Back in the day a buddy of mine said “ you gotta’ check this kid out man”.. so we went over his parents house and downstairs into his basement. A skinny 15 year old came down with his brother on drums and blew us away !! Lol. It was Chris Impellitteri, and the rest is history. So happy to see Chris attain such success here at home and abroad. On a side note , also hung out with the “one and only “ Jimi Bell around that time too, who is rock solid shred master in his own right ! Two great guitarists and a great time in my life.

I can't believe someone actually is talking about Impellitteri... Stand In Line is one of my favorite songs of all time and the album is solid as a rock.

@joeb2588

5 жыл бұрын

That album is awesome. Graham Bonnet was awesome on that album as well. That album still stands up today!

@JoeMartinez_LA_LostSoul

4 жыл бұрын

secret lover off the album was is a hella track too

@265308

4 жыл бұрын

Impelliterri should of been the 3rd Alcatrazz guitarist! Stand in Line basically sounds like classic ALcatrazz and Graham Bonnet's vocals are perfect with Impellitteri's licks!

@andrejz8954

4 жыл бұрын

@@JoeMartinez_LA_LostSoul thats system x song afaik. Maybe fav impellitteri song :)

@santiagotorresjaramillo8

3 жыл бұрын

What about their first EP? kzread.info/dash/bejne/lY5nl7qKk7afmZM.html

YES! Legend

@pastorlyndon

3 жыл бұрын

That's high praise Angel. You're fantastic!

@shred308

Жыл бұрын

So true!!😃🤘🏻

One thing. He's CRIMINALLY UNDERRATED. He's one of the cleanest and most technically profound guitarists ever. It's just the timing... 90s were dominated by grunge metal bands.

One of the best shredder guitarist ever. Growing up, was always in awe of his incredible speed picking. And he wrote a lot of good heavy and shredtastic songs!! 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽

So happy you did a segment on Chris. He is amazing and I prefer him over Yngwie by far.

I met Rob Rock in 2004 when I had to pick him up from the airport. He was shopping around for a record label to release his Holy Hell solo album. He had a meeting with the label I worked for at the time.We hung out, got some dinner and just talk about all the bands we loved. Definitely a highlight for me.

@vmat1000

5 жыл бұрын

Great. MAX should have mentioned Cocophony's "Speed Metal Symphony". Maybe felt a fore gone concliusion.

Wow, Tony MacAlpine had great 80s hair.

I'm one if those who was dismissive of him in the 80's. When his first album came out, he was a shredder with a Strat claiming to be the fastest guitarist on the planet, and his sound took a pass at Yngwie. I tossed him off as just another clone and never thought of him again. Fast forward, I was at a buddy's house and he was JAMMIN' to some serious metal, and I was lovin' it. He told me who it was and I choked on my beer. I am forever sold.

@mameng666

5 жыл бұрын

Almost exact same thing for me. But i never heard his name again after that. Till this day.

@scourge34

5 жыл бұрын

@@mameng666 Same here. Pretty much forgot he existed for 30 something years. Think I have some research to do.

@TheRPGentleman

5 жыл бұрын

Would you say that you're forever his, and that you'll love him for all of eternity?

@SynchroSting

5 жыл бұрын

Same for me. I saw the actual Headbanger's Ball episode when it aired and thought Chris was too cocky and his playing lacked the emotion of Yngwie. I never thought about him again and thought he fell off of the face of the earth until today watching this video.

I had a *cassette* of his back in 1988, and I was totally flummoxed as to why he wasn't mentioned in the same breath as Steve Vai (et al). His skills are not outdone by anyone, and his style is killer! Thank you for giving this guy some credit. He's like the "rock god" no one ever heard of...crazy!

Thank you so much for talking about Chris Impellitteri! He is no doubt a Chuck Norris guitar player!

Always knew about Chris. He’s from Connecticut, as am I, and I used to see him play there all the time in Vice with Rob Rock. Mike Vascerra was playing with Obsession then as well. From Connecticut too, Mike knew Chris very well. Jimi Bell was a huge part of that music scene as well (this was around. 1985 - 86)... What’s cool is how Rob and Chris have hung together all these years, and Mike Vascerra too... Fast forward to a few years later and Chris had long been in Los Angeles doing his thing. I saw him in Guitars R Us one afternoon and we were talking about Jimi Bell and his situation auditioning for Ozzy... We were both hoping Jimi would get the gig - unfortunately and crazily enough, Jimi didn’t get it - Zakk did... I give Chris hella credit man, he has always carried a huge following by himself and I will always follow... People mention his name and it’s hard to pronounce or whatever, but remember - Guess what, not only is it the gentleman’s namesake, it’s also a huge and well - deserved tribute to his mother and father who were tragically killed in an untimely accident. They were wonderful people who were super supportive of their son. A very strong family of very strong stock... Chris is a great musician and even greater person and we are going to continue to hear Chris for a long time to come - in any and all countries!!!

