Riff Tone
Deathcrush (Live in Zeitz, 1990)
Mayhem
Guitarmetal1990s
Original Gear
GuitarGibson Les Paul Custom (likely 1970s or early 1980s, black finish, as used by Euronymous in 1990 live shows)
AmpMarshall JCM800 2203 head with 4x12 cabinet (most documented for Euronymous live in 1990)
PickupsStock Gibson humbuckers (likely T-Top or Dirty Fingers, passive, high-output)
Amp Settings
gain8.5
bass5.5
mid4
treble7.5
reverb0
presence6.5
Effects & Signal Chain
No effects used for this tone
Notes
Live performance, Zeitz, 1990. Gear based on period photos and black metal historian consensus for this era/tour. No evidence of pedal use for riff section; amp provided all gain. No studio effects, raw live sound.
Tone Character(10)
razor-sharp, biting distortionraw and abrasivescooped midrangetight and percussivecold, harsh treble emphasisminimal sustainfast note decayunforgiving, uncompressedaggressive pick attackdry, no ambience
Difficulty
The riff requires fast, aggressive alternate picking and tight palm muting at high speed, but uses straightforward power chord shapes and rhythm patterns typical of early black metal.
Sources
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Create Free AccountGuitarmetal1990s
Original Gear
GuitarGibson Les Paul Custom (likely 1970s or early 1980s, black finish, as used by Euronymous in 1990 live shows)
AmpMarshall JCM800 2203 head with 4x12 cabinet (most documented for Euronymous live in 1990)
PickupsStock Gibson humbuckers (likely T-Top or Dirty Fingers, passive, high-output)
Amp Settings
gain8.5
bass5.5
mid4
treble7.5
reverb0
presence6.5
Effects & Signal Chain
No effects used for this tone
Notes
Live performance, Zeitz, 1990. Gear based on period photos and black metal historian consensus for this era/tour. No evidence of pedal use for riff section; amp provided all gain. No studio effects, raw live sound.
Tone Character(10)
razor-sharp, biting distortionraw and abrasivescooped midrangetight and percussivecold, harsh treble emphasisminimal sustainfast note decayunforgiving, uncompressedaggressive pick attackdry, no ambience
Difficulty
The riff requires fast, aggressive alternate picking and tight palm muting at high speed, but uses straightforward power chord shapes and rhythm patterns typical of early black metal.
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