Riff Tone

What the Dead Men Say

Trivium

Guitarmetal2010s+

Original Gear

GuitarEpiphone Matt Heafy Les Paul Custom 7-string (MKH signature, Fishman Fluence Modern pickups, Evertune bridge)

AmpPeavey Triple XXX II head into Mesa/Boogie cabinet with Celestion Vintage 30s

PickupsFishman Fluence Modern (active humbuckers)

Amp Settings

gain8

bass6

mid4.5

treble6.5

reverb0

presence6.5

Effects & Signal Chain

overdriveIbanez Ibanez TS-9 Tube Screamer

noise_gateISP ISP Decimator

Notes

Studio recording, 2019-2020. Rhythm guitars tracked with Epiphone MKH Les Paul 7-string into Peavey Triple XXX II with Ibanez TS-9 and ISP Decimator into Mesa/Boogie cab. Fishman Fluence Modern pickups and Evertune bridge confirmed for this album. Settings estimated based on typical modern metal Peavey amp usage; no exact knob values found.

Tone Character(10)

tight and percussiveaggressive palm mutingscooped midshigh-gain saturationarticulate note separationcrushing low endrazor-sharp claritymodern metal attackminimal ambiencefocused rhythm crunch

Difficulty

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

Sources

Trivium go in-depth with our track-by-track interview on What The Dead Men Say | MusicRadar Matt Heafy: “I knew me and Gerard Way doing a track together would break the elitist mindset of what black metal can be” | Guitar World

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