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Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's probably just the worst homage to superheros you're ever going to see. Cartoons as well! Here's 10 guitars devoted to our favorite caped crusaders and childhood icons that should never have seen the light of day (and certainly not any stage).

The mostly still-teenaged Scottsdale, Arizona-based Age of Evil, easily keep pace with the big boys on their latest release, the six-track EP, ‘Get Dead.’ Picture vintage crushing thrash metal with sweeping Iron Maiden-esque guitar harmonies, and you’re not far off from what the group (which is comprised of two brother teams) - singer/rhythm guitarist Jeremy Goldberg (age 19), lead guitarist Jordan Ziff (18), bassist Jacob Goldberg (18), and drummer Garrett Ziff (20) - specialize in. Are you ready for a chat with Goldberg and Ziff? Then let’s hit it...

What could possibly add to the enormity of Jimi Hendrix’s music legacy in 2009 — 39 years after the still-ruling sonic genius of electric guitar departed the planet? How about an entirely new and unprecedented Jimi Hendrix guitar model designed by the Hendrix family and Gibson? This astonishing about-to-be-unveiled guitar brand is destined to inspire a new generation of players as well as the legion of musicians already under the influence of Jimi’s magical sound and style.

Saint Motel is A/J Jackson (vocals, guitar), A Sharp (lead guitar), Greg Erwin (drums) and Dak (bass) – musicians who constantly experiment and push boundaries within the songwriting process to keep evolving their signature sound that features unique guitar tones and surprising sonic twists throughout.  Dear Dictator is the EP's first single, which is enjoying spins and support from influential Los Angeles radio station KROQ.  The song balances a hauntingly beautiful melody and a powerfully familiar-feeling riff.  The video will soon be impacting at MTVu, MTV2 and fuse. Butch has a Frankie Valli-meets-The Who vibe with its catchy melody, gentle vocals, and huge climax, while Eat Your Heart Out is reminiscent of a more intense U2 with its atmospheric fire. 

It’s becoming almost a rite of passage with up and coming metal acts - aim for the big breakout with an unlikely metallic reworking of an ‘80s pop classic. The latest on the list is the New Jersey-based Sekond Skyn, who have covered Men at Work’s “Down Under” on their debut full length, ‘Addicted to Chaos.’ Their guitarists, Eddie Heedles and Mark Monjoy, recently chewed the fat with Guitarsite. Read on!

Vintage blues rock sounds abound on the debut release by Jive Mother Mary, ‘All Fall Down.’ Hailing from Alamance County, North Carolina, the group’s members - Mason Keck (guitar and lead vocals), Nathan Coe (bass and vocals), Seth “Fluff” Aldridge (drums) - prove once and for all that you don’t have to be an old man to be touched by the blues, as all three are still high school students back home. Mr. Keck recently discussed his love of the six string with Guitarsite. Read on!

Todd Rundgren has always marched to the tune of a different drummer. Whether it’s releasing power pop gems (1972’s Something/Anything, 1982’s Utopia), getting all prog-y (1975’s Initiation), fronting the New Cars (which sees Rundgren replace Ric Ocasek), or producing some of rock’s all-time great recordings (Meat Loaf’s Bat Out of Hell, the New York Dolls’ self-titled debut, Grand Funk’s We’re An American Band, etc.), Todd always seems to be a step or two ahead of the pack.

Although best known as the guitarist for pop metallists FireHouse, it turns out that Bill Leverty is no one-trick pony, as evidenced by his new solo release, ‘Deep South.’ Instead of focusing on the arena-ready rockers that his full-time band specializes in, ‘Deep South’ is steeped in tough blues and southern rock sounds – bringing to mind such legendary names as ZZ Top, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and the Allman Brothers. Leverty recently took some time out to discuss ‘Deep South’ with Guitarsite.

