Vocalist David Draiman and guitarist Dan Donegan of Disturbed appear on the cover of the November 2002 issue. "Prisoners of metal"?? Could Disturbed properly be called metal?? :confused:

Screamo. Oh wow. Like, I am soooooo there. :rolleyes:

Tom Morello, formerly of Rage Against the Machine and currently with Audioslave (at that time), appears on the December 2002 issue:

Very cool!

The late George Harrison appears on the cover of the January 2003 issue, in which his son Dhani discusses his famous father's final days and the posthumously released album 'Brainwashed':

Bassist Ryan Martinie and guitarist Greg Tribbett of Mudvayne, the other masked band often compared to Slipknot yet a little more melodic, appear on the cover of the February 2003 issue:

Zakk Wylde of Black Label Society and Ozzy's band, and Dimebag Darrell, who found his band Pantera strangely on "indefinite hiatus", both dress in camo and fully armed on the cover of the March 2003 issue:

The April 2003 issue lists the top 100 guitar albums, dividing them into categories, Metal, classic rock, punk, emo, blues, etc. An interesting read, since everyone likes lists. :cool:

Also, the sobering true story of the breakup of The Police in the 80's. Tensions apparently were riding high between drummer Stewart Copeland and the hugely popular frontman Sting.

Brad Delson of the popular NU-metal band Linkin Park (can they even be called in any way metal??) appears on the cover of the May 2003 issue.

Also, the members of 80's L.A. blues pop-metal band Great White make a statement about the tragic Rhode Island club fire, which took the lives of one hundred concert attendees, including one of their guitarists. :(

Vocalist Aaron Lewis and guitarist Mike Mushok of Staind appear on the cover of the June 2003 issue.

Also, a provocative article discusses the possibility that Jimi Hendrix may have been murdered. True? False? The article may answer these questions, and perhaps raise others.

Yet another Collectors' Issue with Jimmy Page on the cover with more sordid stories on Led Zeppelin in the July 2003 issue:

Kirk Hammett and James Hetfield of Metallica appear on the cover of the August 2003 issue to discuss 'St. Anger', their worst album. Lead guitar solos are non-existent, which gave Kirk more time to sit and play with his X-Box. Or Soduku.

Chino Moreno and Stephen Carpenter of the Deftones appear on the September 2003 issue.

Wow, the history of pop-punk. :rolleyes: Did you ever wish that instead of reading about the history of pop-punk, that it was history??

Kurt Cobain appears on the cover of the October 2003 issue.

And in more important news: ROB HALFORD REJOINS JUDAS PRIEST!!!! :rock:

Former Guns N' Roses members Duff and Slash appear with guitarist David Kushner as their new
"supergroup" Velvet Revolver in the November 2003 issue. Scott Weiland says in the caption below, "These guys have got my back!" Well, that was then, but this.....

Head and Munky of Korn once again appear on the cover of the December 2003 issue:

Mark Hoppus and Tom DeLonge of Blink-182 appear on the cover of the January 2004 issue. Like we need to know how to play their scintillating pop-punk anthems which revel in dorkiness. We COULD HAVE had a full picture of Kerry King of Slayer for the cover, but noooooooooooooooo. ohno:

Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl appears on the cover of the February 2004 issue to discuss his new heavy metal spinoff project, Probot, which features Lemmy of Motorhead on bass and vocals, as well as Scott "Wino" Weinrich of The Obsessed and St. Vitus Dance on guitar. The band was known for one of the heaviest, horniest, videos of all time, "Shake Your Blood". :drool: :grineyes:

King Dimebag Darrell sits upon the throne of glory with a few hot chicks on the cover of the March 2004 issue, one of the coolest issues ever of the magazine!!! :cool: Not only does the issue list the 100 heaviest guitarists ever (in response to the flaccid Rolling Stone issue of their top 100 guitarists of all time--like Tony Iommi and Randy Rhoads only hitting around #85 and #86, respectively :confused: ), but it also contains a killer poster of Black Sabbath live in concert from the 80's with Ronnie James Dio on vocals!!! :rock:

In this issue, Dime discusses the sad breakup of Pantera, while alerting readers to his new band, DamagePlan, which he insists is worth checking out and will not disappoint!