Great video ! Thank you so much for highlighting Chris Impelliteri !! I’m 66 years old and am of the opinion that he pretty much kills everybody. I first heard of him in 1985 from a guitar teacher in Riverside California at Leirs Music....we were talking about Satriani and such as him...and I made an off hand comment about how fast Satriani was and the teacher said....” dude....haven’t you heard of Chris Impelliteri ?” I said who ? He says OMG ! Thus it began....IMHO He even puts down Batio ! As you say, it’s amazing that he’s been around for 35 years and still not a household name....although more than deserving! Nice job bro !

Been a fan of Impellitteri for quite a while now. Super underrated guitarist, and would love to see him play in the U.S sometime. Eye of the Hurricane is definitely my favorite album of his.

Way back in the late 80s, at a club on Hollywood Blvd, I was somewhere near the back watching the band (?) when this guy walked over and commented (nicely) on the Flying V tatoo on my right shoulder. I thanked him, and introduced myself and told him it was to cover a surgical scar. He introduced himself as Chris Impellitteri and I immediately recognized his name. We talked for a few, and I thought he was a really friendly, humble kinda guy. I had heard the "Somewhere over the Rainbow" song a few weeks before while visiting a friend who played the album (Vinyl! I'm freakin' old!) I'm glad you posted this video, as I had wondered how he was doing over the years. Nice to hear of his success in Japan. and the major rock icons he had been in bands with. Thanks for posting!

Wow, thanks for the awesome mention! If anyone cares to know... we are playing a few shows on the East Coast to warm up before our Japanese tour in June. We will be at Dingbatz in Clifford, NJ on May 16th, Blackthorn 51 in Queens, NY on May 17th, and Palace Theater in Stafford, CT May 18th. It's a truly rare event to be playing in the US as I've been in the band since 1992 and I think we only played two shows in the states since then!

@carlos25021977

5 жыл бұрын

I hope you guys make it big this time in the US. You guys deserve it. Btw killer bass work on the Nature of the Beast!

@lizzidual

5 жыл бұрын

@@carlos25021977 Thank you so much Carlos

1990. I was huge Yngwie and Tony Macalpine fan. Some buddies and I were listening to shred metal and discussing our favorite guitar players, when this guy from down the hall of our dorm overheard us and walked in. He was probably a freshman, and nobody knew anything about him, but he was a shred metalhead as well and ran to his room and pulled out the Stand In Line CD. He said, "have you ever heard of Chris Impellitteri"? "Never heard of him". "Well then, listen to this", and he proceeded to play Over the Rainbow. The first Impellitteri song I ever heard and to this day that song is still one of my all-time favorites. Thank you, John, for opening my eyes and ears to the genius that is Chris Impellitteri. Anyone who doesn't know who Chris Impellitteri is, isn't a true shred guitar fan.

I was senior in high school in 85 it was a pretty humbling time to be a guitar player !!!

@JAV619

5 жыл бұрын

Same here.

@AnthonySforza

4 жыл бұрын

Ah, right in the middle of the "Arm's Race." @Angry Deli Oh no kidding. When I was in high school, I always used to hang out on campus where I'm from and there were all kinds of different groups of people, a real eclectic gathering, so to speak. Which made sense, it was a university campus where people are away from home for the first time and trying to find themselves... Whatever that means. Anyhow, so I go off to the military and come back to go to school there, thinking it'd be like that, having long black hair and tattoos, band shirts and just rocked out... Right onto a campus populated by people who looked as though the solely shop out of an Abercrombie catalog. Talk about culture shock. Then, because I stuck out so much, it was a lot of "Oh my God, what a creeper" kinds of comments and things of that nature.

