Riff Tone

Trapped Under Ice

Metallica

Guitarmetal1980s

Original Gear

Guitar1984 Gibson Explorer

AmpMarshall JCM800 2203

PickupsEMG 81 (bridge, active humbucker)

Amp Settings

gain8.5

bass6

mid4

treble7.5

reverb3.5

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 1984. Used for rhythm tracks on 'Trapped Under Ice' riff section. No evidence of pedals in the signal chain for the main riff; amp distortion only. Album: Ride the Lightning.

Tone Character(10)

tight and percussivescooped midsaggressive palm mutingicy and coldhigh-gain saturationcrisp and cutting top endmulti-tracked rhythm guitarsminimal warmthfast, articulate attackslightly reverberant

Difficulty

The riff is challenging due to its fast tempo, precise palm muting, and the need for tight, aggressive picking, making it difficult for most players to execute cleanly at speed.

Sources

Any clue why Ride The Lightning's guitar tone sounds so cold and ...How difficult is trapped under ice on guitar? : r/Metallica

This tone has been researched 2 times by the community

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