Below you will find links to recent online interviews Joe has done.

Joe Stump Guitar Clinic for www.Live4Metal.com

Q - Before we get to the meat of this interview, tell me what’s going on in the world of Joe Stump right now. I know you just released Speed Metal Messiah.

A - Yes, the new record came out just a little bit ago so I’ve been playing some shows and doing some press to support it. It’s my best solo stuff to date, I worked extremely hard on Speed Metal Messiah and I’m fairly pleased with the end result. I’ll be doing a bunch of touring and traveling in 2005 so I’m looking forward to that.  I’ve got a European tour in the Spring and it looks like I’ll be going back to Mexico and another Asian clinic tour as well this upcoming year. I’ll also be releasing two new instructional DVDs this year.

Q - Now on to the guitar stuff. I’ll give you a technique or description, along with my hair-brained comments, and you go to town.

A - Cool, I’ll do my best.

Q - Guitar Harmonies: A lot of Swedish melodic death metal bands utilize them.

A - Guitar harmonies are when 2 or more guitar lines are combined. One guitarist (or guitar track if you’re overdubbing) plays a main guitar part or melodic lead guitar line and another part is played along with it in harmony. What harmony means in this context is that the 2^nd guitar part is played starting a different place within the scale, usually a diatonic (diatonic means within the scale) third higher or lower than the main part. Intervals of 5ths and 6ths are also used in harmony parts, but 3rds are most common and most times sound the best, dependent on the part. An easy way to understand this is that you have the main part playing one thing and the second part or harmony part is playing the same thing but starting at a different place within the scale.

Q - Twin leads: Thin Lizzy made these famous.

A - Twin leads and guitar harmonies are basically the same thing; you can harmonize any type of guitar part, from a nice sustaining melody to a cool riff type of thing to a crazy insanely fast technical passage. Lizzy, Maiden, Priest, the Scorpions all those famous old school two guitar bands popularized playing lead guitar lines in harmony. A great example of a killer harmonized guitar solo is Highway Star by Ritchie Blackmore on Deep Purple’s Machine Head and that record was made in 1971. So you can see it’s been around for quite awhile in a hard rock/metal guitar context.

Q - Muted Guitar Harmonies: Black metal bands utilize this technique a lot, I supposed to add a harmony element, but give it a dirty, more evil, sound, rather than a polished one.

A - A muted guitar harmony is just playing a guitar harmony and using the palm mute to alter the tone a little. Palm muting is dampening the strings with your pick hand to tighten up the sound of what you’re playing, whether it’s a chordal riff, a melodic line or scale passage. All metal players regardless of style use palm muting, it’s a cool way to control the attack and articulation of what you’re playing by choking the tone a little or letting up on the palm mute to have the notes ring more. Palm muting, while synonymous with all riff and chordal playing in metal, is also used for lead guitar lines as well.  A lot of black metal bands use muted guitar harmonies and fast tremolo picked guitar lines for parts and riffs to their tunes.

Q - Palm Muting: Lots of death metal bands use this technique, something that Suffocation is known for.

A - As you see I’ve explained the whole palm muting thing in our last question. But as far as death metal bands using the technique, all the evil riffage and heavy chord work in death, thrash and speed metal involves palm muting.

Q - What is a Hammer-on?

A - A hammer-on is playing one note and making the second higher pitched note sound by using your fretting hand as opposed to picking it. You can also play a hammer-on by fretting a note and then tapping the next tone with a finger on your pick hand, the technique Van Halen and Randy Rhoads popularized.

Q - Tuning:  Talk about the different types of guitar tuning used for the various styles of metal. Down-tuned guitars are all the rage nowadays.

A - Down tuning has been around for quite a long time. Tony Iommi down tuned in Sabbath, partially because it sounded evil but mostly so he could play the riffs easier by making the tension on his guitar looser, due to his unfortunate accident where he lost finger tips on his fret hand. Hendrix tuned down a half step, so does Van Halen so does Yngwie Malmsteen, I tune down a half step as well. It sounds heavier and the tension on the guitar is a little slinkier.  Nowadays many bands and players tune down to varying degrees. Some death metal bands tune all the way down to B, some bands use 7 strings, tune all the way down to B, then drop the 7th string down to a low A. Guitar string companies even sell special string sets with custom string gauges to accommodate down tuning string tensions.

