The Riffhard Podcast

Zakk Wylde is a legendary guitar virtuoso who has played with and for some of the best known acts in the business including a decades long stint with Ozzy Osbourne, his own band Black Label Society, and most recently announced as the touring guitar player for the upcoming Pantera reunion. Zakk recently partnered with Riffhard to release “Zakk Wylde Berzerker Guitar Camp,” the ULTIMATE Zakk Wylde g...

Tim Sult and Neil Fallon are guitarists in Clutch. On this episode: How Clutch have kept the same lineup for 30 years Being on a major label and going the indie route The percentage of people who buy cassettes that actually own a cassette player How Tim goes about relearning old solos How Neil approaches singing and playing at the same time Adapting songs to a live setting The intense memorization...

Dave Davidson is the guitarist in Revocation.  On this episode: Building up through the underground, one step at a time How to stay top of mind with fans Touring with Cannibal Corpse, Periphery, and Animals As Leaders How to make the most of a 30 minute support slot Writing bad riffs on purpose Playing the long game How to know when a riff is worth keeping Working with Jens Bogren When the demo ve...

Andy Wood is a guitarist, songwriter, and teacher who has supported acts such as Rascal Flatts, Scott Stapp, Gary Allan, and Sebastian Bach. He is also the founder of The Woodshed Guitar Experience.  On this episode: Getting great by playing with other musicians Why practicing in the bedroom isn't enough Overcoming your technical shortcomings Alternate picking vs legato Focusing on your musical ob...

Joel Stroetzel is a guitarist for Killswitch Engage. Joel is also active in various side projects including Brothers Born and The Hidden Skyline. On this episode: Why both Eyal and Joel dropped out of Berklee How to avoid guitar related hand injuries Joel and Adam D’s approach to downpicking in Killswitch Engage You HAVE to practice playing standing up if you’re going to play live How high should...

Chris Garza is a guitarist in Suicide Silence and the host of The Garza Podcast. On this episode: What it was like having Ross Robinson on the Garza Podcast How Taylor Young captured the true spirit of Suicide Silence in the studio What Keanu Reeves prioritizes to be able to handle being John Wick at 54 years old What are you willing to sacrifice to live your dreams? How much do you trust your tea...

Steven Jones and Craig Gowans are guitarists in Bleed From Within.  On this episode: How Bleed From Within use voice memos for riff writing Eyal Levi’s dream state music composition Are you messing up your songs by writing to programmed drums? Working with a string quartet on the new record Making music and lyric videos though 12 Inch Media The RIGHT way to use Guitar Pro The genius of Sean Reiner...

Rafael Trujillo is a guitarist and songwriter that is best known for his former band, Obscura and his newest project, Obsidious.  In this episode: How Rafael shreds so hard while avoiding hand injuries How Obscura sounds inhumanly precise without faking it Rafael’s technique building routine The true definition of “classically trained” The difference between Eddie Van Halen and Zakk Wylde’s solo w...

Per Nilsson is a guitarist best known for his band Scar Symmetry and his stint as a live guitarist for Meshuggah. He has played guest spots for artists such as God Forbid, Threat Signal, Scale The Summit, Francesco Artusato, and more.  On this episode: How Per and Eyal both came back stronger after years long hiatuses from guitar Per’s trick for learning Meshuggah songs How Chris Arp from Psyopus...

Eyal Levi and John Browne are joined by a killer lineup of guests to celebrate episode 100! They’re joined by Doc Coyle from Bad Wolves, Mark Holcomb from Periphery, Jason Richardson from All That Remains, Mark Heylmun from Suicide Silence, and Nick Johnston. On this episode: What it was like to have Rob Trujillo of Metallica on the Ex-Man podcast Kicking close friends out of the band How Bad Wolv...

Jesse Cash is a guitar player, songwriter, and vocalist in ERRA. On this episode:  Being a control freak and how to work on yourself  Handling technical difficulties on tour  Comparing yourself to others is both good and bad  The connection between the artist and the recording engineer can make or break the record Want to level up your guitar game? Check out Riffhard. When you sign up, you'll get...

Adam Bentley and Adam Rafowitz are the guitarists in Arch Echo.  On this episode: Adam Rafowitz’s alternate picking workaround What’s the deal with jazz? Limiting or compressing a DI How Arch Echo writes songs And more! Listen to Arch Echo on Spotify. 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...

