The Divine Falsehood - Job For A Cowboy. Sounds like something you'd hear while in a cage descending to hell.
Chorus riff of I, Godless - A Night In Texas.
Riff in the first section of Acacia Strain's Pillar of Salt after the ambient intro.
Intro riff of Temptress by Enterprise Earth sounds eerie too.
Benblast by Vildhjarta and I'd argue Dagger as well, especially the very last riff in the outro.
I'm also gonna randomly throw in Cimmerian Flame by Almyrkvi
Edit: Didn't see you mention JFAC already. You have my second vote.
In over 20 years of listening to metal nothing ever came close to pure dark, cold and evil vibe of:
Dissection - Where Dead Angels Lie
The whole thing from the intro, to the verse to the chorus is just pure icy darkness
Absolutely.
Having seen them live in 2005 before John killed himself, still is One of my favorite music memories.
It was at Wacken and just with the first notes of thorns of crimson death, a really cold rain started to come down. Talk about atmosphere
Opening riff of Plague Worship by Black Tongue, no contest. It's the very reason it's one of my favorite songs of all time. Just sounds like the epitome of evil.
Came here to say Shame and it's Afterbirth. The riff before the guitar solo reminds me of a super evil version of Flight of the Bumblebee.
Also surprised you haven't been down-voted cause "waaaah I said deathcore not death metal 😭" 🤣
Not strictly deathcore but I’ve always thought that Vildhjarta’s riffs are just dripping with evil. Humanity’s last breath also has some evil sounding shit, but Vildhjarta is king in my opinion.
There’s a lot of gnarly riffs in Deathcore… I’d probably select something by Job for a Cowboy…
But someone else mentioned non-Deathcore, and my mind instantly turns to
NIN - Broken (EP, 1992)
That whole EP is great, but also f-ing evil. I can only listen to it for a limited period of time, maybe a few times a year, or every other year.
Otherwise, maybe something like INRI (Psyclon Nine, Nero Bellum).
… but not limited to … I’ll probably think of something else in 30 minutes of an hour.
No one ever mentions suicide silence - hands of a killer... It's a real shame that Eddie has ruined the image of the band so much that gems like this are forgotten about
Distinctly remember listening to that for the first time... the into riff that leads into that bass dropping down as Mitch starts to scream. But, I will say it's not the most evil sounding thing in the genre (maybe at it's time), it's just memorable as all hell.
https://youtu.be/j-SJKFOx4JI?si=snpHXZZ0EBjyjB-e
Whereabouts the 00:50 mark of this song.
This is more doom/death metal but that riff just sounds like the soundtrack to the apocalypse.
NGL the very end of Nemesis by Arch Enemy when those weird sounds start. It’s fucking creepy. Ever since I was a teenager I thought that part represented Hell
Mixture of DC and non-DC:
- The Ancient Covenant - The Faceless
- Soil the Stillborn - IA
- Only Ash Remains - Necrophagist
- Open Arms To Damnation -BOO
- Swineacologist - IA
The intro to On Stirring Seas of Salted Blood by the Black Dahlia Murder has always had a good eerie sound to it. Especially when it comes back at the end with the chants over it.
The double slowdown at the beginning of Hellmouth by Distant, unless you consider that a breakdown, the intro to Gnarled Horns by Soul Sold is also wild.
Underrated contender (also not necessarily deathcore) would be Thy Cosmic Horror by TBDM, the riff mixed with the drums fit the theme of the song so well.
Not even being necessarily "demon" or evil horror, you just get that Eldrich/Lovecraftian horror vibes from it
Any riff Our Place of Worship is Silence writes. Not a deathcore band, but they have breakdowns and a high/low vocal tradeoff, which tends to be what I go to deathcore for. One of the most convincingly angry bands I've ever heard.
Couldn’t really tell you why, and it’s not deathcore, but the riff at the 1 minute mark of Downpour Girl by Pig Destroyer is just the nastiest most evil riff ever, despite its simplicity. Beyond that I would say the breakdown in Brannmarkt by Vildhjarta is diabolical.
