Sydney 7-piece metal band, Battlesnake, have quickly gained a reputation for their high-impact live performances and epic, theatrical songwriting. They are in a league of their own, with a sound that fuses operatic glam, hard-hitting riffs and blistering stage energy - imagine King Gizzard, Queen and Judas Priest had a baby and Battlesnake would be the result. We're stoked to sit down with the band as they take us through their top five guitar solos that have influenced their sound. Check out their answers below!

Want to witness Battlesnake's own riff-shredding guitar solos live? Catch them at The Lansdowne Hotel in Sydney on Wed 4 Jun as part of the venue's 100 Year Celebration. Don your robes, polish your horns and get ready for a night of pure mayhem - grab your tickets below!

Words by Battlesnake:

Battlesnake, being a heavily guitar-centric band, play lots of guitar solos and thought we'd share some of our favourites that have helped to influence how we play, and shape the decisions we make surrounding our solos.

Bohemian Rhapsody - QUEEN (Brian May)

One of the greatest, most melodic and iconic solos of all time. Just about anyone on planet earth can sing it from memory, and the way he navigates the back end into the Operatic section is signature May.

Kid Charlemagne - Steely Dan (Larry Carlton)

The blend between a clever solo, and a memorable one is a near unattainable balance. Steely Dan have always been known for their incredibly complex harmonic structures, and Larry Carlton navigates a difficult sonic landscape with complete grace, and in a remarkably cohesive way.

Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy - Mr Big (Paul Gilbert)

Pure, unadulterated speed. Paul Gilbert has always been one of the great technicians, and this solo is freakishly clean. The drill is also just classically over the top and fun.

Gemini - Alabama Shakes (Heath Fogg)

The creativity and simplicity of this solo, whilst still being so powerful as to be able to  really create an amazing sonic environment is what has earned its place on our list.

Running with the Night- Lionel Ritchie (Steve Lukather) 

One of the greatest 'balls out' solos of all time. Steve, as one of the great session guitarists of all time, knew how to write/execute a simple pop guitar solo, but as the story goes, they ran tape as he was dialing in his gear and this is exactly what came out. 'Ok, i'm ready to go for a take guys!'. "No we already got it". 'Really???' 

Great guitar folklore, and an incredibly free and energetic piece of guitar playing.