30 Best Metal Guitare Riffs (all Genres)
A riff can be great for many reasons: the feeling conveyed, the technicity, the grovvy factor, the crazyness... It has also been difficult sometimes to decide whether or not "this" is a riff. So I tried to stick to part that are repeated and that doesn't feature too much melodic elements (that would be called "a melody"). Feel free to comment. |
| 30 |  | Rotting Christ
Triarchy of the Lost Lovers
King of a Stellar War - 0.40min - Groove and cadence are the two words you need to describe this one. |
| 29 |  | Samael
Ceremony of opposites
Baphomet's Throne - 0.18min - The whole album has a lot of great riffs, most of the time quite classic riffs but to my mind this one stands out. |
| 28 |  | Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine
Wake up - 0.00min - Not your groovy catchy riff but I think it's one of the best because of its "emergency" feeling. |
| 27 |  | Slayer
Seasons in the abyss
Dead Skin Mask - 0.50min - From a band that made a reputation out of great riff this is obviously hard to chose one. Since it's my favorite song of this band... |
| 26 |  | Public Image Ltd
First Issue
Public Image - 0.10min - Yeah I know it's not metal, but I allowed me ONE exeption, because this riffs is great and proves that it's not just about groove or agressivity. You can convey a feeling of disenchantment, here, to me. |
| 25 |  | Ministry
The mind is a terrible thing to taste
Thieves - 0.00min - You could call it a "mechanic riff" I guess! |
| 24 |  | Neurosis
Given to the rising
Given to the rising - 6.50min - The final riff of the opening track of their last album. I hesitated to consider it a riff since the "texture guitare" doesn't repeat a pattern, but it was too good to be banned! |
| 23 |  | Gojira
The way of all flesh
Oroborous - 0.45min - Right after the taping intro (which is not a riff to me), you have this riff that makes you feel stong when you listen to it walking in the street! From my experience! |
| 22 |  | Behemoth
Evangelion
Alas, the Lord is upon me - 0.25min - A quite slow riff, especially from this band (!!!), but very inspiring. |
| 21 |  | Shining (SWE)
VI - Klagopsalmer
Plagoande O'Helga Plagoande - 0.30min - Well you could say the riff starts from the very beggining of the track but it's from 0.30min that it gets so groovy but still black. |
| 20 |  | The Faceless
Planetary Duality
Coldly Calculated Design - 0.00min - Technical death metal bands always offer great riffs, this one is one of the best among them. |
| 19 |  | Architects
Hollow Crown
Early Grave - 0.35min - One of the most powerfull and agressive riffs on this list. |
| 18 |  | Deftones
Diamond Eyes
Royal - 2.40min - The final riff of the song, which reminds me of Neurosis, a great climax of one of the best track of the last album. |
| 17 | | Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine
Killing in the Name - 4.35min - Classic song made of 3 riff, basically. This one is the one you have on the words "fuck you I won't do what you tell me"! |
| 16 |  | Rotting Christ
Sanctus Diavolos
Athanati Este - 2.30min - It's the same riff that you have at the very beggining of the sont, but with Sakis voice it's even more groovy! |
| 15 |  | Decapitated
Organic Hallucinosis
Post(?) Organic - 0.45min - A real simple riff but so effective, you have groove and strength. |
| 14 |  | Taake
Taake
Umenneske - 0.00min - It's rare to hear a black metal riff with so much energy! |
| 13 |  | As we Draw
Background
Way down - 0.30min - You probably don't know this one, you can get their EP for free via their myspace, check this song out, this riff is just crazy, probably the best postcore riff I've ever heard. |
| 12 |  | Noir Desir
Tostaky
Tostaky - 0.00min - Ok, so I'm french but it's not from patriotism that I've chosen this one. I bet many of you don't know it, just take 1min of your life to go to youtube and find it!!! |
| 11 |  | Ulver
Nattens Madrigal
Hymne I "Wolf and Fear" - 0.10min - Don't listen to this one too loud, you may lose your ears. But still one of the best black metal riffs of all time. |
| 10 |  | Year of no Light
Nord
Par ?conomie pendant la crise... - 0.25 - First, if you like post-metal and you have never listen to this album, go find it, it's just AMAZING. Then, their is a lot of great riff on the album, and there is even two great one on this very track. The first is the most effective to me, the other is more about the melody. |
| 9 |  | Opeth
Blackwater Park
Bleak - 0.20min - I'm not a huge fan of Opeth but they really caught me with this song. This riff is not repeated too many time throughout the song which may be why I still like it so much. |
| 8 |  | Cult of Luna
Eternal Kingdom
Owlwood - 0.05min - Another riff to kick out the album, I love the bass on this one too. The riff last 20sec which is quite long I think. |
| 7 |  | Enslaved
Vertebrae
Center - 0.00min - Enslaved had so many great riffs on their discography, but not one that catches my imagination like the intro of this song. It's also a unique riff as far as rythm goes. |
| 6 |  | Obscura
Cosmogenesis
Infinite Rotation - 0.00min - This one seems so complex but it is still so groovy. I admit here it's not only about guitare but also about drums. |
| 5 |  | Marduk
Opus Nocturne
Materialized in Stone - 1.35min - I could have chosen every riff on this track, they are all great, but this one is the one that carries the most the feeling of the song to my mind. |
| 4 |  | Decapitated
Nihility
Spheres of Madness - 0.00min - I just love this raw introduction, even if the whole song is great, I often listen just to the first minute or so because of this riff! |
| 3 |  | Metallica
...and justice for all
One - 4.35min - A classic riff in a classic track, simple but so effective. |
| 2 |  | Red Sparowes
Every red heart shines toward the red...
The Great leap forward... - 0.00min - the album starts with this great riff which is repeated at the end of the song. Oh boy, how I enjoyed the bass intro when I saw them live! |
| 1 | | Neurosis
Given to the rising
Water is not Enough - 5.45min - the final riff of the song, massive, heavy, a real highlight of their last album, which is not the best but which features the 2 best riffs of the band's discography to my mind. |
|
