GUITAR WHIZ MacALPINE GETS CHOPS FROM CHOPIN

Let’s face it--they just don’t make hard-rock guitar heroes like they used to.

Tony MacAlpine is black, spent a dozen years at the Springfield Conservatory of Music, idolizes Frederic Chopin and admits that most of the titles for his songs come not from a 15th-Century satanic dictionary but from his dad.

The 26-year-old guitar wizard has just released “Maximum Security,” a new all-instrumental album (MacAlpine plays everything on it but the drums) that has quickly become a hot conversation piece on the hard-rock underground circuit. The record, which features MacAlpine originals like “Tears of Sahara” and “King’s Cup” as well as a soaring piano rendition of Chopin’s Etude No. 4, Opus 10, has quietly sold 50,000 copies during its first month in the stores.

MacAlpine has already earned a cult reputation among musicians. He writes a monthly column for Guitar World magazine and has an endorsement deal with B.C. Rich guitars. His new record also features guest appearances by Dokken’s George Lynch and Night Ranger’s Jeff Watson--Lynch was so impressed by MacAlpine’s playing that he wanted to sign up for lessons.

But is the rock world ready for (gasp) heavy-metal sonatas?

“I think young music fans are always interested in hearing more complicated or sophisticated music,” said MacAlpine, who grew up in Springfield, Mass., but who now lives in Marin County. “When kids first get involved with rock, they’re more interested in the physical nature of the music--the circus side of it. But as they get older, I think they get more intrigued by the message. I have a lot of friends who grew up on Ted Nugent who are totally into fusion now.”

A inquisitive, articulate musician, MacAlpine doesn’t find it such a stretch to mix metal with melodies from Chopin. “A lot of musicians these days say they’re classically influenced, but I think the point comes across more clearly when you actually play it and show how different kinds of music fit together.

“For me, Chopin and Beethoven were really strong influences. And so when I’m looking for a real fiery type of piece that you have to develop quickly, Chopin’s etudes and preludes are perfect. Bach is OK, but he’s too stuffy for most guitar fans. It doesn’t give you the same counterpoint that Chopin does. I listen to a lot of other composers--especially Aaron Copland and Stravinsky--because I’m always looking for a way to become inspired by the emotion of a piece.”

Born into an arts-oriented family (“Everyone played the piano and my father was a poet”), MacAlpine took up piano at 5, intending to become a concert artist. At age 14, he began experimenting with his brother’s guitar, much to his parent’s chagrin--”They thought it was a waste of time since I wasn’t practicing piano.”

After 12 years at the Springfield Conservatory and another three at Hartt College, MacAlpine decided to break loose from his classical moorings, eager to “improvise” more in his music. He soon found himself playing in an East Coast metal band, playing Black Sabbath and Van Halen cover songs.

“It’s really hard to make a living doing that,” he said. “So I moved to Northern California, started making tapes on my own and mailing them out everywhere.”

Mike Varney, who runs Shrapnel Records, a key breeding ground for heavy-metal cult heroes like Yngwie Malmsteen, heard MacAlpine’s tape and immediately signed him to a record deal. After one album on Shrapnel, MacAlpine was picked up by Squawk Records, a new PolyGram-distributed label headed by metal moguls Cliff Burnstein and Peter Mensch, who manage Def Leppard, Dokken, Metallica and Tesla. (MacAlpine is now managed by Varney.)

MacAlpine says he plans to do an all-instrumental tour this fall, then hunt for a suitable singer who could become part of a permanent band. Naturally, MacAlpine is eager to reach a broader audience, but he insists that he won’t stoop to conquer.

“I really don’t see that I have to get all dressed up like a lot of guys these days. My drummer is really flamboyant anyway, so I’m going to let him handle the costume side of it. I’m just going to go out in my regular jeans and sneakers and play my music. Maybe when we get a singer I’ll worry about dressing up more, but, for now, T-shirts are fine.”