“The king of modern blues getting down and dirty (musically) with a former Van Halen singer”: January 2025 Guitar World Editors’ Picks

Oh, hey! Didn’t see you there. I’m still up to my eyeballs in new gear PR and Denny’s receipts after our recent trip to Anaheim to sample the delights of the 2025 NAMM Show (it was one for the ages – just check out our recap of the biggest trends.)

But while we were frantically cranking out the most comprehensive coverage we possibly could, we still had one eye on music releases. And hoo boy, it’s been a busy month. Heck, our playlist was nearing 80 tracks before we whittled it down to a trim-ish 63.

There are plenty of highlights: the king of modern blues getting down and dirty (musically) with a former Van Halen singer. G3 trading solos for 11 minutes over a rock classic. Alex Lifeson flexing his textural guitar chops with Envy of None once more. And there’s a veritable feast of indie and metalcore alike.

So, no write-ups again this month (soz). But we’ll be fighting fit come February, so brace yourself for words. And lots of ’em. See you then!

Mike is Editor-in-Chief of GuitarWorld.com, in addition to being an offset fiend and recovering pedal addict. He has a master’s degree in journalism from Cardiff University, and over a decade’s experience writing and editing for guitar publications including MusicRadar, Total Guitar and Guitaristas well as 20 years of recording and live experience in original and function bands. During his career, he has interviewed the likes of John Frusciante, Chris Cornell, Tom Morello, Matt Bellamy, Kirk Hammett, Jerry Cantrell, Joe Satriani, Tom DeLonge, Ed O’Brien, Polyphia, Tosin Abasi, Yvette Young and many more. In his free time, you’ll find him making progressive instrumental rock under the nom de plume Maebe.