
High-octane melodic death metal that trades vocals for virtuosic guitar storytelling. Cinematic, technical, and surprisingly catchy shred for the modern era.
Andy Gillion creates a sound that feels like a high-definition collision between the aggressive gallop of melodic death metal and the soaring, technical brilliance of neoclassical shred. It is music that prioritizes the guitar as a lead narrator, replacing traditional growls with fluid, singing melodies and dizzying arpeggios. The production is immaculately clean, allowing every note of his intricate picking to cut through dense layers of symphonic synths and thunderous percussion.
What truly sets Gillion apart is his ability to inject a sense of playfulness and cinematic scope into a genre that often leans toward the grim. His work frequently references the aesthetic of video game soundtracks and epic film scores, using bright synth patches and heroic chord progressions that evoke a sense of adventure. It is technical without being cold, and aggressive without being abrasive, maintaining a constant forward momentum that feels both exhausting and exhilarating.
Start with the album 'Arcade Metal' if you want to hear his most vibrant, synth-heavy explorations of the genre, or dive into 'Neverafter' for a more traditional, guest-heavy showcase of his songwriting prowess. It is the perfect entry point for fans of technical metal who want the complexity of a guitar clinic paired with the emotional resonance of a grand orchestral score.
Andy Gillion (born 4 September 1988) is a British-born multi-instrumentalist, composer, and songwriter. He is best known as the former songwriter and lead guitarist of the melodic death metal band, Mors Principium Est. His debut solo album, Neverafter, was released on 15 November 2019. The first single, "Skyless" features Jeff Loomis of Arch Enemy, and Sam Paulicelli (66Samus) of Decrepit Birth. As of 2017, Gillion is endorsed as an Elixir Strings Artist, as well as a Fractal Audio Artist.
Shares hyper-speed alternate picking, symphonic metal, running, progressive metal (detail)
Shares symphonic metal, melodic death metal, progressive metal, triumphant (subgenre)
Shares melodic death metal, keys/synth, progressive metal, digital clarity (subgenre)
Shares symphonic metal, triumphant, running, progressive metal (subgenre)
Shares symphonic metal, melodic death metal, keys/synth, progressive metal (subgenre)
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