The Best Riffs

What is a riff? According to Wikipedia: “in various popular music styles, riff refers to a brief, relaxed phrase repeated over changing melodies. It may serve as a refrain or melodic figure, often played by the rhythm section instruments or solo instruments that form the basis or accompaniment of a musical composition.” So that’s that cleared up then.

Everyone has their favourite riffs. Within rock music, people will generally mention Deep Purple’s Smoke on the Water, Black Sabbath’s Paranoid, Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Sweet Home Alabama or Motorhead’s Ace of Spades as being among the greatest of all time. I’m not going to deny that they are all great, but this is my list and I’m not interested in rehashing popular opinion.

These are my favourites at the time of writing and I don’t care if you agree or disagree. Maybe you’ll listen to these songs and like them or maybe you’ll think they are shit. It’s your prerogative.

1) Nuclear Assault: Survive

The opening riff in this song epitomises everything that thrash metal should sound like. It starts with just the guitar, before the rest of the band join in and has lightning-fast palm-muted picking and soars away at a million miles an hour. The reason thrash in its original form died is probably because this formula was adhered to by pretty much every band in the early to mid-80s, but if it ain’t broke…

2) Slayer: Angel Of Death

Again, the opening riff signals this song’s intentions. You know it’s not going to be a sugar-coated tale, although nobody who’s ever heard Slayer would expect that anyway. It’s fast and it’s brutal, but it’s played perfectly. Slayer are pretty much the only band who never slowed down for which they should be given a lot of credit. Best enjoyed in a darkened room.

3) Metallica: Seek and Destroy

On a debut full of fast, energetic songs, the riff at the start of this is surprisingly melodic. Not that Metallica don’t have their moments with melody, loving harmonic solos as they do, but in the early 80s this level of musical proficiency wasn’t expected from a metal band. It proves they were once great, before Load, Reload and that Lou reed atrocity.

4) Exodus: Impact is Imminent

By 1991 many thrash bands had slowed right down, but the title track and opener of what was probably Exodus’ last decent album is quite a masterpiece. Speed and accuracy are again the key to this song’s appeal. I have always been in awe of guitarists despite being such a bad one myself. The solo in this is worthy of an honourable mention too.

5) Agnostic Front: Eliminator

While they are a hardcore band, Agnostic Front have some quite metal-sounding songs. This one from their “crossover” period is by far the best. The backbone of this track sounds like a good old thrash riff and it’s a real facemelter! It’s just a shame Vinnie Stigma always seems to be drunk when they play live.

6) Municipal Waste: Unleash The Bastards

A modern band that play old-style thrash isn’t always a great idea, but these guys are pretty damn good at it. The main riff from the verse is the one that grabs me here. I must have listened to this song 1000 times and it’s still as good as the first time I heard it. I love the drumming on it too.

7) Bad Religion: We’re Only Gonna Die

The first time I heard this song it was being covered by Biohazard, but it would be wrong to ignore the original. This one is a simple, three chord, catchy, punk rock riff. Sometimes the simplest is the best and this just proves that.

8) Anti Flag: You’d Do The Same

I may be bending the rules considerably here, but it’s not really the main riff of the song I like here. It’s actually what the bass player plays along to it. Anyone who thinks the bass is boring should give this a listen, he’s all over the place with it! My list, my rules.

9) Biohazard: Down For Life

The verse riff in this song is one which embodies hardcore perfectly. I pretty much had to include one of theirs as they’ve been pretty much the most important band in my life for over 20 years. If we weren’t just talking riffs here, but favourite songs, the entire Urban Discipline album would be on this list. They’re actually a much better band now since the departure of original bassist, “businessman” and porn enthusiast, Evan Seinfeld.

10) Cannibal Corpse: Hammer Smashed Face

Death metal is largely overlooked as being “grunty, fast noise” and in a lot of cases this is true. Cannibal Corpse are staggering musicians though. If it wasn’t for the throaty vocals, blast beat drumming and doomy guitars, they’d be a fantastic prog-rock band. Take your pick of riffs from this song, it’s like a symphony with distorted guitars!

So that’s my ten riffs. They’re in no particular order and if you asked my opinion tomorrow it might be different. Go and have a listen to them and tell me I’m wrong if you want.