Top 20 Death Metal Guitarists According to Decibel

http://www.decibelmagazine.com/features/aug2007/top20deathmetalguitarists.aspx


1. Trey Azagthoth (Morbid Angel)
2. Chuck Schuldiner (Death)
3. Bill Steer (Carcass, Napalm Death)
4. Karl Sanders (Nile)
5. Anders Björler (At the Gates)
6. Mikael Åkerfeldt (Opeth)
7. James Murphy (Death, Obituary, Cancer, Disincarnate)
8. Kelly Shaefer (Atheist)
9. Scott Hull (Pig Destroyer, Agoraphobic Nosebleed)
10. Erik Rutan (Hate Eternal, Morbid Angel)
11. Terrance Hobbs (Suffocation)
12. Muhammed Suiçmez (Necrophagist)
13. Luc Lemay (Gorguts)
14. Matt Harvey (Exhumed, Dekapitator, Repulsion)
15. Robert Vigna (Immolation)
16. Patrick Mameli (Pestilence)
17. Nergal (Behemoth)
18. Barry "Baz" Thompson (Bolt Thrower)
19. Nicke Andersson (Nihilist, Entombed, Death Breath)
20. Paul Ryan (Origin)

Although I have no idea the criteria that Decibel was basing this on (i.e. lead skills? influence? songwriting ability?) I have a few observations:

-They have the wrong ATG guitarist on that list.
-Akerfeldt has never played Death Metal
-Hull has never played DM
-Schuldiner is too high on the list
-Nergal, Ryan, Thompson, Suicmez and Sanders should not be on the list.
-In general, it is far too geared towards American bands
-That being said, Lalonde or Torrao need to be on there (from Possessed)
 
Although I have no idea the criteria that Decibel was basing this on (i.e. lead skills? influence? songwriting ability?) I have a few observations:

-They have the wrong ATG guitarist on that list.
-Akerfeldt has never played Death Metal
-Hull has never played DM
-Schuldiner is too high on the list
-Nergal, Ryan, Thompson, Suicmez and Sanders should not be on the list.
-In general, it is far too geared towards American bands
-That being said, Lalonde or Torrao needs to be on there (from Possessed)

This is probably the most cogent and sane post that's appeared in this thread so far. I think I agree in all particulars (though I probably would just leave Chuck off altogether, maybe replacing him with Paul Speckmann [Master/Death Strike]).

Additionally, if the list just HAS to have a Carcass guitarist (the band's best work was grindcore, not death metal), then shouldn't it be Mike Amott, who at least participated in one immortal death metal album (Carnage)?

People who should be included:

John McEntee (Incantation - should have been a no-brainer)

Trevor Peres (Obituary - perhaps replacing James Murphy, who was too much of a hired gun to have really shaped the history of the genre)

Eric Daniels (Asphyx)

The team of the Hoffman brothers (Deicide - duh)

Alf Svennson (At the Gates - I discussed this elsewhere)

Matti Kärki (Carnage/Dismember - yet again, duh)

Christopher Johnsson (Therion/Carbonized - Stockholm was badly underrepresented in this list, given it's massive importance to the actual history of the genre)

The team of Daniel Corrales and Eric Cutler (Autopsy - another no-brainer somehow missed)

And would someone care to explain how this list got past the editors at ANY supposedly professional periodical without Tom G. Warrior OR Max Cavalera on it? Do you even want to try? I didn't think so.
 
Jiggaboo + Hebrew = Jiggabrew

Example:

50shekel1.jpg


That being said, most of the people have already covered up my thoughts on this matter, but I also feel that James Malone, Trevor Peres, and Peter + Mauser deserve a spot on that list.
 
I like to consider Celtic Frost a proto-death metal band. Certainly quite a few features of their sound formed a significant part of what became the template for death metal music. Mind you, they have roots in thrash metal, but they deviated pretty significantly from typical thrash metal I believe.