Artistdirect’s Elizabeth Fox compiled a list of the Top 25 Riffs in the 21st Century and while I can agree with one or two of the riffs being really really good (Slayer & Mastodon) they aren’t some of the best riffs of the 21st Century and the majority of the list is just god awful. Artistdirect is way out of touch when it comes to riffing because bands like Smashing Pumpkins and Flyleaf do NOT need to be on there. Sure, they may appeal to that blogger, and all of us bloggers are opinionated assholes (Hence this post) but this is atrocious! This is blasphemy! How the fuck can the new Stone Sour single even possibly be on this list?! It’s brand new!!! You may have enjoyed the mediocre riffing but they are FAR from the best of this century. Korn’s “Coming Undone”? Please, they put out better riffs than that and even then they don’t deserve a spot on a list like this. Five Finger Death Punch?
This is all radio friendly noise with talentless effortless writing going into these riffs. Rob Zombie? Please, the thought process that goes into that style of music is so simple and mediocre that any schlub with the ability to even hold a guitar can play those riffs. It’s catchy, sure but only drunken assholes and strippers care about Rob Zombie’s music.
Where is the Behemoth? Where is the Amon Amarth? Where is the Opeth? Devin Townsend? There have been far greater riffs written than this list of garbage. Don’t tell me this song doesn’t deserve a spot on that list. Far greater than Korn’s fucking song.
I know my choices would be on the heavier side of music, but even then these riffs are beautifully written and catchy as hell. Even Viking metallers Amon Amarth write melodic gold with their songs. I could pick ANY song from their albums and it would be fitting for that list. Just listen, I’ll even pick an older one: Pursuit of Vikings. A very simple, catchy song that even my wife will whistle along to. These riffs made her a fan!
Another band that wrote an excellent album from front to back that could be on there is Beyond Creation. Listen to the album and then TRY not to get a riff stuck in your head. You can’t do it. I’ll pick a personal favorite of mine that usually gets stuck in my head from time to time, even when I haven’t listened to the song in a while. DAT BASS
Let’s think of bands that deserve to be on there, hmm let’s see we have: Cannibal Corpse, Lamb of God, Cattle Decapitation, Aborted, Chimaira, Crowbar, Deftones, Devildriver, Dying Fetus, Fallujah, Fleshgod Apocalypse, Gojira (While Gojira WAS on the list, she picked out something undeserving), Hate Eternal, Abigail Williams, Junius, Intronaut, Murder Construct, Immolation, Last Chance To Reason (Anything off of Level 2), Nevermore & Jeff Loomis, Nile, Pig Destroyer, Revocation, Strapping Young Lad & Devin Townsend & Woods of Ypres and that’s the short list.
Metallica’s “My Apocalypse” was one of the worst songs on that album and it definitely wasn’t a top 25 riff from the past 12 years. Get the fuck out of here with that garbage. Ah, this has me seriously enraged for some reason! Why is some stupid list getting under my skin like this? I’ll tell you why, I think the riff is the single most important part of a metal song. Without the riff, there is no real song…no real structure. I love riffs and the rhythm guitar is my favorite aspect of music, period. To see bullshit like this mocks everything I care about and respect within music.
I’m going to listen to some Ypres now and chill the fuck out before I throw something.