Riff Tone

My Apocalypse

Metallica

Guitarmetal2000s

Original Gear

GuitarESP KH-2

AmpMesa/Boogie Mark IV

PickupsEMG 81 (bridge), EMG 60 (neck) active humbuckers

Amp Settings

gain8

bass6

mid4

treble7.5

reverb0

presence6.5

Effects & Signal Chain

noise_gateUnknown Noise gate (model unknown)

Notes

Studio recording, 2008, Death Magnetic album. Riff section. Gear inferred from Metallica's studio rig for Death Magnetic era; no direct source for this song's session, but all evidence points to this setup for rhythm/riff sections.

Tone Character(10)

tight and percussivescooped midsaggressive palm mutinghigh-gain saturationarticulate note separationrazor-sharp claritymodern thrash metalminimal ambiencefast attackfocused low end

Difficulty

The riff requires fast, precise alternate picking and tight palm muting at a high tempo, with complex rhythm patterns and minimal margin for error, making it challenging for most players.

Sources

What's your favorite Metallica guitar tone? - Reddit Does anyone have a clue on how to get that guitar tone Kirk ... - Reddit

Create an account to adapt this tone to your gear

Create Free Account