The Big Four's Best Riff Writers

[drgamble]

James all the way, that's how I learned how to play guitar so it's kind of a no brainer. James just wrote so many riffs that were must learn for any guitar player when I was coming up. I thought Master of Puppets was required reading?!

 

[ArtDecade]

I thought Master of Puppets was required reading?!

I hope it still is!

 

[Bloody_Inferno]

Riff writers only.

Kirk may have had some input, but in Metallica-land, James is King!

More than some input: Kirk wrote the intro to Master of Puppets and the main riff fror Trapped Under Ice (incidentally directly taken from one of his Exodus penned songs) among many others.

Sure Hetfield wrote the lion's share, but Kirk's contributions are far too often overlooked.

 

[ArtDecade]

More than some input: Kirk wrote the intro to Master of Puppets and the main riff fror Trapped Under Ice (incidentally directly taken from one of his Exodus penned songs) among many others.

Sure Hetfield wrote the lion's share, but Kirk's contributions are far too often overlooked.

Its hard to know what his actual contributions are in the band. According to SOS:

“As for Kirk, he received cassette tapes all the time and he was sitting at home, composing solos. Then he came into the studio and played what he’d written, and most of the time we’d go, ‘Nah, we hate it.’ Lars actually constructed most of the solos on the album, and I’m pretty sure that famous solo on ‘One’ is a Lars/Flemming/Kirk construction. When it came to the actual performance, some it Kirk ad libbed, and he probably did five or six takes before we figured out which parts were great and put them together. Then he learned that and played it again. In the end, that solo probably took most of half a day to do.”

When Lars is actually "writing" the solos, it confuses just how much input that Kirk had in the writing process.

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/may11/articles/classic-tracks-0511.htm

 

[danger5oh]

I thought Master of Puppets was required reading?!

+1

 

[Nile]

...And Justice For All.

 

[wat]

Jaymz all day.

He's in a whole other league

 

[DISTORT6]

Het taught me to play riffs
Hanneman taught me to play DARKER riffs FASTER.
I say both, in true OG thrasher style.

 

[absolutorigin]

I love them all, but Mustaine for me. The riffs on Rust in Peace is superior than anything the other bands have done IMO.

 

[ZachK]

Mustaine
Ian
Hanneman
Papa Het

Metallica got me into metal, but Megadeth blew me the .... away. The first time I head Hangar 18 I was blown right away. Everything about the album was amazing.

Metallica is cool, but I find Mustaine just blows everyone away. Megadave turned me onto a lot of other bands.

 

[Bloody_Inferno]

Its hard to know what his actual contributions are in the band. According to SOS:

“As for Kirk, he received cassette tapes all the time and he was sitting at home, composing solos. Then he came into the studio and played what he’d written, and most of the time we’d go, ‘Nah, we hate it.’ Lars actually constructed most of the solos on the album, and I’m pretty sure that famous solo on ‘One’ is a Lars/Flemming/Kirk construction. When it came to the actual performance, some it Kirk ad libbed, and he probably did five or six takes before we figured out which parts were great and put them together. Then he learned that and played it again. In the end, that solo probably took most of half a day to do.”

When Lars is actually "writing" the solos, it confuses just how much input that Kirk had in the writing process.

Metallica 'One' | Classic Tracks

Riff writers only.



Seriously thats all true as well. Lars als help write the riff to Enter Sandman for example.

 

[SoItGoesRVA]

See riffing alone, I gotta go Slayer/ Hanneman. Formulaic? A bit. But I couldn't care less. First Slayer riff I ever heard was Angel of Death, and I've been a thrash addict ever since.

 

[Gamma362]

Papa Het for my vote. He got me to play guitar. The main riffs in Master of Puppets and Creeping Death are just pure sex for the ears.

 

[mongey]

Hetfield has the groove. wins by a long way for me

 

[NickS]

Another vote for Het, they are the reason I started playing. One of the first songs I learned was Seek & Destroy

 

[vilk]

I'm a little freaked out by how bad this list is, but even more surprised that Hetfield has more votes than Mustaine. I mean, literally every track on Peace Sells and Rust In Piece has better riffs than anything in the entire Metallica discography.

 

[Pat_tct]

Scott Ian for me... just from the riffage i really liked his style... metallica and the riffage of james got too boring too fast for me.

now if anthrax only would work with john bush again

 

[AfterTheBurial8]

This is an incredibly difficult decision to make, they are all monster riffers!

I'm going to have to go with Dave, the technicality surpasses anything Metallica have done. And yes James is an absolute down picking demon and was a great vocalist at the same time. Dave's precision is phenomenal and his vocal lines over the riffs he plays are ludicrous. The Holy Wars verse is just exquisite! It's a shame his vocals have fallen off and he's a total penis, just this is purely based on skill.

My vote - DAVE MUSTAINE!

 

[Decreate]

James...still remember the first time I heard Motorbreath, I was instantly addicted.

 

[DLG]

this is like voting which parent you love more.