Ex-NEVERMORE Guitarist Announces More Guests For New Solo Album

Guitar prodigy Jeff Loomis has locked himself in the studio for the past few months perfecting his highly anticipated sophomore solo record, to be released later this year via Century Media Records. A full U.S. tour will kick off in April.

After Jeff's departure from NEVERMORE and the release of his solo debut — 2008's "Zero Order Phase" — fans have been craving a new album. With a number of influential musicians appearing on the upcoming release, Loomis is more than ready to deliver.

Commented Jeff: "A couple of years ago I achieved my childhood dream of releasing a solo album. With the releasing of my second record coming up, I'm proud to announce another dream come true... or should I say dreams... Marty Friedman [ex-MEGADETH], Tony Macalpine and Chris Poland [ex-MEGADETH] have all done guest solos for it. These guys must have given me hundreds of blisters on my fingers when I was a kid trying in vain to emulate their work. Hell, I'm still trying to figure out some of their solos. To have three guitar players that I looked up to as a young player and still hold in such high regard is simply amazing. I can't thank those guys enough."

In other news, Loomis will appear at this coming weekend's NAMM show in Anaheim, California. He states, "I have two new Schecter models that I'll be showing and I'll be doing a signing Saturday, [January] 21st at their booth at 1 p.m. as well as another one later that day with Engl amps at 5."

Jeff was the lead guitar player and main songwriter of NEVERMORE, a band that has certainly made its mark on modern music by forging a unique sound that fuses different forms of metal that has given birth to an authentic and very influential style. His solo CD, "Zero Order Phase", took the #4 spot in a April 2009 Guitar World magazine's readers' poll in the "Best Shred Album Of The Year" category — a notable accomplishment when you consider the top three vote-getters, Paul Gilbert, Yngwie Malmsteen and Joe Satriani. Jeff has become one of his generation's most recognizable guitarists and the source of many of the last decade's best riffs.

Jeff's complex shredding has been a central part of the progressive power guitar scene since 1992 and is responsible for some of the most awe-inspiring riffs modern metal has ever heard. Nearly every aspiring musician who has been listening to metal for the past 10 years or so has undoubtedly had the pleasure of hearing Jeff Loomis' progressive and technically superior playing.

Loomis' first solo album, "Zero Order Phase", was released in September 2008 through Century Media Records.