What Makes Heavy, Heavy?

[@ScienceofLoud]

The best way to make fast riffs instantly heavier: play them twice exactly the same, but the second time with half time drums. The contrast hits like a sledge hammer.

[@FairyCRat]

Many metalcore bands can confirm

[@billyturk8117]

Agree 100%

[@penttikoivuniemi2146]

Or slow down the tempo while having the drums play a double-bass triplet barrage. That's fucking heavy.

[@DjentyMcDjentFace7990]

polaris can confirm

[@lokaz6145]

Even metallica used it in blackened

[@robscallon]

2:57 looks sped up. I know it’s not. But your so good that it really looks like it is.

[@peteplaysmusic]

Haha thanks, my camera struggles to keep up with the fast riffs sometimes. I guess it’s so fast it’s warping space time or something. Hope you’re well buddy! :)

[@ContaVelha02]

Most definitively the drums, and I wish more people realized that

[@SuperPresko]

They are a lot more important than it looks like.

[@crowdkillproductions.]

Thank you.

[@jackfox9101]

Danny carey from tool is great proof, simple guitar riffs but with the bass and drums over it; heavy :)

[@str1897]

Drums is the key for me (that's why I'm a drummer) This instrument is often underestimated because it can seems uniteresting for somes, or to simple, but it is actually super diverse, in a lot of way, like guitar, and they really tame the feeling of the song, more than the guitar at some points

[@garedtuttle3649]

The drums from the breakdown in Domination definitely prove this

[@dieselsal9440]

The "Slower Tempo" variation definitely had my head moving the most.

[@KeneHx96]

He started playing Metallica's kinda heavy and turned into Meshuggah at the end. Awesome hahaha

[@peteplaysmusic]

Love this Comment, sums up what I was going for exactly haha. Thanks for watching! :)

[@morbidangel989]

I was going to say the same thing. For me Meshuggah are basically the kings of heavy. It's not just about how low they tune either, but the combination of that, the rhythm/polymeter, and dissonance (basically everything that Pete slowly added in as the video progressed). I also feel the right kind of atmosphere and ambiance can really add something special to the experience of the heaviness, which is another thing Meshuggah expertly employ as well. There's also something to be said for contrast being very important to the experience of heaviness as well. If a song is just the same intensity all the way through it hits nowhere near as hard as if there are some parts where things let up a bit before hitting you again like a sledge hammer.

[@mateorodari3385]

[@wilhelmtheconquerer6214]

The drums, the guitar tone, the bassline, sharp 1s and flat 5s, palm mutes, it all comes together. That's what makes great music so awesome

[@LuLeBe]

What are sharp 1s?

[@wilhelmtheconquerer6214]

@@LuLeBe half step up from the root note (the Jaws-theme use this lots)

[@peik5569]

He means flat 2

[@johnyang799]

4:12 is the "heaviest" to me.

[@geologist5838]

Same! I think it’s because of going from Triplets to single notes on the meter for me

[@peik5569]

Totally agree!! It was just the nastiest and made me do a face lmao

[@JohnDoe-gb7zb]

Peik Aschan I also did the stank face. Heavier than my aunt who’s addicted to fried chicken.

[@MasterWindy]

Agreed!!

[@CreativeMindsAudio]

Totally! lower frequencies gotta breathe so you can feel that weight.

[@martintomas7787]

"How to get from Testament to Mick Gordon in 8 minutes"

[@nathangaspar4989]

Pretty much yeah

[@swordpunch3902]

@Shangrilla _ Alex who??

[@captainpringles1173]

Shangrilla _ yea Alex who

[@defaultsens1376]

@Shangrilla _ who?