Check out Dime's Southern Cross Washburn guitar!! :cool:

Jimmy Page and Aerosmith's Joe Perry appear on the cover of the April 2004 issue.

Hey, wow, Steve Vai has a 30-hour workout!! If you have a day and half to kill, this might be worth trying!! :cool:

The White Stripes' Jack White on the cover of the May 2004 issue with one of his pawn shop prize guitars:

Kirk Hammett and James Hetfield of Metallica appear on the cover of the June 2004 to discuss their new movie, 'Some Kind of Monster', which reveals the disturbing series of events leading up to the recording of their latest album, 'St. Anger'. The band was on the verge of breaking up and went through a period of turmoil with clashing egos and frustration over their lack of musical direction. The movie was unsettling because we all liked to think of Metallica as the total dudes of metal, and here the movie blew away the mystique, like watching a music reality show marathon.

Zakk Wylde is featured on the cover of the July 2004 issue, which includes hundreds of practice tips and pointers from various guitarists and instructors on how to become a better player.

Also, the history of the Fender Stratocaster, one of the most popular guitars in rock, is detailed.

Eddie Van Halen talks about the recent events of his life in the August 2004 issue. When are we gonna see a new album, Edward? :rolleyes:

K.K. DOWNING!!!! ROB HALFORD!!!!! GLEN TIPTON!!!!! PRIEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
:rock: :rock: :rock: on the September 2004 issue!!! Just in time for Ozzfest, where the Metal Gods Judas Priest were co-headlining with Sabbath!!!!!

Gawwwwwd, I wish I bought this cover!!!!! :wallbang: :cool:

TONY IOMMI!!!!!! OZZY!!!!!! on the second cover of the September 2004 issue to commemorate Ozzfest 2004!!! Black Sabbath were the headliners that year, and they blew everything away live!!!! :rock: :rock: :rock:

This was the issue I bought. I should have bought BOTH!!! And I call myself a metal fan!!! ohno: :lol:

Trey Anastasio of Phish, the world's wackiest jam band, discusses why he had to pull the plug on the group in the October 2004 issue:

Nic Cester and Cameron Muncey of Australian band Jet, who had a hit with
"Cold Hearted Bitch" or whatever that song was, are featured on the cover of the November 2004 issue. From what I've read later, they had the nerve to rag on Joe Satriani and Steve Vai for actually having talent. Jet could be all trendy pop retro chic all they wanted, but where are they now? And who cares? :rolleyes:

And now for something completely different:

Speaking of dubious achievements in rock guitar, December 2004's cover story
documents the worst in guitar playing!!! Of course, we've had the usual guitar culprits who are synonymous with musical infamy (C.C. DeVille tops every list in this issue), but even some of the guitar greats such as Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan and others hit a few klinkers as well!!! :eek: SAY IT AIN'T SO!!!

Henry Garza of Los Lonely Boys appears on the cover of the January 2005 issue:

The 25th Anniversary Issue in February 2005, an expanded cover issue, features guitarists on the front who have helped create some of the greatest moments of the magazine, including Zakk Wylde, Tom Morello, Jimmy Page, Slash, James "Munky" Shaffer, Daron Malakian, Joe Perry, John Frusciante, and Dan DeLeo.

Guitar World pays its final respects to the late Dimebag Darrell, former guitarist for Pantera and new axe-slinger for DamagePlan, who was senselessly shot and killed by a deranged fan at a concert in Columbus, Ohio, the previous December. Not only was Dime an artist regularly featured in the magazine, he was frequent contributor--his monthly 'Riffer Madness' column was a favorite of many young shredders. Staff and fans would miss his happy-go-lucky attitude and his over-the-top sense of humor, as well as his unique take on metal guitar playing.

