Michael Angelo Batio, also known as Michael Angelo, Mike Batio or MAB, is an American heavy metal guitarist and columnist. He was the lead guitarist for the glam metal band Nitro in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He is currently serving as the touring guitarist for the band Manowar.
Nitro was an American heavy metal band from Hollywood, California. Formed in 1988, the group originally featured vocalist Jim Gillette, guitarist Michael Angelo Batio, bassist T. J. Racer and drummer Bobby Rock. Nitro released its debut album O.F.R. in 1989, which reached number 140 on the US Billboard 200. Rock was replaced by K. C. Comet for the album's tour and Racer would leave the band thereafter. Nitro II: H.W.D.W.S., released in 1992, featured Ralph Carter on bass and Johnny Thunder on drums. The group broke up in 1993, with a number of previously unreleased demo recordings issued on the 1999 album Gunnin' for Glory.
O.F.R. (Out-Fucking-Rageous) is the debut studio album by American heavy metal band Nitro. Recorded at Front Page Productions in Costa Mesa, California, it was produced by the band's vocalist Jim Gillette and guitarist Michael Angelo Batio alongside engineer Charlie Watts and executive producer Bob Cahill. The album was released on May 30, 1989 by Rampage Records, a division of Rhino Entertainment, and peaked at number 140 on the US Billboard 200.
Rusty Cooley is an American guitarist and guitar teacher, known for his highly refined guitar technique. He is regarded as one of the fastest guitarists in the United States and a master of shredding, an advanced guitar technique. Guitar Player magazine called him "the leading light of the post-Malmsteen shred-volution."
Planet Gemini is the second solo album by American heavy metal musician Michael Angelo Batio. Recorded and self-produced by the guitarist at M.A.C.E. Court Studios in Chicago, Illinois, it was released in 1997 on his own label, M.A.C.E. Music. Batio performs all instruments and vocals on the album, with drummer Chuck White and keyboardist Frank Lucas the only other performers, both on the two parts of "No Boundaries Part II".
Hands Without Shadows is the fifth studio album by American shred guitarist Michael Angelo Batio. The album consists of four covers, two 'tributes' and two original compositions by Batio. The name refers to the speed at which his hands move when playing guitar, leaving "no shadows".
Holiday Strings is the fifth solo album by American heavy metal musician Michael Angelo Batio. Recorded and self-produced by the guitarist at Monster Mix Studio in Chicago, Illinois, it was released in November 2001 on his own label, M.A.C.E. Music. The album features instrumental, primarily acoustic recordings of popular Christmas songs, with all arrangements made and instruments performed by Batio.
No Boundaries is the debut solo album by American heavy metal musician Michael Angelo Batio. Recorded and self-produced by the guitarist at his own M.A.C.E. Studios in Chicago, Illinois, it was released in April 1994 as the first album on his own label, M.A.C.E. Music. The album consists entirely of instrumental recordings featuring Batio on all instruments, with drummer Rob Ross appearing on three tracks as the only other performer.
Lucid Intervals and Moments of Clarity Part 2 is the first compilation album by American heavy metal musician Michael Angelo Batio. It contains remastered tracks from Batio's third and fourth studio albums, Tradition (1998) and Lucid Intervals and Moments of Clarity (2000), and was released in 2004 by M.A.C.E. Music. Three songs from Lucid Intervals and Moments of Clarity 2 have also been included on instructional video albums released by Metal Method – "China" on Performance (2006), "Prog" on Speed Kills 3 (2007), and "The Finish Line" on Performance (2006) and Speed Lives 3: The Neo Classical Zone (2009).
William Peck is a guitarist from Orlando, Florida. Peck is best known for being a close friend with musician Mark Tremonti and for being featured in Guitar One Magazine several times.
