Stratovarius Community

WELL, I MADE THIS TOPIC BECAUSE OF ALL GREAT GUITAR PLAYERS IVE SEEN I THINK THAT HERMAN MAKE THE MOST IMPOSSIBLE SOLOS IVE EVER HEARD....ITS JUST IMPOSSIBLE TO DO WHAT THAT GUY DOES...WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK?

Are we talking about the same Herman Li?

Herman Li is very technically skilled indeed, but unfortunately doesn't seem to grasp the concept of melodic control, phrasing or structure. He uses A LOT of effects and a pitch shifting pedal, which makes what he plays sound 'impossible'. They would be impossible without effects.

I think Sam Totman is a far better soloist. His solos are much more memorable and he makes better use of thematic material, and he generally seems to be more capable of expressing himself.

I think the speed is not the most important thing of a solo. Of course it is not easy to play a solo as fast as he does but the melody must also fit to the music and the song.

Herman plays only fast solos including in the ballads, but if you see Tolkki, he has a lot of slow solos¨...

IMHO, the best guitarist is the one who can transmit emotions through his playing. And the best guitar player for that will ever be Timo Tolkki. It's really impressive how much emotion he can put into a solo. I'm positively shocked every time I hear his solos! Moreover, TT is playing very technically too. In an another way, of course, but he's also one of the best technicians ever! Herman Li is great, but there is no emotion, no life, in his solos. His parts are artificials! And I don't like that.

I have acually met both herman and sam(although i have met everyone else in the band also)... Anyhow, NeonVomit is 100% correct! They totaly missed out on dynamics and texture. They acually said "slow music is gay"... Sure this was when Sam was soooo wasted, but anyway it doesnt suprise me coming from dragonforce... So no Herman li is not the best guitarist or whatever you said... it might seem so if you arent a musician.

Ahlimatainen wrote: They acually said "slow music is gay"... Sure this was when Sam was soooo wasted

I've run into him on about 5 seperate occasions (once at the Strato gig, in fact) and he was totally smashed each time

MetalAngel wrote:IMHO, the best guitarist is the one who can transmit emotions through his playing. And the best guitar player for that will ever be Timo Tolkki. It's really impressive how much emotion he can put into a solo. I'm positively shocked every time I hear his solos! Moreover, TT is playing very technically too. In an another way, of course, but he's also one of the best technicians ever! Herman Li is great, but there is no emotion, no life, in his solos. His parts are artificials! And I don't like that.

Steve Vai is much better at transmitting emotion on his "talking" guitar, and Van Halen and John Petrucci both make more complicated and technical phrasing than TT, BUT I just love TT's style, he drove me into playing guitar and I heartily welcome him for it and he is the biggest influence in my plaing style, along with Weikath, Grapow, Petrucci and Liimatainen

All of this is IMO btw

Blah, as much as I dislike Malmsteen as a person (and I still remember that concert where he ripped us off) he is one of the two greatest guitar players. The other one is, of course, Norifumi Shima of Concerto Moon.

What did he do when he ripped you off?... Anyway... I find that Dragonforce can be fun but theyre to into that fast thing... I mean the songs have all got almost the same structure... Theyre great live though

A conclution:

As everything above states, Herman Li is truly an alien
Perhaps his visions are just too far from us humans, perhaps he thinks that speed=emotion... and the effect-pursued sound adds it up.
But, I will be precise:
-No emotions in solos
-Uses lots of effects on his solos
-his band thinks slow music is gay
-solos sound impossible (mostly 'couse of the effects)

=Herman Li is an alien.

ps. no, I don't listen Dragonforce, and likely (of what I have heard, a few songs) I never will

You talk about guitar and emotion and nobody is even remembering Satch? Oh my.

Jaakko wrote:You talk about guitar and emotion and nobody is even remembering Satch? Oh my.

Yes yes we are remembering him and the other countless amazing guitar players, we're merely citing examples. If there was one post saying 'Oh my, you havn't mentiond so-and-so?' this thread would be virtually endless.

But when I saw them live I really found out that sam is better... Herman has one or 2 solos that are good... but on the cd inhuman rampage herman has a bach inspired malmsteen lick in every song... its a bit enoying

Ahlimatainen wrote:But when I saw them live I really found out that sam is better... Herman has one or 2 solos that are good... but on the cd inhuman rampage herman has a bach inspired malmsteen lick in every song... its a bit enoying

Sam has better ideas, but doesn't have the skill of Herman. Herman is the exact opposite.

