What Is the Heaviest Riff of All Time? | Rockers React 

The breakdown from Domination by Pantera ended the Cold War, meaning that it has the most gravity, so it's literally the heaviest riff of all time.

In terms of just dark heavy chunkiness, Soundgarden's "4th of July" riff is pretty damn heavy. It's like D tuned dropped a nut it's so heavy😂

"Suicide Note, Pt. 2" by Pantera. The breakdown towards the end of the song just catches you off guard. Dimebags tone is unmatched.

The riffs in Blackwater Park are goose bump inducing. Insanely heavy

Gojira has a face melter in nearly every song so ill just nominate their entire discography. Even the intro alone for the beginning of "Heaviest Matter of the Universe" is more intense than some songs absolute climaxes.

The breakdown in Strength Beyond Strength is an absolute beast of a riff

I cant believe that nobody mentioned the main riff of SLAUTHERED from Pantera, is the most insane and heavy riff ever made, and of course the breakdown of domination

Maybe not the heaviest riff of all time, but a slow, aggressive riff I love is on Metallica's "The Thing That Should Not Be." Another one I dig is Testament's "Low."

The Art of Dying by Gojira is a heavy ass riff.

I am amazed how many people go for Sad But True... But Harvester of Sorrow is like the heavier version of Sad But True..

Shout out to the girl who said Where Dragons Dwell. It was my choice too and never thought someone else would have said it. That into riff is so heavy, enchanting, and just simply different. 2013 live hellfest version even better.

Couple people mentioned Flying Whales but talked about the wrong riff. The breakdown riff at the end of the song literally sounds like it bounced off the core of the planet it’s so heavy. As far as non-breakdown riff, Omerta by Lamb of God is really hard to beat

The bridge section to "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath". Heaviest riff to this day of all time

Black Sabbath's main riff for "Into the Void" when the drums and bass kick in with the guitar. That riff grows hair, balls and teeth on a young man. Also consider that that was recorded and released in 1971, when the likes of Hetfield, Abbott and Schuldiner still were young kids and in Schuldiner's case still a toddler.

Botch - Transitions from Persona to Object Converge - You Fail Me Mastodon - Blood & Thunder Pantera - A New Level The Dillinger Escape Plan - 43% Burnt Meshuggah - New Millennium Cyanide Christ Deftones - My Own Summer Tool - Jambi Impossible to choose. There are so many iconic riffs in heavy music now

Break Those Bones Whose Sinews Gave It Motion by Meshuggah, simple but sinister 2 notes intro builds to classic shuggah' polymetric riff, with that one extra note on the end of every second repetition, that displaces it in the gird just perfectly. All layerd on top of 4/4 drum beat. Brutal.

Black Sabbath and Tony Iommi riff All the Black Sabbath first 6 albums. Absolutely..

It's hard to pick one, but my brain goes to "Primal Concrete Sledge" by Pantera. Vinnie's driving drums with Dime's chunky guitars....gets me every time.

Heaviest riff of all time is the end section of "She's so heavy" by The Beatles. Such a top notch doom metal riff :)

How on earth has nobody mentioned Funeralopolis by Electric Wizard? That riff is evil. Listening to that on speakers is just the best, it suffocates you

The Grand Conjuration by Opeth has just the most evil sounding riff I've ever heard

Check my Brain is such an underrated song. I totally agree with Lzzy, it feels like the song is moving your brain. One of the best stoner/grunge rock riffs ever

"Blind" is definitely underrated. It's probably in the top ten metal songs ever. But the start of the slow part of "Strength Beyond Strength"...man, almost 30 years later, I still haven't heard anything else like that.

I love watching all these guys emulate the riffs with their voice.

Revolution is my Name - Pantera How this riff got lost to time is beyond me.

Anything Gojira obviously. Also the riff around the 2:30 mark in Contractor by Lamb Of God. A deep cut but that riff is ferocious. And the way Randy screams "they all dieeeee!!!" Is just absolute fucking savagery.

I don't think it's had enough time to marinate but Faultless by Meshuggah is amazingly heavy and so catchy, it's just a damn earworm. Someday it will get the love it deserves.

Ending of Machine Head's Davidian is always the first riff that comes to my mind.

Dead Embryonic Cells - Sepultura. That breakdown riff towards to the end holy shit that is HEAVY! Wooo!

Just a few of my personal favs: Symptom of the Universe - Sabbath Concatenation - Meshuggah War Ensemble (verse riff) - Slayer New Level - Pantera Scourge of Iron - Cannibal Corpse Aerials (outro riff) - SOAD Sic (outro riff) - Slipknot Propaganda (outro riff) - Sepultura Orion - Metallica 11th Hour (bridge riff) - Lamb of God ….I can go all day…

The original metal breakdown. The one in Sabbath Bloody Sabbath after the guitar solo. Unbelievable (for that time).