The issue also features other well-known guitarists who were taken so soon in their prime. :crying:

We all knew where we were when we heard the news of the shooting. It was unthinkable, so hard to imagine. I was devastated, I always wanted to one day hang with Dime, and shoot the s:censored: about guitar over a beer. Or twelve. :cheers:

Steve Vai, Alexi Laiho of Children of Bodom, and Zakk Wylde appear on the cover of the April 2005 issue, which is dedicated to guitar virtuosi (NOT "virtuosos"):

Jimmy Page again appears on the cover of the May 2005 issue, which contains a feature on the making of Led Zeppelin's magnum opus, 'Physical Graffitti".

Also, an interesting article about the rise, fall, and subsequent resurrection of power metal--the once-maligned strand of metal which celebrated guitar heroes in mighty battle gear and armor, as they set forth to slay dragons and rescue scantily clad damsels. The heroic ultra-traditional metal of the 80's which took a nosedive in the late 80's and early 90's as death metal and "power groove" metal, as well as NU-metal and grunge took over. Bands such as Nevermore, Helloween, and Nightwish are touched upon in this article which also lists important albums of the genre.

Kurt Cobain once again makes an appearance on the cover of the June 2005 issue.

My Chemical Romance a "punk" band?? :confused:

Daron Malakian of System Of a Down appears on the cover of the July 2005 issue. The band scored with not one, but two studio albums released at different times that year, 'Mesmerize' and 'Hypnotize'.

Notice that there are more articles devoted to playing fast. The Shred Factor is coming back into rock and metal by this issue! So much for the barre chord-obsessed NU-metal and math-metal and contempt for soloing that dominated the scene for the past ten years since the mid-90's.

Case in point: Dave Mustaine's Gigantour, covered in this issue, which focuses on very technically adept artists his own band Megadeth, Nevermore, and Dream Theater, as well as others on the bill.

Tom Morello, currently of Audioslave, makes another appearance on the cover of the August 2005 issue.

Also, in a strange, interesting turn of events, Brian "Head" Welch announces that he has left Korn and has become a born-again Christian, which he claims has helped him overcome his addiction to meth. This is a great start to the new phase of his musical career, but at the same time, it seems rather strange that he not only has embraced Jesus Christ--but he also looks like Him!! :eek: It's nice that one takes their new faith seriously, but to be physically identical to our Lord and Saviour, hmmmmm. In his interviews, he also seems to paint a rather dogmatic, judgmental view of God, which is understandable for a new Christian, but it seems a little too premature to make oneself out to be the next celebrity convert to Christ when he needs time to grow and develop as a Christian first. His former bandmates were happy that he found something that gave him more stability, but they were very disappointed that he suddenly gave them the cold shoulder, as if they were now "the enemy" after all these years together.

The Edge of U2 appears on the cover of the September 2005 issue, a Collectors' Issue which celebrates a quarter century of the legendary Irish band. Interesting comment he makes on the cover, because it's so true!!

"Revenge of the 90's"?? You mean the revival of 80's-style shred playing and such has that grunge/alternative competition?? :confused: Suuuuuuuure. Well, Nine Inch Nails was cool that year.

The October 2005 issue, a Classic Rock Special Issue, features Jimi Hendrix on the cover. The issue documents his stunning finale at Woodstock, where he delivers his mind-blowing, iconic version of the Star-Spangled Banner. His version of the national anthem has been both hailed as a testament for his love for America, as well as being a twisted, tortured take on the true state of the Union during those turbulent times.

The making of Pink Floyd's 'Dark Side of the Moon' is also discussed.

And--"ACES HIGH" by IRON MAIDEN is transcribed!! :rock:

The ever-ancient Keith Richards again appears on the cover of the November 2005 issue. "The most dangerous man in the history of rock"?? Probably more of a danger to himself than anything.