Lucid Intervals and Moments of Clarity is the fourth solo album by American heavy metal musician Michael Angelo Batio, featuring and co-credited to drummer Rob Ross. Recorded and self-produced by the guitarist at Monster Mix Studio in Chicago, Illinois, it was released in August 2000 on his own label, M.A.C.E. Music. Alongside Batio and Ross, Lucid Intervals... also features bassist William Kopecky, who is credited for performing on four of the album's nine tracks.
2 X Again is a compilation album by American shred guitarist Michael Angelo Batio released on November 5, 2007. It features songs from Batio's first two studio albums – No Boundaries and Planet Gemini – remixed and remastered, with additional drums from Joe Babiak. Also included are two demo tracks from the No Boundaries sessions: "Acoustic" and "Allegory of the Cave".
Call to Arms is the sole album by American heavy metal band C4, a one-off group consisting of guitarist Michael Angelo Batio, vocalist Dan Lenegar, bassist William Kopecky and drummer John Mrozek. Recorded and self-produced by the guitarist at Monster Mix Studio in Chicago, Illinois, it was released in March 2001 on his own label, M.A.C.E. Music. The album contains recordings of songs originally written for Batio's earlier groups, Holland (1984–1986) and Nitro (1988–1993).
M.A.C.E. Music, Inc. is an American record label founded by Michael Angelo Batio in April 1993. Currently based in Gurnee, Illinois, the label's main job is that of selling material and merchandise of Batio's, including his albums, videos and accessories such as the "MAB String Dampener". The label also releases material by other artists, including Batio's side-project C4, T. D. Clark, Tom Kopyto and The Flyin' Ryan Brothers. M.A.C.E. distributes material both directly and through other labels, to over 40 countries worldwide including the United States, the United Kingdom, all throughout Europe, Canada, Japan, Qatar, South Africa, Australia, Mexico and Brazil.
Guitarsongs Volume 1 is the debut EP by American shred guitarist Katrina Johansson, released in December 2005 by M.A.C.E. Music. The record is notable for featuring Michael Angelo Batio on bass.
Hands Without Shadows 2 – Voices is the sixth studio album by American progressive metal musician Michael Angelo Batio, released on September 8, 2009. Unlike the majority of his previous albums, which were almost exclusively instrumental, HWS2 features vocal performances on all tracks. The album features a number of guest musicians, in addition to vocalist Warren Dunlevy, Jr. and drummer Joe Babiak, who previously performed on Batio's 2007 compilation album 2 X Again. The album features a bonus track entitled "MAB Forum Shreddathon", which includes guitar solos by members of the official MAB forum, written by Los Angeles–based metal guitarist and longtime forum member Maxxxwell Carlisle.
Dave Reffett is an American hard rock and heavy metal guitarist, singer, producer and bassist.
Maxxxwell Carlisle is an American heavy metal guitarist, songwriter, producer, YouTube host, and bodybuilder from Los Angeles, California. He was a guitarist in the American Heavy Metal bands Hellion and Society 1. He is also known for his work as a solo artist, as the keyboardist/guitarist of Raptor Command, as a former member of the American Thrash band Deathriders, as the host of the weekly Maxed-Out Metal Hour Show on internet radio station Metal Express Radio, and for his collaborations with other notable musicians such as Michael Angelo Batio, Tina Guo, Nita Strauss, and Ethan Brosh. Carlisle also is the host of two YouTube channels: Guitar Max, devoted to music gear and related topics, and Heavy Metal Horizons, which chronicles Carlisle's training as a pilot and explores other topics including airplanes and automobiles.
Intermezzo is the seventh studio album by American progressive metal musician Michael Angelo Batio. Self-produced by Batio and featuring a wide range of guest musicians, it was released in November 2013 by M.A.C.E. Music.
Shred Force 1: The Essential MAB is a compilation album by American heavy metal musician Michael Angelo Batio. Released on April 14, 2015, by Rat Pak Records, it is a career retrospective featuring songs from many of Batio's previously released studio albums. Shred Force 1 was produced by Batio and features a wide range of guest musicians. The album registered on several Billboard charts.
