Tosin Abasi Interview

I love 8 strings. I am glad that he does use one. Usually when band decided to go 7 or 8 stings they get shot down!

Tig-O-bitties wrote: I love 8 strings. I am glad that he does use one. Usually when band decided to go 7 or 8 stings they get shot down!

I'm going to go ahead and say no to the "shot down" comment. Look at Scale the Summit, After the Burial, Periphery, etc... Extended range guitars are the way to go.

Tosin is amazing. His style truly is the way of the future in metal, or at least the next trend to be copied to all hell.

He seems like a very intelligent but also modest guy, awesome interview.

Awesome! This guy is great.
The AAL album was badass.

Holy old. I saw this almost 2 months ago, haha
Awesome player/interview, though!

Animals As Leaders is amazing. Tosin is an amazing guitarists. I would totally buy an 8 string if i wasn't....you know....poor.

Awesome interview.
Awesome guitar.
Awesome guitar playing.
Awesome hat.

Equivalence wrote: He seems like a very intelligent but also modest guy, awesome interview.

Awesome guy!

it was so cool meeting him in worcester a couple weeks ago. really nice dude. gave me advice and everything. deserves to get somewhere, hes got a lot of talent

I wanna see that picking lesson he talked bout.

AAL ftw !

Man, his approach to writing sounds just like what i try to do. Very cool.

Excellent interview and choice of interviewee, I hope some more Tosin Abasi stuff comes on here *hint hint*

whys he dressed like a slave?...btw hes god

He's the nicest guy you'll ever meet. He just looks like a genuine badass while playing - it looks effortless and sounds totally new. His style of writing is just what everyone on this site needs to recognize. Throw that stupid scale book out the window and don't write what "makes sense" to you. Write what sounds COOL to you. Great interview.

The only problem I have with this guy's playing is that usually there is no tonic and the music does not resolve. To me, it sounds like someone noodling on their instrument instead of playing music.

one of the best guitarists nowdays

nexteyenate wrote: The only problem I have with this guy's playing is that usually there is no tonic and the music does not resolve. To me, it sounds like someone noodling on their instrument instead of playing music.

i completely agree. although he does have some serious skills. i've seen him play with Born of Osiris. he a great guitar player, just weird music.

i saw/met him last week at a show. he played flawlessly the whole set. hes a super cool guy and talked to me for a while after he played. he said that after this tour is done he is going back in the studio, which is exciting, considering that he is still a fresh sound in music.

i would relly love to see a video of that thumb technic he use's.

Great guitarist. I feel like a lot of times when metal-oriented music uses 7 and 8 string guitars it's only to get a deeper range to sound "heavier", not so with him. He has the skill of shredders but I wouldn't necessary classify him in the Vai, Satriani, Maalmsteen category. Not because of lack of skill but because I feel like his style is totally different; a little more understated in the shred and more pronounced or concerned w/chord voicings. The Animals as Leaders album is great, a bit odd at times with the time signatures and how he borders on a-tonal at certain points but if i could sum it up in one word it'd be "refreshing".

Tig-O-bitties wrote: I love 8 strings. I am glad that he does use one. Usually when band decided to go 7 or 8 stings they get shot down!

That's the narrow-mindedness of some musicians. Don't let that deter you, if anything.

!normajean! wrote: Animals As Leaders is amazing. Tosin is an amazing guitarists. I would totally buy an 8 string if i wasn't....you know....poor.

Dude...i know how you feel.

Man I saw this ages ago but yeah. Great player.
Most epic non-metal player metal artist alive. x.o
Sumeriancore ftw.

Progis8strings wrote: I'm going to go ahead and say no to the "shot down" comment. Look at Scale the Summit, After the Burial, Periphery, etc... Extended range guitars are the way to go. Tosin is amazing. His style truly is the way of the future in metal, or at least the next trend to be copied to all hell.

I hear you on the being copied to hell part. A lot more people are going to be doing the prog/jazz thing, and "Djent" if you will. Right now its cool as hell because of bands like AAL, Scale the Summit, Periphery, and of course Messugah, who are clearly the masters and groundbreaking bands of the sort of style. But I have a feeling that this will be the next thing to be cookie-cuttered unfortunately.

Also, on a side note - anyone who hasn't should check out Tosin's work in Reflux. very great.

Sorry for the double post

Haha, he's a great guy, really modest. I LOVE Animals As Leaders and it's great to get some insight into who Tosin is outside of his music and to hear how he goes about writing, playing, etc. Really helpful video.

hildesaw wrote: Progis8strings wrote: I'm going to go ahead and say no to the "shot down" comment. Look at Scale the Summit, After the Burial, Periphery, etc... Extended range guitars are the way to go. Tosin is amazing. His style truly is the way of the future in metal, or at least the next trend to be copied to all hell. I hear you on the being copied to hell part. A lot more people are going to be doing the prog/jazz thing, and "Djent" if you will. Right now its cool as hell because of bands like AAL, Scale the Summit, Periphery, and of course Messugah, who are clearly the masters and groundbreaking bands of the sort of style. But I have a feeling that this will be the next thing to be cookie-cuttered unfortunately.

Perhaps, but I think djent is a much harder style to imitate than a lot of other metal type genres. The uniqueness of Animals as Leaders compared to the hardcore bands they were opening with on tour is what helped make them so popular in the first place. To me it's about creating your own style and effectively utilizing the range of your instrument, which Tosin obviously has a knack for. Plus all the technicalities like finding a drummer talented enough to play your songs live and getting a reliable bass player that knows what they're doing can really hinder your efforts.

same here. but happy to see it again i love this guitarist and his ideas are very straight forward motivational and helpful in general.

SchecterC-1+Man wrote: Holy old. I saw this almost 2 months ago, haha Awesome player/interview, though!

Dog454 wrote: Perhaps, but I think djent is a much harder style to imitate than a lot of other metal type genres. The uniqueness of Animals as Leaders compared to the hardcore bands they were opening with on tour is what helped make them so popular in the first place. To me it's about creating your own style and effectively utilizing the range of your instrument, which Tosin obviously has a knack for. Plus all the technicalities like finding a drummer talented enough to play your songs live and getting a reliable bass player that knows what they're doing can really hinder your efforts.

Very true! Then maybe it will be like the Randy Rhoads/Van Halen effect back in the late 70's where all guitarists realized they had to step up their game and metal in general is benefited.

I saw him and his band open for DEP a few months back. He is an absolutely phenomenal player and writer.

I want that hat

ill be honest here....i think that intro sound he was makin sounded like shit...ive only seen like 2 awesome 8 string guitarists..and i dont care enough to remember their names

lukehoskin can kill this guy with ease, n he only use 6string hahaha

Augustus Botak wrote: lukehoskin can kill this guy with ease, n he only use 6string hahaha

hope you are kidding me