[@cohiba6432]

For me testament is heavier than mick gordon

[@yonikup2865]

In my opinion: The scale it's in (for example, phrygian is usually "heavier" than ionian) The attitude The articulation (palm muting, down strokes vs alt picking, pinch harmonics etc) The drums (super important) The guitar tone

[@mikelsarchive7989]

Completely agree, I came here to mention the drums, but I can see that someone else thinks the same. Thanks

[@moeclomo]

You’ve nailed it

[@Big_Boy_Biggins]

Bass tone is massive as well

[@imglidinhere]

Relying on modes and theory is cool and all, but as Victor Wooten said to Tyler, from Music Is Win, "Theory for music is the toolbox in a car. It's there if I need it, but I shouldn't need it every time I drive the car." That said, Phrygian is cool until you realize that literally everyone uses that mode in most of their solos. It gets boring to hear the same exact sounding scale every time a chorus goes off. Less mode, more just trying to figure out what to play. You think Eddie knows much about modal play? He has admitted he doesn't! You think B.B. King knows much theory? Boxing yourself in is how some of the greatest tunes came about. The meanest sounds usually came from hours, days and weeks of tinkering. Less computer processing the better. Also... stop down-tuning. It doesn't make a tune heavier. It muddles the tone and makes it sound like you're playing underwater. There's a very real reason most music today all sounds the same, it's because everyone does the same thing and no one tries anything new. It's worth mentioning that some of the heaviest riffs ever played weren't even played on the heaviest strings on the guitar. Look up Yngwie Malmsteen's "Demon Driver" and tell me that would sound any better tuned down. There's something to be said for exploring the tonality of one's instrument and lowering the tuning of your guitar actually reduces your ability to do that.

[@user-dj6lj1dl1c]

Yoni Kup the groove is massively important too

[@BlackStallionGT]

Another contribution to heaviness, I feel, is a well placed pinch harmonic

[@DavidNwokoye]

I guess it's just distortion and some chugging, some nice *THICC* bass and killer drums

[@marshallzingkhai889]

Is that a new profile pic??

[@shreddykrueger2408]

The pic threw me off

[@king638]

David Nwokoye i agree, but black metal can definitely be heavy even though that has very little chugging, almost no bass and shit-sounding drum production

[@tauseefbaggia5140]

Bass is so important to all forms of music but to metal especially

[@CLaw-tb5gg]

I suppose if you really want to pick it apart, "heavy" means "large and dangerous-sounding", and thus is a collection of psychoacoustic cues we use to determine that the sound source has those qualities. I.e.: I think you should view it as a caveman. For example: Larger animals are a) more dangerous b) able to produce much lower sounds than small animals, and thus we associate lower sounds (downtunings, more bass) with power. c) move more slowly, thus slowness = heaviness Louder sounds a) are produced by larger, more dangerous animals b) tend to overload our eardrums c) are more subjectively compressed and produce more of a reverberating tail = volume, distortion and compression make things sound more like large and dangerous things. It's all an auditory illusion we use to make things sound big and scary.

[@beidouvirus3978]

This is a great analysis man. My only nitpick is that slow things aren't always scary. In my personal life experience, faster things can often be scarier because it's unpredictable, as well as the fact that collisions with fast-moving objects can cause major bodily harm. Speed is one of the things I'm most split about when it comes to heaviness. I honestly think it's one of the aspects that least matters, because both slow riffs and fast riffs sound heavy asf to me. Back to the real world, scary in a slow sense would be like a tank, or Godzilla walking over the city, but then you also get gunfire, warplanes, and certain predators like lions and eagles which are insanely fast. They give off different types of fear. One gives a sense of impending doom and looming danger, while the other is more of a type of threat that you cannot escape from. I appreciate both in music.

[@bjp4869]

So that's why the call them caveman riffs

[@nondescriptcat5620]

while i agree with the general idea, large dangerous animals aren't slow. tigers weigh 500 lbs and can run 40 miles per hour. which is why there's also a hell of a lot of fast heavy music. it has momentum, it barrels forward. heavy is music that creates the acoustic impression of largeness and weight. a raging battle, a monstrous predator, a colossal alien machine.

[@anvil777]

I think the slower version of the riff was when it was becoming heavy for me. Also the syncopated version was great. The major version of the riff in the begging sounded more like Slayer 😉

[@AkumiOnBass]

Exactly thesame for me, it became heavy when the riff was slowed down. What's heavy for me is more like funeral doom ("evoken" for example) very sloow riffs and a loud bass

[@edgyperson9589]

For me the riff never really got heavy, I don’t really know what makes a riff heavy for me but this riff didn’t really do it for me, I was kinda into the major version of the riff and for some reason when he played the riff without distortion it sounded heavier

[@Eduza0]

Songs I find heavy AF: - solo/riff in "the great Southern trendkill" by Pantera - The riff from "lay down" by Priestess - The intro from "Omega" by Periphery All are very different from each other, but all of them feel heavy to me.

