[3] He attended Northeastern Illinois University and achieved a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Theory and Composition.

With major label Atlantic Records, the band released their debut studio album in 1985 entitled Little Monsters, which saw moderate success in the United States.

The band split up soon after, and a compilation of material from the Little Monsters sessions, Wake Up the Neighborhood, was released in 1999 through Batio's label M.A.C.E.

In 1987, after the breakup of Holland, Batio joined glam metal artist Jim Gillette on his solo album "Proud to Be Loud", before founding the band Nitro with bassist T.J. Racer and drummer Bobby Rock.

The music video for "Freight Train", which received much airplay on MTV, was notable for featuring Batio playing his now famous 'Quad Guitar', a notion which FHM magazine voted one of the "50 most outrageous moments in rock history".

Batio's second studio release was Planet Gemini in 1997, which showed a very progressive, experimental side to his playing.

In 1999, Batio released his second instructional video, Jam With Angelo, which came with his third studio album as a companion CD: Tradition.

This was quickly followed by a fourth full-length album in 2000, Lucid Intervals and Moments of Clarity, which was credited to "Mike Batio and Rob Ross", the latter being the drummer.

In 2001, Batio released a CD with his band "C4," covering songs from his Holland years and including the original "Call to Arms."

Batio and C4 were featured on "Rock My Ass",[7] a TV show self-described as "Chicago's live music venue from your couch".

In 2005, Batio released Hands Without Shadows, which featured guest appearances from such musicians as Mark Tremonti, Rudy Sarzo and Bill Peck.

[17] One of his inspirations for the radical design was jazz saxophonist Rahsaan Roland Kirk, who was known for playing two or three instruments simultaneously.

[22] Some of the mentioned guitars appears on Rob Scallon's video with Michael Angelo Batio on his Youtube Channel.