James Byrd's Atlantis Rising

James Byrd is a guitarist from Kirkland, WA who came to prominence in the metal scene in the mid 1980's with the band Fifth Angel, considered a pioneer of the early Power Metal movement. Since this time he has released numerous solo albums on the labels Shrapnel Records, Mascot, JVC Victor and Lion Music as well as starting his own guitar company Byrd Guitars who market the original design Super Avianti instrument.

James Byrd plays a hybrid of classic rock, metal and blues with classical influences and possesses an extremely musical vibrato along with perfect relative pitch. He is the only artist to ever receive an official (uncompensated) endorsement from renowned virtuoso Yngwie Malmsteen and 'Guitar For The Practising Musician' magazine listed him as one of the "top 10 guitarists you have never heard of" in April 1996.