JOHN SYKES MAY not be a household name, but any fan of ’80s hard rock knows his work. That’s Sykes’ dynamic playing — part masterful melodist, part muscular shredder — on Whitesnake mega-hits like “Still of the Night,” “Is This Love” and the indomitable “Here I Go Again.” Describing his goal with the formerly pub-rocking Whitesnake — whom he joined in 1983 and exited, under acrimonious circumstances, just after recording the massive-selling 1987 self-titled album — he said he wanted to bring in a “modern, edgy guitar sound with melody, finesse and drive,” and that he did. It’s also a pretty accurate description of Sykes’ guitar approach throughout his career.