[@LooknJB]

For reference Metallica’s “thing that should not be” slow and heavy

[@VitorDuzarte]

CJ Stoner Rock is a great example. The song The Druid from Sleep has a very heavy riff and it’s slow.

[@Aymungoos]

Sad but true is an even better example

[@xshotfd9361]

@@Simon1si i think the heaviest metallica songs are probably the shortest straw or harvester of sorrow

[@springbloom5940]

Probably one of the heaviest songs, ever and my fav Metallica song.

[@springbloom5940]

@@Aymungoos You should be ashamed of yourself 🤦

[@bingbashbosh1]

Slow and steady melts the face

[@brentfox805]

The simplified riff and the syncopated riff really did it for me.

[@Kyle-hm7ee]

The groove section sounded like Pantera and I'm all here for it

[@lohikarmi235]

I was searching for someone who thought of the same way as I did

[@liampink8704]

Sounded even more like LOG

[@pantboy72]

Not wearing a shirt while playing makes a riff heavier, well at least it does for Matt Pike.

[@stevelockhart2047]

Can confirm.

[@alexchameleon8497]

no pants works too

[@Whiskey10209]

I believe it was Chino that once said “it doesn’t have to be fast to be heavy.” I’ve always liked that. My opinion; it’s about dynamics. Yes, straight blast beats and indecipherable screaming for 5 minutes is suuuuuuper heavy... and also boring AF. Personally I like the blast beats and screaming to accentuate , elevate the song instead of just red lining the entire time.

[@KeepTheGates]

That's not what "dynamics" means, but I agree. Heavy without contrast is boring.

[@pergproductions]

Sometimes bad production can make a riff sound heavier depending on the way in which it's bad. The piercing fuzziness of the guitar tone on Darkthrone's A Blaze in the Northern Sky and Burzum's Filosofem makes it sound more evil than a regular clean sound. Similarly, a dirty, messy Death Metal tone can create an effect of greater heaviness. This is where it gets very subjective because for me, sometimes bad production makes something sound better and other times, a good riff can fall flat when you can barely make out the notes.

[@okaight7248]

pergproductions Well put. An issue with modern metal is that even though everything is “correct”, there’s no heaviness because it just feels unnatural and rigid.

[@gbe7178]

man, when I listened non metal rock I felt heaviness, but when I started listen metal this feeling have gone. I think high natural tone of distorted guitar more heavy than what we see now

[@ViviSectia]

In the opposite direction of bands like Burzum is the early slow Behemoth songs or a lot of Doom/black demos. Specifically how don't make any attempt to cut down the room reflections. The wall of sound combined with the size of the room makes it so you can almost hear the music pressing against the walls like it has physical weight.

[@ChasingTheeDragon]

5:43 was the heaviest riff for me but drums and the bass guitar usually make the biggest impact imo

[@digitaldeathsquid3448]