Q - Triplets: Isn’t a triplet used in tandem with a harmony?

A - A triplet is just a beat permeation or note value, meaning 3 notes are played on 1 beat, just like a quarter note is one beat, 8^th notes-2 per beat, and 16^th notes 4 per beat. It has nothing to due with harmony, but of course you could play a harmonized guitar line in triplets.

Q - Harmonics: The pinch harmonic is used by everyone from Machine Head to Immolation.

A - Harmonics are all over the guitar, you have open harmonics, but the pinch or artificial harmonic, as it’s called, is created by pinching the note as you attack it.  Some players use the underside of their index finger in combination with the pick to create the high pitched squeal, another way to do it by using your thumb and or thumbnail along with the pick. So you can dial up all kinds of killer squeals and tones all over the neck dependent upon what string you’re on and where you attack the note with your pick hand. Meaning different attack points between the neck joint and the bridge will produce all kinds of different pick harmonics. Like any other rock/metal guitar technique they’ve been around for a long time and are used by all styles of hard rock/metal players.

Q - Arpeggio: Another technique often used by death metal bands. Sweeping arpeggios are frequently used by Orign, Nile, and related bands.

A - The definition of an arpeggio is the notes of a chord played individually. When I think of arpeggio play the guys that really wrote the book on hard/metal lead guitar come to mind – Ritchie Blackmore, Uli-Jon Roth, Michael Schenker, and Gary Moore. All used arpeggios in their playing and all while some more than others very influenced by classical music, the source of inspiration for this type of playing. The solo in Burn by Blackmore, the middle section of Michael Schenker’s Into the Arena, parts of the groundbreaking Sails of Charon by Uli and Gary Moore’s killer End of the World solo, are all prime early examples of great arpeggio play. As far as the sweep arpeggio, it’s not the death metal guys that anybody thinks of when you’re talking about sweep–picking. That’s a technique made popular us shred guys. Whether it’s myself or the guys who pioneered the genre like Yngwie Malmsteen , Paul Gilbert, or Michael Angelo. The sweep arpeggio is a must in every shredder’s arsenal of licks. It’s a more technical manner in which to play arpeggios by sweeping or raking the notes with your pick hand in a down motion for an ascending sweep and up motion for a descending arpeggio.  Sweep arpeggios are often by not all the time played at breakneck speeds.

Q - What about when someone refers to an “arpeggiated” guitar part?

A - An arpeggiated guitar part could be some type of single note classically influenced lead guitar type section like I previously mentioned or it could simply be a rhythm type of guitar part where you’re just playing the notes of the chord individually in sequence. The intro of Randy Rhoads’ Diary of a Madman is a cool example of that.

Q - Scales: Talk about the different guitar scales.

A - Most metal players tend to use dark sounding minor scales to create melodies and lead lines. The pentatonic and blues scale is used by all rock/blues/hard rock/ metal players. The commonly used minor scales are natural minor (Aeolian), Dorian and Phrygian. While others frequently used are Harmonic minor and Phrygian dominant, which are both very classical sounding and also quite eastern sounding. Some cooler sounding more exotic scales used are Hungarian minor, double harmonic minor, symmetrical diminished or the Japanese pentatonics. It’s tough to explain scales to non musicians other than certain tracks and solos and guitarists will come to mind when thinking of different scales and tonalities.

Q - Effects: What effects are the most popular? Wah-wah is certainly one.

A - Jimi - and when I say Jimi there is only one - was the first one to really start experimenting with various guitar effects like fuzztones, wah-wah, univbe, and octavia. Many of those along with chorus, flanging, all types of reverbs and delays, overdrive, phase shifter - the list goes on. Another pedal used quite a bit by more modern metal players is the whammy pedal. While technology has come quite a long way, most players still gravitate to the older school classic guitar effects, probably because when something sounds great, why fuck with it. I still have the same pedal board from 15-16 years ago, you know the old saying, if it ain’t broke then don’t fix it.

Q - Have I left anything out that those interested in heavy metal guitar should know about? If so, let ‘er rip!

A - Just that if the readers have more guitar questions they could submit them to you and after you’ve compiled some of the more popular questions or requests you can send them over to me and I’d be happy to answer them when my schedule allows. Thanks, it was fun, all the best Joe Stump

Q - Thanks Joe!

