Ex-ONWARD guitarist Toby Knapp (GODLESS RISING) is featured in a new interview with Belgium's Metal To Infinity. An excerpt is available below.

Q: What is a great skilled guitarist to you? Is it right that everything starts with the right equipment – if you haven’t the right stuff, forget about it. Correct or not?

Knapp: "Equpiment? No. It's in your heart, soul and in your fingers. Equipment has nothing to do with it. I know spoiled rotten kids who get top of the line equipment, but their actual playing doesn't improve, they just suck worse because they are louder. If your destiny is guitar, so it shall be, a piece of equipment definitely does not determine how far you will go. I know so many idiots that think once they have the perfect set up and sound, they can create a masterpiece and rule the world. Bullshit, Bullshit!! All you need is real, unadulterated inspiration. Grab a Strat and a Marshall combo and get out there and do your thing."

Q: While giving guitar lessons to your students – what is the first move you try to teach them?

Knapp: "I help my friends out a bit. It matters to me what they want to achieve, I usually ask 'What's your ultimate goal, the ultimate sound you are trying to achieve?' they let me know, and I work from what the student desires. I add my own theory and philosophy to the lessons, but ultimately, keep your student interested and inspired by talking about the music they like. It's their money, help them with what they want!! My guitar teacher, Paul Lenz, was brilliant...... I called him when I was a little kid and said 'Help me play like Jimmy Page!' He then showed me a pentatonic scale phrased a certain way, and I was pissed. Then I practiced what he showed me and realized it was the main riff to Zeppelin's 'Heartbreaker'! Holy shit, the joy I had once I realized he was using Page and Blackmore stuff to actually trick me into understanding music theory, the perfect teacher, he made it fun."

Go to this location for the complete interview.