Toby Knapp
TOBY KNAPP FROM SHREDGUY RECORDS
SHREDGUY RECORDS
WHO ARE THEY?
Shredguy Records is an independent label devoted to bringing you the best in shred guitar.
Beginning in May 2008 with the reissue of two releases from guitarist Rob Johnson, Shredguy Records has grown into one of the leading guitar labels with ten releases to date!
From the popular "Shredding Across The World" series, to the classic metal release The Campaign from Toby Knapp, Shredguy Records has brought a diversity of styles in the shred guitar genre.
As 2011 approaches, Shredguy is armed with Adrian English, Michael Abdow, the aforementioned Toby Knapp, and Fusion master Alex Ehrsam to bring some more shred to fans of guitar music!
---------------------------------
Toby has had a formidable career in thrash metal so unless you've been living under a rock you'll know him , we will spotlight him with full bio and lesson very soon , lets chat with him now ...
1 you seem like your heavy metal mate , your tracks are real hard , tell us about your influences and about shredguy records your label.
I love metal, all forms- speed, thrash, death, Black, traditional, neoclassical! My influences started with Jimmy Page and eventually Yngwie and tons of the great speed/thrash of the 80's, specifically Slayer, Kreator, Destruction, Celtic Frost, Venom, Mercyful Fate and Bathory. All I can say about Shredguy Records is it's a damn good label and I'm proud of my affiliation with them, they really are getting the music out there.
2 what albums are out with shredguy or comming up in the near future for you mate?
I have one physical cd "THE CAMPAIGN" and a compilation available through download only (for now) called "Archives of Magick". I am starting the demo process for the follow up to my first album for them, due out in late 2011 or early 2012.
3 whats your gear at the moment, guitars amps , then pedals , pickups , strings picks and snuff or depoarent?
I use and endorse Dimarzio pickups and S.I.T. Strings, I have an assortment of Marshall and Laney amps and cabs, about 12 guitars, mostly Fender Strats.....maybe a boss distortion pedal once in awhile.
4.we don't take much seriously at SK except music and the pursuit of guitar excellence , your excellent so can you give us any real tips that don't involve black magic or deals with satan ?
Practice! Listen to music and listen to the notes you play, work on vibrato-not speed. Get a metronome and play in time and in key! The early instructional videos of Paul Gilbert and Vinnie Moore helped me alot, before that I used instructional cassettes that uncovered alot of Jimmy Page and Ritchie Blackmore techniques. Recording your progress day by day helps too.
5.your scale knowledge must be emense after hearing your stuff , apart from the usual harmonic minor give us two kool scales you like to use.
I basically look at scales the same way Greg Howe once did, the neck is just one neverending scale, majors with related minors....change up some notes to get the harmonic minor. I use alot of pentatonic scale patterns and create my own complex versions of them with chromatics thrown in, but attack them as if they were not nice and bluesy, strangle the hell outta the notes.
6. I noticed your harmonies arent the usual thirds for instance " toward power unimagined" had an interesting and unusual harmony line , whats the score with that ?
Maybe a bit of Marty Friedman influence their, definitely.....maybe even some Chastain. Jeff and Kerry from Slayer happen to be a big influence on me, obviously in rhythm playing but their harmonies are very twisted and I like that. The early Mercyful Fate harmonies of Sherman and Denner were awesome, twisted and evil yet melodic.
7 How did you get into guitar ? you must love it , how would you sell guitar to kids at school level as a lifelong passion ?
I played drums, then realized what a pain in the ass it was to lug all that hardware around. I heard Page, Blackmore, Beck....even Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young and developed a love for acoustic and electric guitar sound. Nowadays I really like Robert Fripp alot as well. If a kid is meant to play, he will play and probably play well. However, some people insist they are guitarists but don't have a clue and just make unpleasant noise.
8 I like that you have the heavyness of hardcore metal but you dont overcrown your tunes with vocals even when you use them , is this deliberate?
Had enough of that during the Onward days, every riff was suffocated with a vocal line.....the music never had a chance to breathe. If my next album has vocals they need to be sparse and to the point.
9 If you could meet anyone dead or alive who would it be?
Aleister Crowley, John Bohnam, some other names that I better not mention. Meeting anyone alive, hmmmm...would love to meet Jimmy Page or Jeff Hanneman from Slayer and really get to talk with them about their music and philosophy. Robert Fripp would be extremely interesting to talk to.
10 you have 3 guitar wishes from the guitar troll , what are they ?
A more precise picking technique, maybe one of those Red Marshall Stacks and the real Ibanez tube screamer. I'll get all these things after earning them, I have to buy my own gear. People think I was blessed with alot of gifts, but it's 25 years of accumulation I busted ass for. Never had a rich family buying my toys.
11 do you have a faith of follow any spiritual stuff that affects you music?