Thanks for showing Chris some love. Definitely well deserved

Thank you for the great vid! I got to see him in a small club in Los Angeles in 2009, less than 30 people there, felt like a private VIP concert. It was billed as their rehearsal for the Wicked Maiden tour of Japan. I wish more people had showed up, but then again seeing Chris and Bob live standing 3 feet from them with no one bumping into me was beyond awesome.

I had his first instructional video back in the 80's. He's a monster player.

@DancesWithWaifus

5 жыл бұрын

I got one of his instructional VHS tapes back then too, learned a ton from it and then just forgot about him, this video made me feel kinda guilty

I would like to see Chris Impelliterri tour in the USA soon, the other guy I would like to mention who also keeps a low profile is David T. Chastain.

@jaysonraphaelmurdock8812

4 жыл бұрын

Yes. Chastain is criminally underrated.

@vanguard4065

4 жыл бұрын

no chastain is horrible. sloppy technique and his touch and feel is poor.

@eccentric85

4 жыл бұрын

@@vanguard4065 I haven't heard anything he has done in recent year's. Just like Impellitterri, he never got super famous in the US, which is why I would like to see him play in a club. I should go back and listen to him again as it's been years.

May I add? Vice actually began 'life' as Tangram in 1980 with Rob Rock on drums. A few years later, we pulled him out from behind the drums and put him out front around 1983 and thus began 'The Robert Allen Band'. Soon after, we auditioned guitarists and Chris was taken into the group and the band became 'Vice' around 1985. Later, many changes to the musician lineup, and the band continued, recorded in Hollywood CA. and with an independent record contract etc. through 1990. How do I know all this you may ask? I'm the guy all the way to the left in that first Vice poster you put up. Keyboardist through out ALL of the iterations of the band mentioned above 😉 To note, we had a VICE REUNION in 2005. Managed to round up ALL the original VICE musicians, and reached out to have Chris back to perform with us, but he declined. The result of that was a wonderful performance for our fans from over the years. Videos are available right here on the youTube platform if your search 'Vice 2005 Reunion'. It was a fun performance, and the video and audio quality was recorded live with Pro Tools for the audio tracks etc. Take a look if you have a moment.

Great show. I remember Chris from the late 80s and early 90s . He was always in GUITAR WORLD and GUITAR SCHOOL magazines. I had forgotten about him until I saw the title of your video today. I GIVE YOU 1,000,000 POINTS FOR THIS VIDEO!!!! VERY GOOD MAX!!! And the other day I learned about DAN MUMM. Dude you have won me over, and I am hardcore stingy with my praises!!!!!! ROCK ON MAX!!!!!

I have to be honest, never heard of Chris until now. Real cool story for sure! Thanks Maxx!

Thumbs up. No mention of Chris’s albums and bands that feature a message of Christian faith. This is an additional important part of his career. I learned some info though. Good video. I will share.

@Ragbab84

3 жыл бұрын

Gross

@markinthemix6055

3 жыл бұрын

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

@JM-54321

3 жыл бұрын

I think this is the 4th reason why he is not as well known and recognised. Look what happened to WASP in the last years. Being openly Christian is a taboo if you want to have a great heavy metal career. But - you can go there once in a while: Manowar did the best Holy Night ever.

Chris, Rob, Graham, always a winning combination!

My all time favorite guitar player.

I heard of him when a friend brought a cassette over in the early 80,s. I was taken back by his playing. He is one of the GREATS for sure.

I bought the first Impellitteri album the day of its release. All my band mates said he played too fast...but he's been one of my favorite guitar players for +30 years. I even got in touch with him a couple of years ago and he's very down to earth. Kudos for that!

Thanks for this video Max. I've been a huge fan of Chris for decades and appreciate you giving him some recognition!

Gotta make sure to have that “big stretch” pose with fingers everywhere in every guitar photo 🤘🏻

Top class presentation Max, thanks. Hope you're healing up well.

Hey Max, your fans love ya and we hope your doing well, thank you for still putting out vids!

Great, well thought out, articulate, and informative video on Impelliteri. Thanx Maxx!!

Chris is very cool and easy to talk to. He is definitely under the radar here in America.

The man is a BEAST! One of the best. And the band has consistently pumped out great releases.

What a great history lesson on Chris' career! I discovered your channel today and instantly subscribed after watching this! I hope you do more videos like this. 🤘

Thanks man! Always wanted look more into this dude, and this video just gave me the extra kick in the butt I need!

