Ben Varon
Encyclopedia
Ben Varon is a Finnish guitarist and music maker. He is known as a guitarist of the Finnish metal band Amoral and he is one of its three founders.
----
1997 at the age of 14 Ben Varon started to play with Juhana Karlsson, with whom he went to the same school. They started by jamming on a couple of Metallica
songs. That was the first time Ben played together with another musician. They went on jamming as often as possible. Later on Silver Ots from the same school joined them. They were the founders of Amoral.
Ben Varon is pretty much self taught, but he has taken some lessons over the years. First, when he got started to learn to tune the guitar and to form a power chord. Then, a few years later when he started actually to practice, he took lessons for a while at Pop & Jazz conservatory in Helsinki. Ben was taught also by the Finnish legend Roope Latvala around 2001 about scales and modes including some of Stone licks, in which he was very interested that time.
The biggest influence on Ben Varon's music had Slash
, the guitarist of Guns 'N Roses and Pantera
´s passed guitarist Dimebag Darrell
. Slash with the pompous Use Your Illusion
-songs blew Ben's mind up and has been the reason to him to start to play guitar. A bit later on Varon got into Pantera
, but Dime's playing has effected him until now. Both the lead and rhythm work of Dime has inspired him greatly. Some other sources of inspiration include Nuno Bettencourt
, Roope Latvala
, Randy Rhoads
and Zakk Wylde
.
Marshall preamp
VHT power amp
Krank cabinet
Singles
Demos
Personal life
Ben Varon's hobbies outside music and the band are watching movies and doing some exercise, as well as spending time with the family and friends.----
Musical career
Ben Varon started playing guitar when he was 11–12 years old. He had been begging for an electric guitar for about a year, and finally got a Strat copy as a birthday present from his parents. The first few years went by without much progress: He did take a few lessons to get started, but did not really practice much at all. Ben tells at his bio that it was only later when he understood, that if he wanted to go anywhere with his playing he should start to work on it.1997 at the age of 14 Ben Varon started to play with Juhana Karlsson, with whom he went to the same school. They started by jamming on a couple of Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
songs. That was the first time Ben played together with another musician. They went on jamming as often as possible. Later on Silver Ots from the same school joined them. They were the founders of Amoral.
Ben Varon is pretty much self taught, but he has taken some lessons over the years. First, when he got started to learn to tune the guitar and to form a power chord. Then, a few years later when he started actually to practice, he took lessons for a while at Pop & Jazz conservatory in Helsinki. Ben was taught also by the Finnish legend Roope Latvala around 2001 about scales and modes including some of Stone licks, in which he was very interested that time.
The biggest influence on Ben Varon's music had Slash
Slash (musician)
Saul Hudson , known by his stage name Slash, is a British-American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the former lead guitarist of the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. During his later years with Guns N'...
, the guitarist of Guns 'N Roses and Pantera
Pantera
Pantera was an American heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas. Formed by the Abbott brothers, Vinnie Paul and Dimebag Darrell in 1981, bassist Rex Brown would join in late 1981 with vocalist Terry Glaze. Looking for a new and heavier sound, Pantera had Terry replaced in 1987 with Phil Anselmo as...
´s passed guitarist Dimebag Darrell
Dimebag Darrell
Darrell Lance Abbott , also known as Diamond Darrell and Dimebag Darrell, was an American guitarist. He was best known as a founding member of the heavy metal bands Pantera and Damageplan. Abbott also contributed to the album Rebel Meets Rebel, a collaboration between Pantera and David Allan Coe...
. Slash with the pompous Use Your Illusion
Use Your Illusion
Use Your Illusion is a Guns N' Roses compilation album that is mixed from the Use Your Illusion I and II albums. It has only been released in the United States, consisting entirely of songs without profanity . However, not all songs without profanity were chosen to appear on this compilation...
-songs blew Ben's mind up and has been the reason to him to start to play guitar. A bit later on Varon got into Pantera
Pantera
Pantera was an American heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas. Formed by the Abbott brothers, Vinnie Paul and Dimebag Darrell in 1981, bassist Rex Brown would join in late 1981 with vocalist Terry Glaze. Looking for a new and heavier sound, Pantera had Terry replaced in 1987 with Phil Anselmo as...
, but Dime's playing has effected him until now. Both the lead and rhythm work of Dime has inspired him greatly. Some other sources of inspiration include Nuno Bettencourt
Nuno Bettencourt
Nuno Duarte Gil Mendes Bettencourt is a Portuguese guitarist and singer-songwriter best known for his role as the lead guitarist of the Boston rock band Extreme whose hits include the acoustic ballads "More Than Words" and "Hole Hearted"...
, Roope Latvala
Roope Latvala
Roope Latvala is a Finnish guitarist who currently plays with the bands Children of Bodom and Sinergy. He was one of the founding members of Stone, which was one of the first notable bands in the history of Finnish heavy metal.-Biography:...
, Randy Rhoads
Randy Rhoads
Randall William "Randy" Rhoads was an American heavy metal guitarist who played with Ozzy Osbourne and Quiet Riot. A devoted student of classical guitar, Rhoads often combined his classical music influences with his own heavy metal style. While on tour with Ozzy Osbourne, he would seek out...
and 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,...
.
Equipment
Jackson Warrior custom guitars (Frog & Tiger)Marshall preamp
VHT power amp
Krank cabinet
Discography
Studio albums- Wound Creations (2004), SpinefarmSpinefarm RecordsSpinefarm Records is a Finland-based record label focusing mainly on heavy metal artists. In 1999, a sub-label titled Spikefarm Records was started by Sami Tenetz from Thy Serpent...
- DecrowningDecrowning- Personnel :Amoral* Niko Kalliojärvi - vocals* Ben Varon – guitar* Silver Ots – guitar* Erkki Silvennoinen – bass* Juhana Karlsson – drumsAdditional* Ari Perkele – support lyrics* Sami Helle – support lyrics...
(2005), Spinefarm - Reptile RideReptile Ride (album)Reptile Ride is the title of Amoral's third album which was released in Japan on August 10, 2007 and on August 15, 2007 in the rest of the world.-Track listing:-Band members:*Niko Kalliojärvi - vocals*Erkki Silvennoinen - bass*Ben Varon - guitar...
(2007), Spinefarm - Show Your ColorsShow Your Colors-Personnel:Amoral* Ari Koivunen - vocals, backing vocals* Ben Varon - guitar* Silver Ots - guitar* Juhana Karlsson - drums* Pekka Johansson - bassAdditional* Janne Saksa - recording, producing, backing vocals* Svante Forsbäck- mastering...
(2009), Spinefarm
Singles
- Leave Your Dead Behind (2007)
- Year of the Suckerpunch (2009)
Demos
- Desolation (2001)
- Demo II (2002)
- Other Flesh (2002)