A 12-year-old heavy metal prodigy named Vox Realis is making waves in the guitar world, after he was accepted into a mentorship program run by a former Megadeth electric guitar player. Realis, who ...

PITTSBURGH ― Metal god Kenneth (K.K.) Downing returns to the U.S. this March, ready to enthrall those who worship the sounds of exceptionally played, hard-rocking guitar. The tour finds Downing ...

PITTSBURGH ― Metal god Kenneth (K.K.) Downing returns to the U.S. this March, ready to enthrall those who worship the sounds of exceptionally played, hard-rocking guitar.

1. Tony Iommi Tony Iommi is an English guitarist best known as the co-founder and lead guitarist of Black Sabbath. He pioneered heavy metal guitar with his dark, heavy riffs and detuned sound.

Ragne’s guitar was his sword, and the Swedish metal musicians (and people from all over the world) who followed him into battle stand as a vindication of what once seemed like a quixotic campaign.

Below are 20 essential ’80s hard-rock/heavy-metal guitar duos, listed in alphabetical order by band. Some of these bands released their first album that decade, others got started earlier.