Korn - Somebody someone ending is brutal and simple. Stampin Ground - Officer down Tool - Third eye Slipknot -Wait and bleed ending

It hurts my heart to think that "A New Level" isn't widely recognized as the heaviest riff of all time. I'm not saying it's the best song, or even the best Pantera track, but here we are nearly 30 years later and that riff straight bangs.

A few that come to mind Breakdown in “Lethergcia” - Meshuggah Beginning riff of “Nebulous” - Meshuggah Breakdown in “Domination” live - Pantera Breakdown in “Lower The Blade” - Car Bomb It’s so hard to choose

MESHUGGAH - Pravus at 3min 30sec : Vitiate, dispirit, debase, violaaaaaaaaaate! SO FUCKING HEAVY♥

Bulls on Parade kicks in so hard. Blacken the Cursed Sun's ending is up there too.

There's nobody heavier than than hand of doom himself Tony Iommi. You could play me any modern metal band playing as fast and as many double kicks as you want. But when you here the beginning to Cornucopia, Under the Sun or Into the void or the breakdown of Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, theres nothing that screams out evil and darkness as much as they do. Then add in the fact that these riffs are from just a couple years after the moon landings, CRAZY

I always enjoy this question since everyone quantifies what "heavy" means differently. For me, you can basically put on damn near any Meshuggah song and your in the running for heaviest riff. Electric Wizard -"Doomantia" (the chorus riff) is way up there too.

THAT riff after the bridge in “Soil the Stillborn” and nothing is really even close for me. It just always hits so ridiculously hard It’s right around 2:20 in the song

I'd say Davidian by Machine Head. But their album Burn My Eyes has so many powerful heavy riffs that it's hard to choose.

Beyond The Wheel by Soundgarden in concert was the heaviest thing I have ever experienced. Funeralopolis by Electric Wizard

The breakdown for Suffocation's "Liege of Inveracity" is the most brutal riff ever made,nuff said.Listen to it and weep.

Honorable mention: Jerry was a race car driver, When it breaks!

the entirety of dancers to a discordant system is absolutely UNMATCHED

The end riff to Domination - Pantera is without a doubt one of the heaviest things ever from earth. I’d also like to mention Sepultura, inner self, Troops of Doom, roots. Unholy by Kiss is quite heavy. But my personal favorite heavy riffs are Blew by Nirvana, and Milk it - Also Nirvana

Into The Void for sure

The breakdown/slam at the end of Cattle Decapitation's Forced Gender Reassignment is simply on another level. Heaviest riff imo

For me it's probably Bongripper - Into Ruin. Specifically the riff that kicks in at 6:17 of that song. I could just listen to that on repeat forever. The main chorus in Byzanthian Neckbeard - Extinction is similar and also awesome.

INTO THE VOID

Where Dragons Dwell - Heaviest Matter of the Universe - Flying Wales Incredibly, these 3 Gojira tracks are SEQUENTIAL on the From Mars To Sirius album! The best 3-track run on any album, hands down. Such a great band & such a great album (yet, the heaviest track on that album is Backbone - but I'll take HMotU as the winner). 🤘

I was super surprised to see that no one mentioned the machine gun riff from “One”. I also prefer “Harvester of Sorrow” to “Sad But True” but that’s just me :).

So many to choose from but two of my favorites that immediately pop in my head are Bury Me in Smoke by Down and Sepulturas cover of Symptom of the universe.

Pantera's Becoming! That one kicked me so hard the first time I've heard it and still does 🔥🤘🏻🔥

soundgarden - 4th of july Heavy friends - Boris Dopesmoker - sleep Died - Alice in chains Cornucopia - Black sabbath Under the Sun - Black sabbath Return trip - electric wizard Empress rising - monolord high on fire - 10000 years melvins - roman bird dog melvins - Boris Tad - Grease box Eyehategod - blank Pentagram - Death row Pentagram - All your sins The list never ends...

Brutal Truth "Collapse", you can almost feel with your body as it drags you down, pretty massive stuff.

Night Goat by Melvins, I mean it's essentially one chord, but it grinds, drives and creeps along nice and darkly. Then there's a lot more of those minimal riffs on Celtic Frost's last album that just have a deep buzzing chug or Godflesh with Like Rats or Deadend.

A National Acrobat and Sweet Leaf, i couldn't believe noone mentioned those two songs

1. Into the Void by Sabbath 2. World Eater by Bolt Thrower 3. Painkiller by Judas Priest 4. Everything Dies by Type O 5. Cometh down Hessian by High on Fire Honourable mentions to Override of the Overture (Dismember) I the Witch Finder (Electric Wizard), Embodiment (Carcass) and Dyers Eve (Metallica).

