Riff Of The Week: Best Of 2019 – Third Quarter Edition
With three quarters of the year gone, it’s time to pit some of your current faves against each other for riffpremacy.
Before we enter battle, let’s take a look at the results from last week’s Asia Edition. In the end it was just 1 vote which put the oft-entered Intestine Baalism above Mortal Incarnation and Boris.
Now let’s get to your 2019 riffs
Let’s see what you’ve sent in…
CT-12
Gallows Hymn – ‘Xibalba’ (Riff @ 2:02)
Many contenders on this sorely underheard album, but I eventually decided to stick with a riff from the original song to make me fall in love with these guys in the first place. Get folky kids.
Alphonzo Garbonzo
Vitriol – ‘A Gentle Gift’ (Riff at 2:00)
What a badass record, easily in my top 10 this year. Skip back to 1:33 for a wicked squealy solo. The Riff itself reminds me a bit of something Demolition Hammer would write. Probably why I like it so much!
Black Metal Porkins
Vous Autres – “Le Gouffre Est Devant” (Riff @ 0:00)
These guys make some of the nastiest, blackest atmospheres I’ve ever heard. It’s not fast or technical or whatever. It’s just pure, unadulterated, light-free, malicious shit.
tigeraid
Lord Vicar – ‘Sulphur, Charcoal and Saltpetre’ (Riff @ 7:14)
I think my favourite riff so far this year is still from Spirit Adrift, but I submitted that at the halfway mark so….. How about something groovy from my favourite doom so far this year? Goes from 7:14 and fades in and out around a great solo at 7:48. Thick.
Positronic Brain
Tomb Mold – “Planetary Clairvoyance (They Grow Inside Pt. 2)” (Riff @ 1:18)
So many sweet, Demilichian riffs on this album to choose from, such as this off-kilter, doodly-doodly one. Likely album of the year for me; one of the only downsides is that two of the songs are from that two-song NYP thingy they put out last year.
Ian Rigg
Warcrab – “Blood for the Blood God” (Riff @ 5:05)
There’s a lull in the song to set this riff up. This is an opportune time to stretch your neck muscles for what is about to come. Then I believe the singer instructs you to “crush” which is exactly how this riff sounds. Simple, yet fitting and awesome.
Hans
Freighter – ‘Presto Change-O’ (Riff @ 0:00)
PRESTO
CHANGE-O
FRIEND-O
Iron Goddess of Mercy
Vircolac – “Snakes Among Man” (Riff @ 0:24)
Ever since the Riff Raff Ruffians went off the rails and debuted this whacky track from the Vircolac jacks, I’ve been smitten with its riffin’. In particular, this earworm that rears its ugly little… *looks up worm body part equivalent to “head”… mouth cavity multiple times throughout the track. The whole album feels different than most of the DM I’ve phi slamma jamma’d this year, in no small part because of riffs and tracks like this.
Brock Samson
Misþyrming – ‘Með Svipur á Lofti’ (Riff @ 10:05)
With all the killer death metal released this year, I feel there have been plenty of black metal releases that have been overlooked. Icelandic beauts Misþyrming released an absolute stellar of an album, yet I haven’t really seen people even mention it. I decided to go with a riff that sounds almost fun from the second track entitled Með Svipur á Lofti. Start at 10:05 and realize your egregious mistake of not diving into this monster of a record.
Rolderathis
Vircolac – “The Long Trail” (Riff @ 1:31)
In combination with the deliberately paced kick drums (and disco cymbals towards the end), the simple, driving riff makes me want to move my fragile body as much as I can before decay sets in. This is the sound a literal earworm makes as it tunnels through the external auditory meatus of your corpse. Has there ever been a groovier memento mori?
Richter
Bergraven – “Allt” (Riff @ 5:16)
Get up out of your chair and move your feet. Shake ’em. Shake ’em fast. And if your boss asks what you are doing, tell her that’s between you and your God.
vanNeun
Gruzja – ‘Opuść Mnie’ (Riff @ 1:46)
Rather NSFW.
This came out in february and I still don’t quite know what the deal is with this fucking band.
They have a new album coming out in october, maybe that will clear things up. Most likely not.
Die
Illyria – ‘The Carpathian Summit’ (Riff @ 1:00)
it’s a really good riff.
Megachiles
Mortal Wound – “Iron Age Virility” (Riff @ 0:00)
Rather than just randomly select a band, song, and timestamp from the 20 Buck Spin 2019 release catalog, I randomly selected a band, song, and timestamp from the Maggot Stomp 2019 release catalog. May the ignorant riffs help you awaken and embrace your inner cave person.
Next week’s theme is riffs that make your head spin
Anyone can enter
Submission details below
