Well
I grew up in New York and started to play guitar seriously at
the age of 13. I was initially inspired by Jimi Hendrix, Ritchie
Blackmore and Michael Schenker era UFO. I played in many local
bands all throughout high school playing clubs, dances etc. At
17 I left New York to attend Berklee College of Music in Boston.
There I started to listen heavily to jazz/fusion guitarists Al
Dimeola, John Mclaughlin and Alan Holdsworth as well as classical
music. After 4 years at Berklee I played in various rock and fusion
bands touring around and in the late eighties I formed metal band
Trash Broadway. We released an album with Torrid records a New
York based independent label in 1989, toured then several years
later we broke up and I started my solo career. I secured a deal
with Leviathan Records and my first all instrumental album Guitar
Dominance came out in 1993. In 1994 Night Of The Living Shred
followed and Guitar World magazine praised it as the best neo-classical
shred album since Yngwie's first record. In between my first two
records I spent a short period of time as the guitarist with former
Anthrax singer Joey Belladonna's band.
After
things didn't work out with him I formed Joe Stump's Reign of
Terror a power metal vocal band in the style of Rainbow and Rising
Force. Light In the Sky was released in 1995. In 1996 Super Sonic
Shred Machine my third instrumental followed an album I'm extremely
proud both playing and composition-wise. In 1997 Second Coming
the 2nd Reign of Terror was released and in 1998 Rapid Fire Rondo
my most intense classically influenced instrumental disc came
out. Then Reign of Terror album Sacred Ground and 2001 A Shred
Odyssey were released, followed by Conquer & Divide and Armed
and Ready in 2003, Guitar Master in 2004 and Speed Metal Messiah
in 2005. I have also released a number of instructional DVDs.
