Shane Comer
Heavy Metal Guitarist

My Story So Far   

     I am a guitarist who started learning to play as a teenager. I purchased a VMI guitar (Strat Knock Off) and a fender champ amplifier from the local Adams Brothers Store in Newport, Arkansas. I was 17 when I began playing. I went back not too much later and purchased a distortion pedal because the amp was clean only. I hit the bedroom practice hard. I was in my room practicing when I wasn't working over the summer as the groundskeeper and designated painter at the Newport Municipal Water Company. I gave up playing High School football but I keep weightlifting and playing music. I dedicated all my time to my craft. A lot of people were mad at me for my decision I made my senior year but you couldn't deny it because music was a calling. I practiced every day during my senior year of high school only time I put my guitar down was during school and when I worked a contract job reading water meters for Breckenridge Rural Water Union. 

     Ilearned mostly Glam Rock songs when I started everything from Guns and Roses to White lion. Then all of a sudden an amazing thing happened. I ordered a couple of new tablature books and when they came in one was not what I ordered. Instead of getting Cinderella Long Cold Winter; I was sent Randy Rhoads Tribute. I thought man they made a mistake but in reality, the Good Lord set me on a course of music that changed my life forever and still influences my playing to this day 31 years later as I write this. Also, thanks to a friend in High School (Kenny Thaxton) who loves Metal music, also loaned me his Randy Rhoads Tribute tape and that was it. I was changed from the inside out. That'swhy my core influence today is and always will be Randy Rhoads. 

     After a couple of years of dedicated practice; I put my 1st serious band together with the help of 2 friends I met Corby Spicer (Bass) and Mike Black (Drums). We eventually got a vocalist (Rusty Dilday) and named the band Dytrying. After, our 1st demo was recorded we replaced drummer (Mike Black) with a new drummer (Mike Hall) who fit the band better with his style of drumming. We recordedanother 2 EP's at Studio-V in Jonesboro, Arkansas with Engineer Brad Vosberg.Dytrying played a lot during the year and half we were together (1992-1993). Dytrying played several shows in Newport like Shag Nasty's, Hardees, and Jack's Dairy Cup parking lot on flatbed trailers. Jonesboro and Little Rock, as well. After a lot of disagreements and fighting between the band and Rusty, the vocalist, we parted ways with Rusty. 

     Wetried a couple of ideas to start a band with the core players so after a couple  of months of auditioning singers; We decided on Matt Read as our new vocalist and added rhythm Guitarist (Lane Merrell). They played together in their former band Killer Klowns). In no time at all we started writing new songs and agreed on the name Stonehead. We were together from 1994 through 1997. The band recorded 1 demo and 3 EP's and extensively gigged in Arkansas, Tennessee, Louisiana, and Missouri. We received a lot of airplay in Jonesboro, Little Rock, and Memphis. Stonehead also beat out over 350 bands from around the south to win the Strings N Things Memphis Battle of the Bands championship. In 1997, STONEHEAD disbanded over disagreements in the bands future direction and built up rifts that occurred over time and was too much to put aside.

     I started writing some stuff with my long-time friend and fellow guitarist (Chris Hinkle) and decided on doing a musical project with my fellow friend and drummer (Mike Black). Soon after, we got Vocalist and Bass Player (John Parks) to join in on the musical project. We called the band project DragChain. We wrote a couple of tunes and recorded the Lunch Box demo at Delta Sounds Studio with producer Oliver Waren over a weekend that was mixed and finalized by Danny Jones a famous recording engineer that produced a lot of famous acts like Stevie Ray Vaughn, Shawn Lane, Beach Boys, Etta James, Joe Walsh, Al Green, Patti Labelle, and Black Oak Arkansas. The project we did was more commercial-type music with a strong alternative sound. We played it around a few radio stations in Jonesboro, Little Rock, and Memphis. After, the Drag Chain project was finished I joined a band with Mike Black in Olive Branch, Mississippi.  The two brothers were former members of the metal band (Valhalla). We practiced a few times but we didn't have that chemistry and didn't click as a band.

     In 1998 I was married and was really busy starting a family.  I cut back a lot on guitar, writing, and gigging from that point on. Over the last 22 years I have played in a project with former drummer (Jim Davis) and did some digital recording on just stand alone tracks and songs with computers and backing tracks. I also played Guitar in the praise and worship band at Newport First Assembly of God church and The Newport Pentecostal Church of God church. I increased my guitar practicing and song writing a lot in the past couple years. I am hoping to jump start playing music live again and doing some studio recording. I guess I will have to leave this open from here out a while until I see were music and playing guitar takes me next. I hope you enjoy these songs, compositions, and guitar playing as much as I did writing, playing,and listening to these relics of my life. I was co-founder of a project called Nascent.  We were active from late 2021 until early 2023. We did a lot of writing and collaborating online around a year and half.  We released our first album called Requisition.  We released it on October 19th 2022.  Nascent is project consisting of multiple influences consisting of Heavy Metal, Industrial, Rap, hard rock, blues, and much more.  We made a second album to be put on Spotify for May 2023.  At this time, I am not sure if it will be released.  I am already working on my own project as well as another project with my cousin musician Kile Loftis.  I have been in a contemporary Christian band Cleansed in Crimson for about year and half and we have played a few festivals and revivals.  I recently joined an established band Hiway 67.  We started off with mainly the core players and recently we have added 3 more incredible musicians to our band.  We are a seven-piece band and we have competed in and won our preliminary night of the battle of the bands.  We have to go back May 4th to compete with another high ranked band according to their grading system? The future looks bright for both bands.  I am glad that I can serve as lead guitarist for both bands.  I look forward to offering more material in the near future.  

Shane Comer

Guitarist... 🎸