Here's the link to the site this interview came from:  http://www.live4metal.com/itu-joestump.htm

Here's an interview with a magazine from Argentina.

First at all I’d like to know your musical influences, and who is your Master or your personal Guitar God?

My favorite guitarists and main guitar influences are Ritchie Blackmore, Yngwie Malmsteen, Uli-Jon Roth, Jimi Hendrix, Michael Schenker and Gary Moore. I’m also influenced by classical music, and composers such as J.S. Bach, Antonio Vivaldi, Nicolo Paganini, Mozart, CPE Bach and Beethoven.

How many hours you dedicate to your guitar through the day?

Just about all of my time pretty much everyday is dedicated to the guitar. Whether it’s practicing, composing, recording, preparing for live shows, tours-clinics, giving lessons or teaching master classes. I spend anywhere from 5-10 hours everyday with a guitar in my hands.

Have others occupations out of music?

In addition to releasing albums and touring, I’m on the guitar faculty at Berklee College of Music where I give private lessons and master classes teaching my style of hard rock/metal guitar. I’ve also released two instructional DVD’s, one through my website and one through Berklee Press.

What things you see negative and the positive on all these new guitar players?

I’m not really sure who you’re referring to as far as new guitar players go. But it doesn’t matter as I really don’t listen to any new players anyway. If I’m going to listen to guitar it’s usually going to be one of the great players I mentioned previously in the interview.

How do you see the actual neo-classical scene on the world?

There’s certainly a nice size fan base for it worldwide. Whether it’s guitar virtuoso type stuff like my stuff or of course Yngwie Mamsteen’s, who pretty much invented this style of music, or European neo-classical power metal bands like Atvance, Stratovarious, Narnia , Rhapsody and Magic Kingdom. Or great Japanese neo-classical players like Norifumi Shima from Concerto Moon, Katsu Ohta from ArkStorm and Kelly Simonz. And Walter Giardino from Rata Blanca is also a great Blackmore/Malmsteen influenced player. When I was touring in Mexico, I bought a bunch of Rata Blanca CD’s, great band, I love their stuff. Also a great live band, I’ve seen them two times, once in Mexico and once in the States.

I knew that you‘ve been touring in Europe playing songs of Hendrix and Gary Moore. How was the reaction of the people?

That was a fun tour; I played some of my solo stuff along with some Hendrix, Gary Moore, and quite a few Deep Purple tunes as well. The fans, of course, prefer my neo-classical speed metal stuff but enjoyed the shows with the hard rock/power blues material as well.

I personally liked a lot “Speed Metal Messiah,” your last album. Can you talk about it?

My finest hour. By far the best record of my career. I’m very pleased with the way it came out. The guitar tone, the playing and production are all quite good, I think. There are also a lot of nice melodies and strong themes throughout the album, even though there’s quite a bit of intense and extreme classically influenced guitar playing. Some cool riffs as well. I’m glad that you enjoyed it, thank you.

I’d like to say to the people who read our magazine that your DVD is available in your web site. Can you tell us about your new DVD? What stuff is included?

There’s currently one DVD available thru the website. That one’s an instructional DVD covering sweep-picking and arpeggio play. I’m going to be releasing a few more in the upcoming months. One will be a concert DVD featuring the Reign of Terror live in Europe. It’s bootleg type quality but sounds quite good. There’s also a full guitar clinic that I did on the European tour on that DVD as well. Included along with the Reign of Terror disc will be an additional DVD that has some live bootleg footage of several instrumental shows from the States that were recorded earlier this year. I’ll also be releasing two instructional DVD’s as well Neo-Classical Guitar I and Neo-Classical Guitar II. Those will contain a ton of instructional material and some performance footage as well.

What is Reign Of Terror in your career?

You can certainly reach a wider fan base with vocals, so in addition to my solo albums, I put the Reign of Terror together. The Reign of Terror is a European style power metal band.  It’s a heavier more aggressive version of Blakemore’s Rainbow and Yngwie Malmsteen’s Rising Force. But in addition to the strong Blackmore/Malmsteen influence, the Reign of Terror incorporates all types of schools of metal and hard rock on it’s albums. The last album, “Conquer and Divide,” is my favorite, that’s the second record to feature Michael Vescera on vocals and fourth album overall.

