Michael Angelo Batio also known as Mike Batio or MAB, is an American Heavy metal
guitarist and columnist from Chicago, Illinois. He was the lead guitarist for
the Los Angeles-based glam metal band Nitro in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Batio's work has encompassed many genres, but he is best known for playing
heavy metal and its subgenres such as neoclassical metal, and Speed metal.
Batio is known for his technical mastery of the fretboard and his extremely fast
picking and sweep picked arpeggios. He is also known for his showmanship during
performances, particularly his use of the "Over-Under" technique, and for his
ability to play a double and quad guitar, using both hands to play. Batio
is also noted for his guitar instruction DVDs in the "Speed Kills" series which
teach shred guitar techniques and how to "master the art of playing lightning
fast". Batio was voted the "No. 1 Shredder of All Time" by Guitar One
Magazine in 2003. Biography
= Early life and career = Batio was born and raised in Chicago,
Illinois to an Italian father and a German mother. He started playing the
piano and composing music at the age of five, and first played guitar at the age
of ten. By twelve he was playing in bands in youth clubs, churches, and
shows, playing for 10–12 hours on the weekends. By the age of thirteen his
guitar teacher told him, "I can't teach you any more. You're faster at thirteen
than I was at 22." He started listening to and watching professionals and
sitting down and trying to work out riffs and tunes.
He attended Northeastern Illinois University and achieved a Bachelor of
Arts degree in Music Theory and Composition. After he had graduated,
Batio looked to become a session guitarist in his hometown. When he asked
for a job at a nearby studio, he was given a piece of music and simply asked
to play it. He managed to play it adding his own improvisations and fills, making
him the studio's primary call-out guitarist. As a session player, Batio
recorded music for such companies as Burger King, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, KFC,
United Airlines, United Way, McDonalds, Beatrice Corp. and the Chicago Wolves
hockey team. = Holland, the Michael Angelo Band and
Nitro = Batio began his recording career in 1984
when he joined new Chicago-based heavy metal band Holland, an eponymous project
set up by ex-Steppenwolf singer Tommy Holland. With major label Atlantic
Records, the band released their debut studio album in 1985 entitled Little
Monsters, which saw moderate success in the United States. The band split up
soon after, and a compilation of material from the Little Monsters
sessions, Wake Up the Neighbourhood, was released in 1999 through Batio's label
M.A.C.E. Music. After the breakup of Holland, Batio
started his own eponymous band with singer Michael Cordet, bassist Allen
Hearn and drummer Paul Cammarata. The Band did not release any albums, though
three of their songs appeared on the 1998 Nitro compilation Gunnin' for
Glory. In 1987, after the breakup of Holland,
Batio joined glam metal artist Jim Gillette on his solo album Proud to Be
Loud, before founding the band Nitro with bassist T.J. Racer and drummer
Bobby Rock. In 1989 Nitro released their first studio album, O.F.R., from which
they released two singles, "Freight Train" and "Long Way From Home". The
music video for "Freight Train", which received much airplay on MTV, was
notable for featuring Batio playing his now famous 'Quad Guitar', a notion which
FHM magazine voted one of the "50 most outrageous moments in rock history".
1987 was also the year Batio released his first instructional video with "Star
Licks Productions" as part of the "Masters Series" and was one of the
first recognized metal guitarists to record instructional videos. This video
was the very first "shred" instructional program showing many modern guitar
concepts for the first time. By 1992, Comet and Racer had been
replaced by Johnny Thunder and Ralph Carter respectively, and it was in this
year that they released their second studio album entitled Nitro II:
H.W.D.W.S.. Included on the album was a cover of Ted Nugent's "Cat Scratch
Fever", which the band also integrated into a music video. Nitro disbanded
shortly afterwards. = Solo career =
In April 1993, Batio founded his own record label, M.A.C.E. Music, which
became one of the first labels online in 1996. He used this label when he began
recording his first album, No Boundaries, which he released in 1995.
Batio's second studio release was Planet Gemini in 1997, which showed a very
progressive, experimental side to his playing. In 1999, Batio released his
second instructional video, Jam With Angelo, which came with his third studio
album as a companion CD: Tradition. This was quickly followed by a fourth
full-length album in 2000, Lucid Intervals and Moments of Clarity, which
was credited to "Mike Batio and Rob Ross", the latter being the drummer.