Loomis & the Lust aren't just riding waves in their home town of Santa Barbara— they're making their own. The quartet creates catchy, buoyant rock n' roll with flourishes of funk and dance. Noah Babcock's bass bounces through deep rhythms from drummer Jeremy Berisha, while Thomas Masker bolts down the riffs. At the center of the sound stands vocalist and guitarist Will Loomis, who propels the band into the pop rock stratosphere with his combination of vocal bravado and guitar gusto.

Owl is a rock band featuring three exceptionally talented rock musicians who have joined together to create something that is more than the sum of its individual parts. The band is a collaboration between bassist/singer Chris Wyse (The Cult), drummer Dan Dinsmore (The Clay People), and guitarist Jason Mezilis (Your Horrible Smile). Wyse and Dinsmore met growing up in New York and have now realized their dream of playing in a band together. Local Los Angeles luminary Mezilis rounds out the line-up.

Owl is a rock band featuring three exceptionally talented rock musicians who have joined together to create something that is more than the sum of its individual parts. The band is a collaboration between bassist/singer Chris Wyse (The Cult), drummer Dan Dinsmore (The Clay People), and guitarist Jason Mezilis (Your Horrible Smile). Wyse and Dinsmore met growing up in New York and have now realized their dream of playing in a band together. Local Los Angeles luminary Mezilis rounds out the line-up.

Port of Spain, Trinidad may not be the first city music fans think of when the discussion of ‘hot rockspots’ comes up, but that is exactly where the up-and-coming group, Orange Sky, call home. Comprised of singer/lead guitarist Nigel Rojas, rhythm guitarist Joel Beazer, bassist Nicholas Rojas, keyboardist Richard Hall, and drummer Obasi Springer, the group recently issued their sophomore album, ‘Dat Iz Voodoo,’ which runs the gamut from metal (the album opening “Yesterdays and Tomorrows”) to reggae (“Is There Anybody There?”) to funk (“Dark Room”). Nigel recently talked about Orange Sky and the joys of the six-string with Guitarsite.

Crafting a sound that pushes the line between elegance and aggression, New Jersey-based Spider Rockets has completed work on a self-titled release (their follow-up to 2007’s ‘Ever After’), which will be released on May 19th. Comprised of band members Helena Cos on vocals, Johnny Nap on lead guitar, Bones Hackett on bass guitar and Dan Prestup on drums, Spider Rockets has built a large fan base on the strength of a must-see live show which has seen the group open for many renowned national acts in the U.S. Mr. Nap recently answered some questions for Guitarsite.

Vintage metal sounds of the ‘80s are certainly back in vogue, and while the new group Machines of Grace certainly reference bands like Queensryche, they manage to update it with a modern day mainstream rock sound, as well. The Massachusetts-based quartet - which has links to such metal acts as Trans Siberian Orchestra, Savatage, Metal Church, Circle II Circle, and violinist Mark Wood - is comprised of singer Zak Stevens, guitarist Matt Leff, bassist Chris Raposa, and drummer Jeff Plate, and are preparing to release their self-titled debut full-length. Leff recently discussed his playing with Guitarsite.

You have been seeing laptops on stage for a while but mainly with DJs or keyboard players. It has only been in the last few years that guitar players are starting to use laptop for live situations. (Vernon Reid, John McLaughlin, Craig Anderton and others) With NI Guitar Rig, IK's amplitube, Peavey Revalver and others, the guitarist can have a big arsenal of amps and effects at a touch of a foot pedal.

Featuring vocalist Colin MacDonald, guitarist John-Angus MacDonald, bassist Jack Syperek, and drummer Sean Dalton, the Antigonish, Nova Scotia-based quartet, the Trews, is fast becoming one of Canada’s most popular rock bands, as evidenced by the success of their latest release, ‘No Time for Later,’ the large collection of awards the band has racked up for their efforts, and the impressive list of “rock royalty” acts they’ve opened for. Trews guitarists (and brothers) Colin and John-Angus recently talked to Guitar Site.

