If you haven’t heard by now, legendary fusion drummer Virgil Donati released his most recent album Ruination back in October of 2019, and if you’re a fan of progressive music in any sense, we 100% recommend you give it a spin. Not only does the album feature Virgil’s insane drum and keyboard playing, but he also enlisted a small army of some of the world’s best guitarists to do their thang all over it; one of them being the extraordinary Carl Mörner Ringström! The man is definitely on another level as far as his playing goes, and to show you what he’s about, we’re pleased to present this exclusive guitar playthrough for the track “Pinprick”, only right here, on Gear Gods!
About the track, Carl had this to say:
“Being asked to record a song for and with Virgil Donati is both an honor and awe-inspiring. I was very familiar with this monster of a drummer’s music ever since hearing On The Virg about ten years ago. Virgil sent me the track and the guitar parts he had in mind, written on keyboard originally. This meant quite a few hours in the shed working out how to and if I actually COULD play what was written. I’m always up for the challenge so I got to work and spent countless hours trying to master the extremely difficult rhythms and extended chord voicings, originally optimized for piano or keyboard. Would you believe me if I told you the whole song is in 4/4 with no exceptions? Well, it is. After getting the rhythm parts down Virgil asked me to dub my guitar on top of a keyboard solo by the amazing Chris Clark. Again playing keyboard stuff on guitar, and let me tell you, the lines Chris plays are incredible and so far from anything I would attempt in an improvisation. A learning experience for sure.”
As for the gear, here’s what he’s rockin’:
- Line 6 James Tyler Variax JTV69
- Line 6 Helix
- Woodo GS3 Black Alder 8-string Deluxe Guitar
Be sure to follow Virgil Donati on Facebook and Instagram, as well as Carl Mörner Ringström on Facebook and Bandcamp.