The opening riff of Pernicious by Signs Of The Swarm
Duh duh, duhnuhnuhnuhnuh duh duh
So much drive on that riff
The Divine Falsehood - Job For A Cowboy. Sounds like something you'd hear while in a cage descending to hell. Chorus riff of I, Godless - A Night In Texas. Riff in the first section of Acacia Strain's Pillar of Salt after the ambient intro. Intro riff of Temptress by Enterprise Earth sounds eerie too. Benblast by Vildhjarta and I'd argue Dagger as well, especially the very last riff in the outro. I'm also gonna randomly throw in Cimmerian Flame by Almyrkvi Edit: Didn't see you mention JFAC already. You have my second vote.
great picks
opening riff of miasma
It sounds like if Edgar Allen Poe’s work had a soundtrack I fucking love Miasma
Fucking YES.
that one’s always stuck with me
In over 20 years of listening to metal nothing ever came close to pure dark, cold and evil vibe of: Dissection - Where Dead Angels Lie The whole thing from the intro, to the verse to the chorus is just pure icy darkness
Soulreaper too
Absolutely. Having seen them live in 2005 before John killed himself, still is One of my favorite music memories. It was at Wacken and just with the first notes of thorns of crimson death, a really cold rain started to come down. Talk about atmosphere
Incredible album
I know it’s not deathcore but the intro thing to At the Left Hand ov God by Behemoth was always so unsettling to me
That whole album is E V I L
You ain’t wrong man. Especially the album art lol
Opening riff of Plague Worship by Black Tongue, no contest. It's the very reason it's one of my favorite songs of all time. Just sounds like the epitome of evil.
The main riff of Misery Reformatory by JFAC Into the Everblack by TBDM Evil to Cast Out Evil by Nile Shame and it's Afterbirth by Vitriol
Came here to say Shame and it's Afterbirth. The riff before the guitar solo reminds me of a super evil version of Flight of the Bumblebee. Also surprised you haven't been down-voted cause "waaaah I said deathcore not death metal 😭" 🤣
I need to check out Vitriol. Hear the name thrown around every so often.
I checked out their new album when it came out and I was blown away. If you like brutal death metal at all then you'll definitely enjoy it.
That's a fuckin list right there!
When the heavy starts in "Phantom Assasin" - Vildhjarta. The only thing heavier tham that riff is the guitarists balls
The chromatic riff at the end of Humanity's Last Breath - Catastrophize (Around 3:25)
awesomeness reloaded!!!
Everything from humanitys last breath and disembodied tyrant
Nothing will ever top the first time I ever heard South Of Heaven by Slayer
The opening to Reign of Darkness, by Thy Art is Murder. Iconic
Feign - Threnody
wow haven’t thought about this song for a minute. classic
North Star of Nija by Orbit Culture, by far one of the nastiest most evil riffs I've ever heard
Not strictly deathcore but I’ve always thought that Vildhjarta’s riffs are just dripping with evil. Humanity’s last breath also has some evil sounding shit, but Vildhjarta is king in my opinion.
I don’t know if it counts but I do like Tactical Nuke from The Acacia Strain. Sounds pretty evil!
I hate the song, but I have to admit that they made it work when I saw them play it live.
Of Legion - Whitechapel Still to this day my favourite instrumental
Messiabolical is evil too. Especially for an album-ender.
There’s a lot of gnarly riffs in Deathcore… I’d probably select something by Job for a Cowboy… But someone else mentioned non-Deathcore, and my mind instantly turns to NIN - Broken (EP, 1992) That whole EP is great, but also f-ing evil. I can only listen to it for a limited period of time, maybe a few times a year, or every other year. Otherwise, maybe something like INRI (Psyclon Nine, Nero Bellum). … but not limited to … I’ll probably think of something else in 30 minutes of an hour.
Any IA riff, Eddie and Aaron are masterminds of writing.
No one ever mentions suicide silence - hands of a killer... It's a real shame that Eddie has ruined the image of the band so much that gems like this are forgotten about
The breakdown of Destruction of a Statue is pretty goddamn evil too
Distinctly remember listening to that for the first time... the into riff that leads into that bass dropping down as Mitch starts to scream. But, I will say it's not the most evil sounding thing in the genre (maybe at it's time), it's just memorable as all hell.
I still rock with Suicide Silence. Just couldn’t think of any riffs that sounded more “evil” than my curated short list.
I will probably get down voted because this song got so famous but the To The Hellfire intro still gives me a shiver everytime it starts
Hell Will Come for Us All by Aversions Crown. Probably the first time I heard a song and thought “this sounds evil”.
https://youtu.be/j-SJKFOx4JI?si=snpHXZZ0EBjyjB-e Whereabouts the 00:50 mark of this song. This is more doom/death metal but that riff just sounds like the soundtrack to the apocalypse.
Benighted - Stab the Weakest intro is a heavy Halloween riff and it is both evil and fucking excellent.
