gives us six notes. While we’re missing the second note after E (which, in a seven-note scale, would be some type of F), we can still conclude it’s another Dorian scale, this time in the key of E. Relative to E, C# is a raised 6 and this matches our general idea of Dorian construction: minor scales with a raised 6. It’s really cool that this song allows you to practice in two keys, A Dorian for the verse and E Dorian (E–F#–G–A–B–C#–D) for the chorus.
Ex. 5 is a scale diagram for E Dorian. Note that it’s the same pattern as our previous A Dorian scale, just shifted up to the 12 fret to place the E root on the 6th and 1st strings.
The chorus is my favorite part of the song because it’s a moment where everything comes together—the chords and Petty’s vocal melody combine for a beautifully haunting Dorian sound. Pay attention to the “ry” in the melody of “Mary” to hear that C# over an Em chord—that’s the distinctive Dorian color at work. It’s one of the reasons I’ll keep this song in my arsenal of material for teaching Dorian to students, along with Pink Floyd’s epic “Breathe” from Dark Side of the Moon. (Go work out the Dorian key for that one.) For now, use the above examples for inspiration and find your own riffs and ideas for “Mary Jane.” Let your creativity and ears be your guide.
I hope you enjoyed exploring how to reverse-engineer a simple song. Over time, this process will become faster and you’ll be able to hear the modes more easily. The next time a tune really tickles your ear, take it apart as we’ve done here. Who knows? It may spawn a soloing concept or a song idea you wouldn’t have otherwise considered.
Hinds onstage on the Headbanger's Boat Cruise in 2023
Annie Atlasman
Brent Hinds, the cofounding guitarist of veteran Atlanta metal band Mastodon, died last night, August 20, after a motorcycle crash. According to Atlanta News First, Hinds was riding a Harley-Davidson and collided with an SUV, which failed to yield while turning through an intersection. His death was confirmed by the Fulton County medical examiner’s office.
Formed in 2000, Mastodon’s original lineup of Hinds, bassist/vocalist Troy Sanders, guitarist Bill Kelliher, and drummer/vocalist Brann Dailor remained unchanged until this year. Hinds’ playing, often powered by Gibson guitars and Orange amplifiers, earned him recognition as one of the most potent, powerful guitarists in modern metal. Hinds also played with the bands Fiend Without a Face, Giraffe Tongue Orchestra, Legend of the Seagullmen, and West End Motel.
Hinds left Mastodon in March this year on what appeared to be amicable terms, but his exit seems to have been more acrimonious than initially reported. In the past few weeks, a series of social media posts from the guitarist criticized his former bandmates and suggested that he was kicked out of the band.This morning, fans and peers began leaving messages of love and remembrance on Hinds’ latest Instagram post, uploaded yesterday.
Earlier today, August 21, Mastodon shared a tribute to Hinds on their official social media:
We are in a state of unfathomable sadness and grief… last night Brent Hinds passed away as a result of a tragic accident. We are heartbroken, shocked, and still trying to process the loss of this creative force with whom we’ve shared so many triumphs, milestones, and the creation of music that has touched the hearts of so many. Our hearts are with Brent’s family, friends, and fans. At this time, we please ask that you respect everyone’s privacy during this difficult time.