Luís Kalil (Red Devil Vortex) was a 13 year old in small town Brazil when he was signed by ESP. He joins us to talk gear, insane techniques, and what it’s really like meeting your heroes. Luís breaks down his famous Reverse Tapping technique, explains how he uses his "secret weapon" fuzz pedal to make harmonics scream, and tells the surreal story of playing for Jason Becker in his own living room.
00:00 – Introduction
00:32 – Guitar World introduction & Luis Khalil's background
00:54 – Practicing for speed, muscle memory, and metronomes
02:12 – Signing with ESP at 13 and growing up in Brazil
03:43 – Luis's first electric guitars and discovering EMGs
04:43 – Learning by ear and advice from his teacher, Marcus
06:03 – Meeting and playing with Tony McAlpine
07:11 – Recording a solo for Tony McAlpine and technique breakdown
08:20 – Meeting Jason Becker and performing "Altitudes"
10:49 – The emotion of playing for Jason Becker and giving back
14:34 – Breaking down the "Painkiller" solo and using the Whammy pedal
16:17 – Luis's "secret weapon" Vispa fuzz pedal breakdown
18:09 – Shifting from a simple setup to building a selective pedalboard
19:04 – Performing with in-ear monitors and stage cabinets
19:50 – Red Devil Vortex band concept and the upcoming record
21:03 – Defining and demonstrating the "Reverse Tapping" technique
26:42 – Evolving as a player over the last 10 years and finding identity
31:20 – Reaching 100k Instagram followers and advice for young players
34:14 – Showcasing the custom Japan-made ESP guitar
36:17 – Life outside of music and playing soccer
36:45 – Demonstrating an unexpected style (Brazilian Bossa Nova)
37:55 – Dream artist collaborations and closing thoughts For more on Luís, visit
For more on Luís, visit
https://luiskalil.com/site/
Luís Kalil: Jason Becker, Tony McAlpine, Iron Maiden & Red Devil Vortex