EXCELLENT! A very thorough and concise expose on one of the most underrated bands in metal today. I've been a HUGE fan of Impellitteri for over 25 years. They haven't put out a bad album yet, and there's no sign of them slowing down ANY time soon.

I'm in the US and Stand In Line was the first CD I ever purchased. I was a huge Graham Bonnet fan (still am) and was blown away by that album. Since then I've tracked down all of Impellitteri's albums on Japanese import CD for all the extra songs and goodies. Excellent video! Thanks for giving Chris a nice profile piece!

That was cool !!! Great story bro, I'd love to see more videos like this one.

Great job! Nice video, I've been a big Impellitteri fan for years!!! Keep up the good work and thanks for sharing!!!

Gotta say I love this channel! thank you for being authentic and bringing to light some really interesting information!

I was introduced to Impellitteri for the first time in the early 90s by my uncle he owned a copy of the black ep on cassette. Since then I became a fan. I have all his releases on cd. And have Stand in Line on cassette and vinyl.

Been a fan of Impellitteri for over 30 years ever since Stand In Line first came out. One of my all time favorite guitarists! 🤘🏼

I just wanted to tell you that I enjoyed this video more than any I have seen you do in a long time. This was great and I learned something. Keep up the good work.

Great video. I remember him from the 80's but hadn't thought about his music in years. Thanks for the reintroduction of some great playing.

I've been aware of Impelliterri for a long time, and I think it's commendable that he has continued to follow his muse, staying true to self, rather than getting caught up in trends.

I forgot all about Impelliterri after his second album. I had no idea he was Big in Japan. Thanks for this!

Great information and great video as usual Max, thank you.

Awesome video Maxx! Hope you are healing up well!

Great Vid on Chris! He has a Awesome Player for many many years!!! Thanks Max, hope your healing up well?

I think I wore out the Stand In Line tape in the first week. I knew Chris could shred but I was even more impressed with Bonnett's singing on that album.

Very well said! I've loved Impellitteri since the early 90's! It's great to see him acknowledged in this video.

Awesome breakdown, definitely one of my favorite players of all time.

Great deal. I'm so pumped for this video. "Run for you life" was my 1st intro to Chris. Glad to see your still "Guitar MAX"n out the shred \m/

Thanks for this video, love catching up on the stuff that I'm out of the loop on:). Hope you continue to heal from the resent setback.

This is a super polished presentation. Well done.

It really is a shame that Chris isn’t any bigger in the USA. I’ve been a fan since back when I was in high school in the late 80’s and my circle of guitar playing friends absolutely loved his work.

So underrated can't wait to see him play in NYC last month I also remember his Shrapnel release

@thedanksavatron7782

5 жыл бұрын

Shrapnel records was the go too for guitar wizardry!!!

I am a huge fan of Impellitteri from the Philippines 🇵🇭.

Thanks man! You just schooled me! Can't believe I've never hear of this guy!

Awesome video Max!!

Stand up, well thought and solid analysis. Thank you for that.

I’ve been a fan of Chris Impellitteri for many years. I have all the albums and EPs on CD, including both the Animetal USA albums. Great player, but also an amazing song writer!

Heard his stuff on my college metal radio show! Great vid my dude!!! His playing is SO KILLER

Saw Chris and Rob in Vice a bunch of times at the Infinity in Springfield, MA before Chris headed out to CA. Great player, great band and amazing to see them in a tiny club in the 80s!

Thanks Guitar MAX for making a video discussing Chris Impelliteri's musical career. Impelliteri is what I considered an underrated rock guitarist from the '80s. Your insight into his CDs, band lineup including Animetal gave me a greater insight to what he was doing and what he was about. I found your narration to be unbiased and informative. I'm going to check out some of the CDs that you talked about in your video.

I remember him getting the "fastest fingers in the world" title from one of the guitar mags when I was a kid....

@seanrobinson1780

3 жыл бұрын

That’s what she said

@daddyosink4413

3 жыл бұрын

@@seanrobinson1780 well played sir.... well played.

Great video. It's very informative and thought provoking for fans of this kind of music.

Great video! Chris Impellitteri is an absolute Master of Shred Guitar. Your channel is fantastic, I always enjoy your videos. I hope you're recovering quickly and will be back at the fretboard as soon as possible.

I first heard about him when i saw his first instructional video he did in the 80's. He was incredible then and he's incredible now. Great video and thanks for posting.