Andrew Tkaczyk is the drummer for The Ghost Inside, session songwriter and ex-drummer for For the Fallen Dreams and releases music as a solo artist under the name One Decade. On this episode:  The initial spark when writing songs Soundtracks can make or break movies Good picking hand technique makes everything sound better Working with Will Putney And more! Want to level up your guitar game? Check...

Mateusz Maurycy Śmierzchalski, stage name Havoc, is best known for previously being the rhythm guitarist, lead guitarist, and backing vocalist for Behemoth but has also worked with acts such as Therion, Eluveitie, and Decapitated. On this episode: Getting the gig with Behemoth Being mostly self-taught on guitar Being diagnosed with bipolar disease Why uninterrupted conversations are great Every ar...

Brody Uttley is the guitarist and co-founder of Rivers of Nihil.  On this episode: Prepping your rig for a headlining tour Post-big project depression Practice as if you were playing live Being fueled by fear Working at Rock Lititz Follow Brody Uttley on Instagram and Twitter.  Listen to Rivers of Nihil on Spotify. Want to level up your guitar game? Check out Riffhard. When you sign up, you'll get...

Wes Hauch is a well-respected lead guitarist in metal who is known for his work with The Faceless, Black Crown Initiate, Alluvial, Thy Art Is Murder, and many others.  On this episode: Not being star struck by famous musicians Feeling like your playing isn’t good enough The way your wear your guitar matters The music industry isn’t dead Why Sweetwater is better than Guitar Center Figuring out if y...

Ben Thomas and Ash Gray are the guitarists in Venom Prison. On this episode: Dealing with writing disagreements Guitarists recording the bass parts Wasting time in the studio sucks Making sure your pre-production is usable if needed And more! Listen to Venom Prison on Spotify. Want to level up your guitar game? Check out Riffhard. When you sign up, you'll get access to: Over 100 video tutorials wi...

Paul Masvidal is the guitarist and vocalist in Cynic, Aeon Spoke, and an ex-member of the legendary Death.  On this episode: Not limiting yourself to one genre You should be naturally drawn to doing something well Let artists hear an idea instead of talking about it Knowing what communication style works for you The connection between meditation and music The effects chain for the robot vocals Wan...

Ricky Armellino is a guitarist in Ice Nine Kills and the vocalist in Hawk.  On this episode: How to write a killer riff Knowing when to ditch an idea Adapting to working with Ice Nine Kills How to build a successful music career 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...

Pete Loeffler is the guitarist and the lead singer in Chevelle. On this episode: What it was like to work with Joe Baressi  Being in a band with your brothers Making the most of terrible situations What everyone in a band should know about the music business Follow Pete Loeffler on Instagram. Want to level up your guitar game? Check out Riffhard. When you sign up, you'll get access to: Over 100 vi...

Richard Shaw is a guitarist in Cradle of Filth. On this episode: Getting the Cradle of Filth gig Learning parts by ear Striving for more and never being fully satisfied Cradle of Filth surviving metal’s ups and downs Follow Richard Shaw on Instagram. 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 o...

Manuel Gagneux is the songwriter, guitarist and singer in Zeal & Ardor.  On this episode: Channeling emotion into your writing Killing writer’s block Black metal tremolo picking Using lyrics to inspire music Follow Zeal & Ardor on Instagram and Twitter. 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 ente...

Will Putney is a guitarist in Fit For An Autopsy and END. He is also one of the most sought-after producers in metal, working with bands like Thy Art Is Murder, Knocked Loose, Slaughter To Prevail, Gojira and more. On this episode: Using your DAW to become a better guitarist Why songwriting is always more important than production The secrets to Will’s massive, brutal guitar tones What he learned...

Kurt Ballou the guitarist of Converge and a legendary producer who has worked with acts such as Nails, High On Fire, Dillinger Escape Plan, and many more.  On this episode: Starting your own guitar company How to balance a multi faceted career Respecting the audience Does a mic pre actually matter? Recording drums last in a session Follow Kurt Ballou on Instagram. Check out God City Instruments. W...

Adam De Micco plays guitar in Lorna Shore.  On this episode: Having multiple guitar teachers Why good technique matters  Recording yourself as a habit The “why not us” mentality And more! Follow Adam De Micco on Instagram. 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...