Tim Calvert

Who is Tim Calvert?

Tim Calvert is an American metal guitarist. He is known for his dark, moody style of songwriting created via his frequent usage of dissonant passages and diminished chords. He is a very technically accomplished guitar player who plays in a neoclassical style, featuring an abundance of arpeggios and sweep-picking. He started guitar lessons with Bob Marshall in Castro Valley and eventually took lessons from Jim Bedford in Hayward, California for about 10 years. He played Jackson Guitars throughout his entire career.

He began his career in the mid-1980s in a thrash metal band called Militia before joining Forbidden in 1989. He made his recording debut in 1990 with the band on their second album Twisted into Form, co-writing much of the material and bring a darker and more progressive sound than its predecessor, Forbidden Evil.

Calvert played on two more Forbidden albums, Distortion in 1994 and Green in 1997. After the dissolution of Forbidden, Calvert was asked to replace Pat O'Brien in the progressive thrash metal band Nevermore. Nevermore wanted Tim as their second guitarist because they had toured together in the early 1990s, when lead singer of Nevermore Warrel Dane and bassist Jim Sheppard played with Sanctuary. According to an interview with Dane, they were amazed by Calvert's technique and were so happy when Tim accepted their invitation. Calvert joined the band and played on their classic concept album Dreaming Neon Black, released in 1999.