Alter Bridge and Creed’s Mark Tremonti Inspired by Metallica, Slayer

2012-07-19

Story by Cat Badra

Mark Tremonti says he looked up to Metallica and Slayer as a kid

Mark Tremonti of Creed and Alter Bridge is recognized as one of the finest rock guitarists of Gen X. So, who are the players who inspired little Tremonti to first pick up the six-string?

“The first record that really made me a music fanatic was Metallica’s ‘Master of Puppets,’” he told Noisecreep. “That’s probably my favorite record of all time. From there I searched for the heaviest, darkest, meanest sounding stuff I could find. I grew up in Detroit and my friends listened to Slayer and Testament. I got into punk, too, like Black Flag and Ministry…”

As for specific guitar player Tremonti idolized as a kid, he noted “[Metallica’s] James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett, for sure. That down stroke thing they do is one of my core sounds — my rhythm playing is very rooted in the Metallica-based style. And Slayer’s approach, too,” he said. “Some of my favorite riffs of all time are on Slayer’s song ‘Raining Blood’ and that really inspired me to write man of the menacing metal riffs that I have over the years. That’s really what turned me on when I was younger, that kind of music.”

Tremonti released his debut solo album, “All I Was,” on July 17 on his own Fret 12 Records, a venture between Mark, his brother Daniel and Tom Stanley.

 




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