When I got my first Marshall amp, it was so empowering. No one ever forgets their first Marshall amp if you're a guitar player pursuing a big powerful sound. I mean, no one ever forgets their first Marshall amp.

The main riff for 'SandMan' was just something I wrote one night.

We wanted to offer something new to our audience. I hate it when bands stop taking chances.

I think the whole concept behind lyrics is you better mean what you say, or you should like, become a storyteller. I mean, there's a lot of bands who are just storytellers, and then there are bands who actually have something valid to say. And the bands who have valid points are few and far between.

For the 'Load' album, I was experimenting so much with tone that I had to keep journals on what equipment I was using. For 'Hero of the Day', I know I used a 1958 Les Paul Standard with a Matchless Chieftain, some Boogie amps and a Vox amp - again, they're all blended.

Jeff Beck is one of my heroes and has been since I first picked up a guitar.

Although I'm a lead guitarist, I'd say that a good 95 percent of my time onstage is spent playing rhythm.