In his first interview in a year after the tragic shooting, Dimebag Darrell's brother Vinnie Paul of Pantera and DamagePlan finally discusses his brother's life and music in the December 2005 issue, after months of trying to put the pain behind him. Rare photos of Dime and his family life and musical career, including his meeting with Eddie Van Halen, are also featured.

The Holiday 2005 issue features interviews with guitarists who discuss which albums made a significant impact on their lives to want to play guitar. For Joe Perry of Aerosmith, it was a 60's album by the Yardbirds, and for Slash, it was Aerosmith's 'Rocks' album. Other bands cited Metallica's '...And Justice For All' album, Megadeth's 'Peace Sells...But Who's Buying?', and Pantera's 'Far Beyond Driven', as the albums which influenced them most. Surprisingly, Steve Stevens of Billy Idol's band cited Yes' 'Fragile' as his biggest influence, while Scott Ian of Anthrax claimed KISS' 'Alive!' as the album which made him want to pick up a guitar.

Kirk Hammett of Metallica once again appears on the cover of the January 2006 issue on the 20th anniversary of the band's 1986 masterpiece, 'Master of Puppets'. The album actually took everyone by surprise back then, it was the first time that a band who played as heavy and intense as Metallica did actually hit the Top 30 on the album charts. :rock:

Jimmy Page and the White Stripes' Jack White appear on the cover of the February 2006 issue to discuss the blues:

Randy Rhoads appears on the March 2006 issue on the 25th anniversary of the release of the two albums which set the metal world on fire, Ozzy Osbourne's 'Blizzard of Ozz' and 'Diary of a Madman':

Joe Satriani, the world-renowned guitar god who taught both Steve Vai, Kirk Hammett and many others, appears on the April 2006 issue, with lessons which can teach you how to be a better lead player. Are you next in the line of future guitar greats? :cool:

David Gilmour of Pink Floyd appears on the cover of the May 2006 issue.

Sadly, 2006 would be the year of the passing of the guitarist who preceded him in Pink Floyd: Syd Barrett, whose twisted genius was evident on the first Pink Floyd album, 1968's 'Piper At the Gates Of Dawn'. However, he lost his mind to LSD and became unable to function. The band had to remove him from their lineup, but they dedicated some of their best known songs to him on later Floyd albums.

Adam Jones of Tool appears on the cover of the June 2006 issue.

Also, a special tribute to Dimebag Darrell:

Red Hot Chili Peppers' John Frusciante appears on the cover of the July 2006 issue.

Some readers actually felt they had to complain about the dual image of Frusciante as both the devil and Christ in the upper corner photo. Gee, people, get a clue!! :rolleyes: It's an image of the duality of good and evil, apparently Frusciante feels both within him. It's always interesting when these characters write in to whine and moan about some supposed "blasphemous" image. They act like it's the "ultimate" in bad taste, if not downright satanic. ohno: They just don't get rock and roll.

Jade Puget of AFI and Tom DeLonge of Angels & Airwaves (formerly of Blink-182) on the cover of the August 2006 issue. "The shape of rock to come"??
Looks like it needs to hit the gym. ohno: Ahhh, screamocore. Wake us when they grow up and play REAL music, not angsty teenybopper swill. My parents make my life miserable, my girlfriend hates me, I question my sexuality, blah, blah, blah, waah, waah, waah :crybaby:..... GET REAL.
:rolleyes:

Now we're talking--manly metal for a manly world!!!

JEFF HANNEMAN AND KERRY KING OF SLAYER AND ZAKK WYLDE OF OZZY/BLACK LABEL SOCIETY on the cover of the September 2006 issue!!! :rock: :rock: Slayer just put out their latest album, 'Christ Illusion' and were headlining the Unholy Alliance Tour with Thine Eyes Bleed, Children Of Bodom, Mastodon, and Lamb Of God!!! Zakk, of course, was playing on the Ozzfest 2006 tour.

