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Biography
Infobox musical artist | name = Tony MacAlpine| image = Macalpine 09-03-12_2111| caption =| image_size = | background = non_vocal_instrumentalist| birth_name =| alias =| Born = Birth date and age|1960|8|29| Springfield, Massachusetts , United States | death_date =| origin =| instrument = Guitar , keyboard instrument|keyboard , piano | genre = Instrumental rock , neo-classical metal , progressive metal , heavy metal music|heavy metal , hard rock , jazz fusion | occupation = Musician , composer , record producer|producer | years_active = 1984–present| label = Shrapnel Records|Shrapnel , Favored Nations | associated_acts = Planet X (band)|Planet X , CAB (band)|CAB , Steve Vai , Seven the Hardway | website = http://www.tonymacalpine.com tonymacalpine.com Tony MacAlpine (born August 29, 1960) is an American musician and composer. In a career spanning more than two decades and eleven studio albums, he is best known as an instrumental solo guitarist, although he has worked with many different bands and musicians in guest appearances and collaborations.
Biography
Having started playing piano at the age of five and guitar at twelve, MacAlpine studied classical music for a number of years at the Springfield Conservatory of Music in Massachusetts , as well as various music programs at the University of Hartford in Connecticut ." http://www.tonymacalpine.com/about/ Tony MacAlpine Biography". tonymacalpine.com. Retrieved 2011-12-19. Dave Reffett|Reffett, Dave (2011-10-08). " http://www.guitarworld.com/interview-tony-macalpine-discusses-gear-and-tone-and-answers-readers-questions Interview: Tony MacAlpine Discusses Gear and Tone and Answers Readers' Questions". Guitar World . Future US . Retrieved 2011-12-19. One of his musical influences is Frédéric Chopin , to whom he pays homage in his interpretations of the latter's études (Chopin)|étude s, which are featured on the majority of his studio albums.
Together with his first studio releases, Edge of Insanity (1985) and Maximum Security (Tony MacAlpine album)|Maximum Security (1987), he had a prominent role on other works during the popular shred guitar|shred era, including keyboard duties on the debut albums of fellow guitarists Vinnie Moore and Joey Tafolla , on '' Mind's Eye (album)|Mind's Eye (1986) and Out of the Sun (1987) respectively. Soon after his own debut, he played guitar in a heavy metal music|heavy metal supergroup (music)|supergroup named M.A.R.S. (an acronym for M acAlpine/ Tommy Aldridge| A ldridge / Rob Rock| R ock / Rudy Sarzo| S arzo ), which resulted in the album Project Driver|Project: Driver (1986).
As part of a band effort named 'MacAlpine', Eyes of the World (album)|Eyes of the World was released in 1990 as a more pop music|commercially-oriented attempt to emulate other hard rock acts at the time. The venture was short-lived, and his subsequent album Freedom to Fly (1992), was a return to his instrumental-based work. A further consecutive string of instrumental albums followed throughout the 1990s, most of them through the renowned Shrapnel Records label: Madness (Tony MacAlpine album)|Madness (1993), Premonition (Tony MacAlpine album)|Premonition (1994), Evolution (Tony MacAlpine album)|Evolution (1995) and Violent Machine (1996). For his last album of the decade Master of Paradise (1999), MacAlpine briefly assumed singing duties in an effort to experiment with different styles. After the release of Chromaticity (album)|Chromaticity in 2001, he took an extended hiatus from recording solo albums and worked with a variety of other musicians and bands, most notably with jazz fusion outfit CAB (band)|CAB . A decade later, he released his self-titled Tony MacAlpine (album)|eleventh studio album through guitarist Steve Vai 's Favored Nations label in 2011.
In the early to mid-2000s, MacAlpine took on a dual role playing both guitar and keyboards in Vai's touring band The Breed. He is featured on the band's DVD release Live at the Astoria, London|Live at the Astoria London (2003), along with two DVDs of the G3 (tour)|G3 tour : G3: Live in Denver (2004) and G3: Live in Tokyo (2005). During that time, he was the guitarist for progressive metal supergroup Planet X (band)|Planet X , alongside keyboardist Derek Sherinian and drummer Virgil Donati . He played with them for three albums in the first part of the decade— Universe (Planet X album)|Universe (2000), Live from Oz (2002) and MoonBabies (2002)—and rejoined them in 2009 for a string of live performances, and a possible new album.Pavlichko, Matt (2011-07-07). " http://www.guitarworld.com/interview-tony-macalpine-his-new-self-titled-solo-album Interview: Tony MacAlpine on His New Self-Titled Solo Album". Guitar World . Future US. Retrieved 2011-12-19. His most recent collaborations have included Seven the Hardway , a progressive rock group with whom he released their self-titled album in 2010,Hodgson, Peter (2010-08-10). " http://iheartguitarblog.com/2010/08/tmac.html Interview: Tony MacAlpine of Seven The Hardway". I Heart Guitar. Retrieved 2011-12-19. and a guest appearance on Sherinian's seventh studio album Oceana (album)|Oceana (2011).
Style and influence
MacAlpine was highly influential in the neo-classical metal genre, becoming known for his instrumental rock style of playing that displayed highly advanced shred techniques.Ramirez, Carlos (2011-06-21). " http://www.noisecreep.com/2011/06/21/tony-macalpine-still-shredding-after-all-these-years/ Tony MacAlpine: Still Shredding After All These Years". Noisecreep . Retrieved 2012-03-25. He has incorporated elements of classical, jazz, fusion, hard rock and heavy metal on both guitar and keyboard, and has been described as a virtuoso by Jason Ankeny at Allmusic .Ankeny, Jason. " http://www.allmusic.com/artist/tony-macalpine-p100578/biography Tony MacAlpine". Allmusic . Rovi Corporation . Retrieved 2012-03-25.
Equipment
MacAlpine became a prominent user of the seven string guitar after joining Planet X Derek Sherinian|Sherinian, Derek . (2002-09-21). " http://www.xplanetx.com/articles092102_chat.html Virgil & Derek AOL Chat". xplanetx.com. Retrieved 2011-12-19. and still plays them regularly, along with a newly acquired eight-string guitar . A long-time endorsee of Carvin Corporation|Carvin guitars (notably the T-Mac and DC series), he switched to Ibanez in 2010. As of 2011 he plays a customized Ibanez RG Prestige|RG Prestige eight-string model with EMG, Inc.|EMG pickup (music technology)|pickups , whilst his seven- and six-string models use DiMarzio s. For guitar amplifier|amplification , he uses the Hughes & Kettner TriAmp for studio recording and the Coreblade model for live touring. An Ernie Ball wah-wah pedal|wah and expression pedal|volume pedal completes his live setup.
Tony MacAlpinePlanet X Persondata | NAME =Macalpine, Tony | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = | DATE OF BIRTH =August 29, 1960 | PLACE OF BIRTH = | DATE OF DEATH = | PLACE OF DEATH = DEFAULTSORT:Macalpine, Tony Category:1960 births Category:American heavy metal guitarists Category:African American guitarists Category:African American rock musicians Category:American heavy metal keyboardists Category:Living people Category:Musicians from Massachusetts Category:People from Springfield, Massachusetts Category:Lead guitarists Category:Seven-string guitarists Category:Eight-string guitarists
