I am the number one fan of Ron THAL
He was a shrapnel guitarist, playing a swiss cheese guitar, but he got pissed off because the label wouldn't let him release what he wanted to... He did two albums with them: adventures of bumblefoot, considered by many as the flexable of the 90s and hermit, a dark sounding album, since he felt like he was in prison, because he couldn't play what he wanted to...
He broke free of that label and released Hands, under the groupe name BUMBLEFOOT, in the first song he sings "I'm free, I'm remembering who I am" for 2 minutes... He has released Uncool, a croon core tryout, and lately, 9.11 dedicated to the victims of the plane crashes on the WTC...

He is the tapping, sweeping, alternate picking, legato king of the universe... He shreds like no one I have ever heard... He writes totally beautiful melodies, but also some freaky hardcore riffs, with sometimes ragga influenced rapping, in the same song!!! He is considered as the spiritual son of Frank ZAPPA, even though he claims he has never heard one of his albums...
I've had the chance of meeting him in france, and he also is one of the nicest man alive... He is a famous producer in NY, and you should buy all his albums, that's an order...