Also, an update on the most expensive, longest-delayed album release in the world, Guns' N' Roses' 'Chinese Democracy'. The word kept going out that the album would see the light of day that summer. We were all kept waiting and waiting....Would it ever come out, and would it be worth the wait?? :confused:

So how come Zakk always has his mouth open?? Is he yelling, or does it just look like he's yelling? A far cry from his glam-rocker days, right? ;)

Kirk Hammett again appears on the cover of the October 2006 issue which counts down the 100 greatest guitar albums of all time. This issue was different than the one which came out the year or so before, as the previous one listed albums according to genre: Metal, classic rock, punk, blues, etc.
This new issue contained an actual single list from 100 to 1, as voted on by readers.

Mark Morton and Willie Adler of Lamb of God appear on the cover of the November 2006 issue. They were becoming the new legends of thrash, or, as they were called, the New American Metal (perhaps because they had a previous album titled 'New American Gospel').

Tom Morello of Audioslave appears on the cover of the December 2006 issue:

Members of My Chemical Romance, Ray Toro, Gerard Way and Frank Iero appear on the Holiday 2006 issue. Wow, just what I need, emo for Christmas. ohno: Where do I exchange this?? present:

Herman Li of DragonForce, Matt Heafy of Trivium, Dave Mustaine of Megadeth, Mark Morton of Lamb of God, and Sam Totman, also of DragonForce, are featured on the January 2007 issue, all to celebrate THE LONG-AWAITED, DESPARATELY NEEDED RETURN OF SHRED!!!!! :rock: :rock:

Yes, the biggest development of the current decade occurred nearly fifteen years after guitar magazines prematurely proclaimed the "death" of shred guitar, fast, intricate guitar playing which was largely championed by 80's players and was eulogized by the trendy "anti-technique" grunge and alternative groups, which soon morphed into the one-note, one-chord NU-metal and math-metal camps in the late 90's and early 2000's. Many guitarists of the Korn-clone ilk and others acted like soloing and shredding was a "showoff" attempt and that solos "sucked" (only because they couldn't play solos and do fast stuff anyway). So for nearly a decade and a half, we had to deal with some pretty boring, lackluster pseudo-metal (and, no, the freaky masks did *'Knot* help, it was all in *'Vayne*).

Bands such as DragonForce, Trivium, Lamb Of God, and course, Megadeth, who headlined the yearly shredfest known as Gigantour, were the leaders of the new acceptance of shred. This issue is packed with tons of killer lessons. One of my friends from church bought this issue for me on my birthday, on account of any b-day festivities were called off on account of heavy snow. Time to hunker down and get to serious shredding!!!! :rock: :guitar:

Zakk Wylde of Ozzy's band and Black Label Society appears on the cover of the February 2007 issue, with, uhh, is that Mini-Me?? :confused: It's apparently an elf, since Zakk is made out to be Santa. This issue was supposed to be a holiday issue, though we just had one, didn't we?? Well, since the January issue came out in late November of '06, then the February issue came out in late December, a month later. It's early, in time for the next year.

The Classic Rock issue celebrates the 40th anniversary of the album which began the movement toward spectacular playing and showmanship, 'Are You Experienced?' by the Jimi Hendrix Experience, as well as articles on Pete Townshend of The Who and Eric Clapton.

One of the more controversial photos of Eddie Van Halen on the cover of the
March 2007 issue. His naked chest might have looked sexy, but was that really him?? :confused: His face looked rather sallow and withered. Kind of burnt out, not like he's copping a sexy look, but seeming rather aged and emaciated. What's up with the Edster?? Well, seems that he has a new guitarist AND a new bassist--you'll never guess who!! (Wait, you probably know by now, and no one's really happy about that. ohno: )


Not bad for a guy who hasn't released any new material for nearly a decade.
:rolleyes:

Duane Allman, Dimebag, and Randy Rhoads appear on the cover of the April 2007 issue, which is dedicated to fallen guitar heroes, those who left this life much too early and whose loss deprived the world of great music.

