Articles by: Joel McIver

The story of Slayer's Angel Of Death: “That’s the riff that people get wrong, if they’re gonna get any of them wrong!”

By Joel McIver last updated 12 August 22

In 2011 Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman looked back on their classic and its fallout – “When people started calling me a Nazi, I said, ‘Oh f**k off!"

Slash tells the story of the Guns N' Roses classic Sweet Child O' Mine: “The saving grace for me was the solo section”

By Joel McIver published 10 June 22

“One of the things that always bugged me about Sweet Child… was that it was an uptempo ballad, which didn’t fit what Guns N’ Roses was all about as far as I was concerned"

The 10 best bassists in the world right now, as decided by you

By Joel McIver published 2 December 21

2021’s low-frequency heroes revealed, as voted for by you

10 timeless bass guitar tones and how to recreate them

By Joel McIver published 26 October 21

The secrets behind some of the best tones of all time

Bootsy Collins on James Brown and the state of bass: “He told me one time, ‘Son, y’all the greatest band in the world, but you just can’t play’. Haha! And the bad thing about it was that he was serious!"

By Joel McIver published 26 October 21

Celebrating the day Funk bassist extraordinaire's 70th birthday with a look back at our 2018 interview

5 reasons Rush's Geddy Lee is the greatest bassist of all time

By Joel McIver published 8 June 21

There are way more than five reasons he's the bass GOAT, clearly, but here's our top 5

The greatest bassists of the 21st century, ranked by you!

By Joel McIver published 27 May 21

GOAT Hunt: These are the 10 electric bass players that you chose as the best between the year 2000 and, well, now

The greatest bassists 1980-'99, ranked by you

By Joel McIver last updated 18 May 21

GOAT Hunt: Your end of the century lords of the lowend revealed

The greatest pre-1980 bassists, ranked by you

By Joel McIver published 7 May 21

GOAT Hunt: From classic soul to rock’n’roll, these are the 10 electric bass players that you chose as the best before the '80s

The 10 best bassists in the world right now

By Joel McIver published 30 December 20

Best of 2020: 2020's lords of the low end revealed, as voted for by you

Tool's Justin Chancellor: “We wouldn’t be satisfied with something that wasn’t taken as far as we could take it”

By Joel McIver published 21 October 19

The bassist on the long wait for Fear Inoculum

Dougie Payne: “There’s something so elegant about the simplicity of the four-string bass. They’re just beautiful instruments”

By Joel McIver published 11 October 19

The bassist with Scottish rockers Travis on his relationship with the bass and the gig that transformed his band

Rickenbacker 4003S5 review

By Joel McIver published 22 September 19

£3279

When classic meets modern values

Cort Rithimic V review

By Joel McIver published 4 September 19

£1049

Jeff Berlin’s signature Cort gets a low string

Al Cisneros (Sleep/OM): “When I’m stoned it’s readily apparent whether a rhythm has a shelf-life or not”

By Joel McIver published 3 September 19

The Sleep bass man on his new signature Rickenbacker, roots and reggae

Tech 21 NYC Geddy Lee Signature SansAmp YYZ review

By Joel McIver published 1 September 19

£219
€249
$199

A tasty new SansAmp

Mastodon’s Troy Sanders: “There’s got to be a stronger word than ‘humbled’, and whatever that word is, that’s what I’m feeling”

By Joel McIver published 22 August 19

The bassist talks joining Thin Lizzy and a special cover of Stairway

Warwick Corvette $$4 review

By Joel McIver published 10 August 19

£1732

Put pedal to the metal

Green Book's Mike Hatton: “No-one has called me out for playing it wrong, which is great”

By Joel McIver published 8 August 19

We meet the bass-playing actor in the multiple Oscar-winning movie Green Book

Freekbass: “To me, funk is such a universal thing, and it’s such a timeless thing”

By Joel McIver published 1 August 19

We talk to the funk bass supremo

Michael League: “I think I’m the fourth best bass player on stage most of the time!”

By Joel McIver published 25 July 19

The Snarky Puppy bandleader and bassist on his ever-varied musical life

Ariane Cap: “I want to be the best musician I can be, and I also want to be the best educator I can be”

By Joel McIver published 18 July 19

The bassist on juggling her routine, projects and rapid-fire learning

Mohini Dey: “Give people what they want when you’re working for them. You should serve their music and not just yourself”

By Joel McIver published 11 July 19

The fast-rising bass talent on her astounding journey

Joe Dart: “The one thing you absolutely can’t skip on is developing great time”

By Joel McIver published 8 July 19

The Vulfpeck player on beginnings, bass advice and his signature Music Man

Vltimas’s David Vincent: “I’ve always viewed bass as a tool for bridging the gap between the drums and the guitar”

By Joel McIver published 27 June 19

The former Morbid Angel man returns with a new supergroup