Description

Holding down lead guitar duties for horror-metal kings Ice Nine Kills, Miles brings an elite level of control and musicality to the band’s cinematic blend of metalcore and macabre. With their theatrical visuals and pun-laced tributes to classic horror, INK has exploded in popularity since The Silver Scream 2: Welcome to Horrorwood—and Miles joined the band at just the right time.

A longtime student of the craft with previous projects like Interloper and Voidbringer under his belt, he blends calculated mechanical mastery with a flair for melodrama. His independent horror-themed Nightfall Clothing Co and his onstage persona show he’s fully embraced the spooky aesthetic, but underneath the mask is a technician of rare skill.

Miles is an expert USX picker who is notably aware of his escape mechanics. In the talk, we explore how he adapts his technique to complex string changes through two-way pickslanting and displacement. He outlines how he maintains surgical clarity even under high gain, including employing multiple fretting-hand muting strategies. An unusual detail: Miles plays lefty despite being a natural right-hander. This flipped positioning gives us some great camera angles, offering targeted views of fretting mechanics and POV-style overhead closeups of the picking hand.

The 76-minute interview features 56 musical examples with tablature, including a full playthrough of the Ice Nine Kills track “The American Nightmare.” It also includes a special 35-minute, six-lesson sequence from Cracking the Code with slow-motion analysis of Miles’ truly fascinating technique.