Unlucky For Some: The 13 most underrated guitarists in rock music right now
Despite the ongoing debate about the importance of the guitar in the present day, the sonics connected to the instrument have never been so healthy. In an age where music has taken on more forms than ever before, with the lines between genres and aesthetics blurred and labels transcended, rock and the guitar have pushed back against the supposed epoch of the machines and continued to deliver scintillating experiences.
Not to quote Alex Turner, but there is something unique about the guitar and every genre attached to rock music. It means it is impervious to outside forces and other musical modes, killing it off for good and sending it into the dustbin of history like many other instruments long since forgotten.
The guitar is one of the most dextrous instruments out there, and in rock, the six-string has been used to appeal to various emotions, from love to pure hatred. Given that playing, recording and building the instrument are now better than ever, this has led to it reasserting why it is such a culturally significant tool for artists and why it can elicit a wider berth of human responses than almost any other.
As is well-known and widely overdone, guitar playing has its pantheon of greats, but in all honesty, everyone’s sick of these same faces; it’s time for others to move into the limelight. Accordingly, today, I’ve taken it upon myselves to list the 13 most underrated contemporary rock guitarists who are doing something genuinely exciting. Ranging from psychedelic to metallic hardcore, find below some of the best guitarists our era has to offer.
The 13 most underrated rock guitarists:
13. H. Hawkline
Whilst it has been evident in all of his past work that he’s a capable guitarist, the Antigua Stratocaster-donning Welshman, H. Hawkline, is actually a brilliant player. We heard this clearly on his latest album, Milk for Flowers, which saw him blend indie, psychedelia, Motown and glam-rock into a unique sound, courtesy of his technically proficient approach.
I caught him live earlier this year, and the invention of his riffs combined with his vocals was a real treat. Unsurprisingly, the Cardiff native has also plied his trade as the touring guitarist for Devendra Banhart and Aldous Harding, with his added skill a plus for any band. He’s a whizz on the bass, too.
12. Chris Greatti – Yves Tumor
Yves Tumor is one of the brightest lights in modern music, and to help them bring their music to life, they need a band brimming with excellence. The highlight of this backing troupe is guitarist Chris Greatti, another player who stands out from the crowd. Arriving with the aesthetic of a 1970s rock god and the stage presence to match, his searing lines add another welcome edge to Tumor’s three-dimensional sonics.
Whether it be on moments such as the noisy, shoegazing guitar of ‘Katrina’, his shredding on tracks like ‘Kerosene!’ in the live arena, or his melodic twists on recent singles like ‘Heaven Surrounds Us Like a Hood’, Greatti is both a traditional guitarist and a modern one, infusing old tropes with a refreshing twist.
11. Alex G
Singer-songwriter and producer Alex G – real name Alexander Giannascoli – is a gifted guitarist and a unique one. Whilst he might pull from some obvious influences, it’s a testament to G’s ability and approach that you can always tell a record is his within seconds. A little bit emo, folk and alternative rock, he picks from these areas and is both a trusted rhythm player and effective riff maker.
From lo-fi anthems like ‘Animal’ to acoustic numbers such as the Oneohtrix Point Never collaboration ‘Babylon’, Alex G knows how to pierce with his guitar, with a distinctly sincere strand running through everything he does in both the bluer and more upbeat moments. He is a widely influential modern musician and a lot of this hinges on his guitar-playing ability.
10. John Dieterich – Deerhoof
In all honesty, it was a toss-up between Deerhoof guitarist John Dieterich and his axe-wielding brother-in-arms, Ed Rodríguez. Yet, as the former has been in the experimental rock stalwarts for nine years longer, it had to be him. Another group I recently caught in action, whilst the technique of all four band members is evident on their records, the guitars are elevated to a different level live.
Touching on psychedelia, metal, jazz and noise, Dieterich’s guitar-playing – which ranges from treble-heavy runs high up the neck to mind-bending bouts of the low end – is hypnotic, with the American guitarist a master of many different techniques. As well as being technically proficient, he also knows how to serve the song and when not to play, two requirements for every stellar musician. Deerhoof’s new album, Miracle-Level, is an unabashed exhibit of Dieterich’s talent.
