Thrash Musicians Play Their Favorite Riffs

We've featured guitarists from legendary thrash bands like Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax on Gear Factor, and we've asked all of them what riffs they never get tired of playing. Watch Scott Ian, Gary Holt, David Ellefson and more show us their answers.
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Music: Riffs Two by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com)
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[@effess8698]

2:34 The Angel of Death riff will never get old. Future archaeologists will rediscover it and regard it as a great artistic achievement. The Mona Lisa of thrash metal riffs.

[@XanderTrouten]

And raining blood, that riff slays

[@Idontknowmeself]

One of my favorite riffs ever, it just hits different

[@sadsadasdsadasdsadas]

Find Jesus in your life while you still can.

[@Nightopian1982]

​@@sadsadasdsadasdsadasget a life, pal.

[@sadsadasdsadasdsadas]

@@Nightopian1982 I have eternal life in heaven. Please, do not take this as a joke, believe in Jesus and not in the Satanists. Christ can save you as well friend.

[@ceobe7458]

idk what gary is looking at when he plays toxic waltz but he is locked in

[@oneskinnyhonky]

Holt has a way of tapping into wherever it is that riffs come from.

[@FremontMetalHead]

he ain’t staring at anything. when youre in the zone u pick a spot and stare off into the universe as if it’s being created right in front of u lol

[@biorythmicshifter]

He is staring into your soul…

[@ChaseJohnston19]

Gary holt and Exodus dont get near enough love

[@andmetalforall2763]

Rob was the better vocalist.

[@bayareathrasher666]

Here in the Bay Area they do!

[@gaborhorvath4302]

Agreed,👌🫡🤘

[@TheMissingLink33]

Great band but their best record was their first. Most bands improve and grow from the first record. Pleasures of the Flesh was really good too.

[@danielcalvert2700]

imo their should be a Big Five, and Exodus should be number five

[@juliantorres8818]

The Power of the riff compels me. I just love riffs 🎸

[@GregoryAlanBaileygamereviews]

God Of Thunder is an evil sounding one.

[@darrendavies3502]

Gary Holt is a killer guitarist, the guy is so humble and funny.

[@richardmarano8399]

You guys remember when Loudwire was a group of music journalists? Because now they just edit together compilations of their previous videos to churn out content. Sad really.

[@NotoriousNIG]

Loudwire has always been the buzzfeed of metal, Metal Injection is where you get the actual news

[@8bitplague]

It's funny because I tried to write for them many times as an ex journalist from many mags and other big sites but never got a response. Oh well, I'm not sure they ever wanted "actual" writers

[@SadisticSadistOfficial]

….who are you and how has your channel done..?

[@snufftherooster93]

​@@SadisticSadistOfficial - ....? How does not having a channel negate the fact what he said is true?......?...............

[@SadisticSadistOfficial]

@@snufftherooster93 he’s another troll and hater. These guys are in the big leagues and this guy is just another know it all troll that’s projecting his jealousy and insecurities 😂 Instead of trying to be the difference he wants to see, he just wants to tear others down because it just seems easier for him.

[@spineappletea]

I like how Scott fiddles the guitar while the interviewer is asking the question. Edit: before I get more replies yes I know this is a common thing to do. I play bass and fiddle around idly as well. I'm noting that I like the way Scott specifically fiddles, not just the fact that he does.

[@danevertt3210]

The guy who use to play a 5 string guitar because he was strictly a rhythm guitarist, he says

[@skepticalbystander]

It's near impossible for a guitarist holding a guitar to not play anything the more seconds creep by, it's like an itch. My girl always has to tell me to stop and listen when she's trying to talk to me if I have my guitar, which is only fair, cuz historically speaking, I've had to ask her to repeat what she said so often in times like those over the years, that at some point she needed to put her foot down :P and she's the best girl I could ever ask for, so in my case, it's not nagging at all, she lets me play a LOT without any attitude (luckily I'm a half decent player and a pretty dang good riff writer if i do say so myself).

[@marc3d]

playing while talking still makes me sick, in both directions ;)

[@Peopleequilshit1997]

Same with Gary Holt right after haha

[@csnide6702]

we all noodle like that when it starts flowing.

[@ZeroBudgetProductions]

Love that Toxic Waltz is mentioned!

[@csnide6702]

Everybody's doing the Toxic Waltz !