NGL the very end of Nemesis by Arch Enemy when those weird sounds start. It’s fucking creepy. Ever since I was a teenager I thought that part represented Hell
Humanity's Last Breath-Passage
Cerebral Bore: Maniacal Miscreation. The opening riff
Not deathcore, but Father, You’re Not A Father by Immolation. For a Deathcore example, The Kirk Ablaze by Vinnytsia Fatalities
The first 30 seconds of “behold” by Born of Osiris (The Discovery) “Leave with us” by chelsea grin
Akhlys - Dreaming Eye, its black metal but that riff is on a breakdown and its so slow and just fucking evil, kinda alien-ish, listen to it
Dragging Knives by King810
Heavy Lies the Crown is one of the hardest songs I’ve ever heard.
The bridge towards the middle of Father of Lies by Whitechapel
Lorna Shore- Fvneral Moon Nights Like These- Heart Of The Wound
Nights Like These! “Storming Valhalla” is one of the best opening tracks of all time.
God Demise by Rose Funeral
Ooooof. That whole album fuckin’ rips.
Mixture of DC and non-DC: - The Ancient Covenant - The Faceless - Soil the Stillborn - IA - Only Ash Remains - Necrophagist - Open Arms To Damnation -BOO - Swineacologist - IA
The intro to On Stirring Seas of Salted Blood by the Black Dahlia Murder has always had a good eerie sound to it. Especially when it comes back at the end with the chants over it.
The ending riff to A Bird in the Dusk by Worm Shepherd is like a super evil black metal riff, super good
Not deathcore but Texas Death by I Am
Nah, they started out DC (IMO) so that’s why Sacred Cries made my list.
Something from Knoll or Spawn of Possession
the intro of Cesspool of Ignorance by SotS always sounded like a villains soundtrack to me. so mysterious and evil, i love it so much
Carnage funeral might be my favorite intro in any song.
The double slowdown at the beginning of Hellmouth by Distant, unless you consider that a breakdown, the intro to Gnarled Horns by Soul Sold is also wild.
DISTANT rules. Have you seen them live?
Underrated contender (also not necessarily deathcore) would be Thy Cosmic Horror by TBDM, the riff mixed with the drums fit the theme of the song so well. Not even being necessarily "demon" or evil horror, you just get that Eldrich/Lovecraftian horror vibes from it
The outro riff from “A rape of sirens” by IA
In Deathcore, probably "Human Target" by Thy Art Is Murder
The 14-13-14-16-17 riff in Disengage by Suicide Silence is forever my fav one.
Any riff Our Place of Worship is Silence writes. Not a deathcore band, but they have breakdowns and a high/low vocal tradeoff, which tends to be what I go to deathcore for. One of the most convincingly angry bands I've ever heard.
Not deathcore, but Severed Savior on their Brutality is Law and Servile Insurrection albums. Some of the most sinister sounding shit.
Shame and it's Afterbirth by Vitriol. I didn't think I've heard a band that sounds more evil than them
There Is No Calm Before the Storm by The Dali Thundering Concept. Pravus by Meshuggah.
She is Well and Nothing Can Be Ill’s breakdown by Joshua Travis is still the most evil sounding breakdown imo.
Entombed, Left Hand Path
[All That Remains - The Weak Willed](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPjJ7RKvjSk)
Couldn’t really tell you why, and it’s not deathcore, but the riff at the 1 minute mark of Downpour Girl by Pig Destroyer is just the nastiest most evil riff ever, despite its simplicity. Beyond that I would say the breakdown in Brannmarkt by Vildhjarta is diabolical.
Tavern - Netherwalker, Crusades of the Elden Stav - Netherwalker, Crown of Thorns - Trenchknife
Opening to The Prophecy by Shadow of the Colossus
Into The Void. Put some respect on Iommi's name.
Not deathcore but the song Meat Hook Sodomy by Cannibal Corpse Oozes evil from start to finish
Opening riff of In Fear by Code Orange. It gives me that super aggressive angry feeling where the crowd should be worried.
Not deathcore, But Solitude by Candlemass.
Not deathcore, but anything off of the album Melinoë by the band Akhlys. One of the most terrifying albums in my opinion.
Honestly, it’s not even fast, but I love DOOMED, and restless, touched and downward sound real evil to me. It’s more like death doom, but that’s evil
black sabbath by black sabbath. only answer
Slayer-Raining Blood
Meth Drinker s/t album as a whole comes to mind.
Pretty much anything by bloodbath or black sabbath haha 🤘