9. Marshall Gallagher – Teenage Wrist
I’ve been a fan of Marshall Gallagher and his band, Teenage Wrist, for quite some time. The guitarist and now frontman of the group, Gallagher has risen to the task seamlessly and continued to provide scintillating guitar takes. A true alternative rock hero who leans into emo and shoegaze, he has an extensive highlights reel. Still, the noisy soundscapes on ‘Chrome Neon Jesus’, bend-heavy riffing on ‘Mary’ and the harmony of ‘Silverspoon’ are three that instantly spring to mind.
However, his finest moment has to be on ‘New Emotion’ from 2021’s Earth Is A Black Hole. Showcasing his grasp of effects, deep understanding of the traditional vocal and guitar pairing, and his ability to solo, the most breathtaking moment arrives at 2:10. He blasts through a solo evoking the quick movement and melodic disposition of none other than Dinosaur Jr’s J Mascis, whilst not ripping anyone off.
8. GG Guerra – Soul Glo
Philly hardcore punks Soul Glo are legends. Whilst all three members bring something vital to the fold, with frontman Pierce Jordan’s quick, almost scat-like delivery adding ample grit, guitarist GG Guerra’s work is the most critical piece of the puzzle. Another vibrant player, the afroed Guerra’s performances dictate everything Soul Glo do, including the more harmonious junctures and the girthy beatdowns.
I watched Soul Glo rip it up in the heat of Barcelona at this year’s edition of Barcelona and kept breaking into a smile as Guerra went about his business, which is as exciting as they come, whilst still wearing his backpack on the side. Not giving a damn whilst crossing every inch of his fretboard was one of the weekend’s highlights as he moved through DC-oriented hardcore, thrash and indie spaces with ease.
7. Geordie Greep – Black Midi
Of all the supposed wave of post-Brexit British bands, only Black Midi packs a punch. An experimental act with roots in jazz and 1970s avant-garde and outliers like Frank Zappa and Captain Beefheart, the group continues to blow away with each release and move closer to their ultimate creative vision. Whilst all are incredible musicians, for this list, it is frontman and guitarist Geordie Greep who must be discussed.
Playing his trusty Reverend and prowling the stage in a menacingly unhinged way, in his relatively short career, Greep has laid down numerous highlights on his six-string. They include the frenetic chops of ‘953’ – one of the band’s heaviest thumpers – the completely unhinged ‘Welcome to Hell’ and the off-kilter panache of ‘John L’, which features what might be Black Midi’s most infectious riff. There’s no one like Greep around at the minute.
6. Andrew Clinco – Drab Majesty
Andrew Clinco is as unique as any guitarist you’ll find on this list or performing today. Operating under the name Deb Demure and fronting the goth adjacent duo Drab Majesty, it is through his hypnotic, effects-drenched guitar which is down-tuned into a chiming folk set-up that gives the band their characteristic edge on top of the mesh of pulsating textures.
On the new record, An Object in Motion, Clinco has struck a more psychedelic route, influenced by the rolling vistas of the Pacific Northwest; his guitar playing is still exquisite. Earlier in his catalogue are compositions such as ‘Dot in the Sky’, ‘A Dialogue’, ‘Ellipsis’ and ‘Oxytocin’ that all evidence how he bridges darker elements with ephemeral ones to emphatic effect. It makes sense that prior to Drab Majesty, Clinco played in the post-rock band Marriages with a certain Emma Ruth Rundle. It gave him the experience needed to reach such artistic heights with Drab Majesty.
5. Reba Meyers – Code Orange
At this point, Reba Meyers, a founding member and the lead guitarist of Pittsburgh outfit Code Orange, has a wealth of material that proves her status as one of the greatest and most criminally overlooked modern rock guitarists. Whilst the band moved from hardcore into a punishing metalcore area and now into a more straight-up alternative rock one, Meyers has continued to be at the top of her game.
Of course, the track that the group are most famous for is ‘Forever’, and that’s a perfect place to start for the uninitiated. Furious and technical, Meyers kills it on the track, as she does on others such as ‘My World’ and ‘3 Knives’. Meyers pushes her instrument to the limit, with chugging chords in breakdowns, piercing bends and pinched harmonics, and a grasp of the off-beat that every great hardcore player needs.
