As for me, it's probably Katakysm's The Black Sheep
As for me, it's probably Katakysm's The Black Sheep
Gonna have to go by genre
Sorreption - King of undisputed nonsense
runner up: Necrophagist - Seven
In Flames - Dialogue with the stars
runner up: At The Gates - Slaughter Of The Soul
Decapitated - spheres of madness
runner up: Bloodbath - So You Die
runner up: Opeth - Serenity Painted Death
runner up: 🤔
I could probably come up with a top 5-10 for each genre. I could probably dig for 5 more genres. This is already a sick playlist.
Honorable mentions to Rage Against The Machine and Soilwork. Some absolute riff kings. Those two bands honestly trump the whole list/thread/whatever.
Not a fan of most OG thrash bands, personally, so my top picks would be bands influenced by those bands.
I'd say top thrash riff pick would probably be
Children of Bodom - Lake Bodom
I'd have to revisit Kiuas's first 3 albums to pick out the thrash bangers. They're mostly power metal with some thrash, black, and melodeath.
If well allow Kiuas - Heart Of The Serpent as thrash, then yeah. But idk kinda more black/power metal than thrash.
I guess of OG thrash I do love sepultura... And Kiko Laurieo in general. Does Angra count by association? Or are they way too power? 😔
Not a fan of most OG thrash bands, personally, so my top picks would be bands I fkuenced by those bands.
I'd say top thrash riff pick would probably be
Children of Bodom - Lake Bodom
I'd have to revisit Kiuas's first 3 albums to pick out the thrash bangers. They're mostly power metal with some thrash, black, and melodeath.
If well allow Kiuas - Heart Of The Serpent as thrash, then yeah. But idk kinda more power than thrash.
Bleak rules (fuggin Steven Wilson backup vox) but if I'm going Opeth on riffage, it's serenity painted death for me
Opeth - Serenity Painted Death
Like 2 straight minutes of neck breaker after neck breaker.
I don't know about all time, but...
Oddly most of my favorite stuff - like prog metal - I tend to not like a particular riff from.
From Slayer, I'm partial to Raining Blood, but they have so many legendary riffs that you couldn't go wrong picking at random 😂
That’s a great one. Mine would have to be either Satan is Real by Kreator (main riff), or I’m Broken by Pantera (also main riff).
I'm having a hard time finding a better one. This might be tops. Tried a bunch of old riff kings like Cactus, Blue Cheer, Sir Lord Baltimore, Buffalo, but I don't think they can beat Sabbath. Never in My Life by Mountain comes close for me though.
I'm partial to doom riffs so I gotta give love to Electric Funeral as the granddaddy. It's simple but so good.
The Cromlech Gate by Enslaved is super heavy and maybe my actual favorite, followed by too many by Candlemass tracks to mention. Ocean Demon by Runemagick is a series of great riffs.
But Tony is god so I can't neglect Patterns by Iommi and Follow the Tears by Heaven & Hell which are good 'n' heavy too.
This is an impossible question, how dare you. But I'm not gonna let you guys get away with not mentioning the Riff Beast himself, Kirk Windstein.
Crowbar - It Pours From Me usually comes to mind first.
Also, KoRn - Clown to this day has one of the most disgusting guitar tones I've ever heard.
The older I get the more I appreciate the simple brutality and precision of Metallica's "Battery" riff
Photograph by Nickelback.
They are ahead of their time and won’t be understood for a couple more years.