Riffs/Songs You Can't Imagine Writing

[Stealthdjentstic]

What are some riffs you can't really get your head around how they're written or see yourself ever writing?

For me its hands down Spawn of Possession shit, I know some of their melodic ideas are lifted from classical music but beyond that I have no clue how they come up with some of their shit. Point and case:



Another is Gorguts, really cool stuff going on, Lemay is a genius:

 

[The Uncreator]

Dream Theater. John Petrucci has this complex-yet-conceptually-simplistic approach to some riffs that create these very unique sounds.

Also, Scar Symmetry, that shit is too damn catchy for humans to write.

 

[GSingleton]

necrophagist? mainly stabwound.

 

[shanejohnson02]

Honestly, the first time I heard Periphery, I did not understand how someone could write the crazy polyrhythm stuff and make it work like that. I'd heard Meshuggah before, but that always struck me as 4/4ish with the phrases, cadences, and accents in strange places.

These days, it's Jeff Loomis. He can take a simple diminished riff and speed it up to the point of sounding nigh impossible, and still find a way to put a solid lead line over it.

 

[jarnozz]

one man, one mask, one bucket, and chickens... Everything buckethead writes... it´s sometimes so simple but yet no one comes up with it... just made a cover of one of his songs... speaks for itself

 

[Goro923]

/thread

 

[MF_Kitten]

most riffs ever

 

[Jazzamatazz]

/thread

Cannibal Corpse shit is alot harder to play than people think, espeically when Pat joined the band

 

[spawnofthesith]

most riffs ever

This

 

[Larrikin666]

Literally everything in a Blotted Science song. Ron is a monster.

 

[liamh]

Opeth. Mikael Akerfeldt has a really unusual ear for harmony and melody.
for example, 2:16 in Credence, so odd but so beautiful.

 

[mondertonian]

Ow My Feelings - Periphery. There's quite a bit going on there.

 

[guitareben]

Anything Holdsworth has ever done EVER.

Most flecktones stuff too -

That bass


And lots of animals as leaders riffs, specially the newer stuff -




And... Planet X stuff usually blows my mind... way out there riffs, no idea how Donati comes up with some of that stuff


Oh, and also, frank Zappa O.O He's the man for writing the unimaginable Heck, i mean, just listen too 3:20 in Montana (and the rest of it, for that matter!) -

 

[SenorDingDong]

Yes; Steve Howe. The Clap is just

The Tea Party. Jeff Martin had such a unique playing style, very 70's with a lot of Eastern infuences.

Also, fucking Ty Tabor from King's X. He has so much groove, I just can't get my head around it.

Frank motherfucking Zappa.

Most of Bela and the Flecktones' stuff as well. Such unique playing.

 

[pineappleman]

The first time I heard BTBAM.

 

[makeitreign]

 

[Floppystrings]

0:45

Dark, melodic, beautiful and awesome.

 

[Into Obsidian]

Nocturnus knows a thing or two about complex riffs. Just watch the master, Mike Davis with the warrior.

 

[Sikthness]

This literally blew my fuckin mind (Mainly the end riff)


Most stuff w/ really lavish chords. Pretty much every single Corelia riff, lots of Haunted Shores, 'All New Materials' by Periphery, 'Mowgli' by Veil of Maya.

All of the riffs in this song:


And this one:



Also, when i first was shown how Insomnia (periphery, for the 1 person on this site who doesn't know) was played, I was amazed at such a creative riff. Those hammer ons weren't really that common in metal riffs not too long ago. Now everyone has them in there, but still for my money Insomnia has one of the best riffs in metal.

 

[ry_z]

I have no fucking clue what goes on in Katsuhiko Maeda's head.