Mark Heylmun’s Advice To New Metal Fans Is To Stay Open-Minded: ‘Everyone Is Welcome’

It’s harmless to accidental that Mark Heylmun is nary alien to metal. Since 2006, helium has been the sick six seven-string-slinger successful Suicide Silence, shredding solos and faces arsenic with his blistering riffs and neck-crunching breakdowns. And agelong earlier joining the set —  and partnering with Jackson guitars for the 2022 motorboat of their American Series Soloist SL3 — helium was, astir importantly, a fan. So, Mark knows that thrill Stranger Things fans experienced erstwhile they archetypal heard Eddie Munson play “Master of Puppets.” While immoderate person christened that infinitesimal the commencement of a caller procreation of metalheads, Mark tells HollywoodLife that he’s been seeing these caller fans astatine shows for a while. “I deliberation nary substance what metallic is simply a niche happening  — and that’s what makes it cool,” helium tells HollywoodLife.

“It’s not for everyone, not everyone gets it, and they’re not expected to,” helium says successful an EXCLUSIVE interview. “I deliberation I’ve been truthful engulfed successful the metallic satellite and the country that I spot radical gravitating to metallic astatine each times. I besides spot radical being repulsed by it, and I honestly emotion that too.” Mark notes that helium “can’t truly say” that he’s seen much radical gravitating to metallic than normal, but helium does spot however the underground has made its mode to the spotlight. “I bash admit that metallic is simply a spot much modular cognition these days,” helium explains. “Everyone from Ozzy to Metallica and each the mode to Slipknot person benignant of made it communal for determination to beryllium immoderate benignant of aboveground level consciousness of metallic and what it’s about. It’s astir similar metallic is simply a portion of the counterculture, but counterculture has go a portion of the mainstream, to an extent.

Courtesy of Jackson Guitars

That said, Mark has noticed a quality successful the caller procreation of fans. “I deliberation modern metalheads are a spot much open-minded than they were erstwhile I archetypal started getting into it. As I’m doing the interview, I’m successful Texas connected tour, and I conscionable saw an old-school dude I astir apt met implicit 15 years ago, and helium was a young kid astatine the time, possibly 13 oregon 14. Now, I spot him wearing a metal-looking Billie Eilish shirt, inactive rocking agelong hair, and the modular metallic look. For me, that would beryllium the equivalent of idiosyncratic wearing a Backstreet Boys garment oregon a Britney Spears shirt, and that would get you scoffed astatine by immoderate metalhead.”

“My proposal to the adjacent procreation of metalheads is support the open-minded attitudes and the inclusion that you guys and girls bring to the scene,” helium adds. “This whitethorn not beryllium for everyone, but everyone is invited if they wanna beryllium a portion of it.”

For those who privation to instrumentality their newfound (or their years-long) emotion of metallic to the adjacent step, there’s the caller American Series Soloist from Jackson Guitars. Advertised arsenic being “Fast arsenic F#*!,” the caller enactment has been radically engineered for innovation and speed. The high-performance Soloist is the adjacent section of the Jackson brand, and Mark has been proudly playing his Custom Rhoads for a portion now. In an EXCLUSIVE interview, Mark discusses what makes Jackson the perfect guitar for metal, the archetypal clip helium fell successful emotion with a Jackson guitar, and what helium would play if caught successful Eddie’s presumption successful the Upside Down.

HollywoodLife: With the Jackson American Series Soloist SL3, the marque launched a high-end guitar that’s finely tuned for metallic performance. However, Jackson has ever been synonymous with metal, from thrash to dense to each sorts of shredding. What is it astir Jackson guitars that makes them a acceptable for metal?  

Mark: I deliberation determination are a batch of factors that travel into play connected wherefore Jackson’s person been synonymous with ripping and each genres of metal. The slicker cervix radiuses travel to caput archetypal and foremost. Prior to Jacksons, you’d apt prime up a Strat with a U contour cervix oregon a Les Paul that was besides a shot bat. Jackson perfected the D contour shred necks and the summation of a compound radius. Sleeker necks pb to easier playability which means shredders tin play faster and harder and person much bid implicit the instrument. Now with that said, I deliberation the necks are a fixed wherefore metalheads take Jackson, but there’s an aesthetic to Jackson’s guitars — which you person to bring up the invention of the Rhoads V and however metallic that guitar looks and the interaction Randy [Rhoads, the precocious guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne] had connected the generations of metallic guitar players to come.

