Michael Amott

Michael Amott
Michael Amott performing with Carcass at Gods of Metal
Background information
Birth name	Michael Amott
Born	July 28, 1969 (1969-07-28) (age 42)
Origin	London, England
Genres	Melodic death metal, death metal, grindcore, stoner rock, doom metal, thrash metal, progressive metal
Occupations	Guitarist, musician, songwriter
Instruments	Guitar, bass, keyboards, vocals, mandolin
Years active	1988–present
Labels	Century Media
Associated acts	Carnage Carcass Spiritual Beggars Arch Enemy Candlemass
Website	http://www.michaelamott.com/ http://archenemy.net
Notable instruments
ESP Ninja V Dean Schenker Flame V Dean USA Michael Amott Signature Tyrant

Michael Amott (born July 28, 1969 in London, England) is a Swedish guitarist, songwriter, founding member of the bands Arch Enemy, Spiritual Beggars, and Carnage, as well as a member of the death metal band Carcass. He is the older brother of Christopher Amott. Some major influences in his music have been Michael Schenker, Uli Jon Roth and Dave Mustaine.

Amott was ranked #74 out of 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Guitarists of All Time by Guitar World.^[1]

Biography

Michael Amott performing live with Arch Enemy at The Untouchables Hard Rock Club in Jevnaker in April 2010

Raised in Halmstad, Sweden, Michael began playing guitar as a young teenager, learning to play by copying Punk/Hardcore and Thrash/Speed Metal out of his record collection. Michael soon went to a new level with his playing and became influenced by players such as Frank Marino, Michael Schenker, Dave Mustaine, Tony Iommi, and Uli Jon Roth. He has stated in guitar magazines that he has a preference for pentatonics. Michael co-formed the death metal band Carnage in 1988 with singer Johan Liiva, and released two widely traded cassette demos, gaining instant underground interest. Plagued by constant lineup changes, Carnage would eventually record their only album Dark Recollections with Michael as the sole original member, but by the time the album came out on Necrosis records in 1990, the band was broken up.^[2]

Soon afterwards, Michael was recruited by Carcass in 1990, and released the seminal album Necroticism - Descanting the Insalubrious in 1991. The band would go on to release their highest selling album, Heartwork (Columbia/SONY), in 1993 , helping to define what is now known as melodic death metal.

Michael left Carcass in 1993, and decided to form a classic rock influenced band, Spiritual Beggars. The band released their debut album Spiritual Beggars in 1994, which led to a European record deal with Music for Nations, who released Another Way to Shine in 1996.

Still heavily into extreme metal, Michael formed a new melodic death metal project in the same vein as Carcass, whose Heartwork album was now considered a Death Metal masterpiece. Michael contacted original Carnage vocalist Johan Liiva, as well as his younger brother Christopher Amott, who was attending music school at the time, and put together Arch Enemy. Featuring then session drummer Daniel Erlandsson, the band's first album Black Earth was originally intended to be a one-off project, but the album's first single, "Bury Me An Angel" received unexpected airplay on Japan's MTV Rocks! program, and in 1997 Arch Enemy was signed by major Japanese label Toy's Factory, and invited to tour Japan. Michael decided to put a full band together, recruiting drummer Peter Wildoer (Darkane), and bassist Martin Bengtsson.

After the Japanese tour, Michael returned to Spiritual Beggars and released Mantra III early in 1998, now featuring Per Wiberg on keyboards. In April the same year, Arch Enemy returned with Stigmata, their first album released outside of Japan, now on Century Media records. The album would prove to be a critical success, and Arch Enemy toured for the better part of the year. Later in 1998, Michael also contributed guitars to the Candlemass album Dactylis Glomerata.

Arch Enemy returned in 1999 with Burning Bridges and Burning Japan Live 1999 which would prove to be Johan Liiva's last recording with the band. Michael went on to release Ad Astra with Spiritual Beggars in 2000, then returned to Arch Enemy, and recruited amateur German vocalist Angela Gossow to replace Liiva in 2000. Arch Enemy released Wages of Sin in 2001, and propelled by the new frontwoman, the band achieved new worldwide success. Arch Enemy toured worldwide in support of Wages of Sin, and Michael did not return to his Spiritual Beggars project until late 2002, releasing On Fire, again on Music For Nations. In 2003, Arch Enemy released Anthems of Rebellion, again on Century Media, and for the first time, Arch Enemy received US MTV airplay with the video for "We Will Rise". The band would reach new heights in popularity worldwide, and toured constantly until the release of 2005s Doomsday Machine, which saw the departure of Christopher Amott, who would go on to focus on his education. Michael returned once again to Spiritual Beggars in 2005, releasing the album Demons.

