Tony MacAlpine (born August 29, 1960) is an American musician and composer. In a career spanning three decades and twelve studio albums, he is best known as an instrumental rock solo guitarist, although he has worked with many different bands and musicians in guest appearances and collaborations.
Having started playing piano at the age of five and guitar at twelve, MacAlpine studied classical music for a number of years at the Springfield Conservatory of Music in Massachusetts, as well as various music programs at the University of Hartford in Connecticut. One of his musical influences is Frédéric Chopin, to whom he pays homage in his interpretations of the latter's études, which are featured on the majority of his studio albums.
Together with his first studio releases, Edge of Insanity (1986) and Maximum Security (1987), he had a prominent role on other works during the popular shred era, including keyboard performances on the debut albums of fellow guitarists Vinnie Moore (Mind's Eye, 1986) and Joey Tafolla (Out of the Sun, 1987). Soon after his own debut, he played guitar in a heavy metal supergroup named M.A.R.S. (an acronym for MacAlpine/Aldridge/Rock/Sarzo), which resulted in the 1986 album Project: Driver.
Tony MacAlpine is the self-titled eleventh studio album by guitarist Tony MacAlpine, released on June 14, 2011 through Favored Nations Entertainment (United States) and King Records (Japan, Korea and Taiwan). The album is MacAlpine's first solo release in ten years following Chromaticity (2001), as well as being the first to feature his extensive use of seven- and eight-string guitars—a staple of his playing which began in the days he spent with Planet X throughout 2000–09.
All music composed by Tony MacAlpine, except where noted.
His world's a life design
Cast from believers of self fantasy
He'll never show his heart
Always disguising reality
Don't turn your back on me
Cause when the evil cries
You'll sell your truth and buy more lies
Just for a place ineternity
And out here, I have a place I can
Always
Run to
There's no fear, cause I can walk this space
On my own
I'm driven by desire
Molded from deceivers of reality
Across the great divide
I fly behind the shadows of night
Master of paradise
I can't foresee my take your giving
Beyond the shining light there's those
That say I'll be forgiven
I know that you can't resist of deny
And you'll never extinguish
My kingdom
Of fire inside
The doomed and troubled view
His acquisitions with sad curiousity
But he's lived a thousand years