Now, this was each earlier my time, but I cognize these things due to the fact that they were a portion of the prerequisite cognition increasing up arsenic a young metalhead. Jackson acceptable a precedent agelong agone and the reverberations of that inactive past to this day. The American Soloist maintains that precedent with a classic, modern, and high-caliber metallic guitar.

Courtesy of Jackson Guitars

Judging by the forums I found, cogwheel heads noticed your displacement for Jackson past year. Since switching to the Custom Rhoads, has your playing changed astatine all? Has the instrumentality challenged you oregon enhanced your skills?

I’m definite astir guitar players cognize that nary substance what cogwheel you play, you’re gonna dependable similar yourself. No substance what amp you use, pedal you buy, oregon caller guitar you walk a cardinal dollars on… it’s inactive you playing it. If you don’t cognize that, spot maine — it’s true. But there’s a definite powerfulness that lives wrong definite guitars and Jacksons are arsenic almighty arsenic they come. Doesn’t substance if it’s an import, 1 of these caller American Series oregon a made to your specs customized shop… they got immoderate superior damn mojo surviving successful ’em and each of ’em clasp a antithetic energy.

The mode that I play erstwhile I prime up my Rhoads is decidedly similar an amplification of maine — it’s similar a level up. My bandmates person said it too, telling maine “sounds similar you’re playing a Jackson.” I deliberation I’ve been specified a instrumentality of Jackson my full beingness that playing a seven-string Jackson has conscionable helped maine measurement into my ain a spot more. I consciousness astatine home, and truthfully it helped maine transmission my favourite medium we’ve written to day that volition travel retired adjacent twelvemonth called Remember… You Must Die.

Do you retrieve the archetypal clip you fell successful emotion with a Jackson guitar? Like, you saw a Jackson, and you knew that either you needed that guitar, oregon that you wanted to seizure that feeling that guitar gave you? 

It’s benignant of an amalgamation of memories to beryllium honest. Randy Rhoads pictures successful the Guitar World with his Jacksons, aged Metallica photos, and Marty Friedman… but 1 that sticks retired aboriginal was Alexi Laiho when helium was inactive rocking Jacksons. I deliberation if you’re acquainted with his guitars, you tin archer I gathered inspiration erstwhile designing my archetypal customized with Jackson. This question kinda reminds maine of wherefore Jacksons are truthful synonymous with each forms of metal, truthful galore large guitarists played them and the existent lineup of guitarists who play Jackson are top-tier innovators arsenic is the squad gathering the guitars. The fable of Jackson is strong, and it continues to this day.

In April, you teamed with Jackson for Behind The Riff. You showed disconnected Lux, your archetypal Jackson customized — which you said was “a cleanable blend of classical Rhoads aesthetic with a modern twist.” Why does that proceed to endure?

Well, the Rhoads is an insanely metal-looking guitar, archetypal and foremost, truthful I deliberation this is wherefore it has lasted to this day. The communicative is etched successful chromatic successful the publication of dense metallic and owning 1 is similar holding onto a legacy. It requires you to play with a definite ferocity. Randy was specified a powerhouse and wielding the guitar helium drew connected a napkin successful the aboriginal days conscionable makes you consciousness great; nary substance what, it’ll marque you look similar a badass. When it comes to V’s it’s conscionable got a definite benignant conscionable similar Randy had… unsocial and original.

What would a teenage Mark play with his Jackson if you were to propulsion your ain Eddie Munson successful the Upside Down?

If I wasn’t playing “Master of Puppets” conscionable similar Eddie… I’d beryllium playing “Domination” by Pantera. I inactive deliberation that’s 1 of the champion metallic songs ever written. The riff, the pulse, the lyrics, the exotic guitar solo, and what I see to beryllium 1 of the first, if not the archetypal breakdowns.

For much accusation astir the Jackson American Series Soloist, click here.