Riffage: Bastardator - "Conquistador"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehhRguRNq5k

“Conquistador”

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Fenriz’ and my tastes don’t match much. He likes bands seemingly right after they’ve formed; I like bands around their second or comeback albums. But for what he likes, his ear is sharp, and one of his Bands of the Week has stuck with me: Bastardator.

This Canadian band is sadly no more. (Guitarist Patrick Pageau now drums for Cauchemar, Annick Giroux’ band.) In 2009, Bastardator put out one scorching record, Identify the Dead, that’s very findable via Google. (That’s one danger of signing with a small label – the Internet will do a better job of distribution.) As the band’s name implies, it’s extremely Motörhead-influenced thrash. (Speedwolf might be the American version.)

Bastardator has a riff in “Conquistador” that’s haunted me for a year. It comes to me at the most random moments, when I have no reason to be thinking about it. Note-wise, it’s not rocket science – it’s Kill ‘Em All. (It’s also kind of like the riff in The Bee Gees’ “Stayin’ Alive”.) But the way it’s played is magic. It’s fat and electric, and the way notes laze over each other is super-sleazy. The song does rise into precise thrash during its verses. But in between, it slouches into this riff wearing shades and a porn-stache. It’s an appropriate riff for inappropriate moments.

I’ve tried my best to transcribe it. Some distortion obscures it, but I’ve slowed it down, and this is what I think is going on. If your ears are sharper than mine, feel free to correct me. Stream “Conquistador” above, stream Identify the Dead below, and live to win.

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IDENTIFY THE DEAD – FULL ALBUM STREAM

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=7C546177146C9F57

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