The Riffhard Podcast

Acle Kahney is the guitarist, writer, and producer for Tesseract. Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:02:27 - Recording at Middle Farm with Peter Miles 00:04:57 - Working with a Producer 00:09:45 - Mastering and CD Delivery 00:12:04 - Challenges of Mixing Metal Music in Atmos 00:17:02 - Troubleshooting Gear Issues 00:24:01 - Mixing and Recording with AirPods 00:26:42 - The Pursuit of perfection i...

Cory Arford and Neal Teimann are the guitarists for Carnifex. Their new album, “Necromanteum” comes out October 6th, 2023. Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:02:36 - The Same Problems at Every Level 00:08:06 - The Importance of Saying Yes 00:16:08 - Your personality matters 00:21:25 - The Flow of the Writing Process 00:24:05 - Using Writing Exercises to Stimulate Creativity 00:29:50 - Knowing Wh...

Josh Middleton is a guitarist/producer best known for his band Sylosis and former band, Architects. Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:02:25 - Manifestation and Serendipity in Career Paths 00:04:39 - Second Wind for Thrash Bands 00:07:15 - Becoming your own favorite band 00:11:49 - Writing Simple but Impactful Riffs 00:18:25 - Learning Arpeggios on Guitar 00:22:58 - Developing your Muscle Memory...

Rob Barrett is a guitarist for the legendary Cannibal Corpse. Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:02:59 - How Rob writes for Cannibal Corpse 00:06:46 - Burning out from touring 00:08:40 - Explosive creativity during quarantine 00:10:39 - Hitting the Ground Running 00:12:25 - Meeting crazy deadlines 00:14:15 - When to stop writing 00:15:58 - Violence Unimagined 00:17:52 - Rushed Song Endings and S...

Misha Mansoor, Jake Bowen, and Mark Holcomb joined us to discuss why Periphery nuked their own album, how video game addiction is good, and the terror of playing huge shows naked. Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:04:44 - Trust And Respect Among Band Members 00:09:18 - Working with Spencer Sotelo On Vocals 00:13:58 - Overcoming Challenges As A Team 00:18:49 - The Mental Game Of Isolation And Wr...

Erik Rutan is a legendary guitarist and producer best known for his work with/in Cannibal Corpse, Morbid Angel, and Hate Eternal. Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to the Riffhard podcast with Erik Rutan 00:03:14 - Seeking Improvement in Guitar Playing and Life 00:06:40 - Prioritizing and Focusing on Career Goals 00:10:25 - The Ability to Adapt in Music Production 00:13:55 - Reflections on Patienc...

Stephen Taranto is an innovative guitar virtuoso from Australia.  Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Stephen Taranto and his Guitar Skills 00:05:01 - Leaning into Your Strengths 00:10:06 - Deciding What to Focus On in Guitar Skills 00:15:02 - The Delusion of Talent and the Importance of Feedback 00:20:29 - Dealing with Risk and Perfectionism 00:25:15 - The Ups and Downs of Progress and Self-Perc...

Keyan Houshmand is a guitarist who has made a name for himself with his in-depth YouTube and quick-fire Instagram and TikTok videos. Chapters: 00:00:00 - The Modern Definition of Being a Musician 00:04:10 - Finding the Right Balance in Guitar Playing 00:07:59 - The Importance of Pickups in Guitar Tone 00:11:56 - The Importance of How Playing Feels and Sounds 00:15:39 - Recording Techniques and Ach...

Logan Young is a musician, songwriter, and content creator who is known best for his guitar acrobatics on TikTok and Youtube. Logan's current projects are Dal Av and Scarlet Rot and he has worked with bands such as Reflections and I, the Breather. Want to level up your guitar game? Check out Riffhard. When you sign up, you'll get access to: Over 100 video tutorials with tabs A chance to enter our...

Dan Sugarman is a guitarist in Ice Nine Kills. Want to level up your guitar game? Check out Riffhard. When you sign up, you'll get access to: Over 100 video tutorials with tabs A chance to enter our monthly King Of The Riff contest Livestream Q&As and other events Our private community Be sure to follow Riffhard on Instagram and Facebook. Follow Eyal Levi on Instagram. Like this show? Please leave...

Ian Waye is the guitarist in Soreption. Spiro Dussias is a guitarist, engineer, and teacher. Want to level up your guitar game? Check out Riffhard. When you sign up, you'll get access to: Over 100 video tutorials with tabs A chance to enter our monthly King Of The Riff contest Livestream Q&As and other events Our private community Be sure to follow Riffhard on Instagram and Facebook. Follow Eyal L...

Chris Wiseman is the guitarist for Currents and Shadow of Intent. Want to level up your guitar game? Check out Riffhard. When you sign up, you'll get access to: Over 100 video tutorials with tabs A chance to enter our monthly King Of The Riff contest Livestream Q&As and other events Our private community Be sure to follow Riffhard on Instagram and Facebook. Follow Eyal Levi on Instagram. Like this...

