Riff Of The Week: Years Ending In 8 Edition
R8 these riffs from Judas Priest, Dark Fortress, Aepoch, Danzig, Rainbow, and more!
Last week we had a big ol’ rumble for our Free-For-All Edition. There are far too many colours here for me to focus long enough to declare a definitive winner, so just pick whichever one you like. I’m choosing Amebix.
This week I asked for riffs from years ending in the number 8. Here’s what you sent in…
GoatForest
Dark Fortress – “The Silver Gate” (Riff @ 4:45)
Dark Fortress is, perhaps, the most underrated black metal band in existence. They put an ungodly amount of thought into each song, and it shows. This riff is no exception to the rule.
Treebeard, Father of Fangorn
Judas Priest – “Hell Bent for Leather” (Riff @ 0:15)
We ents have seen many years ending in eight, and 1978’s Hell Bent for Leather is the perfect album with the perfect track to fire up your bitchin’ camaro and charge into battle one last time over the plains Dagorlad to vanquish the Enemy.
FrankWhiteKingOfNY
Grief – ‘Tar’ (Riff @ 0:55)
1998’s ultimate in metallic ugliness brought to you by a bunch of Irish- and Italian-American hoodlums from Boston and the perfect soundtrack to hate (and preferably kill) everyone (including yourself). Where their misanthropic colleagues from Louisiana still brought the mosh amongst the misery, Grief is basically complete and utter anguish – from the drawn-out drowning chords that feel like getting your hand smashed to pieces with a rusty hammer because you failed to pay up a drug debt to the tormented larynx-tearing screams that express more hate and bile than even you can muster up when someone tailgates you for longer than 5 minutes. And when melody does come through, it’s one of semi-bluesy “I just downed a bottle of Jack” variety. Case in point, the “chorus” riff that first shows up at 0:55. Let’s wallow in your own shit and vote for this riff.
Howard Deanzig
Danzig – “Twist of Cain” (Riff @ 0:00)
This is essentially cheating because this is one of the best riffs ever written, but how the fuck could I not submit this motherfucker? WHOAH!
McNulty
Rainbow – ‘Gates Of Babylon’ (Riff @ 0:53)
Rainbow is very good. This song is one of their best.
Diejoubu
Aepoch – ‘Delirium Of Negotiation’ (Riff@ 0:00)
I can’t get enough of this song, the riffage is tasty as hell.
Yarnhawk
Mire – ‘Lightless’ (Riff @ 0:21)
I’m a sucker for slidey guitar parts, and this one gets me every time. Released in June earlier this year, this track is a banger all the way through.
Next week’s theme is Time.
I don’t know what that means. Neither do you.
Anyone can enter. Submissions details below.
