In a recent Micha Kite, V13 Media interview, Swedish death metal guitarist Sebastian Ramstedt was quoted as saying “I think Jake E Lee is much better than Randy Rhoads and you can’t say that out loud but I believe that.”
The conversation was mainly focused on Ramstedt’s apparent dislike for most of the early MTV-bated pop, hard rock and Sunset Strip heavy metal bands that ruled the music scene decades ago.
“Stepping back for a moment you have to think, where did all this stuff come from? In the ‘90s I listened to a lot of Fields Of The Nephilim, Sisters of Mercy, and Depeche Mode. Some of the darkest songs are in the same circle as black metal with the same instruments but with a different atmosphere. I haven’t listened to gothic rock in ages because it doesn’t fit my life anymore but I still like it. It’s the same as death or black metal. They use the same minor chord progression but have a very different chord progression than pop music.
Pop music? Well that leads us to guitar heroes. “In the ‘80s I hated all hair metal except for early Motley Crue and WASP. You would watch ‘80s MTV and there would be Cinderella but you were waiting for Sepultura and you hated it. But I don’t have my guard up like that anymore and those bands have very good guitar players. It takes a lot to write a great love song or an ‘80s metal song. The greatest guitar players at that time for me were Eddie Van Halen, George Lynch, Warren D Martini, and so on. But, Jake E. Lee was my favorite and his work on Bark At The Moon and The Ultimate Sin is the ultimate lead guitar work ever.
I think Jake E. Lee is much better than Randy Rhoads and you can’t say that out loud but I believe that. Other guitarists like George Lynch, who wasn’t always heavy had more fun in major keys, and they used the guitars in an unlimited way which I admire. They didn’t have to do fast songs or slow songs, evil songs, or happy songs they could do whatever they liked. If you only use one mode like the gothic mode it’s very narrow what you can do with your music.”
‘Crazy Train’ from “Thirty Years After The Blizzard” DVD
'Crazy Train' from "Thirty Years After The Blizzard" DVD
Rhoads played on Osbourne’s seminal records “Blizzard Of Ozz” (1980) and “Diary Of A Madman” but tragically died in a plane crash when he was just 25 years old, on March 19, 1982. He influenced many musicians and is considered one of the greatest guitarists of all time. His death was a huge shock to the world and Ozzy wrote in his autobiography “I Am Ozzy” that he almost quit music after Randy’s passing.
NECROPHOBIC – Mirror Black (OFFICIAL VIDEO)
NECROPHOBIC - Mirror Black (OFFICIAL VIDEO)
Lee, who was tapped by Ozzy to replace the Rhoads in Osbourne’s band, played on two Ozzy records: 1983’s “Bark At The Moon” and 1986’s “The Ultimate Sin”. – Source
Bark at the Moon
Bark at the Moon