Yeah, but that Bach lick in every Herman solo is SOOOO annoying... Becouse, its like hes addicted to it or something.

Yeah, but that Bach lick in every Herman solo is SOOOO annoying... Becouse, its like hes addicted to it or something.

I'm no guitarist, but i really love Herman's playing and i really love Dragonforce!

snnnnnnnnnnko

It was fun when I talked to Sam a bit after the concert and he said something like: "I'm looking for some chick and there was one in the front roe with all that goth make up and stuff on, but she did some weird thing with her hands *Crosses all his fingers in an un-holyway^^(no just a kinda weird sign or something)*. I think that means like f£!k off in some language or something"... Then this girl with long blonde hair passes by so sais like "nice" and follows her to the bar... kinda weird.

Ahlimatainen wrote:It was fun when I talked to Sam a bit after the concert and he said something like: "I'm looking for some chick and there was one in the front roe with all that goth make up and stuff on, but she did some weird thing with her hands *Crosses all his fingers in an un-holyway^^(no just a kinda weird sign or something)*. I think that means like f£!k off in some language or something"... Then this girl with long blonde hair passes by so sais like "nice" and follows her to the bar... kinda weird.

Living the rockstar dream, I see. Well let's hope he doesn't get totally destroyed by the drink. I'm not in a position to judge though.

NeonVomit wrote:

Ahlimatainen wrote:It was fun when I talked to Sam a bit after the concert and he said something like: "I'm looking for some chick and there was one in the front roe with all that goth make up and stuff on, but she did some weird thing with her hands *Crosses all his fingers in an un-holyway^^(no just a kinda weird sign or something)*. I think that means like f£!k off in some language or something"... Then this girl with long blonde hair passes by so sais like "nice" and follows her to the bar... kinda weird.

Living the rockstar dream, I see. Well let's hope he doesn't get totally destroyed by the drink. I'm not in a position to judge though.

Sure you are, who the hell isn't?! (and who the hell doesn't if you get technical) But should you judge is an entirely different matter!

Impossible?
*cofFRANKGAMBALEALANHOLDSWORTHtonamefewcof....*

well...feeling is something very personal...its just how an individual fells about the playng style of someone...i do prefer timo , and think that there are lots of other better guitar players in a musical way, but realy, technicaly, herman kicks a lot of asses, and ive tried to play some of his stuff....no effect make the stuff he does easy....the guy is awesome, but he doesnt sound so emotional maybe by the fact that he learned all by himself while sam learned with professors

and i think that the speed he plays doesnt make less feling on his music...but thats just my opinion

Herman Li =>

FakeTolkki wrote:and i think that the speed he plays doesnt make less feling on his music...but thats just my opinion

Speed and emotion are not mutually exclusive, look at Tolkki, Vai and Jason Becker, amongst others. Herman just doesn't make any use of coherent thematic material. But what he's saying is 'Hey, that's my style, and if you don't like it, fuck off ' or something. So who am I to complain?

Also, Jason Becker and Criss Oliva both were self-taught, and had incredibly emotional playing. Being taught academically has nothing to do with expression.

I simply think that Sam is a better guitar player.

Ahlimatainen wrote:It was fun when I talked to Sam a bit after the concert and he said something like: "I'm looking for some chick and there was one in the front roe with all that goth make up and stuff on, but she did some weird thing with her hands *Crosses all his fingers in an un-holyway^^(no just a kinda weird sign or something)*. I think that means like f£!k off in some language or something"... Then this girl with long blonde hair passes by so sais like "nice" and follows her to the bar... kinda weird.

XD XD, that definitely sounds like Sam.

@ topic: Hermen is asian, and I would guess most asian people would pick up on string insturments quickly.

As most of you know i am a big DragonForce fan, and i admit that they don't play with as much melody as they could, they just go for pure speed, which is why they're a speed metal band i guess I prefer the speed with the touch of melody even though it's not much, but i know most people prefer slower with melody.

And Sam is never sober.

theres not much melody, i agree, but thats what make dragonforce an unique band....if they played just like other melodic/power bands, they would never reach the sucess they are having now...and all of them are execelents musicians...maybe zp theart is not a god singer, but the rest of the band kicks ass