BallBuster Contributor

Name: Don Moore Playing (years): I have been playing the guitar for a little over 4 years now Style: Instrumental Rock with a touch of Blues and Metal thrown in Gear:Guitars: ESP Electric Guitars, Yamaha Acoustic/ElectricCases: Coffin CasesAmps: PeaveyEffects: Line6 POD2.0, Morley Pedals, DigitechStrings: Elixir, D*Addario, Ernie Ball, GHS, Dean MarkleyPickups: DiMarzio, Seymour DuncanGuitar Picks: In-Tune, Dunlop, Fender, […]

21st Metalmania Festival Needs Your Band For 2nd Stage!

Here is a band that is tearing up the east coast with their alt-hard rock fused brand of music. Playing it from within and with plenty of energy, anger and no influence on what the scene is calling for in terms of “what’s hot” in today’s mainstream. Spider Rockets are preparing to tour in support […]

Wow, that´s a fantastic idea. Yesterday I complained in another interview that most magazines never let musicians room to write about religion, politics, philosophy or other things, it´s all focused on the favourite food of this and that musician and other nonsense nobody needs for his/her life. So I really like your haunted happenings section […]

When I was a child I lived with my parents in this huge old house where these nuns lived before it was rented to us. I remember being in the basement and hearing a voice. I couldn’t tell you what the voice said. All I remember is the basement door being closed at the top […]

Actually the studio in Brooklyn where we have recorded the last 3 times is haunted. It was an armory during the Revolutionary War. A soldier from the war supposedly haunts the place. We never saw the ghost but one time in the middle of the night while we were listening to a final mix we […]

Name: Matt Konfirst Playing (years): 16 years Style: Progressive rock/ metal Gear: guitars-Ibanez RG570, Jackson custom SL-1, Schecter A-7 7-string Preamp- Behringer V-Amp Pro Power Amp- Marshall 9200 Cabinets- Crate Celestion 4×12 cabinets Additional effects- Behringer Tube Composer T1952, Roland SRV 3030D Reverb Unit, Yamaha SPX 990 Effects Unit Past accomplishments: Recorded a 4-song demo in the mid 90’s with […]

Name: Greg Rapaport Playing (years): 25 Years Style: Dark Fusion/Progressive Funk Gear: My main guitar is a Carvin DC747c 7 string. My main bass is a Carvin LB75p 5 string. Other guitars include: Ibanez RG7620, Ibanez SG540, 1958 Gibson LesPaul, 1980 Gibson. Fender 4×12 cab, Line 6 Pod XT, Roland GR-20 guitar synth, Carvin Tone Navigator, Behringer V-amp, Rocktron […]

Be Committed!…You’ll Never Be Famous If You Don’t Show Up!
by Sheena Metal

Name: Adam Levy Playing (years): 29 years (1977 – present) Style: Guitar style is on the bluesy side of jazz, or vice versa, with a Bill Frisell openness in the overall sound. Vocal style is rough yet mellow, like early Tom Waits, or a male Rickie Lee Jones. Gear: Electric guitars: 1964 Gibson ES-335 1979 Gibson ES-335 1959 […]

PEDEAL STARTS SHIPPING SEPTEMBER 1ST, 2006 HOLLYWOOD ­ The new Blood Drive pedal from Coffin Case was the talk of Austin at Summer NAMM 2006 and is the first in a complete line of effect pedals from Coffin Case. The Blood Drive features a classic rich analog distortion and warm boost circuit, but with more […]

Name: Nick Kane Playing (years): 45 Style: Rock, Blues, Fingerstyle and assorted related styles Gear: Nick Kane Signature Gibson Custom Shop Flying V, 57 Reissue Black Beauty Les Paul, 57 Reissue Goldtop Les Paul, 1970 SG Std, 61 Reissue SG, SG Classic, Gibson J45 Flattop, Ovation 1863 Classic Nylon String and about 25 other guitars. Amps: 70’s Fender Super […]

Name: Laki Ragazas Playing (years): Playing guitar for 23 years Style: Hard Rock/Blues Rock/Shred Gear: Guitars: Gibson Les Paul standard and Gibson Les Paul Custom with Gibson’57 Classic Plus Humbuckers and Pearly Gates Seymour Duncan Humbuckers. Amps: Tech 21 Trademark 60W (for smaller gigs) Marshall MK II with a 300W RMS cabinet speaker (for bigger gigs) Stompbox: Ibanez […]

Name: Doug Doppler Playing (years): 36 Style: Instrumental Rock/Metal Gear: Ibanez guitars, DiMarzio pickups, Krank Amplifiers, Boss GT-6, Radial Headbone, M-Audio Black Box Endorsements: Ibanez, DiMarzio, Krank, D’Addario, M-Audio Past accomplishments: Sitting in with Joe Satriani and Neal Schon at the Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco. To get a chance to play along side such incredibly iconic guitar players is a […]

Name: Niels Vejlyt Playing (years): about 17 years Style: Neoclassical metal/Shred Gear: Mexico strat reissue, Ibanez 550. Rocktron: Piranha, Intellifex, Velocity 250, Rivera cabs Endorsements: None Past accomplishments: Mexico strat reissue, Ibanez 550. Rocktron: Piranha, Intellifex, Velocity 250, Rivera cabs Current and upcoming projects: Just released my first instrumentel album. Its called The predator and the styli is a mix between Neoclassical […]

Name: Steve Cone Playing (years): Long enough. Style: Heavy Metal/Hard Rock Gear: I have a bunch of guitars that I record with too many to name here. But my favorites are my Flying V’s (Gibson & Dean) and my custom Killer guitars. As far as amps go I use ENGL, Marshall, Line 6, Mesa Boogie and Soldano. I have […]