One such artist featured in this issue was a guitarist whose band was oddly named, in an ironic stroke of poetic justice, Death. Chuck Schuldiner, who started the death metal genre with his extreme brand of playing, lost his life to cancer in the fall of 2001. His early life was marked by tragedy with the loss of his brother, which spurred him to pursue guitar and create metal. His band Death went through many lineup changes as he sought to create his own style of fast playing with socially conscious topics.

In a happier, more upbeat issue, it's time to move away from tragedy to triumph with articles on living legends, as Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath, Angus Young of AC/DC, and Jimmy Page are featured on the cover of the May 2007 issue.

All three guitarists are alive and well and very much active in the latter half of the 2000's: Tony Iommi has resurrected the historic early 80's lineup of Black Sabbath with Ronnie James Dio, drummer Vinnie Appice, and of course, bassist Geezer Butler under the name Heaven and Hell, which focuses
on the other side of the band's musical career; Angus Young continues to rock in the current decade, though he hasn't been heard from as much these days--though a new AC/DC album was looming on the horizon; and Jimmy Page was also busy in music--of course, the big news later that year was the return of Led Zeppelin! A possible reunion??

As with the previous issue, the guitarists are depicted in artworks rather than photos.

The Beatles are featured on the cover of the June 2007 issue, on the 40th anniversary of the release of one of the most significant albums of all time, 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'. The album proved that rock could succeed as art, and was considered a testament to the youth culture in that
"Summer of Love" in 1967. And of course, the band's musicianship, lyrical themes, and George Martin's production was top-notch.

There was some sort of controversy, though, on this issue's cover over the headstock of Paul McCartney's bass. Apparently it was shown incorrectly, it was reversed.

Slash, "the Cat in the Hat", appears on the cover of the July 2007 issue, with a slithery reptile buddy on his Gibson Les Paul. This issue pays tribute to the 20th anniversary issue of the landmark release of 'Appetite For Destruction' by Guns N' Roses.

Hey, slithery snake, "Slither" by Velvet Revolver", I get it!! :lol:

Jack White of the White Stripes, appears on the cover of the August 2007 issue. Does he look like the Good Humor ice cream man or something? :confused:

I dunno about this whole retro thing. It just seems like a bunch of brainy college kids acting all sophisticated and cerebral (as usual). Either his guitar cost about $25 at a pawn shop, or cost $25,000,000,000 from some obscure vintage emporium. Oh, wait, it's a Gretsch White Penguin, very rare, so the latter price is more like it. Didn't think even he could afford that.

A first for Guitar World: Eddie Van Halen appears for a second time in the same year on the cover of the September issue. Not only does he look much better, more healthy and upbeat, but he actually has a newsworthy item: His new signature amp is released that month. Eddy is not only one of the greatest guitarists of all time, but he is also an innovator in guitar design and electronics. His trademark guitar, the "Frankenstein" Kramer Strat-body red, black and white guitar is made up of assorted parts and stitched together, and works like a dream. Other guitarists in the early 80's in L.A. were known to make their own "hot rod" guitars out of discarded parts at the Jackson/Charvel shop as well.

This cover is different from when an artist such as Jimmy Page appeared on the issue as a solo artist and when he appeared with Led Zeppelin back in the day.

Also in this issue, GW begins covering black metal with an article on Dimmu Borgir.

After a long spell, Joe Satriani and Steve Vai once again appear on the cover of the October 2007 issue to celebrate their twenty years of pure shredding genius. Satch does look a little sinister with his shaven head. :eek: :lol:

Zakk Wylde once again makes an appearance on the cover of the November 2007 issue, which features something a little different: a guitar quiz!! This quiz comes in several parts dealing with all facets of rock, metal, alternative, and blues genres, music theory, guitar shape identification, etc. At the end of the test, your score will determine if you are a guitar LOSER or a GUITAR GOD!!!

