The 20 Greatest Metal Guitarists Ever

Fredrik Thordendal (Meshuggah)

Over 68,000 of you voted and the results of our Greatest Metal Guitarist Ever Poll are now in. There are a few surprises in here to say the least, but the public have spoken and, in this case at least, the public gets what the public wants!

Embrace the heavy with our guide to the best metal guitars

Fredrik Thordendal (Meshuggah)

Proportion of vote: 0.48%

Essential listening: 'Bleed'

Next: Gus G (Ozzy Osbourne, Firewind) >>

For those of you not in the know, in celebration of our forthcoming new-look magazine, TG asked our readers and MusicRadar visitors to vote for their favourite player from a shortlist of 20 metal guitarists. It was a closely fought battle… click through to see the final order and hear them in action.

The new-look Total Guitar magazine goes on sale 18 March and with an extra 32 pages it’s our biggest ever issue! The first issue is a thrash special, celebrating 1986 – the year that thrash broke – featuring Metallica’s ‘Master Of Puppets’, Slayer’s ‘Reign In Blood’ and Megadeth’s ‘Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?’

Gus G (Ozzy Osbourne, Firewind)

Proportion of vote: 0.51%

Essential listening: 'Let Me Hear You Scream'

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For those of you not in the know, in celebration of our forthcoming new-look magazine, TG asked our readers and MusicRadar visitors to vote for their favourite player from a shortlist of 20 metal guitarists. It was a closely fought battle… click through to see the final order and hear them in action.

The new-look Total Guitar magazine goes on sale 18 March and with an extra 32 pages it’s our biggest ever issue! The first issue is a thrash special, celebrating 1986 – the year that thrash broke – featuring Metallica’s ‘Master Of Puppets’, Slayer’s ‘Reign In Blood’ and Megadeth’s ‘Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?’

Kerry King (Slayer)

Proportion of vote: 0.66%

Essential listening: 'Raining Blood'

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For those of you not in the know, in celebration of our forthcoming new-look magazine, TG asked our readers and MusicRadar visitors to vote for their favourite player from a shortlist of 20 metal guitarists. It was a closely fought battle… click through to see the final order and hear them in action.

The new-look Total Guitar magazine goes on sale 18 March and with an extra 32 pages it’s our biggest ever issue! The first issue is a thrash special, celebrating 1986 – the year that thrash broke – featuring Metallica’s ‘Master Of Puppets’, Slayer’s ‘Reign In Blood’ and Megadeth’s ‘Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?’

Marty Friedman (Megadeth)

Proportion of vote: 1.41%

Essential listening: 'Hangar 18'

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For those of you not in the know, in celebration of our forthcoming new-look magazine, TG asked our readers and MusicRadar visitors to vote for their favourite player from a shortlist of 20 metal guitarists. It was a closely fought battle… click through to see the final order and hear them in action.

The new-look Total Guitar magazine goes on sale 18 March and with an extra 32 pages it’s our biggest ever issue! The first issue is a thrash special, celebrating 1986 – the year that thrash broke – featuring Metallica’s ‘Master Of Puppets’, Slayer’s ‘Reign In Blood’ and Megadeth’s ‘Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?’

Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine)

Proportion of vote: 1.44%

Essential listening: 'Killing In The Name'

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For those of you not in the know, in celebration of our forthcoming new-look magazine, TG asked our readers and MusicRadar visitors to vote for their favourite player from a shortlist of 20 metal guitarists. It was a closely fought battle… click through to see the final order and hear them in action.

The new-look Total Guitar magazine goes on sale 18 March and with an extra 32 pages it’s our biggest ever issue! The first issue is a thrash special, celebrating 1986 – the year that thrash broke – featuring Metallica’s ‘Master Of Puppets’, Slayer’s ‘Reign In Blood’ and Megadeth’s ‘Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?’

Michael Amott (Arch Enemy, Carcass)

Proportion of vote: 1.52%

Essential listening: 'Nemesis'

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For those of you not in the know, in celebration of our forthcoming new-look magazine, TG asked our readers and MusicRadar visitors to vote for their favourite player from a shortlist of 20 metal guitarists. It was a closely fought battle… click through to see the final order and hear them in action.

The new-look Total Guitar magazine goes on sale 18 March and with an extra 32 pages it’s our biggest ever issue! The first issue is a thrash special, celebrating 1986 – the year that thrash broke – featuring Metallica’s ‘Master Of Puppets’, Slayer’s ‘Reign In Blood’ and Megadeth’s ‘Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?’

Yngwie Malmsteen

Proportion of vote: 1.81%

Essential listening: 'Far Beyond The Sun'

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For those of you not in the know, in celebration of our forthcoming new-look magazine, TG asked our readers and MusicRadar visitors to vote for their favourite player from a shortlist of 20 metal guitarists. It was a closely fought battle… click through to see the final order and hear them in action.