Well, you mentioned me veering away from the Satanic stuff or Black Magic. Much of my feelings are pretty dark, this world is a crappy place full of rotten people. I studied alot Crowley's writings and the psychological exercises in "A Course In Miracles".......sometimes I feel these things can just lead to a nervous breakdown, I know nothing. I do believe that what comes around goes around.....monitor your thoughts carefully- they have power.
I can say my album "Polarizing Lines" came from a very positive frame of mind....whereas the projects that followed came from darker emotions.
12 tell us what shrapnel records did for your career
It really got my name and music out there in a big way, it also made me very proud. You wanna talk about rare? Getting signed to Shrapnel at the age of 20 in the early 90's.....it still pisses people off and that's great.
13 this is awesome top ten riffs
I like many of them and I think they were a template for many of the bands we hear today. Alot of the fans of Shrapnel records were musicians, so I can hear the entirety of their roster in a lot of popular guitarist's playing. I wonder if anyone has the balls to step forward and site "Guitar Distortion" and Tony Fredianelli's "Breakneck Speed" as influences- because I hear it in some of the music that has come since then.
14 your on a desert island (with electricity) , what book , cd , tutorial dvd and 1 other item will you bring?
The Book of The Law (Crowley) Presence (Led Zep) probably Paul Gilbert's first instructional video.....some tools to cultivate a field suitable for the production of alcohol or drugs.
15 what is your tone tips for getiing a good thrash metal sound (in your bedroom lol)
Those little Marshall 50 watt combos from a few years back are great for that!
16 what is your thoughts on the digital age and music industry , the easy copy downloading and stealing music ?
If enough of the music gets out, you'll hopefully have higher attendance at shows. Everybody is stealing their tunes now, it sucks, but as musicians we must grasp onto the positive side of this (meaning, at least the music is circulating). All of our royalty checks are severely affected and it is sad that many people aren't paying for our music.....all these illegal download sites are terrible.
I just don't know what to do.
17 I have been caught red handed dabbling in country licks so I can't deny it is there any naughty pleasures your into purely musical please ?
I have recently played in a country/rockabilly band for some bucks and a good time with nice musicians. You are doing nothing wrong, lots of good chops in that music. Being a huge Jimmy Page fan, I found that dabbling in country blues has really helped me emulate some of what he's doing, he's a rocker but also so far beyond that. I don't like country music though.
Thanks mate that was amazing mate , talk soon look forward to your lesson here soon ;)
My pleasure, thanks and take care!!
SHREDGUY RECORDS
WHO ARE THEY?
Shredguy Records is an independent label devoted to bringing you the best in shred guitar.
Beginning in May 2008 with the reissue of two releases from guitarist Rob Johnson, Shredguy Records has grown into one of the leading guitar labels with ten releases to date!
From the popular "Shredding Across The World" series, to the classic metal release The Campaign from Toby Knapp, Shredguy Records has brought a diversity of styles in the shred guitar genre.
As 2011 approaches, Shredguy is armed with Adrian English, Michael Abdow, the aforementioned Toby Knapp, and Fusion master Alex Ehrsam to bring some more shred to fans of guitar music!
---------------------------------
Toby has had a formidable career in thrash metal so unless you've been living under a rock you'll know him , we will spotlight him with full bio and lesson very soon , lets chat with him now ...
1 you seem like your heavy metal mate , your tracks are real hard , tell us about your influences and about shredguy records your label.
I love metal, all forms- speed, thrash, death, Black, traditional, neoclassical! My influences started with Jimmy Page and eventually Yngwie and tons of the great speed/thrash of the 80's, specifically Slayer, Kreator, Destruction, Celtic Frost, Venom, Mercyful Fate and Bathory. All I can say about Shredguy Records is it's a damn good label and I'm proud of my affiliation with them, they really are getting the music out there.
2 what albums are out with shredguy or comming up in the near future for you mate?
I have one physical cd "THE CAMPAIGN" and a compilation available through download only (for now) called "Archives of Magick". I am starting the demo process for the follow up to my first album for them, due out in late 2011 or early 2012.
3 whats your gear at the moment, guitars amps , then pedals , pickups , strings picks and snuff or depoarent?
I use and endorse Dimarzio pickups and S.I.T. Strings, I have an assortment of Marshall and Laney amps and cabs, about 12 guitars, mostly Fender Strats.....maybe a boss distortion pedal once in awhile.
4.we don't take much seriously at SK except music and the pursuit of guitar excellence , your excellent so can you give us any real tips that don't involve black magic or deals with satan ?
Practice! Listen to music and listen to the notes you play, work on vibrato-not speed. Get a metronome and play in time and in key! The early instructional videos of Paul Gilbert and Vinnie Moore helped me alot, before that I used instructional cassettes that uncovered alot of Jimmy Page and Ritchie Blackmore techniques. Recording your progress day by day helps too.
