Feature: NAMM 2022
NAMM 2022 is a wrap, and it was good to be back. Leading up to the NAMM show, many were concerned as to whether or not it might be able to return at the same level of an event that NAMM is known to be. While I will admit it may not have been a full-scale NAMM with business entirely as usual (especially due to many artists of all genres being in the midst of summer tours), it certainly fulfilled its purpose as a gathering spot and metaphoric musical playground for merchants, musicians, industry, and more. Overall excitement and enthusiasm to be back at NAMM in person once again was enough to create a collective buzz that you could feel, and you might even be able to hear if not for the cacophony of instruments playing throughout the halls – no complaints on that here.
Before NAMM officially began, a very special event took place in Anaheim – the 10th Annual She Rocks Awards. Founded in 2012 as a networking breakfast by the Women’s International Music Network, the She Rocks Awards has grown year by year into an incredible awards show that honors leaders and trailblazing women in all genres and areas of music, from musicians to engineers, educators to execs, media to manufacturers, and more. She Rocks 2022 also featured a silent auction, with a portion of proceeds going to the NAMM Foundation, as well as helping to fund the Women’s International Music Network.
I had the immense honor of covering the Red Carpet for this event and speaking with honorees and participants this year. The red carpet interviews can be found on the Metal Magnitude YouTube Channel here, with Featured Honorees and Guests: Lyndsey Parker (Red Carpet Host and Dreaming Out Loud Award), Katie Daryl (Co-Host), Meredith Brooks (Trailblazer Award), Carmen Vandenberg (Bold Star Award), Yvette Young (Inspire Award), Mindi Abair (Co-Host/Guest Performer), Laura Whitmore (Founder of Women’s International Music Network/Co-Producer of She Rocks Awards), Leslie Gaston-Bird (Champion Award), Sherri Chung (Spirit Award), EveAnna Manley (Mad Skills Award), Julie Robbins (Powerhouse Award), Kerry Fiero (Motivator Award), MILCK (Vision Award), Command Sisters (House Band), Janet Robin (Guest Performer), Laura Clapp (Guest Performer/Past Honoree), Christina Torres (Guest Performer), Heather Youmans (Guest Performer), Tenille Arts (Opening Act), Shira Yevin (Founder of Gritty In Pink), Jennifer Jo Oberle (Guest Performer). Two additional awards for the evening: the Warrior Award given to Myki Angeline, which remained a secret until it was unveiled to her as a surprise during the show; and the Legend Award, to Dionne Warwick, who was not present for the evening due to a tour overseas, but recorded a video sending her love to She Rocks. It was an exciting night of fun and musically diverse performances – everything from Country, Pop and Rock ’n’ Roll, to Jazz, a Dionne Warwick tribute, Progressive Rock guitar, and a Meredith Brooks-led shredding “Bitch” jam to close out the night.
Backtracking a little to the morning of the She Rocks awards, the NAMM goings-on all started with NAMM Media Preview Day, which gave an early look at a handful of products to be featured at the NAMM Show. It seems that multi-scale (also known as the “fanned frets” style, where each string varies in length and tension to make for easier downtuning and versatility, among other perks) is a guitar style and design that we’re seeing more and more of these days. I was able to get some time with Ernie Ball Music Man engineer Drew to talk about the new Tosin Abasi collaboration known as Kaizen: https://youtu.be/EIfUog_QpYg. I also heard about the latest metal-oriented bass innovations from Ibanez with rep Scott Miller, who gave the specs showing why the unique features of the new (soon to be released) BTB605MS and BTB806MS are ideal for a player of the heavier genres: https://youtu.be/udhg49aWBNw.
In the absence of some of the major brands such as Gibson and Fender, who usually have entire rooms to themselves, there was more space for up-and-coming, boutique, and independent brands to stand out. However, for those still seeking the household names, especially in the heavier genres, there was plenty to be found. A prime example would be the ESP guitar room, a haven for metal fans, displaying playable signature models from the likes of Kirk Hammett, Glenn Tipton, George Lynch, Gary Holt, Max Cavalera, Tom Araya, and more, including the ’87 reissue series. The room was framed with an impressive “James Hetfield & Kirk Hammett” display right outside, showing a piece of the legacy of these two metal icons who have been working with the brand since 1987.
Ibanez had their solid share of floor space in the main showroom once NAMM officially began, where Steve Vai’s “The Hydra” was on display. I heard about the innovation of this fascinating anomaly of an instrument some time ago, so my reaction to seeing it in person couldn’t be more than standing and staring for a few mintes while thinking, “…it’s real”. I don’t think I need to explain why…just look at it (and listen to it in action too). Though The Hydra took front and center stage, Joe Satriani’s JS2GD guitar also drew quite the crowd with its standout gold design, as did Nita Strauss’ JIVAX2, alongside Steve Vai’s PIA35th Prototype and new PIA3761C. Plenty of Ibanez Signature artist guitars were featured, including Mike D’Antonio (Killswitch Engage), Fieldy (Korn), Sharlee D’Angelo (Arch Enemy), Jake Bowen (Periphery), Kiko Loureiro (Megadeth), and more. Ibanez also showcased a wall of their Iron Label series, specifically designed with technical proficiency and metal shredding in mind.
