Diamondrowe(tetrach)

For their second studio album, Unstable, Los Angeles metal quartet Tetrarch were hoping to strike the perfect balance between nu-metal bounce and groove-based brutality. It only takes a quick listen to songs like I’m Not Right and You Never Listen appreciate their efforts were not in vain. As lead guitarist Diamond Rowe explains: “When I was learning guitar, I would play along to Pantera and Lamb Of God, but I was also listening to bands like Slipknot, Korn and Linkin Park.”

During the album sessions, Rowe and singer/guitarist Josh Fore opted for different versions of the same amp – which, as she explains, was fundamental in their twopronged attack feeling layered as well as sonically cohesive. She was originally using the standard version of the EVH 5150 III, fitted with 6L6 power tubes, though after some deliberation Rowe decided that the El34-equipped model could work wonders for tonal separation.

“When we were using the same heads, my leads weren’t cutting through enough,” she says. “My rep was telling me about the EL34 version, and mentioned Joe from Gojira had been using it. That amp just gave me just the right frequencies on top of Josh, with the clarity and bite I was looking for.”

The similarities don’t end there – both players use Evertune bridge-fitted LTD and ESP guitars, Rowe preferring the Eclipse models and Fore swearing by the Telecastershaped TE series. Considering their latest cluster of songs were recorded in drop B and drop A, the bridge upgrade helped with tuning stability.

As for her main lead influences, she cites Zakk Wylde, Dimebag Darrell and the recently departed Alexi Laiho as the legends she learned most from. But she’s also quick to point out that every guitarist should be striving to carve out their own identity on the instrument...

“There are so many amazing players out there,” she smiles. “Look on Youtube – it feels like guitarists have never been better technically. But the best ones always bring their own character.

“You hear Slash and you know it’s him. The same goes for Synyster Gates or Kirk Hammett. I had to do the same. And yeah, there was a time where I was really intimidated by it all. It took time but I eventually managed to find my own ‘thing’ as a guitar player.”