Riff Of The Week: Top Riffs Of 2018 So Far
Ohhh-oh, we’re half-way there, woa-oh, vote or I’ll defund your medicare.
Last week we boarded the USS Chunder clutching our fave riffs for inducing motion sickness with our Seasick Edition. Hans dominated the seas with a perfectly nauseating Thantifaxath riff, capsizing the competition with the utmost of ease. Cheggit!
With the year half-way over, it is time for our fave riffs released in 2018 so far to battle it out for supremacy. Only expected a couple of these to make an appearance, the others…well, I’ll let you decide.
Positronic Brain
Tomb Mold – “Abysswalker” (Riff @ 0:27)
An unnamed White House source just informed me that Donald Trump is jealous that no American death metal band yet this year has come up with a riff as sick and awesome and catchy as this one. Consequently, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is considering a tariff on Tomb Mold, so buy this one if you haven’t already while it’s still cheap. Vote TOMB MOLD!
Henschman
Tomb Mold – “Abysswalker” (Riff @ 0:27)
These guys really have a way with filthy riffs that seem to burrow their way inside your very being, and out of all the disgusting riffs on “Manor of Infinite Forms” this one really takes the cake for me. It’s bizarrely catchy and it makes me think of a terrifying demon with drooling mouths for eyes approaching slowly but purposefully. So yeah, it’s a pretty good one if you ask me.
Special Agent Dale Cooper
IDLES – ‘Colossus’ (Riff @ 3:13)
I know it’s not metal, and I know the album isn’t out until August, but this is genuinely the best new song this year. I actually wouldn’t recommend going to the riff time, because this song is all about the build up to both the riff at 3:13 and beyond. Seriously, if you haven’t listened to IDLES, give their debut from last year, Brutalism, a goddamn listen right after this, they’re shaping up to be one of the best modern punk band’s right now, and I hope they can keep this up.
P00pf4rt5
Alkaloid – ‘Chaos Theory and Practice’ (Riff @ 0:17)
Not a lot has stood out to me this year, but this album was a pleasant continuation of their previous work. There are plenty of other riffs to choose from within the album but I think this one’s the best of them all.
GRUMP DUMPUS
Beast Of Nod – ‘Ripped Off Face II: The Cape Of Faces’ (Riff @ 3:39)
THESE JAMMIN’ SPACE SLAMS SOMEHOW COMBINE THE BEST OF TECH PROG AND BRUTAL IGNORANCE AT THE SAME TIME SO GO AHEAD AND SMASH YOUR FACE ONTO YOUR KEYBOARD UNTIL YOUR IT GETS RIPPED OFF LIKE A LOWER INCOME FLORIDA FAMILY BUYING REAL ESTATE ASSETS IN LATE 2007
Yarnhawk
Depravity – ‘Vile Defloration’ (Riff @ 0:50)
This album is full of solid death metal riffs from front to back, but something about this one keeps getting stuck in my head. Maybe it’s the pulled back tempo compared to the rest of the album that gives the riff room to move and breathe. Maybe it’s the screaming lead guitar over top of it. Maybe it’s the sweet drum fills. Maybe it’s the way that it perfectly nails the atmosphere of a hideous creature doing unspeakable things. Maybe it’s the way it comes in out of the quiet intro. Whatever it is, I dig it.
TheGranulatingDarkSatanicMilfs
Khemmis – “From Ruin” (Riff @ 4:30)
Its amazing how Khemmis seems to get better with each release. After four and a half minutes of snail paced riffs and sorrowful vocals, comes this fucking superb riff to pick up the pace before the guitar solo. A strong contender for album of the year
Lacertilian
Chthe’ilist – ‘Passage Into The Xexanotth’ (Riff @ 0:39)
Seeing as though there are already two Tomb Mold entries, I’ll shelve the intro from ‘Gored Embrace (Confronting Biodegradation)’ and go for something from their creepy Canadian cohort’s latest. ‘Passage Into The Xexanotth’ spins itself a temporal vortex, conjuring their Cthulian predecessors in Catacomb to oversee their journey into the deepest recondite crypts of death metal’s storied past. I guess the riff’s foundations sort of start @ 0:00 but it reaches peak pump around 0:39.
Next week’s theme is Driving.
It can be a driving rhythm, a riff you love driving to, from a song about cars, idgaf, be as creative as you like.
Submission details below.
