Joel Stroetzel
Encyclopedia
Joel Michael Stroetzel (born July 24, 1980) is best known as one of two guitarist
s from the Massachusetts
metalcore
band Killswitch Engage
.
Stroetzel's guitar style is influenced by the bands Slayer
, Anthrax
, Zakk Wylde
, as stated on the World Ablaze DVD.
Stroetzel taught guitar lessons at a local music store (Performance Music) while in high school and played in the Westfield High School Jazz
Band. Later, Stroetzel attended the Berklee College of Music
in Boston
, but did not graduate. While at college Stroetzel began playing in the band Aftershock
with Adam Dutkiewicz
, who would later join him in forming Killswitch Engage
.
Joel is proudly endorsed by Caparison guitars and uses the Caparison Dellinger, TAT, and Angelus models. Recently he has been seen mostly using a custom guitar, which is similar to an Angelus, but with a narrower body and longer horns, somewhat a cross between a TAT Special and an Angelus. It has a Tonepros bridge and tailpiece, as well as a transparent black finish over flamed maple. He also owns a transparent blue model.
His current distorted amp setup is:
Splawn nitro head (KT88)
Mesa Boogie traditional straight 412's
1 Audio Technica 5000 Series wireless
Maxon OD808
BOSS NS-2
His current clean amp setup is:
Fuchs Clean Machine combo
Line 6 DL4 delay
1 Audio Technica 5000 Series wireless
and a phaser pedal.
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
s from the Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
metalcore
Metalcore
Metalcore is a subgenre of heavy metal combining various elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. The name is a portmanteau of the names of the two genres. The term took on its current meaning in the mid-1990s, describing bands such as Earth Crisis, Deadguy and Integrity...
band Killswitch Engage
Killswitch Engage
Killswitch Engage is an American metalcore band from Westfield, Massachusetts, formed in 1999 after the disbandment of Overcast and Aftershock. Killswitch Engage's current lineup consists of vocalist Howard Jones, bassist Mike D'Antonio, guitarists Joel Stroetzel and Adam Dutkiewicz, and drummer...
.
Stroetzel's guitar style is influenced by the bands Slayer
Slayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...
, Anthrax
Anthrax (band)
Anthrax is an American heavy metal band from New York City, formed in 1981. Founded by guitarists Scott Ian and Danny Lilker, the band has since released ten studio albums and 20 singles, and an EP featuring Public Enemy. The band was one of the most popular of the 1980s thrash metal scene...
, Zakk Wylde
Zakk Wylde
Zachary Phillip Wylde , best known by the stage name Zakk Wylde, is an American musician, songwriter, and occasional actor who is best known as the former guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne and founder of the heavy metal band Black Label Society. He was the lead guitarist and vocalist in Pride & Glory,...
, as stated on the World Ablaze DVD.
Stroetzel taught guitar lessons at a local music store (Performance Music) while in high school and played in the Westfield High School Jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
Band. Later, Stroetzel attended the Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music, located in Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known primarily as a school for jazz, rock and popular music, it also offers college-level courses in a wide range of contemporary and historic styles, including hip...
in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, but did not graduate. While at college Stroetzel began playing in the band Aftershock
Aftershock (band)
Aftershock was a metalcore band based out of Boston, Massachusetts. The band was formed in 1992 by the Dutkiewicz brothers, and broke up in mid 1999 shortly after Adam Dutkiewicz joined Killswitch Engage. After a 2-year hiatus, in 2001, the group re-formed for a reunion tour in Japan...
with Adam Dutkiewicz
Adam Dutkiewicz
Adam Jonathan Dutkiewicz is an American musician, recording engineer and music producer, best known as a guitarist and backup vocalist from Massachusetts metalcore band Killswitch Engage.-Biography:...
, who would later join him in forming Killswitch Engage
Killswitch Engage
Killswitch Engage is an American metalcore band from Westfield, Massachusetts, formed in 1999 after the disbandment of Overcast and Aftershock. Killswitch Engage's current lineup consists of vocalist Howard Jones, bassist Mike D'Antonio, guitarists Joel Stroetzel and Adam Dutkiewicz, and drummer...
.
Equipment
Stroetzel has used a wide variety of guitars and amps throughout his career, including the Mesa Boogie Roadster and Triple Rectifier heads, the Marshall JCM900, a modified Soldano SLO-100, and a Hughes and Kettner, which he did not like for metal because he said it "didn't hold together well." He has also used the Framus Cobra and Dragon, the Peavey 5150, the Splawn Nitro, the Diezel VH4, the Fuchs Viper, and the Fender Twin '65 Reverb and Vox AC30 for clean tones.Joel is proudly endorsed by Caparison guitars and uses the Caparison Dellinger, TAT, and Angelus models. Recently he has been seen mostly using a custom guitar, which is similar to an Angelus, but with a narrower body and longer horns, somewhat a cross between a TAT Special and an Angelus. It has a Tonepros bridge and tailpiece, as well as a transparent black finish over flamed maple. He also owns a transparent blue model.
His current distorted amp setup is:
Splawn nitro head (KT88)
Mesa Boogie traditional straight 412's
1 Audio Technica 5000 Series wireless
Maxon OD808
BOSS NS-2
His current clean amp setup is:
Fuchs Clean Machine combo
Line 6 DL4 delay
1 Audio Technica 5000 Series wireless
and a phaser pedal.