The WEEKLY RIFF: BILL KELLIHER & EMBER CITY from THE SOUND AND THE STORY

[@skorpionmvv]

his picking hand is so gentle and precise

[@NeoRipshaft]

Man the main riff is SO TASTY it rides the line between more typical musical progressions and the more jazz progressive licks it's ahhhhhh so good 🤤

[@AndoThree]

They are definitely one of those bands where every single member is so important to their overall sound. Bill is surgical with that picking hand, makes it all look so easy.

[@AsAugustSleeps]

For a metal band, it’s crazy how gently Bill picks. Makes for perfectly in tune recording though. Sounds amazing.

[@nave94]

I’m learning to play this song by watching this video and comparing it to tabs. All the tabs are just so wrong and every time I figure out what Bill is doing I just say to myself “oh god what a move”. He’s so sick, the force is definitely strong in him.

[@kylehuxted8247]

Once More Around The Sun entire album is tabbed and sold on Sheethappenspublishing.com I think its only $30 for the whole digital. Thats what I have been using 👍

[@gearbeer7277]

100% of Mastodon tabs online are wrong, at least to the way they actually play it

[@nave94]

@@kylehuxted8247 Uncle Ben on KZbin is definitely the closest you can get to how they play.

[@kylehuxted8247]

@@nave94 The sheethappens tabs are literally approved by Mastodon. All instruments for that album have been transcribed by each one of them.

[@linksayajin2958]

@@kylehuxted8247 I find it impossible to believe that OMRTS era Brent Hinds (or any era of B. Hinds) transcribed all of his parts on tab. The tab books for full albums are made by the company's transcribers, and they're not 100% reliable (or not reliable at all). Mastodon probably get a cut of the tab sales to let Sheethappens use their name and say the transcriptions are approved by the band

[@Theflowergeekcrafts]

Ember City is one of my top 5 favorite Mastodon songs. I love the riff Bill is laying down beside Brents solos. It just totally connects with my soul.

[@connorbutler5900]

Amen! That riff behind the solos is a fuckin belter. I end up listening to that more than the actual lead!

[@Theflowergeekcrafts]

@@connorbutler5900 Yes! They make an epic tag team. I can’t get enough. I’m going to cry when I hear the new album I just know it. 😅

[@derrick_f1sher]

🙌🏻

[@BallsDeepInDahl]

🥲

[@tdaalien7820]

I have to see Mastodon live. Without a doubt my fav band

[@1xXDrifterzXx1]

i highly recommend it

[@eddiebrooks2510]

Not bad live

[@ashkanolfati3773]

what a fucking amazing guitar player he is!! His approach to writing riffs is just sooo unique

[@broncoxy]

man that opening riff is just downright gorgeous, couldn't describe it other than that

[@louiscarrollmusic-lcm5331]

I wanna see the settings on that Orange. He’s amazing at everything!!!

[@nickp440]

that gibson is fucking awesome

[@YeOlGamer]

i would love to see brent on this. that chorus and that ghost notes he hits in the solo’s are amazing

[@CatchDude]

Man, I just love those high power staccato riffs. What a drive this song has. Can listen to this all day :D

[@giorgisanikidze1117]

can you please explain/give examples of what you mean by 'staccato riffs?'. I think this song's guitar work is out of this world, I'm trying to put my finger on why it sounds so good.

[@CatchDude]

@@giorgisanikidze1117 0:32

[@tonyjessop]

Awesome! Very cool chords, Bill 🤘

[@trebleclefjones4899]

Super efficient technique! He knows he doesn’t have to bludgeon the strings to get a big sound. It’s frustrating when you are teaching someone who is overly heavy-handed, and gets all this buzzy farty noise.

[@WhitePlek]

😍 So beautiful and brilliant

[@timguitar862]

Love me some mastodon!

[@geresmusic]

I do a full cover of this song on my own here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jX2paX1qdtCHj5I

[@JROD5150]

Bill is a machine. Brent definitely doesn't throw him cowboy chords to goof around with. I like this series of play throughs, but this song wasn't mixed well. I couldn't hear him cutting through mix as well as some of the others.

[@ensignofindustry1033]

Not enough gold bursts out there.

[@henrychiarkas4415]

Is that a Rockerverb 50 MKIII? If so I use same exact setup ... heaviest and clearest crunch there is.

[@mattvgyo]

This looks like a Rockerverb MKii to me.

[@AviatoreGK]

it's the 100 one, the writing gets in focus at 1:10

[@henrychiarkas4415]

@@AviatoreGK oh yes I see now Rockerverb 100 Mark II ... I played through a 50 watt MKII in someones studio and instantly fell in love with that crunch. Got rid my line 6 crap that only sounded good clean and never looked back. Great amp.

[@Hejirah]

nerdy question, but what kind of strings does Bill use?

[@cemvural7245]

10-52 gauge not sure about the brand should be d'addario or dunlop

[@Hejirah]

@@cemvural7245 thanks men

[@BallsDeepInDahl]

c:

[@sohohells5459]

@@cemvural7245 10-52 in LP is like 9-49 in strat

[@elevenAD]

thats a nice Les Paul!

[@thelongvirtuesignal8551]

Gibson chambered Bill's signature Les Paul even though they explicitly agreed to his desire and directions not to do so.

[@tylerjensen1730]

What guitar is that? It’s not the Halcyon. Halcyon is a custom and that is a standard.

[@sicdreadhead]

The Halycon was a Standard in Gold Burst. kzbin.info/www/bejne/j4PIf5yqbbSXqa8

[@feno8983]

Halcyon is a standard not a custom, the guitar Bill is playing is most likely a prototype of halcyon, just with white binding instead of creme and looks kinda like a gold harvest burst made in a perimeter burst, not in a regular tear drop style.

[@mudzera]

🇧🇷👇✌️🙋

[@taytymrayne]

That rhythm section reminds me of Tom Sawyer by rush

[@MisterTee]

He must be back with Gibson

[@rsa4834]

I think this is a re-upload or late upload since The Sound and the Story series is 5-6 years old.

[@christaylor9300]

@@rsa4834 his hair is also far greyer now lol

[@linksayajin2958]

And also Bill has stated a few times that he had a horrible experience working with Gibson and is completely disappointed with the company, that's why you don't see him use their guitars anymore (he coud also be in a exclusivity contract with ESP, but i find it unlikely cuz he's on a big, famous band, so...)

[@camjohnholtz3987]

@@linksayajin2958 on bill’s Instagram I still see him using his Gibson’s