[@jeffqualizza7612]

I ABSOLUTELY LOVED DAVE ELLEFSON’S FOGHAT SHIRT 🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻

[@yukuzoona6604]

i liked that gwar guy riffs 🤩

[@tenplex]

Ol from Evile is so underrated as a riff monster. Can’t believe they’re not a bigger thrash band. I blame it on them basically disappearing for almost a decade and trying to get back into a much different looking thrash scene. And how has none of the much bigger thrash bands booked them in an opening slot on tours? Megadeth? Exodus? Metallica now tours with other headliners opening because they’re just too big, but that would be a dream for them too. Guys, get on it.

[@dresdensinn6669]

Fun Fact: That clip is 3yrs old

[@jacobgarcia2660]

His right hand is crazy tight, reminds me of a young hetfield

[@trillrifaxegrindor4411]

those riffs ripped.....badass,tight,fast,headbanging

[@Nightopian1982]

​@@jacobgarcia2660that control is just sublime. Glorious riffage that has a slight DM edge. Massively underrated band as well.

[@ThatMeansHesMad]

The dudes from Evile have some of the best picking hand precision I've ever seen. Soo fast and Soo clean. They're up there with the best of em.

[@Swodie_Jeetin]

Never heard municipal waste before but that melodic riff is transcendent

[@MrEllico]

waste rules man

[@monkeyballs512]

They’re a very fun modern thrash band.

[@skatertrev7]

I'm not really into this kind of metal, but damn... that precision is absurd!! 😮 10:18

[@robertwalker3357]

Kreator

[@Dannyb201]

So glad to see Municipal Waste guitarist there... also playing one of my favorite of their rifts. This album gots some of the best headthrashing rifts ever

[@brianbishop4753]

Never heard of them until this. That riff was awesome.

[@mrc2662]

@@brianbishop4753agree. Does sound like loads of other stuff but impossible not to really, and not taking anything away from the fella, it’s a great riff.

[@caperbye474]

Well go listen to Saxon's Princess Of The Night. Than get back to me

[@anderssundin354]

That Evile guy is a machine! Awesome

[@Domzdream]

That guy on the left at (7:45) has a pretty damn good ear for picking up harmonics. Nice.

[@gab.lab.martins]

“That guy on the left” is Alex fucking Skolnick, first Testament guitarist, and jazz player.

[@deathlike_silence.0267]

That guy is Alex Skolnick. Absolute mad man on guitar (theory)

[@guitarplayer1495]

dude. holy SHI!T they remind me of slayer. when two guitars play the same riff in different parts of the fretboard it sounds so BADASS!!!!

[@alexsaucedo8032]

GUITAR GOD. ALEX SKOLNICK. one badass guitar player. TESTAMENT 4 LIFE. HORNS UP. 🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻

[@alexsaucedo8032]

​@@deathlike_silence.0267 Amen to that brother. I so agree with you. . Absolutely badass guitar player. Alex Skolnick. 🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘

[@ColvinAvianBreadline]

I love cheese.

[@xhannesx8881]

We know

[@Mahina-Kekoa]

Me too

[@bedarosman1108]

Who doesn’t?

[@willy_b_coyote]

“Cheese.” -James May

[@justbob242]

Me too, buddy, me too.

[@DennisTrovato]

Thrash's got the funnest riffs.

[@CaptainMerican]

March Of SOD is THE heaviest riff of all time!

[@dabanjo]

No contest. When that riff comes together there's nothing heavier

[@Theloserguy_312]

Idk. Its heavy as fuck but i think riffs get heavier with the heaviness itself and then the melody

[@Ja-mbi]

I can't agree with you I don't think it's really even the heaviest thing Scott Ian has played

[@grindcardoso1]

Yeah maybe after Into the Void from Black Sabbath.

[@keri11369]

Lmao i do love it

[@XxCHRISchaosxX]

Always did really love that riff on Bangover that ryan waste showcased

[@riverpascual7592]

wasn't expecting to see ellefson here, but man, gotta say... i miss that guy!

[@Sorrowpsalm]

Glad to see Ol Drake on here. Evile has tons of great riffs.

[@C_mao]

Those were killer riffs

[@Nightopian1982]

Probably amongst my favourites to be honest. Evile are underrated but I kinda prefer that, given how Metallica have turned out since they got too big for their already oversized egos and lost the music itself. I still think it's extremely tough to beat Anthrax and Slayer for awesome, heavy riffs in thrash, but Ol has some of the best speed precision I've seen.