Aristides Guitars had a prominent presence, where Timo Somers could be found once again manning the booth and sharing insights on his preferred guitar brand just as he did at NAMM 2020. S.I.T. (“Stay In Tune”) Strings is known for their frequent collaborations with artists in the rock and metal genres, who tailor their signature strings to their preferred gauges and styles. Some featured artist signatures at the S.I.T. booth included Willie Adler of Lamb of God, Karl Sanders of Nile, Wayne Lozimak of Hatebreed, Richard Z. Krupse and Paul Landers of Rammstein, Zach Myers of Shinedown, and Rusty Cooley. Blackstar Amplification primarily showcased their new St. James, marketed as “The Lightest 50W Valve Amp In The World”, and featured guitarist Carmen Vandenberg – a She Rocks honoree and the first woman to design and release her own signature amp – with her new CV30. During a walk through the Yamaha room, I also spotted a wall devoted to Yvette Young, an innovative musician and another She Rocks 2022 honoree.
I encountered a band known as The Haunt doing a signing at the Highwire Daze booth – hailing from South Florida, their sound is a Rock/Hard Rock/Alternative blend with a Gothic vibe and aesthetic, and they most recently toured with Mongolian Hard Rockers The Hu (who have featured artists Lzzy Hale and Jacoby Shaddix on some of their tracks, and also covered Metallica’s “Sad But True”). You can check out Metal Magnitude’s interview with 3/4 of The Haunt – vocalist Anastasia, guitarist Maxamillian, and drummer Nick – on the official YouTube Channel here.
Graham Bonnet’s signing followed at the Highwire Daze booth, which also drew a sizable crowd. Dianthus made an appearance later that day, the band featuring talented twin sisters who are paving their path with a unique brand of progressive metal – I recently interviewed drummer Jessica Parry for Metal Magnitude.
The Chaos & Carnage Tour was something I’d been looking forward to seeing, and it was the perfect event to wrap up a day of NAMM. With a 7 band lineup, it felt more like one day of a festival than just one show, and “Chaos & Carnage” could not have been a more perfect name for this night of brutal Deathcore showcasing a plethora of talented modern metal musicians.
Distant brought the best of their Dutch Deathcore to the table setting an intense tone right off the bat, while Unique Leader labelmates Signs of the Swarm kept the mood and the pit going. Angelmaker is a band that I’ll admit I wasn’t too familiar with before this show, but one live set from them was enough to make me a fan of the dual-vocalist doomy deathcore that had the room headbanging within a minute of their first song. Winds of Plague is generally considered Deathcore, but the symphonic yet thrashy elements of their sound bring in a little more of an old-school metal sound – with no shortage of circle pits.
Lorna Shore took to the stage next, and for most in the room, it was their first time experiencing the band with new frontman Will Ramos, who’s been taking the metal world (particularly the internet) by storm with his unique and powerfully versatile vocals since “To The Hellfire” was unleashed in 2021. Bassist Michael Yager is also new to the band as of 2021, and brought his best 5-string performance to the stage. Carnifex was another highlight of the night for many, and it was my first time seeing them live even though I’ve been listening to the band for years, interviewed Scott Ian Lewis via phone in the past, and may or may not have had “Graveside Confessions” on repeat for a week or so after the single came out because it’s just that good. Suicide Silence arrived to close out the night, and this particular night at House of Blues in Anaheim – featuring new and classic tracks alike – was a unique one, as the show was recorded for a future release. Chaos & Carnage was worth every bruise from the pit (that might also be the reason why I don’t have much in the way of show photos or footage to share from this one…), and is high on the list as one of the best metal tours of 2022.
Later on in the NAMM weekend, I also stopped by Vola Guitar, a brand where Michael Keene of The Faceless has made a home with his signature guitar known as “The Keene Machine”. Vola had a few models on display that were ideally suited to players with shredding in mind – you can check out the Vola Metal rundown with Greg Lienhard, VP of Operations at the company, here: https://youtu.be/msZnqN0qjVk.
Another notable presence was that of Tsunami Cables, which is not only known for their highly durable and long-lasting cables for instruments, microphones, and speakers, but bassists of any genre may favor their latest preamp innovation, the V-15, designed by Bruce Egnater with a classic sound in mind, inspired by the heritage B-15. Not too far from Tsunami’s booth was Arachnid Cabinets, which may not yet be a household name, but they are for Gary Holt – Arachnid is part of his gear of choice for the road, and the rig pictured far left is Gary’s actual road setup.
On the tech side, JackTrip promoted their timely technology designed to connect remote musicians, enabling everything from one-on-one lessons to group rehearsals and band jams, with low-latency high-quality audio even through standard video chatting programs. Cloud Microphones demoed their ribbon microphones and mic activators, which enable an extra boost in gain and sound quality when recording or performing. Allen & Heath stood out in the American Music and Sound section of the live sound room, with new and innovative takes on the classic analog technology they’re known for, such as the dLive console, which has become one of the most popular and widely used digital consoles in the audio engineering world, and the brand also offered live sound training sessions throughout the weekend with renowned engineer and instructor Mike Bangs.
Other than the gear and gadgets one can always find on the showroom floor, NAMM had no shortage of interesting and engaging programs discussing the present and future of the music industry, including pro audio, live sound, music publishing, and promotions, in addition to concerts from new and established artists on outdoor stages all around. Anaheim and the surrounding area is always known for the shows and events that pop up at NAMM time – the She Rocks Awards and Chaos & Carnage were the notable events for me this time around, and surely there will more of the kind returning to the area for the next NAMM and beyond.
NAMM 2023 will be a spring NAMM, already scheduled for April 13th-15th, building up to a full-scale return to Winter NAMM on January 25th-28th, 2024. Follow and find more on NAMM via: https://www.namm.org.