TIPS FOR A DRUM SOLO

By johanne James

Welcome To The Underground Of

The Middle East (Extreme) Metal Scene

Greetings metal heads, I know it has been a while since I gave you, HeadBangers LifeStyle readers, an update about the [extreme] metal scene here in the Middle East. For those who don’t know me yet, I am Jake Shuker, a metal head from Damascus, Syria and lead guitarist & vocalist in the Death metal band Maysaloon.

PHOENIX VAN DER WEYDEN

Guitarista extraordinaire!

With her debut album `Defying Destiny’ the young guitar goddess exposed herself as one of the shred heads from a past generation. The tone of her guitar is rooted in the 80’s when Shrapnel Records sprouted careers of young guitar gods by the dozen. Following the path of predecessors like Vinnie Moore, Tony MacAlpine, Joey Tafolla, Greg Howe, Marty Friedman and Jason Becker [to name just a few] is daring, especially when you’re a young woman in South America. With a surname van der Weiden [Weyden] however, Phoenix reveals European, likely Dutch or Belgian, roots as well, unlike one might take for granted judging her looks. Phoenix is as Brazilian as one can look, but when she swings her axe, you better take cover! When the axe starts to fire notes, she is as temperamental as the entire Godly canaries, but she is sharper than the edge of a blade.