For me, heaviness comes after the established parameters discussed here have been set - tempo, key, tuning etc For faster tunes (e.g. speed, thrash, earlier metalcore), higher tunings tend to work a bit better as you don't lose so much definition out of the bottom end. Here, you want to vary up some of the drum patterns (use some occasional half-time and double-time passages) to then add a little bit of groove that really gets heads banging. If you are going to try some lower tunings, make sure not to scoop the mids or good luck actually hearing what you're playing. What I would consider prime examples of effective fast, heavy tunes include: Slipknot - Surfacing Metallica - Battery Shadows Fall - The Light That Blinds Motorhead - Bomber Onslaught - Cruci-Fiction Judas Priest - Leather Rebel For slower tunes ( e.g. groove, doom) you might find that lower tunings work a bit better for digging into each note with allowed time to bring the full impact of each note to bear upon the audience. Simpler riffs and drum-beats, as well as certain instruments cutting out, can also work wonders as the riffs tend to be more sledgehammer-esque than minigun-esque. Bring the bass frequencies out a bit more without raising the low-mids too much or else everything will sound muddier if you want to throw in a more complex part. Prime examples of what I think are effective slow, heavy tunes include: Body Count - Carnivore Megasus - Red Lottery Whitechapel - The Saw Is The Law Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath Coheed And Cambria - Welcome Home Meshuggah - Break Those Bones Whose Sinews Gave It Motion Finally, it's perfectly possible to compose a heavy tune with more complex riffage, or a more mid-tempo approach. Prog metal, djent, deathcore and tech death tend to thrive upon complex riffage being heavy using things such as 16th-note syncopation, implied time/odd time signatures and wider use of low and high strings to satisfy the needs of those for whom simpler riffs just don't cut it. For great examples of more complex/technical, heavy songs, I'd recommend: Allegaeon - Biomech: Vals no 666 SikTh - Bland Street Bloom The Offering - Ultraviolence Threat Signal - As I Destruct Architects - Doomsday Scar Symmetry - Ghost Prototype 2: Deus Ex Machina Mid-tempo heavy tunes also exist in spades, each using a combination of techniques to suit their needs as and when. Examples include: Fear Factory - Soul Hacker The Raven Age - Eye Among The Blind Shadow Of Intent - Dirge Of The Void Alien Weaponry - Kai Tangata Saxon - Sacrifice Savatage - Hall Of The Mountain King

[@kratoswarrius6871]

Im just gonna say that I love you for mentioning Scar Symmetry, criminally underrated band, been a fan since I can remember. Thank you, this made me really happy

[@lazylegolars]

Would give a different Architects Song since Doomsday is pretty catchy.

[@user-dj6lj1dl1c]

Digital Deathsquid body count and the offering rock

[@Unknownusername1004]

If you wanna use whitechapel as an example you should've used darkest day of man as the example.it has some of Phil's best lows and his absolute best highs hes ever done and the song slows to a crawl before he goes apeshit with the highs and slow ass guitar riffs followed with insane drums

[@thed3m0n0id9]

It's any riff, no matter the compositional elements, that makes you feel like the song just grabbed you by the head, screamed SLAAAAAYYYYEEEERRRR in your face, then punched you in the mouth while making you love it. That is what heavy is. It's heavy because it HITS you. "Break Those Bones Whose Sinews Gave It Motion" is a perfect example of this. There's no one single element that makes it heavy, but it's stupendously heavy. The aural effect actually sounds like it has a weight to it, something that could physically hit you if it were loud enough. Enough bass on that sub and it can xD

[@seymorhuttl7626]

People: "Slower Riffs sound heavier" *Infant* *Annihilator* *has* *left* *the* *game*

[@M4RCi92]

*Gojira entered*

[@RealityPixels]

Sunn O))) wins

[@jhonny2708]

Hey what about black tongue?

[@cephalicwasteland3504]

Infant Annihilator has some very slammy downtempo riffs

[@royalcat10]

In my interpretation, I think there's a difference between a *heavy* riff or song, and a *chaotic* sounding riff or song. And tempo largely plays into that When I think of the word *heavy,* the imagery that comes into mind is like a big ass dinosaur stomping around. At least the way I picture that in my head, it'd be moving pretty slow. When I hear something really fast, like Infant Annihilator, I don't picture that. The imagery that springs to mind is like a... Meth'd up jack rabbit? It's not heavy, but certainly chaotic. Not that either are better or worse, its entirely subjective. But, I just think fast doesn't necessarily make a heavy feeling.

[@Daemoniacus100]

That was incredible. I think you nailed it if we're talking about one riff in isolation. For me, I always found the contrast between quieter sections and a heavy riff makes it sound massive. Even if the riff in isolation isn't the heaviest in the world.

[@erw4r8y7o]

7:00 Is imo the Heaviest, However why did nobody mentioned the Other Instruments or The Drums to go with the riff? A Riff Without good drums and bass in the background would just sound flat

[@aedanstorm]

GordaPL it sounds like Slipknot. I love it

[@debil8223]

4:07 was the most heavy riff for me, the "slower tempo" riff

[@astickman7054]

this is basically how to turn a thrash riff into a djent riff

[@ThorsShadow]

Nothing about this sounded even remotely like a Djent riff. The last two riffs (Groove and Syncopation) have a Lamb of God type of groove to them and I think we can agree, that LoG isn't Djent at all.