In 2001, Batio released a CD with his band "C4," covering songs from his
Holland years and including the original "Call to Arms." It was his 1st all vocal
CD since recording with Nitro. In 2003, Batio released his first DVD,
the title release in his Speed Kills series, followed by the second, Speed
Lives, in 2004. It was also in this year that Batio released a compilation album,
Lucid Intervals and Moments of Clarity Part 2, which featured songs from
Tradition and Lucid Intervals. In 2005, Batio released his highly
anticipated coverstudio album, Hands Without Shadows, which featured guest
appearances from such musicians as Mark Tremonti, Rudy Sarzo and virtuoso
newcomer Bill Peck. In 2006, DVD Speed Kills 2 was released, in addition to the
first in the new Hands Without Shadows series, Performance. Batio's latest
release came in 2007, when his first two albums - No Boundaries and Planet Gemini
- were remixed and remastered with additional drums, for an album entitled
2 X Again; the title of a song from the first album. Angelo also released three
DVDs in 2007: Speed Kills 3, 25 Jazz Progressions and MAB Jam Session.
In 2011, Batio debuted his multimedia show "Hands Without Shadows - A Tribute
to Rock Guitar" in Las Vegas. In 2012 Batio toured the world with this show.
It was a chronological tribute to rock guitar. Batio toured the world with the
tribute to rock guitar show in 2013 and 2014. Batio is currently performing
concerts featuring his original music mixed with several songs from his
tribute to rock guitar show. Batio has been listed as one of the "Top
100 Greatest Metal Guitarists of All Time" by Guitar World Magazine, for
which he wrote the column Time to Burn, and one of the "20 Greatest Shredders of
All Time" by Total Guitar Magazine, both in April 2008. Batio also won the 2009
Guitar World Magazine Readers Choice award in the "Best Shredder" category.
In November 2011, Batio won the Guitar World Magazine Readers Choice Award and
was voted the "Fastest Guitarist of All Time." Over 440,000 votes were cast.
= Film appearance = In 1991, Batio's guitar work appeared in
the low budget horror film Shock 'Em Dead, recording tracks for the
soundtrack as well as playing the guitar parts of the demonically possessed main
character Angel Martin in close ups. Style
Batio has an advanced knowledge of music theory, having a deep understanding of
complex scale combinations and time signatures which assist him in his
compositions. He is widely known for his extremely fast and well articulated
alternate picking, which he credits to his use of anchoring, or planting the
fingers he does not use on the body of the guitar while picking to restrict
motion. He is also adept at fluid, sweep-picked arpeggios and tapping.
Batio has cited F-sharp minor and F-sharp phrygian dominant as two of his
favorite keys. He has described F sharp minor as a "demonic" key, giving a dark,
evil sound. Batio invented and often demonstrates the "Over-Under" technique,
which involves flipping his fretting hand over and under the neck rapidly,
playing the guitar both regularly and like a piano. He is ambidextrous, a
skill he taught himself. This enables him to play two guitars at the same time
either in synchronization or using separate harmonies. This includes
playing completely different parts at once, as shown while playing his famous
Double-Guitar. Though naturally left-handed, he plays as right-handed
when playing one guitar. Batio gave lessons to guitarist Tom
Morello while at college. Morello has credited MAB with teaching him in a
feature article in Guitar World Magazine in 2005. Batio also gave lessons to
guitarist Mark Tremonti after Creed broke up and Tremonti wanted to learn
more techniques. Batio has a deep interest in European
medieval history, castles and architecture, and is often seen wearing
an all-black outfit with chains and other designs related to the medieval
period. Many of his guitars have been designed to feature chainmail and flames
in the artwork. Equipment
= Guitars = Batio has an extensive collection of
around 100 guitars, which he has accumulated since the 1980s. Among his
instruments are a Dave Bunker "Touch guitar", a mint-condition 1968 Fender
Mustang, a 1986 Fender Stratocaster 1962 re-issue and several other vintage and
custom-built guitars. Among his custom-made guitars is a 29-fret guitar
made of military-grade aluminum, which makes the guitar very light. For live
performances Batio is an exclusive user of Dean Guitars, both electric and
acoustic. In 2007 he designed and developed a signature guitar with Dean,
known as the MAB1 Armor Flame. Another signature piece of equipment Batio
developed is the "MAB Hands Without Shadows" pickup, which he uses in his
Double Guitar when touring. The pickup is specially designed for shred guitar,
and provides the clean tone Batio is accustomed to. The Armor Flame, Batio's
signature guitar, uses EMG 81, 85 and SA pickups, as his signature DMT pickups
were still being developed at that time. Earlier on in his career when he was
first endorsed by Dean guitars he also embraced Dean's tradition of
popularising Dimarzio pickups and had used Dimarzios in his guitars. These
include the Dimarzio PAF, Super Distortion. Batio has also used pickups
of other brands including Seymour Duncan, namely the Pearly Gates and JB
models and also Bill Lawrence pickups. Currently other than using EMGs in his
signature guitar he also has a collection of the other brand pickups in
his Dean limited edition collectors' models, such as Dimarzio Custom Super
Distortions in his USA Dean Time capsule Blue Burst ML and the Seymour Duncan
pair he used in his USA Dean Collectors edition Hardtail.
