Hi guys, it saddens me to see this virtuoso go unnoticed amongst our community. While other relatively unknowns like Andy Timmons and Neil Zaza are getting more recognition, Firkins remains to be the unknown of unknowns.
Firkins is known for his unique style of playing almost exclusively with his fingers, his music is an unusual blend of rock, blues, country and jazz. This shredder is also famous for his faux slide technique, where he mimicks the sound of slide guitar with the whammy bar. His picking technique is also so unique that it produces a horn-like quality in his tone.
He was named "best new talent" by Guitar Player magazine alongside Eric Johnson in 1990. His Shrapnel debut album was also named in GuitarOne's list of Top 10 shred albums of all time. As the G1 editor put it "This is one of only a few shred albums I could listen to from beginning to the end."
Jason Becker fans might remember him as the guy who played the emotional leads on "End of the Beginning" from the Perspective album.
And what do other guitarists say about Michael Lee Firkins?
"... Michael Lee Firkins blew my fucking mind. He's scary, like Holdsworth meets...I don't know what." - Steve Lukather
"There was a lot of pressure on me to nail that one, because Michael Lee Firkins was the guitarist who was supposed to play, and I had to do something that people wouldn't laugh and go, God, Firkins would have slayed this. Why'd they let George Lynch play this?" - George Lynch
I would like to share some mp3s to showcase his unique style. 8)
"Laughing Stacks" from the 1990 self titled debut.
"Big Red" from Chapter Eleven, 1995.
"Sanford & Son" from Cactus Cruz, 1996.
Unfortunately for instrumental rock fans, Firkins had since ditched all that hard rock shred thing and went back to his roots playing traditional blues, jazz and funk music, more recently, releasing an album with The Clinton Administration, a cover band of Sly and The Family Stone.
Hope you enjoy the music.
Firkins is known for his unique style of playing almost exclusively with his fingers, his music is an unusual blend of rock, blues, country and jazz. This shredder is also famous for his faux slide technique, where he mimicks the sound of slide guitar with the whammy bar. His picking technique is also so unique that it produces a horn-like quality in his tone.
He was named "best new talent" by Guitar Player magazine alongside Eric Johnson in 1990. His Shrapnel debut album was also named in GuitarOne's list of Top 10 shred albums of all time. As the G1 editor put it "This is one of only a few shred albums I could listen to from beginning to the end."
Jason Becker fans might remember him as the guy who played the emotional leads on "End of the Beginning" from the Perspective album.
And what do other guitarists say about Michael Lee Firkins?
"... Michael Lee Firkins blew my fucking mind. He's scary, like Holdsworth meets...I don't know what." - Steve Lukather
"There was a lot of pressure on me to nail that one, because Michael Lee Firkins was the guitarist who was supposed to play, and I had to do something that people wouldn't laugh and go, God, Firkins would have slayed this. Why'd they let George Lynch play this?" - George Lynch
I would like to share some mp3s to showcase his unique style. 8)
"Laughing Stacks" from the 1990 self titled debut.
"Big Red" from Chapter Eleven, 1995.
"Sanford & Son" from Cactus Cruz, 1996.
Unfortunately for instrumental rock fans, Firkins had since ditched all that hard rock shred thing and went back to his roots playing traditional blues, jazz and funk music, more recently, releasing an album with The Clinton Administration, a cover band of Sly and The Family Stone.
Hope you enjoy the music.
