Orianthi: Guitar Queen on Working With Alice Cooper and Michael Jackson + Her New Album (VIDEO EXCLUSIVE)

Posted on Jan 29th 2013 11:00AM by Chris Epting Comments

David Livingston, Getty Images

The annual NAMM show in Anaheim, Calif. does not lack for superstar wanderings. Throughout the hall each day there are dozens of little moments when people clamor around somebody that they can't believe they're all of a sudden standing next to. This is no more evident than when the striking blonde guitarist Orianthi makes the rounds.

Her mystique and killer playing make her one of the most interesting musicians around today. Of Greek and Australian heritage, she is soft-spoken and provocative, choosing to let her music do the talking. And good thing for all of us as the music is amazing.

Though she may be most famous for being handpicked by Michael Jackson for the now ill-fated This Is It concert tour (where he died during rehearsals), Oriathi has racked up serious rock 'n' roll credentials. Most notable is her current role as lead guitarist in the Alice Cooper band.

Noisecreep sat down with Orianthi at the Dean Markley Booth at this year's NAMM convention. Sure, we talked about the great strings that Dean Markley provides her with, but we also had a surprise in that she shared her upcoming new album with us. It's called Heaven in This Hell and is scheduled to drop on March 12. We'll have a lot more on it once it hits we can tell you right now after listening, this woman absolutely rocks. Recorded both in Nashville and Los Angeles, Orianthi has delivered a truly special set of songs that run the range from riff-thick rockers to even some country-tinged roots rock.

Watch Noisecreep's Chat with Orianthi