The Double-Guitar Batio was the inventor of the
Double-Guitar, a V-shaped, twin-neck guitar which can be played both right-
and left-handed. The first version of this instrument was actually two
separate guitars simply played together, as opposed to being one entity. A Flying
V was fastened to a snare drum in a left-handed position, while another one
was strapped around his shoulder. The next version of the guitar, as designed
by Batio and guitar technician Kenny Breit, featured a flight case latch
attached to the back of each guitar, which could reportedly be assembled in
five seconds. By far his most famous and definitely his most photographed double
guitar is his USA Dean Mach 7 Jet Double-Guitar along with its custom
Anvil flight case. When the Double Guitar was first used in
concert, Batio noticed that the guitars created a lot of feedback when played
together. He decided that he needed to invent a way to 'dampen' the strings
when both guitars were played at the same time, hence the invention of the
"MAB String Dampener", which is now available to buy from M.A.C.E. Music.
The Double Guitar was recently named as the 8th "coolest guitar in rock" by
online music magazine Gigwise. His iconic Dean 'Jet' Double-Guitar has been
inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum and was put on permanent
display in February 2012. This guitar was built by Mike Lipe for Dean Guitars.
The Quad Guitar As well as the Double Guitar, Michael
Angelo also invented and designed the Quad Guitar. The guitar was originally
built in conjunction with Gibson, and built by Wayne Charvel in California.
The top two guitars have seven strings, while the bottom two have the regular
six. The first Quad, as used in the video for Nitro's "Freight Train", was
stolen in El Paso, Texas after the second show of Nitro's O.F.R. tour. When
Batio was performing in November 2004, a young fan named Simon Jones and his
father turned up with a guitar case which held inside the two top guitars of
the Quad, as found by Mick Seymour. Dean designed and had Mike Lipe build a new
Quad Guitar in 2008. The Quad Guitar was recently named as
the 2nd "coolest guitar in rock" by online music magazine Gigwise.
= Effects = In his years with Nitro, Batio used Boss
overdrive pedals. In his later years, beginning with his first solo album "No
Boundaries," Batio used and still uses the original TS-9 Tube Screamer. He has
vintage TS-9 pedals in his studio, that are only for recording and newer ones
that he uses on tour. In the studio, Batio also uses the
following effects pedals: = Amplification =
During his years with Nitro, Batio used Randall amplifiers. However, he used a
Marshall amp early in his career, a JCM 800. In later years he made particular
use of the JCM 900, when recording No Boundaries, and has primarily used this
and other Marshall amps since. Currently, Batio typically uses Marshall
JCM 2000 amps on tour, which also appear on his more recent studio records. In
the studio, he also uses the Marshall JMP-1 preamp and Rocktron Chameleon and
Voodoo Valve preamps. Batio's cabinet setup consists of 4x12 Marshall cabinets
loaded with Celestion Vintage 30s and Greenbacks, in mono and stereo.
= Other equipment = Strings
Batio uses Ernie Ball guitar strings, favouring the .009 to .042 models for
soloing and most rhythm guitar parts while thicker gauge strings are used for
detuned guitars. The acoustic gauge is normally .010 to .047 or .011 to .052.
Picks Batio uses black Dunlop Jazz IIIs as his
guitar pick of choice, and has used the 'teardrop' shape of pick since he first
started playing. Different picks are sometimes used for acoustic work.
Discography No Boundaries
Holiday Strings Planet Gemini
Tradition Lucid Intervals and Moments of Clarity
Lucid Intervals and Moments of Clarity Part 2
Hands Without Shadows 2 X Again
Hands Without Shadows 2 – Voices Backing Tracks
Intermezzo Shred Force 1: The Essential MAB
References External links
Official forum 2015 Michael Angelo Batio Interview on
Guitar.com Michael Angelo Batio at Reidmoto
Michael Angelo Batio at Encyclopaedia Metallum