NAME: Michael Knight
PLAYING (YEARS): Too many to count!
STYLE: Metal – instrumental and traditional.
GEAR: Guitars:1980 Charvel/Jackson, 1975 Gibson Les Paul Custom, 1978 Ibanez Destroyer. Amps: Marshal Valvestate. Effects: Memory Man Delay, Crybaby Wah-Wah.
ENDORSEMENTS: None. Sports figures get paid thousands of dollars to endorse products. I decided I wasn’t going to pursue endorsements until I was in a position where they would pay me or provide tour support and use me in a major ad campaign. If they’re not providing these things, why would I need them?
PAST ACCOMPLISHMENTS: From ’96 to 2001 I was editor/owner/writer of Guitar-2001 Magazine. We put together a compilation cd of instrumental guitar artists called “Lick This”. Check it out at: www.guitar2001.com In 94′ I released my 1st instrumental cd, “Dreamscapes”. Through the years I also did movie soundtrack music for low budget horror movies: Evil Streets, Psycho Sisters, and The Machines of Love and Hate and some others.
CURRENT & UPCOMING PROJECTS:”Mechanica Diablo” is my new instrumental cd. Its a real heavy, dark disturbing concept cd, probably one of the heaviest instrumental cds you ever heard. It’s the musical equivalent to Dante’s Inferno. It’s currently available through: www.guitar9.com I’m also guitarist in the band, SKULGRINDER. It’s a metal band in the great tradition of: Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, and Metallica. The premier cd is titled, “Island of Lost Souls”.
FAVORITE GUITARIST: Zakk Wylde is probably my current fave. His latest solo cd is crazy shit. Mad guitar solos!!! Michael Schenker and Randy Rhoads are always in my list of influences, too.
MOST UNDERRATED PLAYERS: I’d say Tony Iommi. You always hear that Sabbath was a great band but Iommi gets little credit for his influence in rhythm playing. He is the consummate metal rhythm player. Everybody knows those early Sabbath riffs, his influence can still be heard in today’s bands. Also I’d have to add Jeff Loomis from Nevermore. Excellent fast but melodic playing, great composition skills, and heavy as hell. Anyone who was ever into Queensryche, Priest, Sabbath, or Metallica, should check out their latest release, “Dead Heart….” It is one of my fave cds in the past 10 years!!!
FOUR WORDS THAT BEST DESCRIBES WHAT YOU WANT TO GET ACROSS IN YOUR PLAYING: Composition, Expression, Ethereal, Surrealism.
ULTIMATE GOAL: To be able to keep making music. I also would like to be able to sign more bands to my label and do good by them. I see so many great independent bands fall apart because nothing good ever happens for them.
CONTACT: darknite@optonline.net
WEBSITE: www.kmrecords.com
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