8. So You're Afraid
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtjrxhaDVo8 Shred fans - this one's for you. 2012 saw the release of Tremonti's first solo album, and free from creating music of a combined mindset with Alter Bridge he unleashed a barrage of riffs, breakdowns and solos all directly influenced by the likes of Slayer, Metallica and Celtic Frost - to name but three. So You're Afraid is only the second track on the album, but it's also the one with a solo that just takes your head off, Mortal Kombat-style. Following one of the most brutal breakdowns every recorded in hard rock and modern accessible-sounding metal, a sonic smattering of high end notes comes flying at you out of nowhere, setting a pace for the solo that doesn't let up whatsoever. It's definitely a technique that owes a small part to Metallica's Kirk Hammett and his penchant for picking faster than light with his right hand as he descends down the neck with his left, yet here Tremonti applies more of his own flair and encompasses a bunch of other strings to really add some weight to the entire progression.