5.your scale knowledge must be emense after hearing your stuff , apart from the usual harmonic minor give us two kool scales you like to use.
I basically look at scales the same way Greg Howe once did, the neck is just one neverending scale, majors with related minors....change up some notes to get the harmonic minor. I use alot of pentatonic scale patterns and create my own complex versions of them with chromatics thrown in, but attack them as if they were not nice and bluesy, strangle the hell outta the notes.
6. I noticed your harmonies arent the usual thirds for instance " toward power unimagined" had an interesting and unusual harmony line , whats the score with that ?
Maybe a bit of Marty Friedman influence their, definitely.....maybe even some Chastain. Jeff and Kerry from Slayer happen to be a big influence on me, obviously in rhythm playing but their harmonies are very twisted and I like that. The early Mercyful Fate harmonies of Sherman and Denner were awesome, twisted and evil yet melodic.
7 How did you get into guitar ? you must love it , how would you sell guitar to kids at school level as a lifelong passion ?
I played drums, then realized what a pain in the ass it was to lug all that hardware around. I heard Page, Blackmore, Beck....even Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young and developed a love for acoustic and electric guitar sound. Nowadays I really like Robert Fripp alot as well. If a kid is meant to play, he will play and probably play well. However, some people insist they are guitarists but don't have a clue and just make unpleasant noise.
8 I like that you have the heavyness of hardcore metal but you dont overcrown your tunes with vocals even when you use them , is this deliberate?
Had enough of that during the Onward days, every riff was suffocated with a vocal line.....the music never had a chance to breathe. If my next album has vocals they need to be sparse and to the point.
9 If you could meet anyone dead or alive who would it be?
Aleister Crowley, John Bohnam, some other names that I better not mention. Meeting anyone alive, hmmmm...would love to meet Jimmy Page or Jeff Hanneman from Slayer and really get to talk with them about their music and philosophy. Robert Fripp would be extremely interesting to talk to.
10 you have 3 guitar wishes from the guitar troll , what are they ?
A more precise picking technique, maybe one of those Red Marshall Stacks and the real Ibanez tube screamer. I'll get all these things after earning them, I have to buy my own gear. People think I was blessed with alot of gifts, but it's 25 years of accumulation I busted ass for. Never had a rich family buying my toys.
11 do you have a faith of follow any spiritual stuff that affects you music?
Well, you mentioned me veering away from the Satanic stuff or Black Magic. Much of my feelings are pretty dark, this world is a crappy place full of rotten people. I studied alot Crowley's writings and the psychological exercises in "A Course In Miracles".......sometimes I feel these things can just lead to a nervous breakdown, I know nothing. I do believe that what comes around goes around.....monitor your thoughts carefully- they have power.
I can say my album "Polarizing Lines" came from a very positive frame of mind....whereas the projects that followed came from darker emotions.
12 tell us what shrapnel records did for your career
It really got my name and music out there in a big way, it also made me very proud. You wanna talk about rare? Getting signed to Shrapnel at the age of 20 in the early 90's.....it still pisses people off and that's great.
13 this is awesome top ten riffs
I like many of them and I think they were a template for many of the bands we hear today. Alot of the fans of Shrapnel records were musicians, so I can hear the entirety of their roster in a lot of popular guitarist's playing. I wonder if anyone has the balls to step forward and site "Guitar Distortion" and Tony Fredianelli's "Breakneck Speed" as influences- because I hear it in some of the music that has come since then.
14 your on a desert island (with electricity) , what book , cd , tutorial dvd and 1 other item will you bring?
The Book of The Law (Crowley) Presence (Led Zep) probably Paul Gilbert's first instructional video.....some tools to cultivate a field suitable for the production of alcohol or drugs.
15 what is your tone tips for getiing a good thrash metal sound (in your bedroom lol)
Those little Marshall 50 watt combos from a few years back are great for that!
16 what is your thoughts on the digital age and music industry , the easy copy downloading and stealing music ?
If enough of the music gets out, you'll hopefully have higher attendance at shows. Everybody is stealing their tunes now, it sucks, but as musicians we must grasp onto the positive side of this (meaning, at least the music is circulating). All of our royalty checks are severely affected and it is sad that many people aren't paying for our music.....all these illegal download sites are terrible.
I just don't know what to do.
17 I have been caught red handed dabbling in country licks so I can't deny it is there any naughty pleasures your into purely musical please ?
I have recently played in a country/rockabilly band for some bucks and a good time with nice musicians. You are doing nothing wrong, lots of good chops in that music. Being a huge Jimmy Page fan, I found that dabbling in country blues has really helped me emulate some of what he's doing, he's a rocker but also so far beyond that. I don't like country music though.
Thanks mate that was amazing mate , talk soon look forward to your lesson here soon ;)
My pleasure, thanks and take care!!