[@MaikolNakson]

Not even djenty gtfo

[@sohibconner6926]

@@ThorsShadow last riff apply more or architect riffs

[@Dyadactic]

The Stickman Djent is usually very groovy and down tuned. I see where you’re coming from

[@BillPinkNye]

Sees a 7 string. Must be djent.

[@carazy123_]

4:52 The exact moment that the riff became heavy in my eyes. Gosh, that slaps

[@blasher4]

"Heavy" is very subjective. "Heavy" is more of a feeling. Any type of musical theory that is applied to a metal/rock song that gives you a "heavy" feeling is considered "heavy".

[@caixiuying8901]

Byte MUSIC Tigran Hamasyan can be heavy and he’s all piano

[@Mgtr14]

no shit

[@johnnichols8553]

This be the truth. There are tons of songs that sound heavy, or have a part in the song that turns "heavy" and they don't follow any of the rules in this video. The Beatles "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" gets VERY heavy at the end, with a very dark sound that makes me feel like I'm swirling downward into a whirlpool. I'm no music theory expert, but the key and chords seems to have the most to do with what feels "heavy".

[@ksi8276]

Amazing video. I define heavy in 4 elements: "Simple" "Repetitive" "Slow" "Perfect harmony with the bass"

[@pacolopez9577]

IMHO: - Lower tunning, but not necessarily very low, standard D or Db - Down chugging - Palm muting - Minor secods, flat fives and natural sevenths. Also tritones and major third intervals. And land on the octave for beat 1 - Slower tempo - Humbucker active bridge pickups - Mid driven EQ - "Modern" type distorsion, OD-1 like - Synchopation but not too much

[@shanekayat3217]

Isn't a flat five the same as a tritone?

[@pacolopez9577]

@@shanekayat3217 It is not necessarily the same: A flat five is a note, a tritone is an interval. If you create your interval from the root then yes, that is a tritone.

[@Payduro]

Thank you!! Im glad the fact that you emphasized slowing down was included. For me a big element that makes a riff heavy that makes you headbang, is how you work it in with the drums, particularly the snare. Think of a song like “Walk” for example. Its a fantastic heavy af riff cuz the snare hits right in that sweet spot where it allows the guitar to breathe. Now think about how it would be if the snare hit one more time really quickly after the first hit during the intro. The riff would be overshadowed and it wouldnt sound nearly as heavy as it does. Depending on where your snare is in relation to the riff, can make a world of different into how heavy it sounds!!

[@Slormer]

2:33 I made it in! DOWNPICK 'EM ALL! @itscallman

[@COB-cs4ke]

5:43 is my favourite and the heaviest, in my opinion. And you're right Pete, it did make me smile.

[@patfix]

The slower chugging riff sounded what I think of as ‘heavy’. I was surprised however how much of a difference the syncopation made, that was maybe my favorite version.

[@guitarkoala5]

A good example of ‘heavy’ imo is Nile’s work, particularly Annihilation of the Wicked. That album combines speed and brutality but also takes the time to slow down and be epic with the mountainous guitar tone and Egyptian theme. The title track alone gets me headbanging every single time. Great video!

[@ianmcpeck424]

"Simplicity often makes a riff heavier." My poor progressive metal loving ears...

[@aedanstorm]

ian mcpeck fucking exactly. To me, slow chugging are for wimps

[@joelguzman9280]

Yo same but I love progressive. Let's be honest some riffs be too much and over the top at times. Like you didn't need to go the extra mile for that transition to interlude into the bridge that goes Into the 3rd solo then Into the 2nd chorus like that. I love that genre tho😂

[@NateN3ON]

I feel like a good prog band knows when to keep it simple though. The contrast really brings out the heaviness of the riff.

