10 Greatest Rock Bands With More Than Two Guitarists
One guitarist? Fine. Two guitarists? Better. More than two guitarists? Now you're talking.
The standard layout for a rock band is to have a bassist, a drummer, and two guitarists, one who plays lead and the other who usually plays rhythm and also sings.
This is how it has been for a very long time and, for the most part, it gets the job done. It's worked for The Beatles, Metallica, Fall Out Boy, and countless others, so why mess with a formula that has been so successful? Because musicians just can't help themselves, that's why.
Groups of varying sizes have been around for as long as the four-piece has existed, but some absolute maniacs have really pushed the boat out, filling their ranks with not one, not two, but three guitarists all at once!
To give them credit, these acts have all gone on to be very successful, even with this excess hanging over them. Having such a deep roster has allowed these groups to play around more with their sound, leading to a number of innovations that have helped them stand out from the crowd.
An extra name on the wage bill and less space on the tour bus is but a small price to pay for these absolutely stacked acts.
10. Godspeed You! Black Emperor
Though they might not to be everyone's liking, Canadian experimental rock band Godspeed You! Black Emperor have grown a fearsome fanbase thanks to their unapologetically strange approach to making music.
Utilising a mixture of calm soundscapes and thrashing, frightening cacophonies, as well as spoken word recordings and every day sounds, the band have established themselves as one of the most unique acts in any genre, whilst simultaneously challenging the very concept of genre altogether.
As you'd expect from a group so keen to rip up the rulebook, Godspeed have anything but a conventional line-up. There are currently ten official members, three of whom play guitar; Efrim Menuck, who also plays keyboards, David Bryant, who also operates tape loops, and Mike Moya, who... well, he just plays guitar.
Other positions in the outfit include your standard issue bassists and drummers, but also people who are in charge of the violin and film projections. Yes, film projections. Not quite sure how that counts as a musical instrument, but hey ho.
If you like your music strange and a little bit scary, then Godspeed You! Black Emperor are worth a shot.