When will be out the live album of Reign Of Terror? Could you tell us about this tour and what songs will have this live album? Have you played covers?

Mike was recently going thru some personal stuff, so that delayed us putting the live record together. But now that the smoke has cleared, we’re about to sort thru the ADAT’s , repair a few things and mix it. It’ll be out next year sometime. There’ll be tunes from “Conquer and Divide,” “Sacred Ground,” some Malmsteen and Loudness (Mike sang with both Yngwie and Loundness) a live guitar solo, several full band instrumentals, and of course a few Rainbow and Deep Purple covers as well. It should be a nice package when all is said and done.

What is Shooting Hemlock?

Shooting Hemlock was a more modern metal type of band project I was involved with for awhile. There were elements of Pantera, Alice in Chains and Megadeth in the music. We did an album, a bunch of showcases for larger labels, got close to a nice size record deal but nothing came of it. The band was quite good but other than the tunes I wrote for the thing which were more like Megadeth type stuff I don’t really think I enjoyed the music all that much.

I’d like that you tell us more about “Guitar Heroes in Taiwan” together with Marty Friedman & Neil Zaza.

I did a guitar clinic tour of Asia last December. It was a lot of fun. I went to Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Mainland China as well. Played a bunch of clinics and took quite a few flights. It was very cool to be in that part of the world though. It’s great to go somewhere so far away and know that you have fans there. Marty and Neil did the same tour also. But we were all there at different times, Marty in November, me in December, and Neil in February. The promoter in Taiwan just happened to put us all on the same poster to promote the tour.

What you have in mind for future projects?

Well, the live Reign of Terror album, the instructional DVD’s. I’m also recording a full concert DVD at Berklee this April. It’ll be a full instrumental show. Then another Reign of Terror studio album that I’ve already got a bunch of tunes written for, and I’d like to do a retro hard rock album with some Hendrix inspired instrumentals, some hard rock vocal tunes, and a few covers.

Technical question: what is the difference that you feel between a gaphite guitar and a wood one? And do you use multi effect rack?

I’ve never played or would even think of playing a guitar that wasn’t made of wood, so I’m not all that familiar with graphite made guitars. And no I don’t use a multi effects rack. For effects, I use a Korg delay, a DOD YJM overdrive pedal, a Dunlop cry baby, a Dunlop rotovibe and a bunch of Boss pedals - octave box, chorus, flanger, delay, etc.

Finishing ...I’d like to thank you so much for this interview. And what do you know about Argentina (my country)? And any advice for those kids who searches the rainbow on the music way?

Just that the people down there are wonderfully nice and they appreciate great guitar driven music, and of course the home of Rata Blanca, great band and guitarist as I said before. As far as advice for kids, just that nothing comes easy but if you practice and work hard something good is bound to come of it. And as I say to everyone when they ask that question is to play because you love it, that’s why I started and I enjoy playing now more than ever. Thanks.

Alejandro Escalante

Here’s an interview Joe did with Italian Magazine, “Rock Hard Italy”

Q. On the promotional notes we read: “all aspects of this record are as close to my final vision as everything I’ve ever released”. Why? What is your vision?

A. My vision on every record is to always make the best record possible. On this disc I knew many of the tunes were very strong and melodic and I’m at the top of my game playing-wise. So I set out to make my finest solo record ever, in all aspects, playing, composition, production, guitar tone, you name it. And this time I’d say I nailed it.

Q. No doubt that the production is extremely improved. The new album sounds powerful and crystalline! What has changed from the past?

A. Since all of my past releases and this one have been on independent labels I’m always working on a somewhat limited budget. However most of the artists I’m often compared to make their records on a much grander scale. But as far as the new album goes, the improvements in technology and my own improvements production-wise certainly contribute to the great sound of it.

Q. I really didn’t know that Michael Vescera was able to mix an album and it seems he did an excellent job too! When did you discover his ability?

A. Mike’s been engineering and producing records for years now. In addition to being a world class singer he’s a great engineer and producer with a very long list of album credits in that department.

