The last several months have been a wild ride for Fretshredder, who started as a journeyman performing such songs as Nirvana’s “About a Girl” and The Steve Miller Band’s “The Joker” with various bands in smaller venues. A gig at The House of Blues, where he brought the house down with MC5’s “Kick Out the Jams,” gave him enough buzz to catch Lee’s attention. The wiry singer is notoriously hard to please, but he liked what he heard, and soon Fretshredder was the group’s new lead guitarist.

“Well, except for that incident in San Francisco,” quips Crowley. The rest of the band chuckles; Fretshredder sighs.

In Sync. When everyone plays well, the whole band benefits.

She’s referring to a concert at AT&T Park, where Jimi Hendrix made a surprise appearance for “The Wind Cries Mary” and “Purple Haze,” kicking Fretshredder off the stage before performing.

Only in Guitar Hero.

“No one looks as cool as I do when belting out a tune.”

- Riki Lee, Deathtöngue

Get the Band Together

This time, however, you’re not limited to the role of guitarist: pluck a bass, pound the drums, or sing your heart out. Embark on a solo career or gather a few fellow players and put together your own band. If no one’s available locally, join or start a band online. Before you head out on tour, create a custom rocker who represents your sensibilities, choosing among classic, pop, metal, glam, or other looks; you can even mix-and-match styles. Tweak physical features to your heart’s content. With the money you earn from playing concerts, you can buy new clothes, instruments, and other accessories for your character. Don’t forget you can customize your instruments too.

Rock God. You can always embark on a solo career.

“No one looks as cool as I do when belting out a tune,” Lee remarks. He picks up a microphone and demonstrates World Tour’s karaoke-like vocal part. As he sings The Doors’ “Love Me Two Times,” the game judges whether he has successfully matched the pitch of the notes, keeping the Rock Meter in the green and satisfying the fans. Crowley joins in on bass, which features similar gameplay mechanics as the guitar, and Cannz sits down at the drum set, whose different-colored pads must be struck to match the note gems cascading down the screen.

Power Trio. Tackling a tune sans lead singer.

Fretshredder picks up the guitar, which has changed slightly from previous Guitar Hero games. The most important new feature is the touch-sensitive pad on its neck, just below the fret buttons. You can tap it to strum notes, rather than use the strum bar, and alter the pitch of sustained notes. When you see a transparent purple line connecting a pair of notes, you can slide your fingers up and down the pad to play them.

Each band member’s performance contributes toward a collective score — those who do a poor job drag down the shared Rock Meter, forcing the others to compensate. The band also shares a Star Power meter, which anyone can activate when it’s full. Deathtöngue is a seasoned group, of course, and they do an admirable job. Cannz seems displeased about something when they finish, but he shrugs when I ask him what’s wrong. “He doesn’t say much,” Crowley says as she makes herself a cup of tea.

“Who wouldn’t want to share the stage with some of the best musicians of all time?”

- Riki Lee, Deathtöngue

Rock ‘n’ Roll Royalty

Whether you play solo or as part of a band, you’ll meet some of the most famous rockers in history, and guitarists get to face off against two of them: Zakk Wylde, who plays lead guitar for Ozzy Osbourne, and Ted Nugent, who began his career in the late 1960s and is known for such hits as “Cat Scratch Fever.” Those head-to-head battles challenge you to keep up with those experienced axe men and prevent the crowd meter from swinging to their side.

On the Right Track. The band hits the right notes at The House of Blues.

In addition to Hendrix, other musicians you’ll meet include Ozzy Osbourne, Sting, Paramore lead singer Hayley Williams, Smashing Pumpkins lead guitarist and vocalist Billy Corgan, and Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker. “Yep, that’s some rock ‘n’ roll royalty right there,” says Lee. “Who wouldn’t want to share the stage with some of the best musicians of all time?”

During your world tour, you’ll play in a variety of venues, including Amoeba Music’s record store in Los Angeles, New York City’s Times Square, a German stadium used for an Ozzfest concert starring Ozzy, an environment created in conjunction with the band Tool, and various other places around the world.

Studio Time. Deathtöngue lays down their latest piece of ear-bleeding sonic dissonance. Rock.

Original Compositions

“So don’t you want to know about making your own tunes?” Lee asks. Of course I do: What band doesn’t aspire to move beyond covers and make their own music? Head to the music studio to lay down drum and lead, rhythm, and bass guitar tracks. In GHMix mode, add distortion and other effects for the final touch. The game comes with several pre-created songs so you can see how others did it. When you’re done, play your creation: the money you earn from the performance goes toward your career mode total.

Lee shows off a song he’s been working on. Cannz thrashes his head in time with the music, but Crowley rolls her eyes. “I’ve been working on some music too,” she says in a detached tone. “I’m playing all the instruments on it.” Lee glares at her. “You’ve been saying that for the past three years,” he shoots back.

A phone rings. Fretshredder picks it up. He nods and hands the receiver to Lee. “Some dude named Lou,” he says. “Sounds like something’s burning wherever he is.” Lee turns pale.

If you liked this game, check out:

• FlatOut 2
• Guitar Hero: Aerosmith
• Shaun White Snowboarding