Devin Shidaker is a guitar player and songwriter best known for his work with The Acacia Strain and previously Oceano.  Want to level up your guitar game? Check out Riffhard. When you sign up, you'll get access to: Over 100 video tutorials with tabs A chance to enter our monthly King Of The Riff contest Livestream Q&As and other events Our private community Be sure to follow Riffhard on Instagram ...

Chase Wilson is a guitarist and songwriter for the band Ov Sulfur. Want to level up your guitar game? Check out Riffhard. When you sign up, you'll get access to: Over 100 video tutorials with tabs A chance to enter our monthly King Of The Riff contest Livestream Q&As and other events Our private community Be sure to follow Riffhard on Instagram and Facebook. Follow Eyal Levi on Instagram. Like thi...

Bill Hudson is a virtuoso guitarist who has played with Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Savatage, and I Am Morbid among many others. He is also the founder and lead guitarist of NorthTale. On this episode: Communication is key when balancing multiple projects Why everyone should work out How Bill practices when he’s short on time The importance of drilling the basics What it takes to forge a career as a...

Jesse Zuretti is an award-winning composer & sound designer who has worked for Marvel, and Netflix among many others. He’s also the orchestrator and a guitarist in DAATH. On this episode:  How Eyal Levi and Jesse Zuretti worked together on the new DAATH music Making orchestra work in a metal song How to play DOOM style guitar riffs INSANE bending techniques The importance of working with the best...

Rafael Trujillo is a guitarist and songwriter that is well known for his work in his band Obsidious and former band, Obscura. Spiro Dussias is a guitarist, engineer, and teacher with a quickly growing online presence. Both of them recently traded some mind-blowing solos on the latest single by DAATH, “No Rest No End.” These two guitarists brought their A-game to the table, showcasing their incredi...

Ricky Armellino is a powerhouse guitarist in Ice Nine Kills and the vocalist in Hawk. Discover how he used the Shredule to take his guitar playing to the next level, and how he overcame mental blocks with practice. Hear about his experience touring with Metallica, and even hanging out with Lars Ulrich. Learn the secret to constant and never-ending improvement, and why you're never too good to skip...

Travis Stever and Frank Iero are guitarists in L.S. Dunes. Travis is also in Coheed and Cambria and Frank is in My Chemical Romance. On this episode:  Why supergroups typically suck How they keep priorities straight Working with Will Yip Methods for preparing for tour Working on a projects that you truly love How LS Dunes communicate effectively What its like to work with Anthony Green How to pick...

Nick Hipa is a guitarist and songwriter who has played with As I Lay Dying, God Forbid, Mire, and Wovenwar.  On this episode: Nick’s approach to learning the God Forbid set What Nick obsesses over  The differences between As I Lay Dying, Wovenwar, and Mire Going indie vs signing to a label Saving riffs The Zakk Wylde speed trick Watching Eddie Van Halen from side stage Musical vs life priorities T...

Patrick Judge is a guitar player and songwriter known for work with The Showdown, and his current band Demon Hunter.  On this episode: Working with Aaron Sprinkle Patrick’s approach to writing for Demon Hunter The trick to not being precious about your songs Finishing songs once you start them Playing 3-4 hour shows in a country band How Eyal defeats writer’s block Writing a MASSIVE amount of song...

Chris Rawson is a guitar player, songwriter, and producer who is known for his work in Walls of Jericho and Stick to Your Guns. On this episode: How Chris got into recording The futility of trying to please people with your music The luck factor The importance of changing your stage clothes How Earth Crisis taught Walls Of Jericho the ropes on tour Tour etiquette  Recording yourself is the BEST wa...

Michael “Whip” Wilton is a guitar legend, songwriter, and co-founder of Queensryche. On this episode: Why Queensryche love working with Zuess What does Michael actually look for in a producer Old school recording vs. modern recording Keeping track of ideas via any means necessary  Should you have a backup plan? The benefits of being signed to a label Why Michael uses Pro Tools for his writing rig...

Trey Xavier is the guitarist/frontman of In Virtue, a YouTuber, runs Gear Gods, and hosts the How Songs Are Made podcast. On this episode: Why Trey started the How Songs Are Made Podcast There are no consequences to making something that sucks Writer’s block is bullshit Using your favorite musicians as mentors If you really want to learn something, take notes!  You’re going to sound like what you...

Nik Nocturnal is a musician, songwriter, Twitch Streamer, and YouTuber. He is the guitarist for Termina and NIK NXK. Finn McKenty is director of operations for URM and Riffhard, and the man behind the popular Punk Rock MBA YouTube, Twitch, and Podcast.  On this episode: You can’t predict what people will like Is there a difference between music and content? The most popular shredders are also the...