Q. The one thing I miss here in comparison with your previous efforts are strong melody driven and riff based compositions (like Wrecking Machine that I’m listening now for example). There are too many scales and solos (for my taste of course), and maybe it’s too homogeneous but I believe you see it in a different way…

A. Well, I’m not really sure what to tell you other than you might be a bit tone deaf (no offense, only kidding). This record has the most amount of melody on it than any of my other releases. Weapon of Choice, the ballad Reflection, Unleashing the Fury, parts of The Killer Instinct and The Red Priest, Chamber Maid. All those tracks have really nice melodies. And riff -wise some of my best stuff - Eastern Beast, Speed Metal Messiah, Retroactivity, all cool riffs as well. Because the album’s so intense and some of the playing is so extreme it might take a few listens to get used to.

Q. There is at least one song on the album, “Retroactivity” (that I really love), that differs from all the rest and I believe it’s a sort of tribute to your oldest influences. How did that song born and why did you choose to include it on the album?

A. That tune’s pure Hendrix and Deep Purple. I always have at least one Hendrix inspired track on all my records since Jimi had such a huge impact on me. As far as Blackmore goes his tremendous influence on me can be heard all over this record. I still to this day listen to both those guys all the time. That’s a fun track, one of my favorites as well, and a great live tune.

Q. How do you approach the song writing process? Have you got a pattern that you follow all the times or does the process vary depending on inspiration?

A. I spend a lot of time playing and many times things just start to flow out of me, whether it’s melodies, riffs or classically inspired lines and motifs. Sometimes an entire tune will come to me in one session while other times I might have an idea laying around for weeks or months before I find something else to go along with it. I’ve always got piles of work cassettes and CD’s laying around with all kinds of song ideas on them.

Q. As your music is especially listened to by guitarists, do you pay attention at the degree of technical difficulty you put into the songs or do you just concentrate on writing good music?

A. I do both, since my technique is so highly developed and I am an accomplished musician, many of the things I play and compose are very technical and musically complex. And my fans buy my records to hear those things. And of course some of my solo material is a bit self-indulgent to a certain extent, I enjoy playing a ton of guitar, that type of record `s supposed to be like that. But my music is also very melodic and the compositions are well arranged and put together, it’s not some mindless exercise to showcase my insane technique. My stuff appeals to both guitar fans and fans of educated hard rock and metal as well.

Q. Do you believe your albums (I’m thinking of your solo albums I particular) could appeal even to “non shred maniacs”? Why a common listener should listen to “Speed Metal Messiah”?

A. My music is a combination of all types of schools of hard rock and metal. From old school hard rock like Hendrix, Deep Purple and Rainbow, to speed and thrash metal, European power metal, neo-classical metal and shred. Guitar fanatics, power metal fans, progressive metal, all types of hard rock and metal fans buy my records.

Q. “Armed and Ready” has been a particular project that fully showed you’re a complete artist. Isn’t it restrictive playing neoclassical stuff almost all the time for a complete guitarist as you are?

A. My past releases have contained all types of music, Hendrixy blues things, hard rock things, heavy thrash , speed metal and neo-classical stuff, nylon string flamenco influenced and classical influenced acoustic pieces.  I don’t just play neo-classical metal all the time. The new record is the most neo-classical album I’ve ever done, but at the time I composed the tunes that’s the direction it took me in and that’s of course what I do best. I’ll probably do more of a hard rock/Hendrix inspired album in the near future or maybe even an album of solo classical pieces. I enjoy playing all types of guitar driven music.

Q. Every artist who played neoclassical metal after Yngwie Malmsteen’s coming has been inexorably compared to him and you make no exception. How do you feel about it? I believe you really don’t care (and you take it with a lot of irony too) as you even called ex-Malmsteen musicians to play in your own band!

A. It seems only natural that many people compare me to Yngwie. He’s certainly been one of my biggest influences. I started listening to him back in 1983, over 20 years ago and I’ve been hooked ever since. Also many of his influences are also mine as well, whether it’s guitar players like Blackmore, Schenker, Hendrix and Uli-Jon Roth or classical composers like Bach, Paganini, Vivaldi, Mozart or Beethoven. Guitar-wise Yngwie borrowed heavily from both Uli Roth and Ritchie Blackmore. As far as Mike and Mats go, it’s great that they used to play with Yngwie, but they’re both great musicians and they play in the style that I play and compose and that’s why I’ve had them on my records. And I was a big fan of Mike’s voice back when he was with Loudness, long before he played with Yngwie Malmsteen. I certainly don’t seek out guys just because they’ve played in Yngwie’s band.

