QUESTION OF THE WEEK: WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE RIFF OF 2011 THUS FAR?
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Welcome to “Question of the Week,” a (not really at all) weekly debate amongst the MetalSucks staff regarding a recent hot button issue.
This week ‘s question was suggested to us by the reader known as “Cougar Party”:
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE RIFF OF 2011 THUS FAR?
The MS staff’s answers after the jump.
Just as a single riff, the one from Anthrax’s “In the End” (below) is just so fucking stellar. It’s the kind of riff which will get stuck in your head for days after, which is just what a good riff oughta do. And that song is, far and away, the best one on Worship Music. I hope the band never again plays a show where they don’t perform that tune.
Well, Amon Amarth put out a new album this year, so it’s gonna be an Amon Amarth riff. And like with every other Amon Amarth album in recent memory, there’s a song anchored by a riff that tops all the other awesome, awesome riffs on the record (you know, the one where you yell, “Aw, shit yeah!” every time it comes on, even when you know it’s on its way). On Surtur Rising, it’s the opening of “The Last Stand of Frej.” Consistent with the band firing on all cylinders, it’s incredibly epic with a vaguely militaristic feel (heightened by tribal drums when it comes back around for a second time 2:50 in), yet still a little melancholic. It brings to mind no less than 58,000 men on one side of a battle field, all striking a confident pose while silently facing the reality that this could be the end of the lives many of them had only just begun to start to know, possibly leaving families fatherless for some. The bold yet sad realities of ancient war are well represented in the few notes of this riff, with all the sweaty, bare-chested machismo and latent homoeroticism intact. As is Amon Amarth’s way.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qk3A7v3PFg
The opening riff to Revocation’s “Cradle Robber” never fails to cheer/psych me up. It’s one of the later releases of the year but it’s the first one I thought of when I saw the question so I’ll go with it.
-Leyla Ford
That’s a fucking hard one. Especially in a year (which is not even CLOSE to over) thats brought us releases from notably riff-heavy favorites like Exhumed, Krallice and Revocation. That newly released Rwake track is nothing to shake a stick at, either. I’ve gotta say, though, my vote goes to YOB’s “Prepare the Ground” off of Atma. It’s straight forward and simple but heavy as all get out and just gets me super stoked on, well… everything.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdxiEmvHVvI
Even though I’ve got to say that the new album itself was a pretty boring rehash of stuff that they’ve already done (FLAME SHIELD UP), the riff at :57 in All Shall Perish’s “A Pure Evil” is absolutely killer. It’s the perfect blend of catchy, heavy, and shreddy. The rest of the song is probably my only favorite off the album.
-Dave Mustein
Okay, kiddies, now it’s your turn! Weigh in with your answer to the question of the week below.