I became a fan of Impellitteri when I was stationed in Japan from 1990 - 1992. Incidentally, I got to meet Mike Vescera of Animetal while I was there because he was the lead singer of Loudness at the time. I have been a fan of both of them ever since.

@GuitarMAXMusic

5 жыл бұрын

Soldier of Fortune is such a killer album!!

@matthewmatt5285

2 жыл бұрын

@@GuitarMAXMusic One of the most underrated metal albums EVER

I seen Allan Holdsworth 2000-2001 at the Baked Potato in Hollywood Ca, and had spoke to a Japanese gentlemen visiting here in the states after the show, and I commented about how the culture of Japan seems to embrace and celebrate music equally regardless of genre, this he affirmed with saying "Yes we honor those artists that the US knows not of or have choose to forget". Some years later I was at Wild West Guitars in Riverside Ca. I was invited to a promotion/seminar for John Petrucci's new guitar at the time. John and Sterling Ball was there, Sterling had commented about how artists were treated here in the States and referenced to a time when Steve Lukather couldn't get arrested here in the states. Yep... Impellitteri is one of many.

Thanks for the insight.. Never heard of him... will check it out. Thanks again ..😎

First of all, I hope your arm is healing well. Yes, Chris Impellitteri,( Impel-litter-i) if you think of his last name with two words and an i, you'll remember how it is spelled. I remember listening to his first album. I was blown away. I would listen to Somewhere Over the Rainbow over and over, and copy it on my guitar the best I could. He is still one of my favorite guitarist to this day. Thanks for introducing this guitar genius to those out there who have never heard of him. \m/

Awesome video man very unique content.

We are all concerned about the arm. Listen to the PT and heal quickly!

Cool. I’ve never heard of this guy, so thanks for doing this video. Here’s hoping you are healing up!

I’ve known about him since the early 90’s . Monster guitar player with a great catalogue.

Wow, thanks for reminding us about him.

Chris is Badass for sure. I do like his playing. Still forgot MSG and RUSH

I have been a fan since the Stand in line album and have obtained every album I could find with him playing. I have always believed he is probably the fastest yet more soulful player of all the shredders to date.

Been an Impelliterri fan since the Black EP. Chris has always been smart enough to read the press and follow the money instead of trying to crack the ignorant US market. Much like Kamelot, Marty Friedman and Man O War, it's all about where you can make a living doing what you love without bowing to the popularity gossipfest of the US

Great spotlight on a highly underrated guitar player. I've been a big fan of Answer To The Master and Screaming Symphony for a long time.

Loved your channel man 🤘

I've been a huge Impellitteri fan for years and have introduced many to them, from the Rob Rock classic era, to the masterpiece System X that Graham Bonnet sang on also. He's so sick, i.e. 17th Century Chicken Picking It amazes me how much shit you're into that's exactly on par with what I've been into for over 20 years.

Cool video I’ve always wondered about him Impelliterri!

Never heard of him but thanks for the great video! Hope you arm is better!

Another great vid.stand in line was pretty amazing

Hey max it’s awesome to you today hope you’re doing well miss you miss your playing get well soon

Great vid! Hope you get well soon 👍🏼

Dude, you really done your research. I had the Stand In Line album back in the day, and never came across anything from him again. Good to know he's doing what he loves, and can make a living . Thanks for the effort you made,to inform anybody who's interested.

Awesome video!! Love Impelliteri and Rob Rock as well! So underrated. And the last two albums are just fantastic!! Still making great music to this day!

WOW...I haven't heard anyone speak of Chris in YEARS. This is great of you to bring his name to light. I still have the Black album in a tote of old LPs. I wont lie, he fell off my radar for a very long time. Probably due to, as you said, his success in Japan. Just a couple months ago I shared a new vid of his that popped up, to my FB page. Only a select few, and of my age category (50), even knew who he was. Made me want to go back and find all I have missed over the years!

Thanks for shedding some light for others on one of my top fav players, besides his lead playing - his riffs are off the chart amaaaazinnggg

@bradmodd7856

5 жыл бұрын

a good healthy dose of ADDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDddddddddddddddddddddd!!!!d..d...d....d...(insert harmonic dive here)

You know, just for introducing me to ANIMETAL you've earned a subscriber.

I have known about him since 1987 and he is still a bad man

First off praying that the surgery went good and you are recovering quickly Second YES!!!! I knew about impelliteri before My guitar teacher at the time and I where in awe of him