Name: John Tapella Playing (years): 20 Style: progressive metal Gear: Marshall amp with several mods, various Line 6 amps, Blade guitar Endorsements: Currently the main transcriber and editor for the Line 6 Guitarport. Several video lessons have been on the site cover. Hal Leonard guitar book author. Past accomplishments: transcribed the first authorized Stevie Ray Vaughn guitar book, author of Challenge […]

Name: Curt Shaw Playing (years): 25 years, self taught. Style: Mainly Heavy Metal/hard rock. But I also play some classical, bluegrass, and country. I like all styles of music. But I would have to say I’m a Head Banger at heart. Gear: Guitars: Jackson USA Rhoades V, Jackson Pro Soloist, Jackson Pro Dinky, Brian Moore 9i, Fender American Deluxe […]

Name: Eric Mantel Playing (years): 33 Years! Style: All styles: Rock, Pop, Fusion, Jazz, Classical, Country, Bluegrass, Reggae, Blues, Delta Blues, Ragtime, Blues Rock, New Age, etc. Gear: Over 35 guitars: Fender Stratocasters, Telecasters, Jazz Master, Jaguar, Gibsons: ES-175, SG, LES PAULS, ES-335, Taylor Acoustic and Classical guitars…. many many more! Fender Twin Reverbs, Marshall JMP 50 Watt! With […]

Name: Jeff Urso Playing (years): 19 years Style: Instrumental rock guitar ala Satriani, Vai, Petrucci, Johnson Gear: Ibanez RG550 (tuned to Drop D), Ibanez Jem 555WH (standard tuning), Ibanez Jem Universe UV777 (standard B tuning), Takamine EG-334BC acoustic, Fender Precision 5 string bass, Carlo Robelli 4 string bass, Line6 Pod Pro, Marshall JMP-1, Marshall 900 Lead-1960 Angled cabinets, Carvin […]

10/31/05 – Headliners Music Hall – Norma Jean, Still Remains, Haste The Day & The Handshake Murders 11/02/05 – Headliners Music Hall -The Blood Brothers w/ Early Man & Ayin 11/05/05 – The Gate – Hatebreed w/ Most Precious Blood, Full Blown Chaos, If Hope Dies, Gizmachi & Manntis 11/19/05 – Bulldog Cafe – Murder […]

Why Colleges Are an Independent Musician’s Goldmine by Kenny Love Most musicians, independent or major, understand that the college market is one of their prime markets, if not their leading market for radio airplay and media coverage. In contrast, however, most musicians do not seem to take complete advantage of this market and “milk it […]

Name: Joe Sims Playing (years): 28 Style: Metal Gear: Jackson & Ibanez guitars, Mesa-Boogie Rectifier amp Endorsements: None at the moment…….. Past accomplishments: – 9 releases (bands include: Dream or Nightmare, Axemaster, The Awakening, and Reign) – Music featured on the rock music encyclopedia on CD-ROM titled “Recorded History” (which is included in, among others, the United Nation’s “Great […]

Enter for a chance to win a SIGNED Anthrax “Anthrology: No Hit Wonders (1985-1991) The Videos” DVD here now! Here’s how to enter for your chance to win!Fill out the form below. Your email address will be KEPT PRIVATE (Only one entry per person please!) CONTEST TERMS: Contests are done in good faith by BallBusterHardMUSIC.com and […]

Name: John 5 Playing (years): 17 years Style: rock / country Gear: Fender guitars and Marshal amps Endorsements: Fender Guitars, Marshall Amps, D’Addarrio Strings Past accomplishments: Playing @ The Grand Ole Oprey, Cover of Guitar Player, #1 Record Current and upcoming projects: Songs of Sanity (out now) Loser (out beginning 2006) Favorite guitarist: Buckethead, Albert Lee Most underrated players: Scott Anderson, Brent Mason Best […]

Perris Records While listening to this entire album, I kept wondering, “What were these guys THINKING?” Roxx Gang used to crank out some pretty decent blues-rock, but not this time. Most of these songs are about boozing, drugging and sleazing, and since I’ve personally known way too many casualties of those vices–friends and family, this […]

Name: Travis Smith Playing (years): 17 years Style: Neoclassical Shred Metal, Rock, & Blues Gear: GUITARS: 4 Aria Pro II Fullerton Model Strats, 2 Fender Strats, 1 NY Pro Strat, 1 Ibanez Strat, 1 Hartke 4 String Bass AMPS: Fender Roc Pro 1000, Marshall ValveState Power Amp Into a 4/12 Custom Cab With Front Loaded Celestion Speakers, B15 […]

by Ritch Esra Commentary In these times of major label mergers, downsizing, the slashing of label rosters, and thousands of record company jobs being lost over the last three years–not to mention the enormous sea change and seismic shifts that technology has wrought–comes one of the most disturbing reports we have come across. It further […]

by Freddy Metal BallBuster Music Contributor With clean vocals, shred oriented musicianship, five part vocal harmonies, and an emphasis on memorable, hook-laden songwriting, Azrael’s Bane are poised to make their mark on today’s metal music landscape. Influenced by the likes of Savatage, Lillian Axe and Queensryche the band has created a style that is as […]

Name: Brad Wilson Playing (years): Thirty years Style: Blues Rock Gear: Mesa Amps/ Cabs and my Gibson Les Paul and Fender Strat Endorsements: Ernie Ball Strings Past accomplishments: John Carpenter’s Soundtracks for the films “Vampires” and Ghosts of Mars”, NBC Television show “Passions”, Robert Bradley and Black Water Surprise “Still Loving You”, Two records with rockers Stone “Some where in […]