*Interesting posts on this thread and subject.....I say that because (Now that I'm almost 40) there's a new generation of guitar players as well as fans than when I was growing up.....What was "Metal" (so to speak) back in the early 70's is simply called "Hard Rock" today.....My definition of current "metal" would probably be Pantera, "early" Metallica or Megadeth......BUT, (Man o' man) I can remember the first time I heard Leslie West do "Mississippi Queen, Iron Butterfly do "In a Godda da Vida" and BTO do "Not Fragile".....Ahhhhh, Those were the daze :D