Xander Demos is one of today’s premier shred metal guitarists. Based
in Pittsburgh, PA, he currently fronts his own band, XDB and has performed as a member of national tribute act, James Rivera’s Sabbath Judas Sabbath, has
played in Rivera’s solo band and in top Pittsburgh cover band, Into The
Arena. Xander is active in
recording collaborations with artists all over the world. Xander plays guitars
from Suhr, McNaught, Brian Moore and Conklin,
with whom he has endorsement deals. His
endorsement from these guitar companies is a testament to his impressive skills
and his deep commitment to playing the best guitars in the world.
Xander's style
ranges from the beautifully melodic to the jaw-droppingly insane. His playing
encompasses much of what he has learned and absorbed from other players over
the years; artists like Shawn Lane, Eric Johnson, Steve Vai, Vinnie Moore,
Jason Becker, Neal Schon, Michael Romeo and John Sykes. One constant in his
music is a focus on strong guitar melodies. In 2012, Xander released his debut
solo CD, Guitarcadia. Mixed by CJ Snare of Firehouse, the album was
named among the Best Albums of 2012 by
Hair Metal Mansion.
Recently, Xander
has been making quite the name for himself and his solo band by appearing as
support for acts like Symphony X, Stryper,
Metal Church, Adrenaline Mob, Buckethead, UFO, Lizzy Borden, Kip Winger, Neil
Zaza and Dio Disciples, as well as performing at Rock Harvest II, Wolf Fest, Skull Fest I and II and NAMM Metal Jam, alongside members of Anthrax, Whitesnake, King Diamond, Dio,
Queensryche, Alice Cooper, and many other metal greats.
Named the 2013 AND 2014 Iron City Rocks Pittsburgh Music Awards Guitarist of the
Year, Xander’s playing appears on several releases from other artists: Ged Rylands (Ten, Tygers of Pan Tang,) Derek Buddemeyer (Down Boys Records) Modern Superstar and Liberty ‘N’ Justice’s long awaited
“Cigar Chronicles,” also featuring George
Lynch (Dokken) Jeff Labar
(Cinderella) and Jerry Dixon
(Warrant.) He was included on “Guitar Feast” a compilation of international
guitarists. His latest single release,
“Dancing Through Daggers” was mixed by JK
Northrup of King Kobra/XYZ fame, and it was featured on the Guitar
Wizards compilation CD with members of KISS, Poison, Guns N Roses,
Whitesnake, Dio and more. Xander
was also nominated for 3 awards at the 2nd Annual International
Music and Entertainment Association Awards in 2014. He was recently awarded
Pop/Rock Male Artist and Pop/Rock Song of the Year, at the 2015 CMG Global
Radio Awards.
In addition to
these accomplishments, Xander is an avid animal lover. Always looking for projects that will aid
these beautiful creatures, Xander is donating a portion of his album sales to the
ASPCA.