I've had this conversation with just about all of my friends. The ones people mentioned in this video that are on my shortlist are Rational Gaze and the Domination breakdown, but for me I think it's gotta be Bridgeburner by Magruder Grind.

The heaviest riffs ever written can be found in every single Bolt Thrower song.

Probably not the one of all time, but the main riff of The Thing That Should Not Be by Metallica is easily the heaviest thrash guitar tune ever done.

The breakdown riff in Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, when I first heard that at the age of 12 I was legitimately frightened

For me my brain goes to Junkhead by Alice In Chains, either that or NIB by Sabbath, I love both of those songs so much it’s hard for me to choose

Heaviest riff of all time is in the breakdown in the song Damage Inc. by Metallica. The first time I listened to it, I looped that part of the song for hours and hours and just couldn’t get enough of it. I truly believe it’s the most hardcore riff of all time.

There‘s so many. I‘d go with Gojira‘s „Backbone“, „L‘enfant sauvage“, or the ending riffs of „Explosia“ or „Adoration for none“. Also Rivers of Nihil‘s „Perpetual growth machine“ inherits a really brutal riff.

The breakdown of Sabbath Bloody Sabbath is heavy as hell, Helmet also has some very heavy riffs like In the Meantime

Wherever I May Roam is highly underrated

The opening riff for, “The Eternal Return To Ruin” by Black Tongue is absolutely gravitational.

For me, it’s the breakdown in Sabbath, Bloody Sabbath

Carcass "Embodiment" Blew my mind when I first heard it, as did the whole "Heartwork" album. \m/

Can’t narrow it to one. 1) Break Those Bones Whose Sinews Gave It Motion - Meshuggah 2) Ov Fire And The Void - Behemoth 3) Apocalyptic Havoc - Goatwhore

Harvester of Sorrow. Honorable mention: Red by King Crimson.

The heavy part in Mr. Bungle’s “Goodbye Sober Day”. With that chanting? Come on! Heaviest thing in the world.

The end of 'Purify' by Neurosis, from 'Through Silver In Blood'. Which, factually, is the heaviest album of all time. Also the breakdown in 'To Carry The Load' by Crowbar.

It took me an hour to get through this video because i broke off to listen to all the choices. Best hour spent in a while. 🤘

Rationally speaking, even though I‘d love to have other bands up there too, it comes down go Meshuggah. Technically, the execution, the tone, the tuning… its basically every song released during and after „Nothing“ that pushes the envelope and make Metallica, Slayer, Lamb of God, Pantera, Slipknot, Korn, Gojira etc. sound mellow. (And don‘t get me wrong, love all of these bands to death). But hands down, Meshuggah is simply the heaviest there is.

The break down in “This Love” by Pantera is up there for me

Classic : Sabbath - Into the Void Modern: Electric Wizard - Dopethrone

Can't believe Opeth nor TOOL were mentioned, Parabola has got to be one of the heaviest intros to any song ever and there's more heavy riffs off of Blackwater Park than Metallica's entire discography since the Black Album! Will give props to those who chose Meshuggah and Gojira though (especially Flying Whales). Also, Check my Brain is heavy AF, the simplicity of that one makes it terrific!

Also can’t believe Check My Brain got a mention, that’s awesome it’s an all timer

Here's Some: Pantera - Primal Concrate Sledge Live at Ozzyfest breakdown part Pantera - Domination Live at Russia breakdown part Gojira - Toxic Garbage Island Live at Hellfest 2016 Gojira - Backbone Intro & Breakdown Riffs Gojira - Gift of Guilt (riff that kicks in after vocals first start) Gojira - Sphinx Intro Riff Opeth - Blackwater Park (the riff that kicks in at the start - after acoustic part) Dream Theater - As I am - first one and half minutes.

Don’t EVER forget the breakdown from Hollow by Pantera!! That’s the one for me.