4. Kerry McCoy – Deafheaven
Whilst some black metal fans might deride Deafheaven, the San Francisco blackgaze outfit are one of the most emotionally profound of recent times. A musical embodiment of pure catharsis, whilst every member shines, with drummer Daniel Tracy, one of the best we’ve heard in a long time, it is their lead guitarist Kerry McCoy who makes the group tick.
Taking cues from punk, thrash, grindcore, shoegaze and, of course, black metal, it is through the bespectacled axeman that Deafheaven are able to straddle the line between darkness and light so adroitly. He can be as punishing as anyone, as heard on moments such as ‘Brought to the Water’ and ‘Black Brick’, as well as elicit moments of total euphoria, thanks to his grasp of melody, the impact of key changes and effects. For the latter, look no further than the hair-raising climax of ‘Dream House’. Another more emotive composition is ‘In Blur’, from the band’s last album, 2021’s Infinite Granite.
3. Taylor Young – God’s Hate and Twitching Tongues
The Young family are clearly a talented bunch. Taylor Young and his brother Colin first broke out in the celebrated metal band Twitching Tongues in the early 2010s and have both continued to be heavyweights of the genre with various projects, with Taylor formerly the drummer of Nails and, more recently, the co-producer of Militarie Gun’s superb debut album, Life Under the Gun. The Young siblings also feature in the supergroup God’s Hate, where they shine brightest.
Taylor is the lead guitarist of God’s Hate, who are self-described as “one of the hardest hardcore bands in the land”. Whilst all of their material is excellent, it was on their self-titled 2021 album that Young cemented himself as a definitive guitarist in modern metal and hardcore, as it’s brimming with jaw-dropping playing. It features the ominous ‘Be Harder’, which contains one hell of a beatdown, the furious noise of ‘God’s Hate’, and ‘Eternity of Hate’, which boasts classic metal riffing. Young is the gold standard for anyone wanting to take the guitar to such gargantuan heights.
2. Cory Hanson
Cory Hanson is more than deserving of his place so high up the list. Playing as a member of Ty Segall’s band The Muggers, the frontman of psych-rock masters Wand, and now finding his feet as a solo artist with his most recent album, Western Cum, Hanson’s extensive oeuvre is a highlight of modern rock guitar playing. He’s covered many bases in his time, and all have been done to the highest quality.
Whilst his music is distinctive, Hanson’s guitar playing is not confined to one model. He has played on Jazzmasters, Stratocasters, Les Pauls and others across his career, which are all offset by his penchant for acoustic moments. One of his finest moments has to be the epic that is ‘Fire On The Mountain (I-II-III)’, which culminates with a triumphant solo, with others being the doom-laden ‘Planet Golem’ and ‘Bee Karma’ which is carried by a glorious 1970s-inflected riff. Elsewhere, the noisy cacophony of ‘Send/Receive (Mind)’ and Nick McCabe-evoking ‘Scarecrow’ are two others at the top of the list.
Hanson is a mighty guitarist and one that needs more praise. If his skill wasn’t already clear, check out that cover of Gary Numan’s ‘M.E.’; it’s better than the original.
1. Nick Cogan – Drug Church and Militarie Gun
Throughout his time with hardcore/alternative rock heroes Drug Church, Nick Cogan has provided lick after lick that demonstrates his natural ability on the instrument. Emerging from a tradition of alternative rock guitarists indebted as much to the likes of J Mascis as it is to indie pioneers like Johnny Marr, with a host of hardcore legends like Fugazi leader Ian MacKaye also mixed in, Cogan’s invention has been the key to Drug Church’s success. It’s a perfect counterbalance to the gritty vocals of frontman Patrick Kindlon. One only has to check out ‘Work-Shy’, ‘Weed Pin’ and ‘Tiresome’ to hear how impactful he is.
Clearly a tireless creative who plies his trade in numerous projects, Cogan’s work with Militarie Gun has allowed him to explore the more melodic aspects of his playing in greater detail. From the energetic indie-punk of ‘Do It Faster’ to the nostalgic ‘Very High’, Cogan has many strings to his bow and has proved highly influential for a new generation of guitarists. Another master in serving the song, he never overdoes it, with his skill even more rousing in the live setting as the bodies fly off the stage. He also plays a Jazzmaster, so what’s not to love?
