Favorite Keyboardist

I know some people rue the day that keyboards were introduced into metal music (personally I like them), but I'm pretty sure we've all resigned ourselves to the fact that they are here to stay. I think since we have a favortite vocalist, guitarist, bassist, and drummer threads it is only fair to have one on keyboardists. So what are your favorite keyboardist(s)?
My top 10:

Kevin Moore
Chris Ingles (Shadow Gallery)
Tuomas Holopainen (Nightwish)
Nathan Van Hala (Saviour Machine)
Jon Oliva (piano anyways)
Michael Pinnella (Symphony X)
Andre Anderson (Royal Hunt)
Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater)
Alex Staropoli (Rhapsody)
Matt Smith (Theocracy)

Jon Lord.


Tuomas Holopainen

Paul Schaffer. That bald Canuck can play anything!

Jordan Rudess is probably the most talented of those listed.

Josh Silver (Type O Negative)

The Sonata Arctica guy....

Tuomas Holopainen is the best keyboardist ever to my ears.

Jens Johansson (Yngwie Malmsteen / Stratovarius)

Good call on Jens!

The guy that played on the Black Sabbath w/Tony Martin records.

troublezone wrote:

The guy that played on the Black Sabbath w/Tony Martin records.

Geoff Nicholls!

Andre Anderson is way over the top and extrememly cheesy; but you got to give the guy credit- he can do some amazing stuff. I'd have to say my fave though is "Frippe" Erickson, in fact I kinda lost interest in Tad Morose when he was de-emphasized and left for Morifade.

I heard an interview in which Dio claimed that Geoff Nichols was only in Black Sabbath because he was Iommi's buddy; and that he actually had to learn to play keyboards to get a spot in the band. I don't know if that's true, but Dio sounded pretty bitter about it.

Of the oldtimers, I think Mark Mangold (Touch, American Tears, etc.) was great.

SAHB Healer wrote:

Andre Anderson is way over the top and extrememly cheesy; but you got to give the guy credit- he can do some amazing stuff.

I must admit I only have and heard one Royal Hunt album, Paradox. But it is one of my favortie albums of all time. There is not one song on that album that I don't LOVE, and the keyboard work on it is some of the best I've heard out of all progressive/power metal (Dream Theater not included).

I'm not always very observant of who's playing keyboards in a band, but some that have actually done such a great job as to make me stop and figure out who it is that's playing are:

Tuomas Holopainen (Nightwish)
Richard Andersson (Space Odyssey, Time Requiem)
Erik Norlander (Lana Lane, Ayreon)
Joost van den Broek (After Forever, Ayreon, Sun Caged)

Quote :

Joost van den Broek (After Forever, Ayreon, Sun Caged)

Is that the guy who plays on the new After Forever album? Cause if so - he's definitely very good. Those keys are some of the best I've heard in metal.

Jon Lord and Don Airey.

blackieboy wrote:

Quote :

Joost van den Broek (After Forever, Ayreon, Sun Caged)

Is that the guy who plays on the new After Forever album? Cause if so - he's definitely very good. Those keys are some of the best I've heard in metal.

He is. He also looks like a chick.

How about Derek Sherinian? He's been in countless bands like Dream Theater, Planet, played with Kiss, Alice Cooper, Yngwie Malmsteen, Platypus and even Billy Idol.

Eddie Jobson (U.K.)

from the top of my head, Kevin Moore

mc666 wrote:

Jordan Rudess is probably the most talented of those listed.

No argument here. On the Live At The Budokan DVD one of the special feautres was Jordan's keyboard set up and I was amazed at all the stuff he does. When I saw them at Gigatour I was even more empressed at his skills on the keys.

Ray Manzarek

SAHB Healer wrote:

Andre Anderson is way over the top and extrememly cheesy; but you got to give the guy credit- he can do some amazing stuff. I'd have to say my fave though is "Frippe" Erickson, in fact I kinda lost interest in Tad Morose when he was de-emphasized and left for Morifade.

I heard an interview in which Dio claimed that Geoff Nichols was only in Black Sabbath because he was Iommi's buddy; and that he actually had to learn to play keyboards to get a spot in the band. I don't know if that's true, but Dio sounded pretty bitter about it.

Of the oldtimers, I think Mark Mangold (Touch, American Tears, etc.) was great.

He also played rythum guitar and sang backups quite well, saved Tony Martin's a$$ more then a few times on the high parts!

Rick Wakeman
Jon Lord