http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/E7tIIyYtUzY&hl=en_US&fs=1&
Immolation are one of death metal’s most interesting bands musically. Their sound is instantly recognizable, a seesaw battle between dissonance and melody; the title of their 2007 album Shadows in the Light is apt. When I saw them live recently, they opened with “Passion Kill.” The song contains their most memorable riff, in my opinion. It first occurs at 0:45. (You can stream the song above). In the middle and ending of the song, guitarist Bob Vigna transposes the riff up one and two octaves. This hammers home the melody and creates a feeling of escalation.
Like most memorable riffs, this one is simple and easy to play. I’ve tabbed it out below. Immolation tune down from standard tuning by two whole steps, to C. If you stick with this tuning, you’ll want heavier gauge strings to take up the slack. Immolation’s tones are on the fuzzy side, so I’m not 100% sure of the correctness of the transcription. (I am 90% sure, however.) Vigna’s trademark whipping his guitar around means that live videos are no help. If anyone has a correction, please offer it in the comments. (After slowing the riff down, I am 100% sure of the transcription’s accuracy.)
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Immolation’s new album Majesty and Decay comes out March 9 on Nuclear Blast. You can pre-order it at Amazon
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I don't think that riff's their best personally but I think it's more like
—————————–0-2-
-0—3-0-3—3-0-2—3-0-2-3—–
but perhaps that's the higher pitched variation to the riff you've transcribed
The best Immolation stuff for me is the more chordally adventurous bits where the fuzz conspires with the two guitars playing fuller harmonies to create something like… Imperssionist death metal where it makes you feel something but you can't tell entirely how or why. That's a similar quality they have with a lot of black metal bands.
"Todd Nief likes this"
Helm – I indeed used the higher-pitched variation for transcription. However, it doesn't make sense that it would clash with or deviate from the base riff. That loses its power. Also, I'd guess that Vigna would want to keep the same picking pattern for the variation, especially when he's swinging the guitar around like that.
The different ending isn't a clash with anything imo, just a different coda that leads into the beginning of the riff with a different effect, not sure how that means it loses power. However it is more possible that through all the Immolation fuzz Bob Vigna plays the same thing just upped two octaves and then three, it'd be nice to know for certain jut for piece of mind now, heh.
"Like most memorable riffs, this one is simple and easy to play."
I have to take issue with this statement; I have had the verse riff from Arsis' 'Shattering the Spell' in my head for the last few days and I cannot imagine anything further removed from 'simple and easy to play'!