[@SirTheoTheWhite]

I remember seeing Evile & Lazarus AD years back. I remember asking their drummer Ben a couple questions. It was a great show.

[@Sorrowpsalm]

@@SirTheoTheWhite man, Lazarus AD has some killer riffs. Havok is another one with some tasty riffs.

[@SirTheoTheWhite]

@@Sorrowpsalm They certainly did. I would go see them play when I could. They were good dudes.

[@peakadventures_]

Music is basically a jigsaw it's all about putting the pieces together that fit

[@erolbulut2584]

It's all about the final product. 'Piece by Piece'

[@PlanetOuid]

got to see gwar live for my first ever concert. it was wild simply putting it

[@neilpatrickhairless]

Oh.. wow. Hahahah yeah that's a hell of a cherry pop show for sure

[@foxboy1985]

GWAR is my fav band.

[@llongone2]

Helly yeah! Verbal Razors!

[@davidvincent9545]

Always wanted to pull Ian's beard of since I was a kid😅

[@TexasSmoking]

Garys demo sounds like guitar center on any given saturday

[@BGMA1976]

Alex Skolnick’s hair is so epic!

[@jeffdavis3283]

Alex is an unhinged lefty.

[@stigmurder99]

​@@jeffdavis3283🤮🤮🤮🤮

[@LordLares7]

Isn't this an old video?

[@mxstunkxwn7390]

Thrash til DEATH!!! 🤘🍻

[@perfectworldmanifest]

Nice shirt, man I love Doghat

[@PostTheRiffs]

I feel like a song from Exodus people don't really talk about is "Throwing Down". That song is sick

[@butchvito]

I love that groove. Killer song.

[@accepthisname]

I need to listen to more Evile. Those riffs are wicked.

[@UncleManuel]

It's one thing to hear riffs isolated - it's a whole other story when the band f*cking vibes together on stage and the crowd goes wild! 😁😎🤟

[@BaronVonSavage]

March of the SOD is Scott's greatest riff 🤘

[@smokingcrab2290]

10:11 this dudes riffs are sick

[@yukuzoona6604]

sounds very cannibal corpse 😍

[@Nightopian1982]

​@@yukuzoona6604don't it just!

[@yukuzoona6604]

@@Nightopian1982 👍👍

[@josejones7025]

👎

[@Pewtooyou]

That Municipal Waste riff in Bangover is the best riff on this video.

[@FortessofShred]

WARDANCE!

[@WickedIndigo]

How could you not love Scott Ian. What a badass

[@lasdicanacho]

no me esperaba verlo a ol drake. Excelente guitarrista

[@joeblow-tp6gz]

Great, I've got a chubby over the Gwar Marshall room and "Answer The Phone" stuck in my head.

[@simpl5049]

I read it as "Trash" at first and wondered as to why you would insult them in the title. 😅😂

[@JasonVladimir]

Shout out to Loudwire for the killer segment!

[@morejelloplease]

Where can I find the phil demmel back to you song? The merkins? Can't find it anywhere

[@markflet26]

The main riff in Keep it in the family by Anthrax is my favourite riff of all time!

[@GregoryAlanBaileygamereviews]

did u like madhouse

[@sirkazm]

2:56 🙌🏼

[@Bangyourbirdnumb]

Dave Ellefson, Megadeth. How old is that clip?

[@bryansteele832]

Ellefson's impression of Vinnie Paul is funny

[@michelboot401]

Verbal Razors !! ❤

[@SlaytanicMusic]

municipal waste is the shiiiit!!!!

[@vio-noob_6737]

Verbal Razors !!

[@randallbryant9456]

🤟"SCOTTY"🤟

[@Automatic13]

Verbal Razors is such a sick song.

[@scottbranch5603]

what is that roaring jet engine noise in the background when Gary is playing?

[@bobsurface908]

Somehow, Verbal Razors ended up one of the first songs I learned to play all the way through....which makes no sense, because it's really hard. But somehow something clicked for me and I just "got" it.

[@drugdracula]

It's soooo weird to see lefthanded guitarists like Ryan, but the funniest thing is that I'm actually a lefthanded guitarist😂 Btw I'm a huge fan of Wastes, Thrash 'till Death!!! \m/

[@davidasullivan1971]

I can hear some Grim Reaper "see you in hell" inspiration in a few of these guy's riffs ❤

[@78gagta78]

Would love to hear the band with Phil Demmel & Steve Zetro Soua, anyone know the name?

