Tim Henson of Polyphia: Redefining guitar

This dude takes this modern style a whole level even beyond Tim . It’s not for everyone but this is wild

The hand movements are so herky jerky that it looks like sped up video. Then again, lots of people thought the same thing of the infamous Frantic Disembowelment studio footage video and that definitely wasn’t manipulated.
 
The hand movements are so herky jerky that it looks like sped up video. Then again, lots of people thought the same thing of the infamous Frantic Disembowelment studio footage video and that definitely wasn’t manipulated.
He’s definitely legit . He made videos on debunking this because him and Rings of Saturn were accused of that . I saw rings of Saturn live and hung out with them and they were spot on . It was crazy af to see. And ya Frantic is a killer classic . What riffs !
 
HOT TAKE:

Dream Theater still makes Polyphia look like Green Day as far as technical ability goes.

just trying to extend the thread by 1000 pages :ROFLMAO:
There's a video on YT, I think I posted earlier, of Tim Henson evolution 10 years old to 28 years old, somewhere in his mid-teens he was doing some Petrucci-esq shred...

I can't play like either (Henson or Petrucci) but I recognize their talents...
 
Yet you can hum every Hammett solo and Tim’s solos sound like someone taught AI what music is and the program glitched

The AI software for making songs is already available. Who knows if they used it. It sure sounds like it to my ears. The dude can play but it’s no coherent music in my book.
 
So are you knocking his writing or tone? Because some of his early stuff is absolutely classic and memorable.
Both. His tone and vibrato have always sucked. If you are talking early albums, he probably didn’t write anything, but, rather, simply replayed/recorded Mustaine’s solos.

So technically, you like Mustaine’s writing on the early stuff.
 

Dude... that neck length... not the guitar either lol

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Both. His tone and vibrato have always sucked. If you are talking early albums, he probably didn’t write anything, but, rather, simply replayed/recorded Mustaine’s solos.

So technically, you like Mustaine’s writing on the early stuff.
Well by early stuff I mean up through AJFA. And yes I really enjoy Mustaine's writing as well as Kirk's. As for his tone I've always been fond of it...not groundbreaking but it just fits the music exceptionally well, kinda like Lars' playing back then. A lot of people knock on Lars too but the earlier material is just super well composed without being showy.
 
Not entirely bad to me personally, but too may changes within every song I've heard. I picture their songwriting going something like; elevator music -> unresolved nintendo era boss battle -> nylon inspired-> vintage comedy sound effects to someone falling down stairs-> unresolved field background track -> nylon inspired -> gran turismo menu track -> 60's tv show changeover jingle -> 90s Anime ice cream parlor scene -> finish with elevator.
 
Not entirely bad to me personally, but too may changes within every song I've heard. I picture their songwriting going something like; elevator music -> unresolved nintendo era boss battle -> nylon inspired-> vintage comedy sound effects to someone falling down stairs-> unresolved field background track -> nylon inspired -> gran turismo menu track -> 60's tv show changeover jingle -> 90s Anime ice cream parlor scene -> finish with elevator.
don't forget the big edm bass drops to make it "modern", and "crossover"
 
The hand movements are so herky jerky that it looks like sped up video. Then again, lots of people thought the same thing of the infamous Frantic Disembowelment studio footage video and that definitely wasn’t manipulated.

Reminds of my sons hands on the keyboard,
I had NO IDEA he could type like that.
It’s like…mania.
Onetime, when I asked him take out the garbage,
while wrestling in a digital fit, he tried to move the garbage from his computer chair with his hands,
-like he had the theremin or something,
and he could translocate the trash out to the street with his hands..
THAT’S when I brought the hammer down,
“You kids and that digital dope”..,,
-put them Bruce Lee hands in the valve pit
and change out them control valves..punk”.

My solution?
-Thunderfinger’s- John Entwistle.
 
Never heard of him before this thread so my opinion is thin at best (I just turned 54 so there's that - I'm hardly his target audience). I could care less about his appearance. His actual playing is great but his "music" doesn't do anything for me. Don't get me wrong, I used to say the same thing about Vai and a few others so age has nuthin' to do with it. I get it, artists have to be different to make a mark otherwise it's just more of the same old same old and this band seems to understand you better have your own gimmick these days if you want to be remembered. I guess I just don't personally find their style all that enjoyable beyond a couple minuets. Perhaps it's over my head lol, I am old now. I grew up on Jason Becker, Michael Lee Firkins, Greg Howe, etc, you know, stuff that is considered dad shred and "bullshit guitar music" (did he really say that?)

He has technical skill up the ying yang but then so do a bazillion other dudes, and that's been the case for ages too. I can't honestly say (from what little I've heard) that this is game changing tho, I mean he plays a bunch of notes, scales, taps and chords very fast and cleanly, and in a pleasing way at times, I can appreciate that (in fact I love it when done tastefully) but umm, those general core check boxes and approach to guitar playing have been around for decades, nothing new there. So then it would come down to his harmonic/note choice and writing style right? Oops, his compositions/music didn't speak to me either, pretty forgettable "songs", I need more melodic moments, some give and take phrasing, breathing, impactful lines that say something, etc, stuff that will stand the test of time. I can throw an ancient Tony MacAlpine song list together and go for a run and remember every fucking beautiful phrase, solo and melody. This music? Not so much. I sound like a hater, but honestly, not one bit of the clips posted made me scratch my head in awe and want to got grab my guitar and try to learn some of it.

All that said, I agree with the guy who posted that his son is a friend and shared the bit about the guy not giving a shit about what others think of his style and playing...NOW we're talking because really, true artists never have cared. I bet most of us don't care about what others think of our playing, I sure don't, I play guitar for me and thankfully it sounds like this guy will keep doing his own thing for the same reason. It was posted that he doesn't think much of so called guitar music....I bet there's plenty of those type players that don't care for his music either just the same, so we're even.
 
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