Q. Anyway how did you meet Mats Olausson and Michael Vescera?

A. I met Mike back when I was opening for Yngwie and I met Mats while we were both playing on Mike’s solo album Animation.

Q. Talking about Reign Of Terror. What are the main differences between working for your solo album and for Reign Of Terror under an artistic point of view?

A. A lot of the music is very similar since I compose it all. Of course there’s more guitar on my solo releases and some of it’s a bit more intense. But there’s plenty of solos, complex classically influenced instrumental sections and tons of shredding on the Reign of Terror records. Usually when I’m writing for a record I’m in a mode or mindset where I’m either composing instrumental or vocal band oriented material.

Q. Commercially ROT get much more recognition than you solo albums. Is that one the reasons that pushed you to run a band alongside your instrumental activity or did you just felt you needed a vocal project to fulfil your artistic needs?

A. You can certainly reach a lot more people with a vocalist and the instrumental thing is really for a specific hard core guitar fanatic audience. But as far as the Reign of Terror being way more popular than my solo stuff, that may be true in Europe because the instrumental market is a little tougher sell. But in the states and other parts of the world my solo albums out sell the Reign of Terror CD’s and I had much more recognition and acclaim thru my solo career than the Reign of Terror.

Q. You’ve been voted one of the top ten shredders of all time by Guitar One Magazine. Would you like to be remembered for you great technical qualities or would you prefer to be remembered for something else (maybe for your songwriter qualities)?

A. There’s a lot more to being a great guitarist and musician than having great technique. It’s combining that technique with great tone, feel, emotion, intonation and a nice melodic sense and of course doing all that within the framework of good strong songs. I’d like to be remembered that way.

Q. You teach at the Berkley College of Music … What are the three things you tell your “pupils” to never forget while composing/playing music?

A. A few things I tell my students is that you don’t have to be a genius to know the more you practice and play the faster you get better, there’s no substitute for ball breaking hard work and having the guitar in your hands as many hours as possible. Another thing is to play because you love music and love to play. I’ve been playing guitar over 30 years and love it more now than I ever did. I didn’t pick up the guitar to get chicks or become famous or any of that bullshit. I did it because I love to play. Also to learn your instrument like the back of your hand, everything, the notes on the neck, scales, arpeggios -etc.

Q. Is there any musical project that you always dreamed about, but you never had the chance to realize until now?

A. No particular musical project but of course there’s always a list of great musicians I’d really like to work with in the future. But I’m lucky enough that I’ve been making and releasing albums for over 10 years now so that in itself is something I always dreamed of before it happened.

Q. Do you believe you have still rooms for improvement technically speaking? And what are your goals for the future?

 A. As a musician and a guitarist I’m always striving to improve aspects of my playing and composing. If you’re dedicated to your craft, that’s something that’ll never stop as long as you’re playing. Great technique is more about control than just pure velocity and total control and command over the instrument is a never ending quest for all players. As far as future projects go, I’ll be doing another couple Reign of Terror records. One live one that’s already been recorded during past tours and then another full on studio Reign of Terror disc.

Q. Anything to say to the Italian audience?

A. Just a most sincere thanks to all my Italian fans that have supported my past releases and for everyone to check out Speed Metal Messiah, if you love intense guitar driven metal you certainly won’t be disappointed.

Interview by Riccardo Arena for "Rock Hard Italy"

Here's an interview Joe did with "Inferno" (a metal magazine from Finland):

1. When did you start playing guitar? What were your musical influences in the beginning?
I played for a short while when I was like 10 or so but stopped and started up again at like 13-14. When I was younger my main influences were Jimi Hendrix, Michael Schenker, Ritchie Blackmore and Al Dimeola. As I got older I continued to listen to all those guys and also discovered Uli-Jon Roth, I loved the early Scorpions stuff as well as his solo material, also lots of Gary Moore. I’d learn almost everyone of his solos note for note. Later on I started listening to a lot of classical music, Bach, Vivaldi, Paganini, Mozart and a bunch of other composers from various periods. Then back in 83 I heard Yngwie Malmsteen and was completely knocked out. I got the first Alcatrazz record and then his Rising Force debut and was very inspired to learn a ton of his pieces. I still listen to all these things to this day.

