Bands with the most creative riffing

[Scourge of Malice]

Not even an A for effort. Do some research and you'll see what they have claimed to be the biggest influences on their sound. Its more so Neurosis and Rush than Slayer.

 

[Armageddon's Child]

Death.

There's not an original idea anywhere in the band's entire catalog.

 

[Stimuli]

Opeth
Mastodon
Pantera
Nevermore
Megadeth

there are a few haunted and lamb of god riffs i wish i wrote...but I wouldnt put them on the list...

 

[Scourge of Malice]

And to add some to the topic at hand:

CKY
Meshuggah
The Smiths
Converge
Built to Spill

 

[NFU]

thorns
cynic
Abigor
the gault

 

[Armageddon's Child]

Not even an A for effort. Do some research and you'll see what they have claimed to be the biggest influences on their sound. Its more so Neurosis and Rush than Slayer.

Leaving aside the fact that Neurosis was pretty profoundly influenced by South/Seasons era Slayer in some of their riffing, it's painfully obvious that Mastodon are full of shit if they're claiming that Neurosis (or Rush) are a primary influence. Those slow, chromatic arpeggios with sustained notes on the descent that make up the intro of almost every song on Leviathan are classic Slayer (see "Raining Blood" and "South of Heaven" among others), as are the riffs they resolve into. Neurosis isn't the source of the fast, tremolo strummed thrash riffs that populate most Mastodon pieces, Slayer is. Slayer, not Neurosis, is the inspiration for the basic song structure that Mastodon uses over and over again (1st guitar enters playing opening theme unaccompanied --> second guitar enters either in harmony or with a more distorted rendition of the intro theme, sometimes accompanied by sketches of percussion --> theme resolves into either a mid-paced groove or fast, tremolo strummed riff as the full band enters --> bridge with contrasting tempo --> return either to main theme or intro theme). Rush doesn't enter into it either (there are occasional WatchTower-y flourishes, but that seems more like a hangover from the Lethargy days than anything else).

 

[Scourge of Malice]

Neurosis has been around for over 20 years, before South or Seasons was released. Their influence comes more from punk (which is what they started off playing).

Its beccoming more apparent that you haven't listened to much Mastodon, or aren't paying attention. Yes they are influenced by Slayer, thats a duh, but theres a huge difference between influence and ripping off. Go download their dvd or something, and you'll see their influence stems more so from Neurosis, Sunn, Iron Maiden, and various prog bands (and even Men at Work, lol) than Slayer (this is from their own words, and I could quote Troy saying that "Times in Grace" by Neurosis is the most important album in terms of influence on them. He basically says they wouldn't be what they were without that album). Maybe every interview I've seen, and that whole DVD is just a fraud? Lawl. And that structure you attribute you Slayer could be used to describe sooooooooooooooooooo many bands, metal and not.

Now before you reply with a huge paragraph, just stop, cause arguments on this forum never end and I don't like arguing.

 

[BloodSword]

Maybe not original currently, but Hendrix at the time 1967-70 was blowing what fuckin' mind I had at that time. I'll never forget the first time I heard Hendrix. I remember it like it was yesterday. The song --VOODOO Child (slight return) from Electric LadyLand. Anyway, Jeff Loomis from NeverMore is certainly impressive.

 

[Armageddon's Child]

In any event, Slayer is the obvious choice here. They basically developed most of the modern lexicon of metal riffing and technique.

Honorable mention:

VoiVod
Hellhammer/Celtic Frost
Bathory
Atheist
Demilich
Sacramentum

 

[illidurit]

gorguts

 

[Armageddon's Child]

Neurosis has been around for over 20 years, before South or Seasons was released. Their influence comes more from punk (which is what they started off playing).

Some of it, certainly. But their classic early/mid 1990s works are heavily and obviously Slayer influenced.

Its beccoming more apparent that you haven't listened to much Mastodon, or aren't paying attention.

I listened quite intently to Leviathan when everyone was sucking it off a couple of years ago - the problem was there wasn't anything there except a noodly take on Slayer (with the literate lyrical content of Slayer replaced with pretentious piffle about whales).

Yes they are influenced by Slayer, thats a duh, but theres a huge difference between influence and ripping off.

In this case, it's the latter (for reasons I've already outlined).

(this is from their own words, and I could quote Troy saying that "Times in Grace" by Neurosis is the most important album in terms of influence on them. He basically says they wouldn't be what they were without that album). Maybe every interview I've seen, and that whole DVD is just a fraud?

Since when are artists considered reliable judges of their own work? Varg Vikernes claimed he'd never heard Venom, and Nergal from Behemoth once claimed he had never heard of Rob Darken, despite the fact that Darken is credited with keyboard performances on Behemoth's first two albums.

 

[Scourge of Malice]

I might as well just talk about insects cause you're gonna keep ignoring everything I lay down anyways. Again, no more arguing unless you want this to turn into 20 pages of back and forth crap that leads nowhere (I don't).

 

[Demilich]

Quorthon seems to claim he'd never heard or didn't like Venom either, despite the marked similarities people point out between the sounds of the bands!

edit: Also, I'll have to agree with BloodSword on Hendrix! Having only properly heard the man's playing about a year ago when I bought "Are You Experienced?" I was totally blown away by his playing - so much more colourful than the majority of what you hear on or off the radio these days!

 

[Scourge of Malice]

Yeah Hendrix definitely deserves mention here. He blew minds when he first came around (and still does).

 

[Death_To_False_Metal]

Helmet
Morbid Angel ( Akerfledt owns a big debt to Lord Azagtoth )
System of A DOwn
Death ( Chuck was one of kind )
Tool
Metallica ( who was riffing like Jaymz in 84 ?: nobody)
MEgadeth ( But I think Mustaine wrote Rust in Peace on MEth, Coke, Heroin watevah ...)
Slayer
Opeth
Dark Tranquility
Pantera ( The groove riff !)
Van HAlen ( His rythm playing is quite creative and weird)
Lord Jimmy PAge with Zep
Rush

 

[i aint play this]

The Smiths

Johnny Marr and his awesome strumming

 

[Scourge of Malice]

Yeah Marr rules! Did you know he plays in Modest Mouse now?

 

[Armageddon's Child]

Not sure about the Morbid Angel references - I love them as much as anyone here, but their riffing is profoundly Slayer derived.

 

[Demilich]

also, creative, i don't know, but Kyuss has some of the best riffs I've ever heard! i know Josh Homme isn't and wasn't ever a virtuosic player, but damn!

 

[Death_To_False_Metal]

Tom verlaine Television