Joe Stump - Lord of the Strings Joe Stump

If you like screaming guitars of Valhallic proportions, you are already acquainted with the Professor of Shred Joe Stump, a man who likes his riffs to roar and his leads to flash like lightning. If ever there was a man to go to 11, it’s Stump…which is exactly what he’s done with Lord of the Strings, his forthcoming rip-roaring steel-forged ride which is due to be released on Silver Lining Music on October 16th, 2026.

Stump doesn’t just lay down the speed (“Full Throttle”) or revisit the classic grounds of traditional melodic heavy metal (“Playing with Fire”), on this 12-track instrumental opus, Stump takes the guitar into lyrical territory with the likes of “In the Hall of the King” and “Eternity of Darkness” with his supremely detailed licks taking the lead narrative role. Stump also exercises moments of poetic acoustic reflection on “Den of Vipers” and “Leipzig 1722”, but overall, Lord of the Strings is a belting, relentless beast, and (as the man himself says) ‘a heavy metal guitar orgy’.