2. What kind of qualities do you appreciate in guitarists?
A great guitarist blends tremendous technical command of the instrument with killer tone in his hands, a beautiful melodic sense mixed with emotionally charged from the heart  playing and  a great touch as far as note bending and vibrato go .All those elements displayed in the context of a great song.

3. How important is theory to you?
Well I can read music and have extensive musical training and knowledge. I’m an assistant professor at one of the world’s most prestigious music school’s, Berklee College of Music. I use many classically influenced lines and chord sequences in my compositions so knowing theory is very important. But the knowledge is only useful if you know how to apply it in a musical context. But I still compose very organically, by hearing ideas in my head and channeling them through my instrument.

4. What kind of gear do you use?
I have an ESP endorsement and my main guitars are ESP custom shop strats with scalloped necks, jumbo frets, locking tuners, graphite nut, alder bodies, vintage Fender style tremolos and Dimarzio pickups. Amp-wise I have a bunch of old Marshalls from the 70`s. Mainly 50`s but I do use a 100-watter once in awhile. I also use the Rhino Black Star Yngwie Malmsteen signature model amp and an Engl Ritchie Blackmore signature model as well, both great sounding amps, just killer. Effects wise I use an old dod 250 or YJM 308 overdrive pedal, a Dunlop cry baby wah, a Dunlop rotovibe, a boss digital delay, boss chorus, noise gate, flanger and octave box.

5. What kind of advice do you have for beginners?
You don’t have to be a genius to know the more you practice and the harder you work the faster you get better.   You dedicate yourself to something long enough good results are bound to happen.  Also to play because you love it, I didn’t pick up guitar to be famous or get chicks. I did it because I loved to play and loved music.

6. What can you tell us about your new album?
The title speaks for itself. It’s one fierce slab of guitar -driven metal. If you love intense European style classically influenced guitar work then you certainly won’t be disappointed. There’s plenty of insane shredding on the thing but it’s also mixed in with some really nice melodies, emotionally charged playing and killer riffs. For such an intense record it has its subtle moments and is quite musical. It should appeal to guitar fanatics and metal fans as well.

Here are some more links to interviews:

• http://www.virtuosityone.com (July 2003)
• Get Ready To Rock - 10 Questions with Joe.
• The Cutting Edge - 2003 Conquer & Divide focus

Here's a cool interview with Guitar Lords:

GUITAR LORDS: The amazing Joe Stump!! Hello and thanks for this interview! I guess you don’t need any introductions at the Guitar Scene, but please, tell us about your personal history and background for the fans at Mexico.

JOE STUMP: Well I’ve been releasing guitar driven metal records and playing live shows to support them since 1993. Since then I’ve released 6 instrumental albums and 4 with my band Reign of Terror. I’ve toured in the states, Europe, Mexico, Japan and Asia.

GUITAR LORDS: What motivated you to want to learn to play the guitar?

JOE STUMP: Seeing video footage of Hendrix playing when I was younger as well as listening to his records. At 13-14 I was hooked and have been since.

GUITAR LORDS: What are your main influences and your way of write music?

JOE STUMP: Many things, from my favorite players and heroes like Ritchie Blackmore, Yngwie Malmsteen, Jimi Hendrix, Gary Moore, Michael Schenker, Uli-Jon Roth. And classical composers like Bach, Vivaldi, Paganini, Mozart, Mendelson and Beethoven. As well as many different schools of metal, from Neo-classical speed metal, European power metal, old school hard rock and thrash metal.

GUITAR LORDS: Who is your favorite guitar player?

JOE STUMP: My two favorites and main influences are Ritchie Blackmore and Yngwie Malmsteen.

GUITAR LORDS: All of the music within your repertoire showcases your depth as a musician and your strong technique as a gifted guitar player. Tell us about your technique and how you developed it?

JOE STUMP: Intense and countless hours of practice and dedication to my craft. Learning and playing classical violin pieces, lifting solos from all my heroes, constantly working with the metronome on picking, classical sequences and all types of arpeggio play. Improvising all the time. Many, many things.

GUITAR LORDS: What projects are you currently working on?

JOE STUMP: I’m currently recording my next instrumental album, after that I’m doing an advanced neo-classical instructional DVD. Then a bunch of touring.

GUITAR LORDS: When you were a kid, did you ever think that you would someday be considered one of the "Fastest Shredders of All Time”?

