10 Most Underrated Guitarists In Hard Rock

Billy Howerdel has one of the most fulfilling lives that any musician wishes to have. After putting in time as a guitar tech and producer, Howerdel finally spoke out after years of silence to become one of the most technical masters of the metal genre. Though A Perfect Circle may not be the most prolific band in the world, the leads from Howerdel are always worth the wait.

Across albums like Thirteenth Step and Mer De Noms, Howerdel's licks are all over the map, going from the detuned crunch of something like "Judith" to the ominous guitar tones that filter throughout "The Outsider." For as much a metal pedigree he has, Howerdel's approach to guitar almost seems more atmospheric, with influences that feel much more indebted to shoegaze than to hard edged metal. Imagine if Robert Smith from the Cure had to take the place of someone like Glenn Tipton and you're in the right ballpark.

Given his ability to fuse trance-like soundscapes with hard rock made him the ideal candidate to work with Maynard James Keenan, who was just coming into his own with Tool's most spacious album experiences. He may keep to himself more often than not, but in just a handful of releases, Billy Howerdel is modern metal's most elusive guitar wizard.