Darkthrone's Summer of the Diabolical Holocaust, the one leading up to the breakdown (which is ALSO one of the best breakdowns for fuck's sake!)

The outro riff in maanskyggens slave by gorgoroth was probably the first black metal song that got me hooked on the genre, pretty much the entire under the sign of hell album deserves an honeable mention as well. Black fucking murder by sargeist had several great black metal riffs in it, and to concur with everyone else, at the heart of winter is a helluva track. In inferno I drown by ragnarok has one of the most powerful black metal melodies I've ever heard, as of now, THAT is probly my favorite black metal riff.

Mayhem - De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas. The tremolo picking riff at the beginning of the song is one of the best intros I've heard in Black Metal.

Main riff of The Dawn of the End by Borknagar.

Immortal - Withstand The Fall Of Time (http://youtu.be/Z2O-da4hHq4) tempo change and riff at 6:16; it that doesn't shake you, nothing will ever do it.

Immortal - Mountains Of Might. Grim, epic and totally magnificient.

Can't recall more right now

I'm obviously on board with all the classic riffs from the big black metal bands, so instead I'll just give a special mention to the title track of Inquisition's "Ominous Doctrines of the Perpetual Macrocosm". All it took was three seconds into the song and I thought to myself, "THAT is what black metal sounds like." The whole album is rifftastic. Also, a special side mention to the main riff of "Celestial Deconstruction" by 1349. Shit's menacing.

I find the Beherit influence really endearing.

Most riffs by Rotting Christ...Non Serviam, Kings of a Stellar War, The Sign of Evil Existence, etc. etc.
Oh, and Satyricon's Mother North. That riff found a cozy spot in my head and doesn't want to get the fuck out.

This riff. It gives me chills every time. Never gets old.

Another one is the riffs in Immortal's At The Heart of Winter. All of them are just great.

The intro is good, but doesn't anyone else ejaculate at the riff at about three minutes? It's fucking amazing.

Mutiilation - Ravens of my Funeral (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkheUkPxIRk)

That first riff has really stuck with me lately. I can't explain it, it's just awesome.

Necrophobic also has some good shit. . . at least their black riffing. The death metal riffing is actually practically nowhere to be found on Himthursum.

The thrashy break in Under a Funeral Moon by Darkthrone is possibly the most addicting riff I've heard in black metal.

Maybe try out Windir's Journey to the End , I love it ,catchy as and the start of Transcendental Journey by Cor Scorpii .Reminds me of Daleks .

Blut Aus Nord has some of the most bizarre and eerie riffing, but "Our Blessed Frozen Cells" definitely is in my tops. So perfect..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSnB5wjynGs

Sargeist has some really great traditional 2nd wave black metal riffing, this song being a personal favourite, full of delicious riffs. Melodic, catchy, not too simple, and still quite evil.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Tm8XLBvdGg

Judas Iscariot is a mastermind at writing some great riffs, but this song stands out as one of the most memorable riffage in black metal. You don't have to be fast to be great in black metal, this is proof.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhNxdUn9pwQ

Yes to all of these, especially BAN. The latter half of that song is just fucking eerie.



That actually reminds me that the newest Beherit album is full of excellent riffs as well. "Pagan Moon", "Suck your Blood", "All in Satan"....all have crushing, ballsy riffs.

That's a really tough one. I guess I'll have to go with some early Satyricon like the riff in In the Mist by the Hills or Mother North

True, though I also like Axioma Heroine, and while Destroyer of Thousand Worlds is too repetitive as song, it has a cool riff.

The riff during the last minute of "Black Stars of Death and Wisdom" by Svartrit (not on Youtube, sorry), and the riff during the first few minutes of "My Stigmas Bleeding Black" by Behexen.
Honourable mention to the riff at the end of "Þrúðkyn" also.

That, and Freezing Moon, are the two reasons that I listen to the album. The other songs, well... I want to learn to like them more, but they blend into each other for me.

Anyways:

Bathory - Enter the Eternal Fire (main riff): A very epic riff, but still containing a good dark feel, but I've always loved it's memorable and almost uplifting feel.

Mayhem - Deathcrush (intro riff): Obscenely crushing and dirty sounding, but also incredibly eerie and demonic.

Gorgoroth - (Under) The Pagan Megalith (intro + 3:09 onwards): The intro is another one which is dark, and crushing. The riff from 3:09 onwards is also crushing, and the guitar tone is orgasmic.

Sargeist - Frowning Existing (intro through to first vocals): Essentially sums up what I like when it comes to tremolo-heavy black metal.

Pest - Blasphemy is My Throne (intro riff): Another reasonably crushing one, this one mixes so well with the drums that it's a veritable onslaught, and also has a real toughness to it, which Pest do well - more angry than eerie.

Obtained Enslavement - Unblessed (1:45 - 2:16) Sounds epic, majestic, and has such an impact upon the song, making it distinct and very Viking-sounding.

I've always thought so too. But it's not my favorite. I don't really have one, but if I were to choose, it'd probably be by either Darkthrone or Inquisition.

