Integrity Guitarist Domenic Romeo’s Top Five ’80s Metal Guitar Solos
Integrity bring the shred just as hard as they bring the mosh, so it’s no surprise that guitarist Domenic Romeo’s knowledge of ’80s guitar players runs deep.
We asked Dom to put together a list of his favorite ’80s guitar solos of all time, and boy did he ever deliver! (with one token example from the ’90s.) Complete with a nod to one of MetalSucks most celebrated ’80s acts.
Says Dom: “It was hard to narrow this list down to five of my favorite guitar solos as the list changes every day. Here are five all-time favorites that I spent a lot of time obsessing on over the years, that still get me all fired up whenever I hear them.”
Integrity’s latest album Howling, For The Nightmare Shall Consume is out now via Relapse Records; check out below and order it here.
Vinnie Vincent Invasion – “Ashes To Ashes”
This song gets me fired up every time. Vinnie Vincent’s style is so rude and unrestrained that it takes on a life of its own within the song. The track begins as a glossy yet sinister sounding ’80s hair metal track, but things really heat up when VV steps in for the solo. He takes you through a warped and frantic trip complete with emotional wailing, reckless shredding and a little neo-classical flair that uses volume fades to emulate a violin. Someone needs to locate Vinnie Vincent and put a guitar back in his hands ASAP! The world needs more.
Body Count – “There Goes The Neighborhood”
Possibly my favorite Body Count track of all time. It’s got a solid, memorable riff and groove throughout. This track really comes alive when the tapping lead behind Ice T’s “We’re here….” spoken part kicks in. It gets even better when that tapping lead continues and becomes the rhythm part while Ernie C plays another solo over it. Such a cool idea… Ernie C is the man.
Ozzy Osbourne – “Over The Mountain”
It’s impossible to narrow it down to just one, but at the end of the day this has to be my favorite Randy Rhoads-era Ozzy song. Everything from the initial drum fill to the awesome riffs and of course, those solos! I love how he rolls up sinister licks (a nod to the Black Sabbath tri-tone) with plenty of whammy-bar antics before ending with a fusion of haphazard phrasing and neoclassical shred. I also love how he plays this solo so hard it feels like the guitar is going to break in his hands at any moment. Forever the greatest.
Scorpions – “Sails Of Charon”
I’ve actually been bugging Dwid [Hellion, vocals] to cover this song with Integrity so I have a reason to learn and perfect playing it. Uli Roth’s playing has so much finesse; it’s super busy and fast but it all makes perfect sense musically. I love watching old videos of him playing this song totally aloof as his fingers are flying like he doesn’t have a care in the world. Uli is one of the most underrated guitarists of all time.
GISM – “Document One”
Randy Uchida was simply incredible. Imagine Iron Maiden’s Dave Murray and Adrian Smith as conjoined twins that hopped into Jeff Goldblum’s pod in ‘The Fly’ with Randy Rhoads, teleported to Japan in 1983 to start a hardcore punk band. A pesky fly would have to get into the mix, too, as it would be the only way to explain Uchida’s incredible mutation of musical styles. I love the solos in this, alternating between haunted house and happy harmonies. Uchida was a true master.
https://youtu.be/4ot1BzqwSxg
