Tom Hess - The Musician and Composer

Tom began playing guitar on January 31st, 1986. His early influences included bands such as Def Leppard, Van Halen and Metallica.

Later on, after hearing artists such as Yngwie Malmsteen, Jason Becker, George Bellas and Dream Theater, Tom became driven to become the virtuoso guitarist and composer that he is today. This eventually led him to enter music schools and earn 2 music degrees: one in Music Theory and one in Music Composition. Tom also studied with the Lion Music recording artist George Bellas for several years (among other teachers).

Tom has toured the world in the band HolyHell, playing alongside bands such as Black Sabbath (Heaven and Hell), Motorhead, Nightwish, Epica, Testament, Manowar and Rhapsody of Fire. Tom and HolyHell have performed in front of sold out crowds of tens of thousands of fans including multiple shows in Germany and Czech Republic appearing at the German Earthshaker Fest 2005 and the Czech Masters of Rock Festivals. HolyHell’s debut single “Apocalypse” is clawing its way up the European charts throughout Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Tom is also the main composer of his own instrumental band, HESS. The HESS band releases Opus 1 and Opus 2, have sold successfully in many countries around the world. The album reviews and interviews with Tom and the HESS band are available in the CD reviews and interviews sections of this site.

Early musical influences:

Def Leppard, Van Halen, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Ozzy, Dio.

Later influences:

Fryderyk Chopin (1810-1849) Yngwie Malmsteen, Jason Becker, Marty Friedman, Andy LaRocque, Dream Theater, George Bellas, J.S. Bach (1685-1750), Fabio Leone, Paul Gilbert, Mike Walsh, Symphony X, Johannes Brahms (1833-1897), Richard Wagner (1813-1883), Claude Debussy (1826-1918), Gustav Mahler (1860-1911), Henryk Gorecki (b. 1935).

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