The Greatest Guitar Riff Ever: 1986
More thrash, more hardcore, more punk and the return of a genre we haven't featured in some time. The subculture was as alive as it has ever been. What's the best riff of the year
Hey y’all: sorry about missing you last week. My daughter got RSV and then I decided to follow suit and then my dog got a stomach infection and had to wear a diaper for a week. Hellish seven days! We’re out of it and we’re back to blogging though. Let’s get into it.
Agnostic Front - Time Will Come
Ass-beater of a riff. Vinnie Stigma is the crossover GOAT. Dudes will hear this riff and think “hell yeah.”
Bad Brains - Re-Ignition
Is it a hot take to think that I Against I is the best Bad Brains record? I don’t particularly care one way or another but I do think that. This album fully rocks. For starters, this album sounds like a million bucks. Ron Saint Germain really produced every ounce out of this fucking thing. The brief intro riff is cool enough as is but the main verse riff lays the blueprint for bands like Quicksand and Deftones that would find more success a decade later. This is the blueprint. Fucking incredible.
Beastie Boys - Fight for Your Right
Is this the corniest song ever? Yes, probably. Does the riff fucking rule. Yes, absolutely. Kerry King of Slayer (read below for more) and Rick Rubin lol play the guitar here and guess what those fucking boomers killed it. Congrats to them. This riff will live forever even if this song probably should die.
Big Black - Kerosene
RIP Steve Albini there will never be another like ya.
Candlemass - Solitude
Do you think these guys like Black Sabbath?
Cro-Mags - Life of My Own
Not to go too Hardlore-coded on the Riffletter but this is a Mt. Rushmore hardcore record and maybe a one-of-one record for guitar production in this era of hardcore. Parris Mayhew is maybe the most ripped-off guitarist in all of hardcore and you can trace that back to this song specifically. Insane pit part when the drums kick in double-time. What a riff.
Dag Nasty - Circles
Brian Baker is so important. Minor Threat (albeit on bass), Dag Nasty and Bad Religion, not to mention like a trillion side projects. If dude was only in one of those three, he’d be an all-time riffer and he was in all three. “Circles” has such a massive tone, probably no small part due to the chorus effect placed on the riff. The eighties, dude.
Dwight Yoakam - Guitars, Cadillacs
Feels like it’s been forever since I’ve had a country song on the Riffletter? What the fuck? This era of country has some of the most objectively unlistenable music of all time and also kind of what feels like the beginning of alt-country. I wouldn’t say this is the latter very much (primarily due to the production) but spiritually you can kind of squint and see the connection. Pete Anderson’s riff that repeats throughout the verses is incredible. I love this shit so much.
Husker Du - Don’t Want to Know If You Are Lonely
The last great record from one of the best punk bands ever and one of the band’s best riffs on the massive (sonically, not so much sales-wise) single accompanying it.
Megadeth - My Last Words
For all his many annoying faults, Dave Mustaine could shred like nobody’s business. Imo this isn’t his best shredding record (coming in a few weeks) but - for a minute - it seemed legitimately possible that Megadeth could be on the same tier as Metallica and Slayer. History would not prove that out but you hear this riff and you can absolutely be forgiven for thinking “yeah this dude can riff just as well as those other boys.” What else do you want from a thrash band other than a sick riff?
Metallica - Battery
About as iconic as riffs get. Of course, I am talking about the part that kicks in at the 1:06 mark. Gives a whole new meaning to chugging riffs. Metal has never sounded this good with guitars this huge. A Rushmore metal album from (probably) a Rushmore American metal band. This riff should be inducted into the Library of Congress.
Sepultura - Morbid Visions
I’ve only heard Sepultura as a thrash band (we love Roots around these parts) so this album was quite a shock to the system. I haven’t forgotten this is a riff newsletter but jesus christ the drums here. The guitar is also great, as to be expected, but jesus christ the drums.
Slayer - Raining Blood
Has any subgenre of metal had as good a year as thrash in 1986? This fucking thing rules. As Metallica got bigger and more polished, Slayer used their newfound fame to get harder and plunge further into darkness. Is anything more unsettling than when the riff briefly has a key change around 2 minutes in before the insane chug of the pit part? Just the coolest fucking band. God this rules.
Youth of Today - Stabbed in the Back
Straight Edge stuff generally isn’t for me as I love a good PBR and glass of red wine but here’s the thing: straight-edge hardcore? Absolutely my shit and YoT are the GOATs of that space. Their most fun riff, just an absolute blazer of a sub-minute-long track.
What is the Best Riff of 1986?
I would be being a silly little goose if I included any finalists other than the two riffs from the big two thrash bands. It’s Metallica v. Slayer, once and for all. I think from a production standpoint, Metallica takes it. I think from a writing standpoint, Slayer takes it. I think, as a song, I prefer “Battery” - probably my favorite Metallica song - to “Raining Blood.” All that being said, I think Slayer’s riff is better. This might be thee defining thrash riff. Play this for any 12 year old and they’ll be like “okay, sure, I get what thrash is now.” Quite literally the blueprint for a generation of guitar. Metallica will get another chance.
Does it top the previous Best Riff?
Best Riff of 1986: Slayer - Raining Blood
Best Riff Previous Champion: Van Halen - Panama
Man. This is a wild one. A big huge pop track with a massive riff or the darkest shit imaginable from a band playing faster than Satan could ever imagine? Yeah, we’re going with the latter. Slayer is so cool, dude. See ya next week.