The new-look Total Guitar magazine goes on sale 18 March and with an extra 32 pages it’s our biggest ever issue! The first issue is a thrash special, celebrating 1986 – the year that thrash broke – featuring Metallica’s ‘Master Of Puppets’, Slayer’s ‘Reign In Blood’ and Megadeth’s ‘Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?’

Zakk Wylde (Black Label Society, Ozzy Osbourne)

Proportion of vote: 2.14%

Essential listening: 'Miracle Man'

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For those of you not in the know, in celebration of our forthcoming new-look magazine, TG asked our readers and MusicRadar visitors to vote for their favourite player from a shortlist of 20 metal guitarists. It was a closely fought battle… click through to see the final order and hear them in action.

The new-look Total Guitar magazine goes on sale 18 March and with an extra 32 pages it’s our biggest ever issue! The first issue is a thrash special, celebrating 1986 – the year that thrash broke – featuring Metallica’s ‘Master Of Puppets’, Slayer’s ‘Reign In Blood’ and Megadeth’s ‘Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?’

Dave Murray (Iron Maiden)

Proportion of vote: 2.26%

Essential listening: 'The Trooper'

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For those of you not in the know, in celebration of our forthcoming new-look magazine, TG asked our readers and MusicRadar visitors to vote for their favourite player from a shortlist of 20 metal guitarists. It was a closely fought battle… click through to see the final order and hear them in action.

The new-look Total Guitar magazine goes on sale 18 March and with an extra 32 pages it’s our biggest ever issue! The first issue is a thrash special, celebrating 1986 – the year that thrash broke – featuring Metallica’s ‘Master Of Puppets’, Slayer’s ‘Reign In Blood’ and Megadeth’s ‘Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?’

Daron Malakian (System Of A Down)

Proportion of vote: 2.43%

Essential listening: 'Toxicity'

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For those of you not in the know, in celebration of our forthcoming new-look magazine, TG asked our readers and MusicRadar visitors to vote for their favourite player from a shortlist of 20 metal guitarists. It was a closely fought battle… click through to see the final order and hear them in action.

The new-look Total Guitar magazine goes on sale 18 March and with an extra 32 pages it’s our biggest ever issue! The first issue is a thrash special, celebrating 1986 – the year that thrash broke – featuring Metallica’s ‘Master Of Puppets’, Slayer’s ‘Reign In Blood’ and Megadeth’s ‘Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?’

Randy Rhoads (Ozzy Osbourne)

Proportion of vote: 2.77%

Essential listening: 'Crazy Train'

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For those of you not in the know, in celebration of our forthcoming new-look magazine, TG asked our readers and MusicRadar visitors to vote for their favourite player from a shortlist of 20 metal guitarists. It was a closely fought battle… click through to see the final order and hear them in action.

The new-look Total Guitar magazine goes on sale 18 March and with an extra 32 pages it’s our biggest ever issue! The first issue is a thrash special, celebrating 1986 – the year that thrash broke – featuring Metallica’s ‘Master Of Puppets’, Slayer’s ‘Reign In Blood’ and Megadeth’s ‘Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?’

Glenn Tipton (Judas Priest)

Proportion of vote: 3.77%

Essential listening: 'Painkiller'

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For those of you not in the know, in celebration of our forthcoming new-look magazine, TG asked our readers and MusicRadar visitors to vote for their favourite player from a shortlist of 20 metal guitarists. It was a closely fought battle… click through to see the final order and hear them in action.

The new-look Total Guitar magazine goes on sale 18 March and with an extra 32 pages it’s our biggest ever issue! The first issue is a thrash special, celebrating 1986 – the year that thrash broke – featuring Metallica’s ‘Master Of Puppets’, Slayer’s ‘Reign In Blood’ and Megadeth’s ‘Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?’

Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath)

Proportion of vote: 4.13%

Essential listening: 'Iron Man', 'War Pigs', 'Paranoid'... We could go on...

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For those of you not in the know, in celebration of our forthcoming new-look magazine, TG asked our readers and MusicRadar visitors to vote for their favourite player from a shortlist of 20 metal guitarists. It was a closely fought battle… click through to see the final order and hear them in action.

The new-look Total Guitar magazine goes on sale 18 March and with an extra 32 pages it’s our biggest ever issue! The first issue is a thrash special, celebrating 1986 – the year that thrash broke – featuring Metallica’s ‘Master Of Puppets’, Slayer’s ‘Reign In Blood’ and Megadeth’s ‘Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?’

