Bill Kelliher

Bill Kelliher

Kelliher performing live in 2014
Background information
Birth name William Breen Kelliher
Born March 23, 1971
Genres Heavy metal, progressive metal, sludge metal, stoner metal, groove metal, alternative metal, technical death metal, noisecore
Occupation(s) Musician, songwriter
Instruments Guitar, bass, vocals
Years active 1995-present
Associated acts Mastodon, Lethargy, Today is the Day, Butterslax, Lunchlady, Wake, Primate
Website www.mastodonrocks.com
Notable instruments
Gibson Les Paul Custom
Gibson Explorer
First Act Guitars

Bill Kelliher (born March 23, 1971) is a musician from Atlanta, Georgia, best known as rhythm guitarist of heavy metal band Mastodon. He is a native of Victor, New York.

Influence and Style

Kelliher only performs backing vocals in Mastodon. His harsh vocalism was largely applied in Mastodon’s earlier recordings, Remission, Leviathan and Call of the Mastodon, which he utilizes death growls. In the track "Deathbound", he is credited as lead vocalist. He shares guitar duties with Brent Hinds, playing mainly complex rhythm parts, although he occasionally plays solos, such as on 'Sleeping Giant', or harmonized dual leads with Hinds.

On June 12, 2007, Hinds and Kelliher won the Metal Hammer Golden Gods award for best shredders,[1] Mastodon's first ever award.

Equipment and style

Bill Kelliher, Burgerweeshuis, Deventer 2007

Kelliher uses several guitars in Mastodon: his main guitar is a Gibson Les Paul Custom in a Silverburst finish. He used other Les Paul Customs in Ebony and Alpine White during the band's 2009 tour with Dethklok. He has also used three Gibson Explorers: a vintage Explorer CMT in tobacco burst and two more modern models in black and white. Kelliher has also used two custom Yamaha SBGs and a First Act custom 9-string Silverburst DC Lola, which was built for usage on Mastodon's album Crack the Skye. He also recently (02/2010) took delivery of a Morgan Guitar Works Bird of Prey - a silver futuristic Flying V. Kelliher used Laney amplification at one time (specifically, the VH100R head). After that, he played a Marshall JCM 800 Kerry King signature. Since 2010, Bill and his bandmate Brent Hinds went on playing the Orange Thunderverb series. He can also be seen playing through a Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier in the bonus features of the Aqua Teen Hunger Horse Colon Movie Film for Theaters DVD. In 2013, Kelliher got a signature Gibson explorer, named "The Golden Axe". It has a mahogany body and neck, rosewood fretboard with figured acrylic trapezoid inlays, a gold burst finish and Lace Nitro Hemi humbucker pickups.[2]

Kelliher's pedal board includes an Ibanez Tube King, a Boss TU-2 Tuner, an MXR M-135 Smart Noise Gate, and a Digitech Jamman Looper Pedal. Kelliher also uses an Audiotech Guitar Products Source Selector 1X6 Rack Mount Audio Switcher.

Like his bandmate Hinds, Kelliher also uses three tunings in Mastodon: D Standard on the Les Paul (E Standard down one whole step, D G C F A D), Drop C on the Yamaha SGB (Drop D down one whole step, C G C F A D), and another tuning similar to D standard, but with the sixth string tuned down to A (A G C F A D), on the Explorer.

In 2013 Bill collaborated with Lace Pickups on his own signature guitar pickups. Bill came to Lace to realize his vision of a sonically versatile humbucker pickup set with superior dynamic response, unparalleled sustain and impeccable tone. The resultant creation is called “Dissonant Aggressors”. [3]

Personal

Kelliher is married, with two young sons—the eldest one named Harrison, after Harrison Ford of Star Wars fame. He is also a Star Wars enthusiast, with a large collection of action figures and other merchandise from the franchise.

Kelliher is a dual citizen of the United States and Ireland. His father moved to the U.S from Killorglin, County Kerry, Ireland, at 16.

Discography

Bill Kelliher performing in 2011.

Lethargy

Main article: Lethargy (band)

Today is the Day

Mastodon

Main article: Mastodon discography

References

  1. ↑ "Gibson.com: Bill Kelliher Golden Axe Explorer". Retrieved 4 November 2014.
  2. ↑ "Gibson.com: Bill Kelliher Golden Axe Explorer". Retrieved 4 November 2014.
  3. ↑ "Heavy Metal Guitar Pickups by Lace - Bill Kelliher's Signature set Dissonant Aggressors are based on the Nitro-Hemi with modifications for Bill Kelliher's killer Heavy Metal tone.". Retrieved 4 November 2014.