JOE STUMP: It was very cool to be mentioned alongside of so many great and respected players. All those guys on the list are pretty bad ass so I’m flattered to be in such good company. Anytime you make an all time list in anything, you’ve got to be doing something right.

GUITAR LORDS: Do you love doing live performances?

JOE STUMP: Yes I love to play live, shows , guitar clinics, everything . I can’t get enough of it, nothing like it when you’re on and having a great show. I’m very consistent live so I really enjoy it.

GUITAR LORDS: Where is the line between performer and musician for you?

 JOE STUMP: Well two my main performing influences are Hendrix and Blackmore. So most of my cool ass live tricks and moves I’ve swiped from those two guys. You can’t get much cooler than them. I can get a bit reckless when playing live but I still manage to make all the playing clean and articulate.

GUITAR LORDS: Have you ever done a song or album that you wish you could go back in time and un-do? If so, which one, and why?

JOE STUMP: With every record there are always aspects of it that you think you can improve on as time passes by, because over time you develop as a composer and guitarist. But no particular one track comes to mind.

GUITAR LORDS: Is there a band where you would like to play? Or have you got a list of players with you would like to collaborate in the next years?

JOE STUMP: I’d love to play guitar with Ronnie James Dio. I’d fit great in his band, like a nuclear version of Blackmore. That’d be great or Deep Purple for that matter.

GUITAR LORDS: What are your thoughts on the state of instrumental guitar these days?

JOE STUMP: I couldn’t say I really don’t listen to too much of that stuff. Most of the time if I’m going to listen to guitar it’s to one of the previously mentioned players (Blackmore, Malmsteen, Gary Moore, Uli Roth , Hendrix or Michael Schenker). I do love Alex Masi’s classical records. That Bach one was brilliant. It showed tremendous dedication and discipline. Really nicely done.

GUITAR LORDS: What do you think about the new crop of talented Guitar player's that
are currently out there making music?

JOE STUMP: As I said I’m an old school guy. So while I’m sure there are some killing guys out there, I haven’t really listened to anyone I’d consider brand new.

GUITAR LORDS: Which is, in your opinion, the best way for an undiscovered artist to be less unknown with his music? Can you give some advice to the guitarists that want to release a CD? Where they can start?

JOE STUMP: It’s certainly far different than when I started releasing records over a decade ago, much tougher now for a new artist. I guess a good start would be having your own product to be released.  And start to put it out to various guitar-based webzines and fanzines, maybe find a label to distribute it.  Playing live and having a working band is important as well. It’s been my personal experience that there’s no substitute for hard work and dedication. If you dedicate yourself to something 100 percent for long enough something good is bound to happen.

GUITAR LORDS: O.K. Time for the heady question that I've wanted to ask. You are easily one of the most influential guitar players on the scene today for kids that are coming up. How does that make you feel?

JOE STUMP: Flattered and honored of course. It’s nice to be considered influential to younger players. If listening to my stuff and seeing me play live motivates somebody to play and practice then that’s great.

GUITAR LORDS: When all is said and done, years from now, how would you want people to remember Joe Stump?

JOE STUMP: In a review of one of my previous recordings someone referred to me as everyone’s favorite underground speed-metal guitar hero. I thought that was cool. Regardless of the level of recognition or success, I guess I just like to be remembered as one of the top players in my genre of metal and hard rock.

GUITAR LORDS: What will be next for Joe Stump?

JOE STUMP: Finishing a new solo album now, my seventh instrumental disc overall. After that I’m recording a new instructional DVD it’s going to be an advanced neo-classical one, and after that, a bunch of touring.

GUITAR LORDS: And can we expect to see you again in Mexico any time soon?

JOE STUMP: I sure hope so I’ve been there twice now. Most recently last March and I can’t wait to go back. The people are wonderfully nice and love good metal guitar as well.

GUITAR LORDS: Is there anything else you would like to share with us that I have not asked?

JOE STUMP: Just a sincere thanks to all the fans that have supported my past efforts. And to keep an eye out for my next record it’s going to be a monster of a guitar album.

GUITAR LORDS: Once again, thanks for your time Joe, We wish you all the best for your music career you are a really incredible player!!

JOE STUMP: Thank you.

Also be sure to check out the extensive archive of older interviews at LEVIATHAN RECORDS