He has also performed guest guitar solos on The Haunted's One Kill Wonder for the song "Bloodletting", and the Kreator record Enemy of God for the song "Murder Fantasies".

In 2006, Amott made his voice acting debut when he appeared on the Adult Swim show Metalocalypse. In the episode "Snakes 'n Barrels", he voiced scientist Dr. Amomolith Chesterfield and Snakes 'n Barrels bassist Antonio Tony DiMarco Thunderbottom, who would end up getting his memory erased during the first song of their reunion show. Michael Amott returned for more voice acting in the second season of Metalocalypse in the episode "Snakes n' Barrels II" (Part 1 and 2).

In 2007, Arch Enemy released Rise of the Tyrant on Century Media and embarked on a world tour dubbed "World Tyranny".

In 2008, Michael Amott joined the re-united Carcass and toured with them extensively in Europe, North America, South America, Australia, South Africa and Japan until the summer of 2010.

Today, Michael is busy touring the world with Arch Enemy on the band's current Khaos Legions touring cycle. Michael does not rule out a return to Spiritual Beggars in the future.^{[citation needed]}

Equipment

Amott was endorsed by Krank Amps but later switched over to Randall and had his own signature "Ninja" V2 model. As of November 2009, Michael dropped off the Randall endorsee list and is currently using "whatever we're (both himself and brother Chris) interested in trying out for the next couple of tours and we'll see what comes out of that, the search for the ultimate tone continues!!!" which was said directly from Michael in the Myspace bulletin announcing his leave.^[3] He was also endorsed by ESP Guitars, and had his own signature series. His personal guitars were built in the ESP Custom Shop in Tokyo, Japan. He used Seymour Duncan humbucker pick-ups: the JB in the bridge and the '59 in the neck position. While in Carcass, he used Ibanez (a road flare red RG550), a US-made Charvel and a Gibson white flying V. In 2006, Michael's signature ESP-Ninja guitar became a member of the ESP-USA signature series family, with an LTD model, the Ninja-600 also becoming available and his Ninja has been released in white on Musikmesse 2007. Before using Krank amplifiers, he was a long-time user of the Peavey 5150 amp, and during his time in Carcass mostly used various Marshall amps. In the Arch Enemy live DVD Live Apocalypse, Amott's stage side had two Krank Rev 1 heads and four Krank Rev Cabinets.

As of July 2008 he is no longer endorsed by ESP. An announcement posted by Dean Guitars on October 1, 2008, confirmed that he is now endorsing Dean. Furthermore, this was proved during the US leg of the 2008 Carcass 'Exhume to Consume' reunion tour, when Michael Amott was frequently seen playing a black and white Michael Schenker V Six String. Michael Amott now has his own signature "Tyrant" (flying V) signature series guitar with Dean Guitars.

In early 2009, Zoom Corporation released a Michael Amott signature pedal called G1M.^[4]

Guitars

• Dean Michael Amott Signature Tyrant Bloodstorm (2009)
• Dean Schenker Flame V (2008)
• ESP 2008 Ninja (used in the Black Crusade Tour '07/08; 2 versions, one with Floyd Rose tremolo, also 24 frets and 24.75 scale)
• ESP-Ninja Michael Amott signature series (previously AV-395 Ninja)
• ESP AV-310MA Flying V models (previous signature model only available in Japan, discontinued)
• ESP Custom F-Series model (seen in Arch Enemy Live Apocalypse DVD)
• ESP Vintage Plus (seen in the Spiritual Beggars "Killing Time" promotional video)

(ESP models are no longer used)

• Ibanez RG 550 Road Flare Red (no longer used. Used in Carcass 1990-1992)
• Fernandes "Burny" Les Paul Custom (White, used 1996-1999, featured in the Arch Enemy video 'The Immortal')
• Fernandes "Burny" Les Paul Custom (Black, used 1996-1999.)

The 'Tyrant' series is similar to his previous ESP Signature V's, but does feature some differences from the ESP. It comes equipped with Dean USA Pickups, a Michael Amott signature humbucker in the bridge and a Time Capsule humbucker in the neck. The guitar has 22 frets.