I did rather well: My score indicated that I was a Guitar Dude. :cool: That theory part killed me, though. :eek:

Also, Rocklahoma, a new annual festival featuring 80's hair metal bands, made
is covered. Unfortunately, many of the bands have practically only one or two original members in the lineup, but that didn't stop the good times from rolling on. :cool:

On the cover of the December 2007 issue, the Classic Rock issue, Jimi Hendrix is shown in his famous pose at Monterey Pop Festival in 1967 where he stunned audiences by setting his Fender Stratocaster on fire.

On the cover of the Holiday 2007 issue, Zacky Vengeance and Synyster Gates of Avenged Sevenfold appear, re-enacting (or ripping off) Jimi's fiery finale at Monterey Pop. Now these guys may be cool in that they helped bring back guitar solos, fast playing, and dual lead harmonies, but they are nowhere near the level of Hendrix. Many people complain that there is something just a little too prefabricated about them, a combination G N' R-meets-Oasis kind of Hot Topic "cool". They act like they're the second coming of metal. ohno: They're metalcore, if that says something right there.

Jimmy Page, on two covers that same month, appears on the cover of the January 2008 issue, to discuss the historic reunion concert. Will there be a full tour?? That was the question on everyone's lips. Pagey looks rather regal with his silver hair, a far cry from his long brunette locks back in the day:

Kirk Hammett appears once more on the cover of the February 2008 issue to introduce his new Randall amp, priced affordably, and his new ESP guitar with a translucent black design, which actually looks purple. :cool:

Also, the issue marks the 25th anniversary of the album that brought forth all things loud, hard, fast, and heavy, the totally most vicious, angry debut album of all time: KILL'EM ALL by METALLICA!!!!! :rock:

Dimebag Darrell, winner of the Readers' Poll, appears on the cover of the March 2008 issue. The cover story features his widowed lifetime partner Rita Haney (neither were big fans of marriage), who talks about life with Dime, and the tragic last days of DamagePlan, and the aftermath where she confronts Pantera vocalist Phil Anselmo over hateful comments he made which led to the band's breakup and ultimately, Dime's death. This has been a controversial point for many Pantera fans, many of which question her business decisions regarding his legacy and product promotion, but she remains the one person, other than his brother Vinnie Paul, who understood him best.

This cover has been named the best cover of 2008, in the latest Readers Poll posted in the current GW issue.

Eddie Van Halen appears with the new bassist of Van Halen on the cover of the April 2008 issue: his son Wolfgang!! :eek: This is the new VH reunion?? Where's Michael Anthony?? The most partyingest bassist in rock and roll??

Well, apparently, since Eddie and Sammy Hagar have been not much on speaking terms since they split up over ten years before--a very acrimonious split, according to Sammy--in spite of a comeback tour with Hagar a few years before that ended poorly, Eddie apparently was unhappy that Anthony joined ranks with the Little Red Rocker for his solo band. Supposedly Eddie felt this was "treason", though Anthony never left VH, but since the guitarist was not on good terms with Sammy, he decided to put his own son in the band without warning, so this came as a suprise to Anthony. Not a true reunion.

One can imagine that David Lee Roth, once again a member of VH, was outnumbered in a band full of family members: Father, son, brother/uncle. Would this work out? And when's the new album coming out??

The May 2008 issue, the 300th issue, is appropriately designed with the '300' movie design. What a Spartan achievement!! Except, why are some guitarists up closer than others?? Mick Thomson of Slipknot is up closest to the camera than Angus Young, and behind him are Herman Li and Sam Totman, as well as James Hetfield, and countless others (okay, there are 300), many familiar faces. Well, maybe the Slipknot mask works for him up front , you know, armor? :idea:

Joe Perry and Slash both make an appearance on the cover of the June 2008
issue, showing how you can be a real guitar hero!!