[@user-uh9lz7qg6b]

I think Jump in the fire riff is fun to play tremelo then turn in slam riff

[@Julian-we1xk]

I vote for Carcass - No Love Lost. Or an underrated one. Machine Head - Imperium!

[@poindextertunes]

if y’all got the line out from the amp instead of from the camera mic for the audio… man

[@BenAbe218]

Gary Holt = most underrated metal guitarist. Change my mind Also, Shovel Headed Kill Machine was the most brutal and crunchy album I’ve ever heard from start to finish.

[@neilpatrickhairless]

Criss Oliva, but Gary is also pretty underrated. Or at least not really talked about in normie metal circles that much

[@roaming740]

Brian Tatler

[@AdreenBean]

I like this❤

[@nonsuch]

Nothing really beats "March of the S.O.D. / Sargent D and the S.O.D.".

[@rkgaustin9043]

Love that riff in Municipal Waste 'Bangover'. The camera work in that segment was terrible though.

[@johnwojcik977]

As far as Anthrax, I Am The Law.

[@evigkrig4386]

The riffs that Ol Drake plays are thrash to me . Check out the underground band Deathhammer from Norway for similar stuff. 🤟

[@trillrifaxegrindor4411]

mad thrash,like old metallica meets megadeth with a side of slayer but slightly better

[@Kevincarlloven]

Kreators "Riot of Violence"!

[@DantesPop]

I think the best, just based on sound is Alex and Eric. Just my opinion, no one has to agree. I think they sound great

[@skarlottt]

Im proud of his beard 😊

[@smokingcrab2290]

3:56 I didn't realize Owen Wilson's dad played heavy metal bass

[@dryerofdoom]

Burnt offerings is one of testaments best songs

[@lynnlovesmetal]

❤

[@doordashdriver]

I always get Scott Ian mixed up with Dave Attell. lol

[@jakobthonen9411]

YES VERBAL RAZORS🤘

[@axelsb08]

I had no clue Municipal Waste's guitarist wast left-handed, FUCKING RADDD!!! (I'm a lefty and it makes me happeh to see other lefty guitarists in the wild 😎)

[@larrycooper5328]

How does that dude from Gwar even play guitar with them big gorilla hands?

[@Swodie_Jeetin]

Lmao I wonder the same about Michael Angelo... Dude has 10 thumbs and still shreds like a maniac

[@C_mao]

And how does he always gotta talk like that? Does he ever give it a rest? That sh*t looks so corny, i laugh but i can't get into it.

[@C_mao]

Dude's insane.

[@krisfrederick5001]

Who doesn't love their favorite riffs by the way they look?

[@FriedEggsandJellyfish]

David Ellefson's favorite riff is Trust. Lol that's funny

[@TwithGazz]

Dave E has really decked out his prison cell.

[@MikeHunt-fo3ow]

its ok to like listen or play this music and look like a regular person

[@jonsirammst]

Gary Holt, all the way.

[@itisinickt]

let me just show you my favorite riff *plays 7 million notes*

[@wyattjacob34]

Well that's pretty friggin metal

[@benjaminlecter]

2:35 Whats this Song called? I Knew it but cant remember the Name

[@AntEF85]

At the risk of you saying you're being sarcastic Angel of death

[@zhegwood]

JFC, the Evile dude.

[@Mr.CoachBeaulieu]

Poor Scott Ian the only riff he ever brings up is that SOD riff lol

[@fatimapalacios2292]

Ryan Waste is awesome

[@rocketpocket99]

The tic

[@greekfrenchman4434]

I can't hear any of that in burnt offerings

[@gungriffen]

Anthrax heavist riff is Medusa.

[@dcfromthev]

11:50 It is impressive just how few pieces of clothing this man is wearing LOL

[@TRUMP4PREZ]

How in thee fuck do yall not have the riff lord Tony Iommi in here?

[@poindextertunes]

Gear Factory?

[@jordyjordz55]

Riffy staniffy🤘😈🤘

[@thrashmetalmatters4678]

Finally loudwire posts something cool lol. Bout time

[@Godric_71]

PLAY 'FREEBIRD'

[@user-vk3lk1zf3g]

The S.O.D. record and basically everything Nuclear Assault did before 1993 is more powerful and harder hitting than the Anthrax catalogue (and everything POT and before is at a minimum, at least decent).

[@screwface1971]

eggsodus 🤘