Michael Angelo Batio

Cheese isn’t the only thing that shreds in America’s Dairyland.

WAMI Hall of Famer Michael Angelo Batio, a resident of southeastern Wisconsin, was voted the "No. 1 Fastest Guitar Shredder of All Time" by Guitar One Magazine in 2003.

Batio, a heavy metal guitarist, brings a deep understanding of music to his art, though couldn’t make it happen without combining it with speed and dexterity.

He employs an advanced knowledge of music theory that includes complex scale combinations and time signatures. He’s widely known for his technical mastery of the fretboard and his extremely fast picking and sweep picked arpeggios. 

He is also known for his showmanship during performances, particularly his use of the "Over-Under" technique, and for his ability to play a double and quad guitar, using both hands to play.

Batio was the lead guitarist for the Los Angeles-based glam metal band Nitro in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He’s also well known for his “Speed Kills” guitar instruction DVD series. He’s founder of the record label, M.A.C.E. Music, Inc.