Epic, simply Epic. I'll also add the ending of "Oceans Rise" by Borknagar

Old Man's Child - "Soul Possessed" opening riff that's pretty consistent throughout the song. It just has this amazing kind of groove and the drum work from Tony Kirkemo is phenomenal.

Leading riff to Hades' "The Dawn of the Dying Sun" is deceptively simple but it crushes me every time. That it carries the whole song bar the bridge riff drives it home even more.

SATAN'S HOST - By The Hands Of The Devil

Taake holds the trophy. try to find a catchier riff than this.
At 3:46
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7O7Fb0mz3FE

Fenriz is an expert at creating catchy thrashy riffs, like for example Isengard - Total Death http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0QqvfbSAJM

I honestly don't think black metal gets better than the closing of "Crossing the Triangle of Flames" from Under a Funeral Moon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woArbFp9Btc&t=3m42s



Darkthrone would probably round out my top 10 if I took the time to think about it.

Mayhem-De Mysteriis Dom Sathanos, Funeral Fog, Deathcrush
Kampfar-Baldogg, Hymne
Dark Funeral-Secret of the dark arts
Gorgoroth-Carving the Giant
Bathory-Necromansy, Fine day to die, Blood fire Death
Ulver-Bergtatt
Abigor-Unleashed Axe Age
Blut Aus Nord-Epitome IV
Behemoth-Summoning of the Ancient gods
Emperor-Into the Infinity of thoughts, I Am the Black Wizards
Lord Belial-Unorthodox Catharsis
Darkthrone-Transylvanian Hunger
Dodheimsgard-Monumental Possession
Judas Iscariot-Nietszhe
Immortal-Blashrykh, Battles in the North, Call of the Wintermoon
Enslaved-Wotan
Nokturnal Mortem-Kuyaviya
Burzum-Key to the Gate, Feeble Screams, Filosofem
Nunfuckritual-Komodo Dragon-Mother Queen
Colworld-Dream of a dead Sun
Peste Noire- Le Mort Joyeux
1349-I am Abomination, Hellfire

Thats a very nice riff. I bet its stolen, haha. (Could have sworn I heard that before...fuck me, did U2 steal that riff or did they do it before them?)

It gets boring, but I´ll throw yet another Darkthrone riff in here:
http://youtu.be/VZOXpRs-nbo
2:25 is killer and on 2:55 I pass out.

Let me throw one more out there....

Enthroned - Evil Church .........the opening riff is just pure evil.

http://youtu.be/7knjH9_2MaQ

Not exactly a black metal riff, but in a black metal song, and it's infectious.

Shining - first track from The Eerie Cold. Nice, simple, effective.

Where is IMPALED NAZARENEEEEEEEEEEEE?????????????????????????
What, no one remembers "The Horny and The Horned"?

And although some may consider Sweden's Necrophobic death, I take them along with my black. THat said, everything on "The Nocturnal Silence" is killer as regards riffs. Listened to this yesterday and I was bloody blown over!
Inborn Evil, The Ancients Gate, The Nocturnal Silence - what great songs!

One of my favorites is Ossadogva - Birth of a Warlock

It's pretty wicked.

I've overplayed that song I think, I loved it to death as a kid. The riff was about the best thing ever back then, seriously. I was 13 or 14.

The ending of The Dawn of the End is easily the most epic moment of the album, along with the acoustic/chant break of The Winterway.

Enslaved - Eit Auga Til Mimir is full of incredible riffs, both the intro and main riff are just excellent.

Burzum - Black Spell of Destruction's verse riff. Pure sorrow and brilliance.

Being a huge fan of Hellenic BM and reading some Varathron love, I need to mention this song, which is one of the most epic and 'hellenic' songs I've heard (from 1:00)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVDIKvOSh_0

I also love Samael's Into the Pentagram. It's crushing, dark and evil as fuck.

Another one from Samael, the first 2 riffs are insane.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plRtCCr7CMw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84V_rbkeEfk From 3:38 onward; one of the most intense moments in the entire Enslaved discography

Catamenia - Vortex http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBo9sH_nHBo The opening riff is pretty sweet

Same goes for Ancient Rites - Evil Prevails http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hqvn004Te8 , haunting (the bass @1:18 reminds me of Iron Maiden)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rVSh5amcec Keep Of Kalessin - Come Damnation 4:34, talking abount intensity...

The riff at 3 minutes 53 seconds is absolutely incredible here. So BLACK!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGUZfWCR ... lated3m50s

One that comes to mind is Nyktalgia - Cold Void.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyU1mzRYUvw
second riff (0:44), though you shouldn't skip past the first one.

Melechesh - Ladders to Sumeria
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSgIclwhNgo

For me that would be Sanctum Satanas by Svartsyn. For me quite special riffs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92_KxeK1JRM&feature=related

Marduk-Materialized in Stone

from about 2:11-2:56

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAvKt9OpBoc

Immortal's At the Heart of Winter and Sons of Northern Darkness are full of catchy, energetic and memorable riffs. Definitely some of my favourites in black metal over there.