Warren DeMartini

Guitar heroes. There's nothing quite so exciting and irrepressible in Rock music as a master guitarist letting rip with all his emotions. A great guitarist represents the real essence of why we all fall under the spell of Rock music. Technology might move full steam ahead, and musical styles go in and out of fashion, but there is one constant in Rock music: the guitar hero.

Over the last decade or so, there have been sadly very few guitarists who have emerged to make an indelible mark on the genre. Most have exploded into public view, only to quickly run out of inspiration and innovation. But there is one name that people still mention in awed whispers. A man whose fusion of melody, Blues and crisp technique makes him perhaps the finest guitarist of his generation. Ladies and gentlemen, meet Warren DeMartini.

Warren was the fluent, fluid 'quarter back' for Ratt during their glory days of the mid 80s. Roaring out of the post-Glam/Hard Rock Los Angeles scene, Ratt became one of the most successful bands of the '80s, their multi-million selling potential fueled by the sparkle and edge that Warren gave them. On albums such as Out Of The Cellar' and 'Invasion If Your Privacy', he forged a unique guitar style that was as much about what he didn't play as what he did., Whilst others tried to fill every nook and cranny with a flurry of notes, Warren was confident enough to express himself as much through creative use of space as through his undeniably brilliant technical control. The result? Some of the great moments of '80s Rock and an envied reputation among his peers.

And whilst many guitarists relied solely on their high speed fretwork, Warren developed his own style, calling on the tradition of the Blues as much as his own more immediate guitar heroes for guidance. All of which means that, even now, one can listen back to any Ratt album and feel the genuine warmth of his performances.

But Ratt is now very much in the past. Warren is moving forward…Warren DeMartini is still a crucial musician with much to say, and the eloquence and the elegance to demand your full attention.

As I said at the start, the guitar hero is still the defining, divining, constant force in Rock music. That will never change. Warren DeMartini is a guitar hero, fit to rank with the very best.

Malcolm Dome

KERRANG!

Warren is currently working on a solo effort and actively performing with The Kings Of Chaos alongside an all-star band of fellow rock legends.