For folks starting down the path of melting your face off, here are some easy ones off the top of my head that I love... (I should preface these aren't all metal and aren't necessarily 'crushing' in the conventional metal sense, still mega heavy, each and every one.) "Battery" by Metallica (@ 1:05) "The Thing that Should Not Be" by Metallica (riff during solo @ 3:40) "Holy Wars" by Megadeth (classic riff B @ 1:06) "Take No Prisoners" by Megadeth (opening but really @ 0:23) "Five Magics" by Megadeth (opening riff AND riff going into solo @ 2:47 sec AND end riff @ 4:43) "Devirgination Studies" by Whitechapel (the whole goddamn thing right from the jump) "Critical Mass" by Nuclear Assault (main riff) "Angel of Death" (obviously) (whole thing but especially @ 1:37) "Owned" by Jerry Cantrell (main) "Moan" by Nik Nocturnal (no i'm not joking, it's a joke song tho, but...) (@ 1:52) "Shadow on the Sun" by Audioslave (ending riff @ 4:30 - the build up is worth it) "Bring Em Back Alive" by Audioslave (main @ 0:40) "Moby Dick" by Led Zeppelin (yes very rock - main) "Kyle Petty Son of Richard" by Soundgarden (main) "4th of July" by Soundgarden (main) "My Own Summer" by Deftones (main) "Coma" by Stone Temple Pilots (main) "The Wretched Spawn" by Cannibal Corpse (took a bit of a turn there) (entire but especially opening) "Scourge of Iron" by Cannibal Corpse (entire) And here goes my AIC dump... "Them Bones" by Alice in Chains (main riff) "Grind" by AIC (main riff) "Sludge Factory" by AIC (main riff) "Died" by AIC (main riff, I've heard this one described as "just fucking caustic") "Last of My Kind" by AIC (riff going into solo @ 3:24) "A Looking in View" by AIC (front half of the song) "Acid Bubble" by AIC (riff at the break @ 2:40) "Hollow" by AIC (main) "Stone" by AIC (main riff but EVEN MORE SO riff going into solo @ 2:00) "Phantom Limb" by AIC (main) "Red Giant" by AIC (main) "So Far Under" by AIC (main)

My heaviest riff of all time is the ending to “Humiliative” by Meshuggah. It’s simple and completely complex at the same time and it builds levels quickly in the short time it has.

The breakdown in Gojira's Flying Whales

Neurosis - The Doorway, I guess you'd call it the breakdown? Comes out of nowhere at 3:18 and lays waste with a cleansing fire. Yob - The Screen, particularly the closing of the song. It's kind of like Gojira's Heaviest Matter in the Universe that was mentioned in the video a few times but I think the addition of the tight gallop and the gritted teeth palm muting make this scarier. Similarly, the close of Yob's Mental Tyrant. Sumac - Riff in the Task starting at 7:45 Yautja - Spectacle, breakdown from Wired Depths, or Before the Foal. These riffs are all heavy for the same reason. Baptists does this sort of thing well often too. Melvins - Manky and See How Pretty, See How Smart for a textbook lesson on how to use a broken palm-muted rhythm to drop bombs. Melvins - Hag Me closing riff - the way Dale's high hat alternately does and doesn't coincide with the shots of the riff is a characteristically Melvins-y brilliance. Shallow North Dakota - Cuz Black Sabbath - Totally agree with Into the Void intro but would add Under the Sun Outro. The ritard...oh, man...

Sepultura - Territory (second riff) Animals As Leaders - Gordian Naught Meshuggah - I (minute 10:35 riff)

I remember being genuinely scared in a Slayer pit as they approached the final minute of “Postmortem”. You could literally feel the entire arena bracing itself as if to say “Uh oh, here comes trouble…” Good times😊

That heavy riff in for whom the bell tolls just at the start

The Domination breakdown riff would have to be the purest example of a heavy riff. It's just perfection. However, it's interesting to see the different opinions on what is considered "heavy" and they are all valid.

For me it's the opening riff of "They" by Entombed. It doesn't even have power chords, it's played with single strings but it's just so freaking massive and heavy.

For me a tie between A New Level-Pantera and Metallica-the end chunky part of Battery

Sabbath Bloody Sabbath bridge section. There should be a whole documentary based on that one fucking riff. Seriously.

The thing that makes Sad But True so good is the 4-on-the-floor drums. It's the same reason so many people named Pantera songs. Something about that super "in the pocket" drumming style just makes things hit so much harder.

There's so many! But black Sabbaths first riff from their first album black sabbath has to be one of the heaviest!

Utterly stunned “Becoming” wasn’t mentioned once… 1. Hole In The Sky - Sabbath 2. Kashmir - Led Zep 3. The Thing That Should Not Be - Mighty Met 4. Becoming - Pantera 5. Kick The Chair - Megadeth 6. Albatross - COC 7. Electric Funeral - Sabbath

I’ve always enjoyed Melvins riffs for their heaviness. Not sure if it would count as a riff, but “Stay Here” by Swans-the whole Filth album, really-certainly set a benchmark.

I'm glad she mentioned Meshuggah Bleed, worth a look

S.O.D. - March of the S.O.D.

I can name 2 off the top of my head. Black Sabbath, Zero the Hero and the breakdown in 5 Minutes Alone by Pantera always kicks my ass.