[@ryanv8783]

Simple chugs ruin most songs for me.... cant stand it Edit: im not exactly sure on what a chug technically is cause i dont play guitar but im pretty sure i hate all chuggs

[@THEshaggyrogers]

Gojira, Lamb of god and at the gates: allow us to ourselves

[@ZOLAMETALOFFICIAL]

Totally agree on everything you pointed out. I’m working right now not only on heaviness on the groove, but also applying a particular sound effect that marks a difference with everyone else’s sound (tremolo, synth, rotovibe, whammy, etc.). The quest to s still on for me, but with a great joy and fun

[@monsterfukk7737]

The thing about it is there's a million ways to find heaviness. With every point someone mentioned in this video, I could think of several riffs that were exactly the opposite idea yet still heavy as all fuck. I really think any riff could be heavy in the right context

[@RandomActsofGibberish]

Love the genre changes. One riff, played in multiple styles.

[@DjentyB]

For me, the simplified riff was my favorite. The heaviest thing to me though is a riff in 3/4 or 6/4, or even 9/8, but the drums accent groups of 2 for the first repetition, and groups of 3 for the second. Periphery's Reptile is a perfect example of it and I wish I heard it more. Awesome vid dude, a follow up would be awesome!

[@dave7922]

An element contributing to the heaviness of the riff you didn't explicitly include was at the end, when you player higher notes. It worked very well to create simultaneously pitch dynamics between high melody and low, hard hitting chugs as a means of contrast, while in terms of musical structure, creating a catchy call and response between the two. Also the listener doesn't get bored of the same 0 chug of you just playing drums on guitar

[@ovelhadosmontes_3744]

A riff can sound heavy, yeah. But what makes something really sound heavy is how it's placed in the song. A riff in drop B might not sound that heavy alone, but if you make a song in drop D and in a breakdown or something you suddently play in drop B, it might sound a lot heavier. Also pairing it with mixing as people said, especially drum and bass, but lead guitar too! It depends on the genre too. A metallica fan might think that master of puppets is a heavy song, while a cannibal corpse fan might think master of puppets is really soft, no heaviness at all. It's complex, but I think you pointed out many relevant stuff there. Nailed it, great video!

[@davidgarza1977]

Right after you described what groove was/did and played the new riff, I involuntarily smiled... That was so damn good. Great job

[@brushot]

What I call "heavy" is what gives out the most energy.

[@KeepTheGates]

What do you call "heavy" ??

[@Leon-po7ui]

For me, a little pinch harmonic on the lowest string on the 3rd fret at the end of a riff gives me goosebumps

[@tareeqnajman]

What makes heavy, heavy? The answer is: DUH-jent !

[@Abrikosmanden]

Holy shit, this gave me increasingly chillier chills throughout the video! Great demonstration!

[@TannerSidetrax]

"What is heavy?" Well by the end of this video I'm convinced the answer is Mastodon...

[@Murkaeus]

I have nothing to add but some of my favorite heavy songs. Devouring the Feeble by Bloodbath The feeling of heaviness here definitely comes from the groove and the down-tuning. Right from the first few seconds of this song I feel compelled to rock along with the music. Cast Down the Heretic by Nile This song is an auditory pummeling. The double-team blitz of fast chugging and double-bass produces an exquisite wall of noise that feels so punchy. Progenies of the Great Apocalypse by Dimmu Borgir If you don't immediately start head-banging when this song plays, we can't be friends. A Million Deaths by Fleshgod Apocalypse It starts off quiet, steadily building with an ominous orchestral accompaniment and eventually hits a really groovy, dark stride that gets my blood pumping every time. Let the Cutting Begin by Gaped An underappreciated little project by Ryan Huthnance, this song is full of deep chugging and solid growls that keeps me coming back again and again.

[@asneakyfatman4692]

With Doom Eternal just recently releasing, where does someone like Mick Gordon fit in on the "Heavy" types you proposed? Would it be a combination of the different styles but played in separate riffs that compliment each other? If riff is even the right word. BFG 9000 is still one of the heaviest songs I've ever listened to. Then you have songs like Skull Hacker from the 2016 Doom that is clearly speed metal. Maybe it has to do with the way the intensity of the songs ebb and flow between the quiet, almost ethereal, lingering sections and the bombastic sections that are super intense.

[@magicmandan9294]

I always love hearing a heavy riff in an odd time signature. You could play that last riff in 7/4 and you bet your ass I'll be headbanging to that for the next week.