James Hetfield (Metallica)

Proportion of vote: 4.16%

Essential listening: 'Enter Sandman'

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For those of you not in the know, in celebration of our forthcoming new-look magazine, TG asked our readers and MusicRadar visitors to vote for their favourite player from a shortlist of 20 metal guitarists. It was a closely fought battle… click through to see the final order and hear them in action.

The new-look Total Guitar magazine goes on sale 18 March and with an extra 32 pages it’s our biggest ever issue! The first issue is a thrash special, celebrating 1986 – the year that thrash broke – featuring Metallica’s ‘Master Of Puppets’, Slayer’s ‘Reign In Blood’ and Megadeth’s ‘Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?’

Mikael kerfeldt (Opeth)

Mikael Åkerfeldt (Opeth)

Proportion of vote: 4.59%

Essential listening: 'Porcelain Heart'

For those of you not in the know, in celebration of our forthcoming new-look magazine, TG asked our readers and MusicRadar visitors to vote for their favourite player from a shortlist of 20 metal guitarists. It was a closely fought battle… click through to see the final order and hear them in action.

The new-look Total Guitar magazine goes on sale 18 March and with an extra 32 pages it’s our biggest ever issue! The first issue is a thrash special, celebrating 1986 – the year that thrash broke – featuring Metallica’s ‘Master Of Puppets’, Slayer’s ‘Reign In Blood’ and Megadeth’s ‘Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?’

Dimebag Darrell (Pantera)

Proportion of vote: 5.90%Link

Essential listening: 'Walk'

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For those of you not in the know, in celebration of our forthcoming new-look magazine, TG asked our readers and MusicRadar visitors to vote for their favourite player from a shortlist of 20 metal guitarists. It was a closely fought battle… click through to see the final order and hear them in action.

The new-look Total Guitar magazine goes on sale 18 March and with an extra 32 pages it’s our biggest ever issue! The first issue is a thrash special, celebrating 1986 – the year that thrash broke – featuring Metallica’s ‘Master Of Puppets’, Slayer’s ‘Reign In Blood’ and Megadeth’s ‘Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?’

Mark Tremonti (Alter Bridge)

Proportion of vote: 7.26%

Essential listening: 'Blackbird'

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For those of you not in the know, in celebration of our forthcoming new-look magazine, TG asked our readers and MusicRadar visitors to vote for their favourite player from a shortlist of 20 metal guitarists. It was a closely fought battle… click through to see the final order and hear them in action.

The new-look Total Guitar magazine goes on sale 18 March and with an extra 32 pages it’s our biggest ever issue! The first issue is a thrash special, celebrating 1986 – the year that thrash broke – featuring Metallica’s ‘Master Of Puppets’, Slayer’s ‘Reign In Blood’ and Megadeth’s ‘Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?’

Mick Thomson (Slipknot)

Proportion of vote: 10.11%

Essential listening: 'Spit It Out'

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For those of you not in the know, in celebration of our forthcoming new-look magazine, TG asked our readers and MusicRadar visitors to vote for their favourite player from a shortlist of 20 metal guitarists. It was a closely fought battle… click through to see the final order and hear them in action.

The new-look Total Guitar magazine goes on sale 18 March and with an extra 32 pages it’s our biggest ever issue! The first issue is a thrash special, celebrating 1986 – the year that thrash broke – featuring Metallica’s ‘Master Of Puppets’, Slayer’s ‘Reign In Blood’ and Megadeth’s ‘Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?’

John Petrucci (Dream Theater)

Proportion of vote: 20.94%

Essential listening: 'Pull Me Under'

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For those of you not in the know, in celebration of our forthcoming new-look magazine, TG asked our readers and MusicRadar visitors to vote for their favourite player from a shortlist of 20 metal guitarists. It was a closely fought battle… click through to see the final order and hear them in action.

The new-look Total Guitar magazine goes on sale 18 March and with an extra 32 pages it’s our biggest ever issue! The first issue is a thrash special, celebrating 1986 – the year that thrash broke – featuring Metallica’s ‘Master Of Puppets’, Slayer’s ‘Reign In Blood’ and Megadeth’s ‘Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?’

Alexi Laiho (Children Of Bodom)

Proportion of vote: 21.73%

Essential listening: 'Needled 24/7'

For those of you not in the know, in celebration of our forthcoming new-look magazine, TG asked our readers and MusicRadar visitors to vote for their favourite player from a shortlist of 20 metal guitarists. It was a closely fought battle… click through to see the final order and hear them in action.

The new-look Total Guitar magazine goes on sale 18 March and with an extra 32 pages it’s our biggest ever issue! The first issue is a thrash special, celebrating 1986 – the year that thrash broke – featuring Metallica’s ‘Master Of Puppets’, Slayer’s ‘Reign In Blood’ and Megadeth’s ‘Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?’