Dive into harmony and technique with a boundary-pushing metal stylist

Brandon is one of the most exciting players in modern metal. As lead guitarist and key songwriter of the band The Black Dahlia Murder, he mixes a decidedly retro appreciation for the classics (and neo-classics!) with an adventurous sense of harmony that adds excitement at every turn.

Within a metal context Brandon has developed an almost jazz-like harmonic sensibility that incorporates adventurous arpeggiated sounds and clever modulations. In the conversation we visit a number of these inventive ideas, from the use of major add2 arpeggios and the melodic minor mode in metal, to borrowed classical harmony like Neopolitan and augmented sixth chords.

Mechanically, Brandon is not just a great player but also a uniquely intuitive observer of his own technique. Unlike most Cracking the Code interviews where we observe through conversation, in this one we explicitly discuss topics like joint motion and escape motion. More often than not, the Magnet footage reveals that Brandon’s guesses about what’s happening are indeed what is actually happening, even when it comes to the kind of subtle changes that occur during high-speed, high-gain playing.

Tie all this together with Brandon’s relentlessly hooky melody writing and signature swoopy vibrato, and it makes dropping the needle anywhere on a Black Dahlia Murder record one of the most engaging and entertaining guitar listening experiences you can have.

The 1-hour-and-twenty-minute interview features 67 musical examples with tablature, including a complete transcription of Brandon’s rhythm parts and solo on “How Very Dead” by the Black Dahlia Murder.