Tone Profile

A very tight, aggressive, and highly saturated high-gain rhythm tone with a distinct mid-scoop, providing exceptional clarity for fast melodic death metal riffs and a powerful, cutting presence.

Signal Chain

Recording Notes

• Rhythm guitars were double-tracked (two separate performances) and hard-panned left and right for maximum stereo width and thickness.
• Microphones (typically SM57 and MD421) were placed close to the speaker cone, often blended for a fuller sound.
• The Tube Screamer was used as a pre-amp boost to tighten the low end and add saturation without increasing overall gain significantly.
• Aggressive palm-muting and consistent down-picking technique were crucial for the tight, percussive sound.
• Minimal post-processing effects like reverb or delay were applied to the rhythm guitars to maintain their dry, punchy character.

Recreation Tips

• Use a guitar with high-output passive or active humbuckers (e.g., EMG HZ H4, EMG 81/60).
• Dial in a high-gain amp with a prominent mid-scoop on the EQ, but ensure the presence and treble are set to cut through.
• Place an overdrive pedal (like a Tube Screamer) before the amp with its gain knob near zero, level knob at max, and tone knob adjusted to taste for tightness.
• Employ a high-quality noise gate to eliminate unwanted hum and tighten stops between riffs.
• Practice extremely tight palm-muting and consistent, aggressive down-picking for the signature percussive attack.
• Record two separate, identical rhythm guitar tracks and pan them hard left and right in your mix for the desired thickness and stereo spread.

Original Gear

• ESP Alexi Laiho Signature Series (e.g., Scythe, Katana)(guitar)
• EMG HZ H4 Passive Humbucker(pickup)
• Engl Savage 120(amp)
• Engl Powerball(amp)
• Engl E412VSB 4x12 Cabinet (with Celestion Vintage 30 speakers)(amp)
• Ibanez TS808 Tube Screamer(pedal)
• ISP Decimator II Noise Reduction(pedal)
• Shure SM57(microphone)
• Sennheiser MD421-II(microphone)