The LA nightlife has long been a lure for the weird and wonderful (see: Crüe, Mötley). Likewise, All Hail The Yeti's guitarist Alan Stokes was born in Ireland, raised in Vancouver and now plies his in trade in Hollywood, chugging filthy, classic rock-inspired riffs.
Appropriately his band's new collection Screams From A Black Wilderness, proves AHTY's taste for the dark and monstrous, both lyrically and tonally.
What stays with me is how four people from four different places can be on the same page about things
"I play a Schecter Solo II ATX and the Hellraiser Solo II," explains Stokes. "Then on the left I have my Mesa Single Rectifier with a vintage, Marshall JCM-style tone and on the right I have a Dual Rectifier with a modern punchy, bass-y Mesa tone."
Vintage rock, modern beef
It's a melding of vintage rock and modern metal beef that can be heard throughout the group's output - and Alan puts it to innovative use.
"There'll be parts where I switch from left to right, so I can switch them on and off to get that effect," he says. "I also do some looping, where I send a loop to one amp and then play something else over the top of it [on the other]."
It's one potent component among many for the group. "What stays with me is how four people from four different places can be on the same page about things," enthuses Alan.
"That's the hardest part. Spending 300 days with the same three guys and not wanting to rip each other's heads off - that's a good quality to have!"
- For fans of: 36 Crazyfists, Pantera
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