Amps

• Marshall JVM410H ^[5]
• Marshall JCM800 2205 50w ^[5]

Effects

• Homebrew Electronics 'Michael Amott' Signature Wah
• Ibanez TS-808 Tube Screamer
• MXR – Phase 90
• BOSS "TU-2" Chromatic Tuner
• Digitech GSP1101 (Multi effects processor)
• Line6 G90 Wireless Unit

Other

• Rotosound Strings (11-59 custom set)

Bands

• Disaccord (guitars, 1983–1984 and 1986–1988)
• Carnage (guitars, 1988–1990) (founding member)
• Carcass (guitars, 1990–1993. Re-union shows in 2008-2010)
• Spiritual Beggars (guitars, 1994-) (founding member)
• Arch Enemy (guitars, 1996-) (founding member)

Discography

Carnage

• Dark Recollections (1990)

Carcass

• Necroticism - Descanting the Insalubrious (1991)
• Tools of the Trade (1992, EP)
• Heartwork (1993)
• Wake up and Smell the... Carcass (1996)

Spiritual Beggars

• Spiritual Beggars (1994)
• Another Way to Shine (1996)
• Mantra III (1998)
• Ad Astra (2000)
• On Fire (2002)
• Live Fire! (2005, DVD)
• Demons (2005)
• Return To Zero (2010)
• "Return To Live (2011)

Arch Enemy

• Black Earth (1996)
• Stigmata (1998)
• Burning Bridges (1999)
• Burning Japan Live 1999 (2000)
• Wages of Sin (2001)
• Burning Angel (2002, EP JAPAN only)
• Anthems of Rebellion (2003)
• Dead Eyes See No Future (2004, EP)
• Doomsday Machine (2005)
• Live Apocalypse (2006, 2-disc DVD)
• Rise of the Tyrant (2007)
• Tyrants of the Rising Sun (2008, 1-disc DVD, 2-disc CD, 2-Vinyl)
• The Root of All Evil (2009)
• Khaos Legions (2011, 1-disc CD, 2-disc CD, 2-Vinyl)

Other

• Deranged - Architects of Perversion (1994) (Guest, lead guitar)
• Candlemass - Dactylis Glomerata (1998) (Guest, lead & rhythm guitar)
• The Quill - "Voodoo Caravan" (2002) (Guest, lead guitar on the song "Shapes of Afterlife")
• The Haunted - One Kill Wonder (2003) (Guest, lead guitar trade-off with Anders Björler on the song "Bloodletting")
• Kreator - Enemy of God (2005) (Guest lead guitar on the song "Murder Fantasies")
• Annihilator - Metal (2007) (Guest, lead guitar trade-off with Jeff Waters on the song "Operation Annihilation")
• Mojobone - "Cowboy Mode" (2010) (Guest, lead guitar on the song "Damaged Gods")
• Michael Schenker - Temple of Rock (2011) (Guest, lead guitar trade-off with Michael Schenker and Leslie West on the song How Long (3 Generations Guitar Battle version)).

Personal life

Michael Amott is a vegetarian. He is also a self taught guitar player.^[6] Michael and Christopher Amott are part-British. Their father is from England and their mother is Swedish.

References

1. ^ "Guitar World's 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Guitarists of All Time". Blabbermouth.net. Roadrunner Records. 23 January 2004. http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=18446. Retrieved 11 September 2011. 
2. ^ Willems, Steven. Michael Amott interview voicesfromthedarkside.de. 1999. Retrieved on 2010-02-02.
3. ^ Arch Enemy Guitarist Michael Amott Parts Ways with Randall Amplifiers metalunderground.com. 2009-11-30. Retrieved on 2010-02-07.
4. ^ Michael Amott zoom.co.jp. Retrieved on 2010-02-03.
5. ^ ^{a b} Michael Amott Interview [1] Arch Enemy's Michael Amott: 'To Me Our Music Is Extreme Metal'" 06/20/2011 Retrieved 06/30/2011
6. ^ Virtusio, Jessi. Michael Amott talks about Arch Enemy southtownstar.com. 2010-01-28. Retrieved on 2010-02-07.

External links

• Official website (coming soon)
• Official Twitter
• Official Facebook
• Michael Amott on Myspace
• Arch Enemy's official site

Persondata
Name	Amott, Michael
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1969-07-28
Place of birth
Date of death
Place of death