Kayla Kent is an American guitarist and YouTuber. First coming to fame after being featured in Guitar World in early 2022 for her covers of Dimebag Darrell guitar solos, she predominantly is known for playing exclusively her Kramer JK8000 and Kapybara model guitars.[1][2][3]
Following her rise in popularity, she was invited to a Pantera concert in Austin, TX in 2023 with the newly reformed Pantera with new members Zakk Wylde and Charlie Benante. Phil Anselmo revealed to her at this concert that she was on the list to replace Dimebag Darrell as the guitarist in Pantera.[4][5][6][7]
She is repeatedly featured in the media as articles discussing her attract much attention. Guitar World called their breakout article featuring her one of the "Best of 2022"[1] as well as Metal Injection ranking the story featuring her on Phil Anselmo's Pantera guitarist list as #20 on the Top Stories of 2023.[8]
Kent has a YouTube channel under her own name, where she started posting videos in late 2020 exclusively covering Dimebag Darrell solos.[1] In addition to those, she has posted videos of guitar reviews, reactions to comments, videos with her band and some covers of songs that aren't exclusively by Pantera.[9][10] As of September 2025, her channel has 91,600 subscribers.
She is known to cover a select few other guitar players on her channel other than Dimebag Darrell - such as leads from Eddie Van Halen and Jake E Lee.[11]
Discography
Even though Kent is known for her Heavy Metal playing style, she has released several singles under her own name which she described as "more indie rock than metal" to Guitar World.[1]
Year
Band
Title
Notes
2019
Kayla Kent
Silly Insults
Single
2019
Kayla Kent
All For Nothing
Single
2021
Kayla Kent
a (cute) stress disorder
Single
2021
Kayla Kent
cauliflower crust
Single
2021
Kayla Kent
Halloween
Single
2021
Kayla Kent
Fractured Soul
Single
2021
Kayla Kent
How Nice
Single
2022
Kayla Kent
Chaos Reigns
Single
2023
Otu
Believe (In the style of Pantera) (feat. Kayla Kent)
Otu album featuring her solo on this track.
2025
Kayla Kent
Smoke This
Single
2025
Kayla Kent
Lost and Found
Single
Gear
Kayla Kent's JK8000 and Johnson Millenium Stereo 250
Kent is only known to play her Kramer JK8000, as it is the only Kramer Guitars model that has ever been officially made with a star body and a reverse hockey stick headstock.[1][2] She has gone on record of turning down several other guitar manufacturers that offered her free guitars and exclusivity clauses, in order to keep playing her JK8000.[2]
After explaining this to a forum dedicated to Kramer Guitars, the forum collectively decided to build her a backup guitar identical to her JK8000. She named the guitar the Kramer Kapybara.[2]
Kent has only ever been seen using a Johnson Millenium amplifier. She credits receiving a USB audio interface for Christmas 2019 from her father for enabling her to practice more and learn Dimebag Darrell solos.[1]
New Band
In February of 2025, Kent released a video on her YouTube channel featuring a demo she had recorded with her band. The demo was entitled "Big Groovy". Guitar World reported her intent behind releasing the demo prematurely without vocals was to seek a singer.[12][11]
The Demo was met with favorable reception, with Guitar World stating:
"It sounds like an unreleased cut from Reinventing The Steel [Pantera], full of sleek turns, chunky power chord riffs, and squealing licks." - Phil Weller Guitar World, February 2025[12]
Kent stated that she was looking for an aggressive male vocalist who "fits the same vibe that we do". While also stating that she isn't looking to tour right away with only gigs here and there.[12]
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