21 Biggest Metal Riffs Of All Time

3. Metallica - Master Of Puppets

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnKhsTXoKCI It's really telling of a song's mark on the cultural psyche that all it takes to herald in one of the biggest crowd pops in history is a simple choked chord before all hell breaks loose. Although which Metallica riff is the king of all can be debated until the end of time, it remains that alongside something as instantly pummelling as Ride The Lightning, due to that track's recording process of layering up multiple guitar lines it just doesn't hold as much weight in the live arena. Master on the other hand always comes thundering in, bringing forth the perfect mix of completely-lose-yourself reactions and in-time fist-pumping euphoria in equal measure. So technically perfect is its composition that its intro is comprised of multiple parts, all descending patterns that perfectly replicate both the thematic meaning of the song (being taken over by your inner demons and succumbing to addiction) and also managing to easily coral any sized-crowd into a head-banging stupor. That's not even to mention the bridging riff that brings about the verse, which is easily one of Metallica's most engaging and sonically-satisfying, the likes of which has never been beaten in their illustrious 30-plus year career. Puppets is an absolute stormer of a track, and although your diehard Metallica fan would err on the side of being overplayed these days, if you just take a step back and think about it objectively; this is one phenomenal piece of musicianship through and through.
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Gaming Editor
Gaming Editor

WhatCulture's Head of Gaming.