Arsis
Daylight Dies

Cannibal Corpse-Nothing Left to Mutilate

When you say catchy metal riffs I think of those that make me want to bang my head and jump in the pit the most. The testosterone pumped riffs that make people go nuts. So thats what I will be listing here.

Spheres of Madness - Decapitated

Slaughtering the Will to Live - Bloodbath (about 50 seconds in)

Psychopathy Red - Slayer (whole song; off the new album coming out this year; also pretty much all slayer could be considered catchy by "metal" terms)

Seven - Necrophagist (intro riff)

Lords of Destruction - Black Label Society (main riff of the song)

Gods of War Arise - Amon Amarth (whole song)

Children of the Grave - Black Sabbath (main riff))

Legion - Crebain (solo BM project from San Francisco, look em up on myspace)

By Demons Be Driven - Pantera (main riff)

Enshrined by Grace - Morbid Angel (opening riff)


Not all of these are Death or Black Metal, I know. Go cry a river if you have problem with it.

I have to agree with the OP, Amon Amarth has some nice riffs and melody in a lot of their songs. But now that I expand a bit, Wulfgar does too, similar styles. But...I suppose thats why its called "Melodic Death Metal"

I also think Katatonia has some catchy melodic sections that are beautiful.

A lot of songs on Immortal's At the Heart of Winter are quite melodic.

"War" - Burzum(Norwegian Black Metal)

"Scavenger of Human Sorrow"- Death(Well...Death Metal)

"Black Star" - Carcass(Grindcore)

"Compulsive Sadistic Mauling" - Arachnid(Brutal Death Metal from Malta)

Yes, these two are fucking golden. Just about anything from Swansong would fit in this thread.

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Now playing: Bloodbath - Eaten

Looking at the death side of things...(if you don't mind a doom/prog influence)

Amorphis, particularly "Elegy" and "Tales from the Thousand Lakes." Check out "Drowned Maid" and the last minute of "In the Beginning."

try the murder by the absence

their heaviest song with a lot of melodies

Gorgoroth- God Seed

Fast, furious, and freakin' epic.

Dark Tranquility- Punish my heaven
Arch enemy - the day you died (the whole song), and every song for arch enemy
necrophopic- I strike with wrath,great intro for head banging (and most of their songs)
Old Man's Child -(I can't remember a specific song)

Lol, we getting into melodic death metal now? I used to consider my self an expert on this genre (before I got into black metal, now I have about 5 times as much black metal as I have melodeath)

In Flames have some insane catchy leads and sometimes choruses, included Only For the Weak, Jotun, The whole Jester Race album (Moonshield is epic), Acoustic Medley (that shit gets stuck in my head), and a few other songs off Clayman (Square Nothing, Pinball Map)

Arch Enemy (although I generally hate them, they have some good songs) have a few cool leads, Silverwing comes to mind. The Last Enemy has an alright melody in the chorus, however doesn't really help the fact that the vocals (and music) is complete shit, however I respect Michael Ammot.

Which brings me to Carcass, Necroticism being one of the best albums in existence. There are some awesome leads (I wouldn't call them "catchy", per se, but awesome none the less)

It's generally hard to find catchiness in black metal that isn't melodic or symphonic or folky black metal, due to the general kvltness of the music, and bands intense dislike of all things melodic and catchy.

Arch Enemy's album Doomsday Machine was my favorite. Especially the song "Machtkampf."
And Old Man's Child has some fantastically leads. My favorite one by them would have to be "Lord Of Command (Bringer Of Hate.)"

How has Windir not been mentioned? Especially the 'Det Gamle Riket' demo.

I know Intestine Baalism has been mentioned, but I want to go out and give particular praise to "Blasphemy Resurrected." It starts out rather typical of any death metal track, but after the 2 minute mark it goes into an intstrumental phase and stays that way. The remainder of the song here out is just too perfect, with the melody so tranquil and the riff just to die for. Not to mention the solo.

The new album kind of disappoints me in that they don't have parts like that any more. A rare case is the title track off the new album (the beginning of it), but again moments like that aren't common.

and (Enslaved and Condemned) is another piece if art by old man's child

I'd suggest these
Horna - Vihan tie
Enochian Crescent - Closed gates of tomorrow

and

Nargaroth - ...und ich sah sonn nimmer heben

All those include some catchy guitar line.

Cannibal Corpse - Staring through the eyes of the dead
Cannibal Corpse - Hammer smashed face

also I second vital remains.. most melodic death metal band I've heard thats not melodic death metal if you know what I mean

Emperor - Sworn

Blistering black metal until all of a sudden, the music stops, and in comes the one of the catchiest riffs in black metal. Than the rest of the music picks backs up, while the aforementioned riff keeps driving the song from the back.

Vehemence really just owns this thread.

Dying Fetus - We Are Your Enemy

One of the most brilliant Death Metal tracks ever written, and one of the riffs at the end is just like "Holy shit that is insane!" and it literally gets stuck in my head.

Mayhem- Freezing Moon

How could I have forgotten Vital Remains

graveworm - when the sky turns black
agalloch - falling snow
amon amarth - fate of norns
sculptured - together with the seasons

Ceremony of the Seventh Circle - Vital Remains
War - Burzum
A Lost, Forgotten, Sad Spirit - Burzum
Dunkelheit - Burzum
Call of the Wintermoon - Immortal
Nocturnal Poisoning - Xasthur
Corporal Jigsore Quandry - Carcass
Hammer Smashed Face - Cannibal Corpse
The whole De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas album from Mayhem
The Lions Den/Rapture - Morbid Angel
Nightmare - Sarcofago
Phobophile - Cryptopsy
I Am The Black Wizards - Emperor
Crystal Mountain - Death [or anything from Death really...]
Hexensabbat - Aaskereia
Ceremony ov Shiva ? - Behemoth
Slowly We Rot/Find The Arise - Obituary
Lucid Interval - Cephalic Carnage
Overlord - Infernal Majesty
Pool of Stool - Skinless


I could go on and on and on...

Catchy and melodic yet blackish? Hmm, what about:

BEWITCHED´s album "Diabolical Desecration"
and
DIABOLICAL MASQUERADE "Ravendusk in my heart"

Some veeeeeeeeeeeeery great catchy songs!!!!! Though not always totally melodic but pitch black heavy rockin´stuff!

Oh and def. ABSURDUS "No heaven in sight" album!!!!!!!

DESULTORY´s "Bitterness" album is full of great old school swdish DM with many fantastic melodies added!
Same goes for UNANIMATED´s albums!

Carcass, Amon Amarth, obviously. However I have to say Akercocke has some really catchy riffs, between all the evil factor.

A Blaze In The Northern Sky from Darkthrone is a catchy album in its entirety. I'm listening to it now.

The second (I think?) riff of I En Hall Met Flesk Og Mjod by Darkthrone. Talk about catchy

Main riff of Pain Divine by Morbid Angel as well. So dark and crushing, yet it staysin your head all day.

Also,3.32 from Death's Leprosy. There's just something about that riff that's so evil but so melodic and catchy. I only wish that little break lasted longer before the whammy bar theatrics.

Many songs by Crimson Thorn are very catchy... very melodic grindcore.

Unleashed - Blood Of Lies

Amon Amarth - Friends Of The Sun Cross
Nazgul - Any song
Graveworm - A Portrait Of A Deadly Nightshade
Death - Crystal Mountain
Kalmah - Hades
Moonsorrow - Taistelu Pohjolasta (new version)