Andy LaRocque

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Andy LaRocque
Tuska 20130628 - King Diamond - 29.jpg
Background information
Birth nameAnders Allhage
Also known asAndy LaRocque
Born (1962-11-29) 29 November 1962 (age 58)
Gothenburg, Sweden
GenresHeavy metal, death metal, thrash metal, melodic death metal, black metal, neoclassical metal
Occupation(s)Musician, songwriter, producer
InstrumentsGuitar, keyboards
Associated actsKing Diamond, Death, At the Gates

Andy LaRocque (born Anders Allhage, 29 November 1962) is a Swedish guitarist, songwriter, and producer, best known as a member of the heavy metal band King Diamond since 1985.

Biography[]

LaRocque started in the Swedish hard rock band Swedish Beauty, which later changed its name to Swedish Erotica.[1] He also played on the Death album Individual Thought Patterns[2] and the IllWill album Evilution, along with former members of Mercyful Fate.[1] He can be heard on other albums as well, such as Falconer's Chapters from a Vale Forlorn, where he performed lead guitars on the song "Busted to the Floor".[3]

LaRocque contributed a guitar solo to the track "Cold" on the album Slaughter of the Soul by Swedish melodic death metal group At the Gates. Producer Fredrik Nordström was responsible for the idea, and telephoned LaRocque.[4] At the Gates' guitarist Anders Björler gave LaRocque an audio cassette recording of the song. The tape played at the wrong speed at LaRocque's house, so LaRocque had to transcribe the recording.[4] Two days after receiving the cassette, LaRocque laid down a guitar solo for the song within half an hour. Björler described the solo as "great" and in a November 2007 interview admitted he still couldn't play the solo "properly".[4]

LaRocque opened a studio called the "Los Angered Recordings" in Angered, Sweden in 1995, where he produced and recorded albums for many bands. In 2007, he moved the studio to Varberg and renamed it "Sonic Train Studios" where he continues to record and produce for various rock and heavy metal bands.[5] He is well known for his signature guitar style incorporating neoclassical elements into his playing, specially by using exotic scales such as harmonic minor, phrygian dominant, and diminished minor scale. His extended theory knowledge enables him to mix these neo-classical scales with others such as blues scale or melodic minor. He has a very distinct guitar tone for his solos, and often incorporates layers of harmonies over his scale runs and phrasing. He frequently uses a mixture of classically-flavored arpeggio sequences and alternate picked scale runs intermixed with melody lines to create his signature style.[1]

LaRocque was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2007.[6] He is regularly listed as among the best or most underrated guitarists in heavy metal.[7][8] He cites Michael Schenker and Randy Rhoads as major influences. He also likes Steve Vai and Tony Iommi, and was impressed by the friendliness of Chuck Schuldiner when he recorded Individual Thought Patterns with him.[9]

Discography[]

With E.F. Band[]

  • One Night Stand (1985)

With King Diamond[]

With Death[]

With IllWill[]

With X-World/5[]

  • New Universal Order (2008)

As guest musician[]

  • At the Gates – Slaughter of the Soul (1995), guitar solo on "Cold"
  • Dimmu Borgir – World Misanthropy (2002), guitar solo on "Devil's Path" (Re-recorded version)
  • Roadrunner United – (2005), trade off guitar solo on "Constitution Down"
  • Evergrey – The Dark Discovery (1998)
  • Einherjer – Norwegian Native Art (2000), guitar solo on "Doomfaring"
  • Falconer – Chapters from a Vale Forlorn (2002), lead guitar on "Busted to the Floor"
  • Falconer – The Sceptre of Deception (2003), lead guitar on "Hear Me Pray"
  • Falconer – Grime vs. Grandeur (2005), vocals on bonustrack "Wake Up"
  • Yyrkoon – Unhealthy Opera (2006), guitar solo on "Horror from the Sea"
  • Melechesh – Sphynx (2004), guitar solo on "Purifier of the Stars"
  • Witchery – Witchkrieg (2010), guitar solo on "From Dead to Worse"
  • Darzamat – Solfernus' Path (2010), guitar solo on "King of the Burning Anthems"
  • Critical Solution – Evidence of Things Unseen, guitar solo on "Seek and Destroy"
  • Critical Solution – Evil Never Dies, Guitar solo on "Killed By Death" and "Seek and Destroy"
  • Sorrowseed – Nemesis Engine (2013) – guitar solo on "The Sepulcher Legionnaires"
  • Snowy Shaw – Snowy Shaw is Alive! (2011)
  • Sylencer – A Lethal Dose of Truth (2012) (Lead Guitar on "Afflicted")[10]
  • Shining – Redefining Darkness (2012), second guitar solo on "For the God Below"
  • Sandalinas – Living on the Edge (2005), fill guitar solo on "If it Wasn't for You" and second guitar solo on "All Along the Everglades
  • Sandalinas – Fly to the Sun (2008), guitar solo on "The Healer Talks" and co-writer with Jordi Sandalinas of instrumental track "Back From the Light"
  • Sandalinas – Power to the People, the Raw E.P (2013), co-writer of "Haunted Visions" jointly with Rick Altzi.
  • Hell:on – The Hunt (2013), guitar solo on "Slaughter Smell"
  • – (2020), guitar solo on "The Darkest Flame Of Eternal Blasphemy"
  • Silver Talon – Decadence and Decay (2021), guitar solo on "Resistance 2029"

As producer[]

Andy LaRocque owns Sonic Train Studios from Varberg, Sweden. Some of the bands and projects which recorded in Sonic Train Studios are:

Compilations[]

  • Metalmeister, Vol. 2 (1997)
  • Deathmeister, Vol. 1 (1998)
  • Metalmeister, Vol. 3 (1998)
  • Metal Blade Records 20th Anniversary (2002)
  • Louder Than the Dragon: The Essential of Limb Music (2004)

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c Catania, Andrew (8 September 2016). "Interview with Andy LaRocque – King Diamond's Main Shredder". All That Shreds. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
  2. ^ "Death – Individual Thought Patterns". Invisible Oranges. 13 December 2016. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
  3. ^ Krannila, Ville (12 March 2018). "Andy LaRocque Interview". K.K. Downing's Steel Mill. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b c Morgan, Anthony (November 2007). ""The Flames of the End"? – Guitarist Anders Björler wishes to pen the final chapter in the glorious history of Swedish legends at the Gates". Lucem Fero. Archived from the original on 6 February 2008. Retrieved 7 March 2008.
  5. ^ "Andy LaRocque - All Aboard the Sonic Train". Backstage Auctions. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
  6. ^ "Artist: Andy LaRocque". Recording Academy: Grammy Awards. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
  7. ^ DiVita, Joe (22 March 2018). "30 Most Underrated Hard Rock + Metal Guitarists". Loudwire. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
  8. ^ "11 Most Criminally Underrated Metal Guitarists". Loudwire. 10 December 2015. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
  9. ^ Krannila, Ville (7 May 2008). "Andy LaRocque from King Diamond". K.K. Downing's Steel Mill. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
  10. ^ "A Lethal Dose Of Truth, by Sylencer". Sylencer.bandcamp.com. Retrieved 23 August 2018.
  11. ^ Nefarium1 (7 August 2011). "Nefarium - Shepherd for Dead Lambs (Johan The Baptist)". YouTube. Retrieved 23 August 2018.

External links[]

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