When you consider a favourite part of a song, is it a vocal hook? A sudden change in tempo or atmosphere that provides much-needed contrast? A tasty bass groove? Or is it the holy grail of recognition for guitar players, the outstanding riff that people rewind and replay infinitely?
The earworm that never leaves bears recognition in the end-of-year accolades as much as albums or artists, so our wonderful writers have put together a list that showcases the best riffs from this year. Putting it together, I feel it hits the year’s musical zeitgeist perfectly. Blackened metal riffs run rampant, with a resurgence and recapturing of the genre from the right reflected in the themes of the songs and artists present, whilst the revival of instrumental math and prog-metal from cutting-edge bands also features heavily. Bang your heads and get ready to riff-and-tear.
Lamp of Murmuur – “Reincarnation of a Witch”
from: The Dreaming Prince in Ecstasy – November 14, 2025
As much as that intro riff also blazes, it’s hard to argue with that airy tremolo riff that propels the verse. Fully immersed in that classic melodic black metal energy, the progression and chord choices have been randomly ringing in my head since the first listen.
-Iain Ferguson
Challenger Deep – “The Cruelty of Fangs”
from: The Point of No Return – August 1, 2025
That intro riff has me rolling my head in 5 parallel dimensions simultaneously. It has me listening to the song on repeat ad nauseam. It’s infectious, it’s groovy, it’s heavy, it’s crunchy – it fucks with the scintillating, shameless, and unfettered power of 1000 suns collapsing in a black hole.
-Robert Miklos
The Callous Daoboys – “Two Headed Trout”
from: I Don’t Want to See You in Heaven – May 16, 2025
Every once in a while, a riff comes by that is so goddamn meaty and tasty that it’s impossible to not have a physical reaction to it. Already cool in its guitar work and made perfect by its backing keys, “Two Headed Trout”‘s lead riff had me grooving hard from the very first time and will remain doing so forever. A showstopper.
-Thomas Mendes
Comatose – “Hundred Fifty”
from: Not So Far – February 14, 2025
Since I can’t pick Alice In Chains’ “Rain When I Die”, I’ll pick the next best thing. Comatose put their whole melodussy into their new EP and “Hundred Fifty” is the exuberant opener. The pre-chorus riff in particular is what’s come back to my mind countless times throughout 2025, draped in haze yet heavy in execution.
-David Rodriguez
Deafheaven – “Amethyst”
from: Lonely People With Power – March 28, 2025
Though “Amethyst” starts with an acoustic riff that recalls “Stairway To Heaven”, it is the goth-flavored post-punk melody that carries the emotional weight of the song, culminating in a gorgeous crescendo that reminds us why Deafheaven have remained among the top blackgaze acts for almost 15 years.
-Broc Nelson
Agriculture – “Bodhidharma”
from: The Spiritual Sound – October 3, 2025
Coming on the heals of this barely whispered line ‘10,000 trees‘, Richard Chowenhill launches into a stratospheric solo over the main riff that’s not only technically dope as shit, but a tour de force in melodic writing. It makes me want to punch walls until my fists are bloody shreds of flesh.
-Steve Loschi
Caustic Wound – “Infinite Onslaught”
from: Grinding Mechanism Of Torment – April 25, 2025
There are riffs and then there are atom blasts to the face. Caustic Wound’s Grinding Mechanism of Torment is an acute riff fest through and through, but there’s something especially vile and stank face-inducing on the intro of ”Infinite Onslaught”, which gets me every time. Faux slam into angular grind seems to be exactly what the doctor ordered.
-Eeli Helin
SUNN O))) – “Eternity’s Pillars”
from: Eternity’s Pillars b/w Raise the Chalice & Reverential – October 14, 2025
Trying to understand the influence of cult on society, we mustn’t forget praise for the power ambience that electrifies the ground we build upon, from that lightning of Id that purifies the darkened spirits, and makes everything feel exuberant, and concise as a developed intuition bringing forth the worshippers, heathens, and devourers.
-Dan Reiser
Lucius Fox – “Superior”
from: The Death and Life of the Great Lakes – September 12, 2025
“Superior” follows on directly from a track that had already raised the temperature to supernova levels, yet Lucius Fox manage to keep ramping up the tempo and atmosphere, with one cataclysmic riff after another. The climactic breakdown of the movement could tear planets asunder, an unholy imperial march of the damned, and my riff of the year.
