While I think it’s great that strings are becoming more prevalent in non-classical genres, sometimes I feel like string players cross styles to dabble in a fad rather than because they feel compelled to break from their roots. However, I get a real thrill when I find ones who’ve made the jump for the love of the style and, more importantly, can hold their own while they do it.
I’ll be honest: I love metal, and I love hearing metalhead string players play in straight-ahead metal bands. That’s what the people below do, so I think they’re pretty f%ckin’ rad. That's right, I just said "rad."
Lyris Hung
Juilliard graduate, session violinist, and otherwise versatile musician from NYC. In addition to founding the progressive death/black metal band Hung, she plays with comedienne/actress/writer Kate Rigg in the stage show Birth of a nASIAN and in their trip-hop comedy/music duo, Slanty Eyed Mama.
Very much worth noting is her Scythe steel electric violin commissioned from sculptor/luthier Erich Meatleg. See it in action by clicking on the picture above.
- LyrisHung.com
- Lyris Hung on MySpace
- Hungrocks.com
- Hung on MySpace
- Interview with Aub Driver
- Slanty Eyed Mama
Tina Guo
Extremely talented, 22-year-old cellist from LA with an impressive international concert schedule of classical music and a drool-worthy résumé of non-classical projects, not the least of which (in my opinion) is starting the rock/metal band, Off the Deep End.
She plays Yamaha Silent Electric Cellos and is endorsed by Carvin (for her amp) and Coffin Case (do Yamaha Silent Electrics really fit in those?).
- TinaGuo.com
- Tina Guo on MySpace
- Tina Guo on YouTube
- Innerviewworld interview
- Off the Deep End on MySpace
Max Lilja and Aino Piipari from Hevein
Hevein is a six-piece heavy metal band from Finland with the standard guitar, bass, vocals and drums instrumentation plus Lilja on cello and Piipari on violin.
Lilja is one of the founding members of Apocalyptica, but in 2002, he left that group and joined Hevein. I’m not sure if he left Apocalyptica in order to join Hevein or if he left for other reasons. He also plays in the Finnish band Tekijä Tuntematon, tours with Tarja Turunen (formerly of Nightwish) and does session work. In videos of Hevein, he is playing an acoustic cello, presumably one with a StringAmp system since he is mentioned on their website.
Another thing these people have in common is that they’re not afraid to take a solo, which is like pulling teeth to us string players most of the time. How refreshing!
(Photo by Izzy Peskowitz, courtesy of www.hungrocks.com)