Ugh. Guitar Hero. Who makes that toy?? Mattell or Hasbro? And why in God's Green Acres is it being sold in guitar shops?? It's NOT a guitar, it has no strings, you can't plug it in to an amplifier--and people think you can actually be a "guitar hero" just by pressing buttons!!! ARRRRGGHHH!!!!! :mad:
Now watch this become the wave of the future: "shredder" guitarists will actually go on tour and have "Guitar-Heroke" Battle of the Bands competitions. ohno:

Get a clue, people, buy a REAL guitar, give a real one for a present to your son, daughter, niece and nephew. Go through the hard part and learn REAL guitar. It's more exciting.

Yngwie Malmsteen appears on the July 2008 issue which teaches you how to play FAST!!!!! Another shred-oriented issue, with a list of some of the fastest players in all of guitar music, not just rock and metal, but jazz, country, and classical. Plus, the speeds of some guitarists are actually measured in notes per second!!!

Funny story about Yngwie: About twenty years before, he was on a flight to or from Japan, getting drunk and stupid, bothering other passengers. He fell asleep only to be awakened by an irritated woman who poured icewater on him. He leaps up, livid, and begans screaming, "You have unleashed the f:censored:ing fury!!" His bandmates laugh hysterically, and the incident becomes the stuff of internet legend, as well as the title of his 2005 album (without the f-expletive part, of course).

Dan Donegan of Disturbed appears in a super-patriotic Revolutionary War setting on the cover of the August 2008 issue, which salutes great American guitarists. patriot: :guitar:

The September 2008 issue pays tribute to the Jimi Hendrix classic 'Electric Ladyland' on the 40th anniversary of the album's release. The picture of Jimi is composed of smaller photos which resembles his image on the album cover.

Too bad they didn't do the original cover of the album on issue. The album featured scores of beautiful nude women, which brought about some controversy even back then. :grineyes:

Mick Thomson and Jim Root of Slipknot are featured on the October 2008 issue, as their latest album, 'All Hope Is Gone', climbs the charts:

Herman Li and Sam Totman of DragonForce, two of the fastest players in rock and metal, appear on the November 2008 issue. Their new album, 'Ultra Beatdown', is a perfect followup to their 2006 release, 'Inhuman Rampage'.

Kirk Hammett appears on the cover of the December 2008 issue, one of two that month, the other which features a photo of James Hetfield (which I'm having a hard time searching for). The band has hit #1 with their latest album, 'Death Magnetic', a return to form for the band after the 'St. Anger' fiasco. The album actually returned to their thrash roots and longer guitar solos, after having practically none on their previous album.

TONY IOMMI!!!!!! BLACK SABBATH!!!!! HEAVEN AND HELL!!!!!! :rock: :notworthy
On the cover of the Holiday 2008 issue. The guitarist who invented heavy metal forty years ago has a special issue featuring him and his various incarnations of Black Sabbath, with Ozzy, Dio, and others including Tony Martin on vocals, who appeared on several albums when they appeared under the radar in the late 80's and early 90's. Strange how Tony Iommi has been the only constant member of Black Sabbath, but regardless of the lineup, they have put out compelling music every time. (Well, that 1995 album 'Forbidden' wasn't such a winner...) The cover image actually comes from the Ozzfest 2004 issue. Couldn't GW come up with anything more current?? :confused:

Oh well, when Heaven and Hell comes out with their new album and tour this year, they will be all over future covers!!! :rock:

Angus Young of AC/DC, the world's oldest schoolboy, appears on the cover of the January 2009 issue, as they undertake one of the biggest concert tours of the year in support of their huge comeback album 'Black Ice'. It's been a long decade without hearing much from them, but now they're back!!
:rock: