NITA STRAUSS Talks About Her Influences

Nita StraussAlice Cooper’s guitarist and our muse, told Rock Sverige what were her early influences which brought her into Metal music. Read what the guitar goddess has to say:

“I had a guitar which my dad had gotten me, but I didn’t really play much. Then I saw the [1986] movie ‘Crossroads’ with Steve Vai and when I saw him in that movie I was like, ‘OK, that’s what I’m supposed to be doing! I get it now.’

“Then I started listening to Guns N’ Roses and stuff, but when I heard [Megadeth’s 1997 track] ‘Trust,’ that’s when I really got into heavy metal, and actually, I immediately got into a lot of Scandinavian bands.

“I was listening to In Flames and Children of Bodom, Amon Amarth and At the Gates. I got really into the Scandinavian metal style, so that was one of my biggest and earliest influences.”

About Scandinavian scene influences on her solo album:

“Definitely. In Flames was probably my first none lead guitar influence, like my first rhythm influence. When I was listening to In Flames and [1999’s] ‘Colony’ and [2000’s] ‘Clayman’ and [2002’s] ‘Reroute to Remain,’ I thought, ‘I wanna write songs that sound like those songs.’

“So I’m very glad to hear that that influence shines through a little bit in those songs.”

About what made her like “Trust” so much:

It was Marty Friedman. [Laughs] I wanted to know about guitar playing and I didn’t have any friends that were into metal and I didn’t know where to begin.

“You go to the store and you look at the CDs and you don’t know where to start. I just remember hearing…

“I had heard Mötley Crüe and Guns N’ Roses and stuff like that which was great, but then when you hear the thunder of the drums at the beginning of ‘Trust’ and the chugging guitar and then the tone of the solo and the way that Marty Friedman chooses those notes that he plays like nothing else.

“Then, of course, I heard the more popular Megadeth songs, but ‘Trust’ you know, I don’t know if you can get a better introduction, just because it sounds so good and the song overall is just so powerful.”

Watch “Trust” official video here:

https://youtu.be/3Ja3CQNyhhw