"Upon approaching him, Glenn Tipton inquired, 'Richie, do you have a moment?' Such encounters rarely signify positive news": The guidance that veteran Glenn Tipton provided to newcomer Richie Faulkner during his inaugural tour with Judas Priest
Richie Faulkner's Journey to Find His Own Voice in Judas Priest
When Richie Faulkner joined Judas Priest in 2011, he brought with him a wealth of influences from musicians like Zakk Wylde, Dave Murray, Michael Schenker, Randy Rhoads, and others. However, his goal was clear - to find his own voice on the electric guitar within the iconic heavy metal band.
During the Epitaph World Tour in 2011 and 2012, Faulkner received advice from Judas Priest's senior guitarist, Glenn Tipton. Tipton politely criticized Faulkner for playing too much in the style of other guitarists and advised him to develop his own unique voice instead.
Faulkner took this advice to heart. He spent his time in Judas Priest balancing his influences with his own voice. He realized he couldn't play like Wylde, Murray, Schenker, or others in Judas Priest and instead must develop his own unique style.
Faulkner's solos on "Rising From Ruins" and "Traitors Gate" are some of his favorites because they contain what he believes is his own voice. He incorporated parts of Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train" and Michael Schenker and UFO's "Rock Bottom" into his show-stopping solo during the Epitaph World Tour, but these influences were carefully woven into his own distinct sound.
Faulkner's box of tricks came from the cover band days before joining Judas Priest. He played covers and tried to emulate the musicians he looked up to. But as he progressed in his career with Judas Priest, he started to think about not relying so much on the Zakk Wylde-isms but speaking more in his own voice.
In an interview with GuitarWorld in 2021, Faulkner further discussed his approach to balancing influences with his own voice. He explained that while he still draws inspiration from his favourite guitarists, he tries to avoid letting these influences bleed into his playing too much. His goal is to hone his own voice with each album he works on.
Faulkner felt the need to find his own voice on the electric guitar after joining Judas Priest. Glenn Tipton, his new guitar foil in the band, advised him to do just that. And Faulkner has been thinking about not relying so much on the Zakk Wylde-isms but speaking more in his own voice ever since.
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