[@unamericano]

Oof I’m actually torn between the “simplified riff” and the “final product” they’ve both got lots of power but hit different.

[@nandy9285]

Yeah they both sound heavy but they'd fit different songs

[@zacredington4776]

That first instance of "major riff" was epic. I dig it.

[@Altarofpigs]

Can’t trust anyone that insists an album has to be down tunes to be heavy when Sepultura - Arise/Beneath The Remains exist.

[@gangrel_76]

This video is a PERFECT description of the various things that made a riff heavy. The main one for me in particular is the right combination between tempo and groove. The breakdown in Domination is one of the heaviest things I've ever heard, and it's in standard E tuning!

[@davedavem]

So interesting... The first sense I got off 'heavy' was when the tempo dropped. Maybe I listen to too much Sabbath?

[@Laurence_Balfour]

4:52 for sure! It had that vibe which just made you wanna hear more

[@magguitar4536]

5:43 sounds like Pantera

[@M4RCi92]

Revolution Is My Name, right?

[@magguitar4536]

@@M4RCi92 Bingo!))

[@jovanjovanovic3449]

Or lamb of god (6/8 feel)

[@V2ULTRAKill]

That fin riff sounded straight up like gojira and it was great

[@brandonswickdrums1615]

It’s ironic how the riff was heavier and groovier before he talked about groove 😭😭😭

[@alexandrefamiliari4073]

The "slower tempo" version made me headbang a lot, and singing the riff... And it stuck into my head... I think I found this part being really heavy and actually I had also the feeling it sounded "fuller" than the simplistic one. In the end the final version is like "what makes heavy heavy? ... Meshuggah!!"

[@abagz3919]

When he tuned it down it started sounding like a slipknot song

[@ehpiii_music]

The moment you slowed the tempo I found myself not being able to not bang my head. And theeeeeeeen you added the syncopation and I want to hear a whole song.

[@haz9472]

So one of the heaviest riffs imo is the intro to rain by trivium, its fast and in drop d, tempo and key doesn't have much impact on me personally, heavy to me is more about emotion and how it's put into the music, so a gojira song is heavy because you can feel what they were trying to put into the song, a slayer song is heavy because you can feel the anger from the music, a slipknot track is heavy because the wall of sound created by the 9 member shows the insanity of the band, its all down to emotion imo

[@C_PRTCL]

4:56, simplified riff was too good! Honestly loved the video entirely, hard to choose, groove was so good too. Dang man, keep up the great work, and hope you and your family are safe and well!

[@peteplaysmusic]

What do you think makes a riff or song heavy? \m/ :)

[@nitesh_narayan]

Pete Cottrell palm muting and distortion

[@theinfinityscout3289]

Hi

[@chaosvariant]

The drum pattern and bass riffs that go with your guitar riff. There's plenty of really heavy guitar riffs with no backup from the bass and drums that distract from the guitar.

[@Meshuggapeth]

Pete Cottrell BENDING TECHNIQUE! Listen to Alice In Chains

[@maffooo2040]

I think the space in between thr notes and a good groove makes a riff heavy for example walk - pantera

[@ShadowMantraSteve]

Interesting video and cool to see the riff develop in different ways. I feel there's different types of heavy and pinning it down to one thing is very difficult. The different ways you change the riff touch on the different types of heavy. I guess another way to look at it is what kind of emotional response you get out of listening to a riff. So Meshuggah can be almost overwhelming and dense as you try and figure out whats going on sometimes, but on the opposite end you get Walk by Pantera hits the groove and rhythm spot and with its simple repetition it becomes very easy and comfortable to listen to as you know whats coming and what to expect. How a riff interacts with other instrumentation definitely is an important factor too. The context of the riff in the scheme of the composition can change greatly depending on what else is going on. Drums can greatly change the feel of a riff.

[@bm8584]

The answer to this question is in "The Heaviest matter of the Universe" by Gojira. You are welcome.

[@skybrid8502]

Complex rythm, constant time signature changing, low tuning, dissonances, hockets, kicking the kick drum at every note possible

[@battlepants4299]

"What makes heavy, heavy?" *Vsauce theme*

[@welltrev]

I think the combination of high and low notes well placed are what makes a song heavy like Dillinger Escape Plan and Periphery usually does. Even in high tuning sounds pretty heavy.

