Tony MacAlpine

Tony MacAlpine (born August 29, 1960) is an American musician and composer. In a career spanning four decades, he has released twelve studio albums. MacAlpine is best known as an instrumental rock and heavy metal 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 piano and violin 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. One of his musical influences is Frédéric Chopin, to whom he pays homage in his interpretations of the latter's études, which are featured on the majority of his studio albums. 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 (1993), Premonition (1994), 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. His most recent collaborations have included Seven the Hardway, a progressive metal group with whom he released their self-titled album in 2010, and a guest appearance on Sherinian's seventh studio album Oceana (2011). In the second half of 2012, MacAlpine toured Europe and Asia as part of PSMS (Portnoy/Sheehan/MacAlpine/Sherinian), an instrumental supergroup. Instrumental Inspirations, a DVD of their live material, was released October 21, 2012. Additionally, in an October 2012 interview, he stated that he was working on new studio material (one of them being a "strictly classical record" recorded solely on piano), as well as a new album with Ring of Fire.

MacAlpine's twelfth studio album, Concrete Gardens, was released on April 21, 2015.

Style and influence MacAlpine was highly influential in the neoclassical metal genre, becoming known for his instrumental rock style of playing that displays highly advanced shred techniques; one of his most oft-used techniques being 'sweep tapping', a variation of sweep picking. 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.

Equipment Edge of Insanity: Kramer guitars, DiMarzio pickups, Peavey amplification Project: Driver: B.C. Rich guitars, DiMarzio pickups, GHS strings, Peavey and Rockman amplification Maximum Security: B.C. Rich guitars, DiMarzio pickups, Peavey amplification, Ibanez effects Eyes of the World: Mason Bernard guitars, DiMarzio pickups, Dean Markley strings, Peavey amplification, Baldwin keyboards Freedom to Fly: Peavey guitars, Seymour Duncan pickups, GHS strings, Peavey amplification, Baldwin pianos Madness: Washburn Mercury series guitars, Seymour Duncan pickups, Dean Markley strings, Hughes & Kettner amplification Premonition: Washburn guitars, Seymour Duncan pickups, Dean Markley strings, Hughes & Kettner amplification Evolution: B.C. Rich guitars, Seymour Duncan pickups, Hughes & Kettner amplification Chromaticity: Carvin guitars and amplification Tony MacAlpine: Ibanez guitars, DiMarzio pickups, Ernie Ball strings, Hughes & Kettner amplification, Source Audio effects, Toontrack software

MacAlpine became a prominent user of seven-string guitars after joining Planet X and still plays them regularly, along with eight-string guitars.

Personal life MacAlpine currently resides in Pasadena, California. In August 2016 he wrote on his personal website, "I have been feeling back to normal and tests indicate that all is well in medical land. Deep and sincere thanks to you all for your wonderful support through this very difficult last 12 months."

MacAlpine also revealed in an interview with Herman Li that, among his traumatic experiences, his wife had died and the release of his new record was a way for him to get back into creativity.

Discography Solo studio albums 1986: Edge of Insanity 1987: Maximum Security 1992: Freedom to Fly 1993: Madness 1994: Premonition 1995: Evolution 1996: Violent Machine 1999: Master of Paradise 2001: Chromaticity 2011: Tony MacAlpine 2015: Concrete Gardens 2017: Death of Roses 2021: Equilibrium

Solo live albums 1997: Live Insanity

Solo compilation albums 2006: Collection: The Shrapnel Years

MacAlpine 1990: Eyes of the World

Vinnie Moore 1986: Mind's Eye 1999: The Maze 2006: Collection: The Shrapnel Years (compilation)

Planet X 2000: Universe 2002: Live from Oz (live) 2002: MoonBabies

CAB 2000: CAB 2001: CAB 2 2002: CAB Live at The Baked Potato 2003: CAB 4 2008: Theatre de Marionnettes 2010: Live on Sunset 2001: CAB Live at the Baked Potato: First and Second Set (DVD) 2002: CAB Live at The Musician Institute (DVD)

Mark Boals 2000: Ring of Fire 2002: Edge of the World

Steve Vai 2003: Live at the Astoria London 2004: G3: Live in Denver 2005: G3: Live in Tokyo

Ring of Fire (band) 2003: Dreamtower 2004: Burning Live in Tokyo (live) 2004: Lapse of Reality 2014: Battle of Leningrad

Other appearances 1986: Project: Driver – M.A.R.S. (with Tommy Aldridge, Rob Rock and Rudy Sarzo) 1987: Out of the Sun – Joey Tafolla 1998: The Quest - Damir Šimić-Shime 1999: VK3 – Vitalij Kuprij 2004: Eric Clapton's Guitar Festival - "I'm the Hell Out of Here" (with Steve Vai) 2007: Clinophobia – Devil's Slingshot (with Virgil Donati and Billy Sheehan) 2007: Ze re Tour 2007 – Michel Polnareff 2010: On Revolute – Dave Weiner 2010: Seven the Hardway – Seven the Hardway (with Virgil Donati and Mark Boals) 2011: Oceana – Derek Sherinian 2012: Plains of Oblivion – Jeff Loomis 2012: Instrumental Inspirations – PSMS (with Mike Portnoy, Billy Sheehan and Derek Sherinian) (DVD) 2013: Live in Tokyo – PSMS (with Mike Portnoy, Billy Sheehan and Derek Sherinian) 2018: Enfin! – Michel Polnareff