Have a hankering for mainstream-yet-anthemic arena rock sounds from the ‘80s – comparable to the likes of Queensryche, Winger, and Survivor? Then the Long Island, New York-based quartet, J. Rad (whose guitarist shares the same name as the band), is the band for you. Comprised of members Gino (vocals), J. Rad (guitar/vocals), Zutto (bass), and DieZeL (drums), the group recently issued their debut album, ‘Sons of Priapus,’ available for purchase through iTunes and Amazon.com. Recently, J. Rad - the guitarist - talked guitar with guitarsite.com.

“Acoustic guitar based singer songwriter-isms” is a fitting description for the music of Lenny Bosh. After listening to the Connecticut native’s debut release, ‘Thoughts I Collected,’ you too will agree that Bosh’s forte is tuneful compositions driven by acoustic guitar, sweet melodies, and introspective lyrics. Here is what Mr. Bosh had to say himself about his recent release.

The Los Angeles, CA-based quintet, Carbon 9 – which includes Stacey Quineatly (vocals and sequencing), Danny Cistone (backing vocals), Darwin DeVitis (guitars and vocals), Omar D. Brancato (bass and vocals), and Matty Milani (drums) - are set to issue their latest release, ‘The Bull,’ via World Sound Music on February 24th. Mixed by Frank Gryner (Rob Zombie, Perfect Circle, Tommy Lee, etc.) ‘The Bull’ manages to balance electro rock sounds with strong pop melodies and anthemic choruses – resulting in a sound that sounds custom-made for crossover success. Darwin recently took time out to talk guitar with Guitarsite.com.

Looking for good old fashioned metal in the style of Iron Maiden, King Diamond, and vintage Metallica? Then Connecticut’s Sacred Oath is the band for you. But there’s a reason why the band sounds they way they do – they’re not Johnny-come-latelys, but rather, originally formed back in the mid ‘80s, when those aforementioned acts were still trailblazing. A few quiet spots occurred for the band subsequently, but in recent years, the group – which is comprised of Rob Thorne (vocals, guitar), Bill Smith (Guitar), Scott Waite (Bass), and Kenny Evans (drums) - have made up for lost time, and will soon be issuing their latest offering, ‘Sacred Oath.’ Recently, Rob Thorne answered some questions for Guitarsite.

If you’re looking for manly metal, you’ve come to the right place, dear friends. The gentleman who opts to go solely by the name of Joetown is all about the rawk – whose style/approach is sure to please fans of vintage blues metal sleaze. With a new album, ‘Pills and Ammo,’ the singer/guitarist recently answered some questions for Guitarsite.

Judas Priest have accomplished just about everything that a metal band could hope for during their career. However, one missing addition to their resume was ‘the concept album.’ With the recent release of their double disc set, Nostradamus, Priest has now gone where few metal bands dare to go. A double disc album, the set tells the true-life story of Nostradamus, a 16th century physician and astrologer, who is also believed to have been a prophet – having supposedly predicted such subsequent historical events as the Great Fire of London, the rise of Napoleon I and Adolf Hitler, and most recently, 9/11.

by Kaiser Nelson As if being responsible for the famous James Bond theme twang wasn't enough, here's seven other reasons to know Vic Flick and then read his biography.         

Respected UK music journalist Joel McIver certainly had his work cut out for him when he decided to assemble his brand new book, ‘100 Greatest Metal Guitarists.’ As stated in his intro in the book, McIver makes it clear that this is not going to be your average listing – there will be no Randy Rhoads, Yngwie Malmsteen, nor Angus Young, because according to the author, these players were not pure metal players. Although this point can be argued (especially since McIver does include players like Fast Eddie Clarke, Rudolf Schenker, and Tony Iommi on the list - all of which have incorporated non-metal styles into their playing), the list that McIver comes up with is an interesting one. And it becomes clear from right off the bat that McIver has put a lot of research into this – and countless late nights analyzing shred-heavy solos.

Halloween might equal Sarah Palin masks and rowdy kids for most people this year, but for us at GuitarSite it's a chance to celebrate those less fortunate. And by those less fortunate, I mean guitars less fortunate. That's right it's time to count down the The World's Ugliest Guitars, Part IV. It's going to be messy.