[@OfficialArabesque]

The "slower tempo" riff was the heaviest easily. Slammed.

[@jps_musics]

Duuuuuuuuuude the SYNCOPATION version was sooo siiiiiiiiiick!!!!! 🤘🤘🤘

[@vgzdude6640]

Heavy is : powerful riffs on good, hard hitting and interesting drum parts Tuning doesn't matter, good riffs on E standard can hit harder than some riffs on B or drop A btw

[@μαριοςΚαπετανοπουλος]

Honestly below c for me is not heavy any more. I dont know why. Its just sounds low but not heavy, its weird. Rarely bands like Meshuggah, infant annihilator, dying fetus and aversions of crown do it for me but the djenty and modern prog metal stuff sounds just low freq. and out off place with the rest

[@lefty75]

Idk why, but the first clip with the 7 string was the heaviest feeling for me, once everything slowed down, and then the groove kicked in, I completely stopped moving my head back and forth.

[@ronnienose8608]

Zakk Wylde has said that Ozzy told him that one of the 'heaviest' songs is Mountain's ' Mississippi Queen,' just a P90. He went on to say that it's not about putting more and more distortion, he believes it comes from the bottom end of the spectrum, the bass guitar.

[@Countdownsmiles]

I legit came here from a video of Zakky playing mississippi queen lol

[@jacjones7414]

Dude, such a brilliantly put together video. Subbed! With the groove section I literally grimaced and started headbanging. So true!! Stay safe!

[@Bloodray19]

What's with that word "heavy" again? Is there a problem with Earth's gravitational pull?

[@SunnyAyyy]

cool to hear that you mentioned john browne bc he's probably my top 5 favourite guitarists of all time !

[@dennisavila317]

Such an awesome video, you should definitely do a part 2 to this!

[@mfxdraws]

when the riff repeats the drums gotta simplify - makes it soo much heavier

[@Ethersis]

A really interesting Video! It´s quite fascinating how the same basic Riffs evolves with some changes. Thanks for this!

[@FaresX2023]

Definitively all of them, in addition to extra like: the musician character or energy while playing, the attack on picking, the dynamics and the list goes on...

[@easyadventurer]

SO many things but SIMPLICITY is the thing that ties is all together for me. You wanna be able to just fucken headbang.

[@Utkarsh2811]

I personally really enjoyed the Slower Tempo, Simplified, and Syncopated riffs. All three sounded really heavy and tasty to me! Great thought experiment btw, Pete! Loved the vid!

[@tmmmedia731]

the bass really is the common denominator in all of them and it really shapes the sound and causes all the other instruments to be treated a certain way

[@mikek3927]

Good productions, good drums, slowed tempo, 4ths, evil Melody

[@jonny555ive]

What a fantastic video, drop tuning, groove, syncopation and HOOKS are a must for heavy music. And hey, that riff was pretty cool also, I like how you "changed" it so much throughout the upload. You've got a new subscriber bud 🤘🤘

[@ocelotcheek]

3:32 and chills begin. It’s that low cabley sound on the single bass string in this instance.

[@simonced]

Your explanation is spot-on, great job.

[@ThorsShadow]

The "Groove" and "Syncopation" riffs sound like Lamb of God. And I think that's beautiful.

[@MrTheguitarmachine]

omg the syncopation this is my fav :D That's a good video! Thanks Pete! :)

[@JR-dd4ec]

Always a sucker for heavy groove, the last 4 were great but I love thrash too

[@brokeTM]

Contrast can often up the ante on heavyness, a heavy riff that follows an otherwise more mellow riff or part of a song makes it sound more heavy in contrast. It's that part of a song you feel your body preparing for, the "here it comes!" part.

[@lukevimpeny4705]

Please make this full song dude, fucken amazing

[@tomdee1373]

Syncopation and groove would be a lethal combo for me

[@shapiq122]

Great detailed video, I really enjoyed the first 'groove' part, started to nod to the rhythm and stomp my foot in the floor. Although, definition 'heavy' also applicable to electronic music, damn there are so many genres and styles of dark, aggressive and heavy sounding! Anyway, cheers bro 🤟