Top 100 Modern Metal Guitarists

This has been something I have been working on for a long time. I've put a lot of effort into analyzing the playing of all the guitarists on this list, even if I didn't enjoy their respective band's music. There was only one rule I had when compiling this list: The band had to be formed from 1990 to the present day (so great players like John Petrucci, Fredrik Thordendal, and Terrence Hobbs are excluded). Another quick note is I listed some players that played or are currently playing in bands that were formed before 1990, but their main band formed within in the eligible time period (which is why Chris Broderick did not make the list and Erik Rutan did). Feel free to comment, I appreciate the feedback.  I hope that clears everything up and without further ado, here is my list of the top 100 guitar players in modern metal.

100.JB Brubaker (August Burns Red)

99.David Sullivan (Red Fang)

98.Robby Baca (The Contortionist)

97.Oli Herbert (All That Remains)

96.Ryan Waste (Municipal Waste)

95.Pete Adams (Baroness)

94.Ryan Butler (Landmine Marathon)

93.Mike Sprietzer (Devildriver)

92.Per Nilison (Scar Symmetry)

91.Mike “Gunface” McKenzie (The Red Chord)

90.John Abernathy (Conducting From The Grave)

89.Joel Grind (Toxic Holocaust)

88.Robb Flynn (Machine Head)

87.Willie Adler (Lamb Of God)

86.Josh Middleton (Sylosis)

85.A.J Harvey (Last Chance To Reason)

84.Peter Wichers (Soilwork)

83.Josh Travis (The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza, Glass Cloud)

82.Rob Arnold (ex-Chimaira, Six Feet Under)

81.Bjorn Gallette (In Flames)

80.Matt Pike (High On Fire, ex-Sleep)

79.J.D Cronise (The Sword)

78.Cristaino Trionferia (Fleshgod Apocalypse)

77.Luke Kilpatrick (Parkway Drive)

76.Doc Coyle (God Forbid)

75.Chris Marchteal (Powerglove)

74.Nick Hipa (As I Lay Dying)

73.Mark Morton (Lamb Of God)

72.Matheiau Marcotte (Augury)

71.Charles Elliott (Abysmal Dawn)

70.Greg Burgess (Allegaeon)

69.Joe Haley (Psycroptic)

68.Dan Gapen (Lazarus A.D)

67.John Gallagher (Dying Fetus)

66.Travis Montgomery (Threat Signal)

65.Corey Beaulieu (Trivium)

64.Marc Lambert (Painted In Exile)

63.Fransisco Auerado (All Shall Perish)

62.Sebastian Nilson (Aeon)

61.Branon Bernatowiz (War Of Ages)

60.Arde Oswitari (Burning The Masses)

59.Nergal (Behemoth)

58.Sammy Duet (Goatwhore, ex-Acid Bath, ex-Crowbar)

57.Synyster Gates (Avenged Sevenfold)

56.James Malone (Arsis)

55.Jonathan Donais (Shadows Fall)

54.Brandon Small(Dethklok)

53.Scott Corstairs (Fallujah)

52.Chase Fraser (Son Of Aurelius, Decrepit Birth (touring), ex-Animosity)

51.Muhammed Suicwez (Necrophagist)

50.Shane Clark (3 Inches of Blood)

49.John Laux (Warbringer)

48.Kris Norris (The Kris Norris Project, ex-Darkest Hour)

47.Chris Valenzula (Burning The Masses)

46.Reece Scruggs (Havok)

45.Joe Cochi (Within The Ruins)

44.Christopher Bradley (Beneath The Massacre)

43.Jason Richardson (Chelsea Grin (vomit, hasn't done any studio stuff with them yet), ex-Born Of Osiris, ex-All Shall Perish)

42.Trent Hafdahl (After The Burial)

41.Johan Sodderberg (Amon Amarth)

40.Adam Dutekiwicz (Killswitch Engage, Times Of Grace)

39.Josh Elmore (Cattle Decapitation)

38.Misha “Bulb” Mansoor (Periphery)

37.Vogg (Decapitated)

36.Erik Nelson (Vektor)

35.Emil Wrestler (Chimaira (hasn't recorded any studio stuff with them yet), Daath)

34.Devin Townsend (Devin Townsend Project, Solo, ex-Strapping Young Lad)

33.Nate Garnette (Skeletonwitch)

32.Kurt Ballou (Converge)

31.Luke Hoskin (Protest The Hero)

30.Matt Sotelo (Decrepit Birth)

29.Adam Jones (Tool)

28.Buz McGrath (Unearth)

27.Gus G (Firewind, Ozzy Osbourne)

26.Erik Rutan (Hate Eternal, ex-Morbid Angel)

25.Ivan Bornson(Enslaved)

24.Scott Hull (Pig Destroyer, Agoraphobic Nosebleed)

23.Chimp Spanner (Solo)

22.Christopher Amott (Arch Enemy)

21.Christopher Arp (Psyopus)

20.Ben Weinman (The Dillinger Escape Plan)

19.Ol' Drake (Evile)

18.Alexi Laiho (Children Of Bodom)

17.Mikael Aferdelt (Opeth)

16.Michael Keene (The Faceless)

15.A.J Minette (The Human Abstract)

14.Chris Lectford (Scale The Summit)

13.John 5 (Rob Zombie, Solo,ex-Marilyn Manson)

12.Phil Demmel (Machine Head)

11.Paul Ryan (Origin)

10.Ryan Knight (The Black Dahlia Murder, ex-Arsis)

9.Michael Amott (Arch Enemy)

8.Karl Sanders (Nile)

7.Christian Munzer (Obscura, Spawn Of Possession, ex-Necrophagist)

6.Brent Hinds (Mastodon)

5.Jeff Loomis (ex-Nevermore, Solo)

4.Colin Marston (Behold...The Arctopus, Kralice, A lot of other projects)

3.Paul Waggoner (Between The Buried and Me)
2.David Davidson (Revocation)

1.Tosin Abasi (Animals As Leaders)