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Riff Tone
Amaranth
Nightwish
Guitarmetal2000s
Original Gear
GuitarESP Horizon NT-II (likely, as used by Emppu Vuorinen during 'Dark Passion Play' era studio sessions)
AmpENGL Powerball (likely, as used by Emppu Vuorinen for heavy rhythm tones on 'Dark Passion Play')
Amp Settings
gain8
bass6
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Notes
Studio recording, 2007. Gear inferred from Emppu Vuorinen's known studio rig for 'Dark Passion Play' era. No direct source confirms exact gear for 'Amaranth' riff, but ESP Horizon NT-II with EMG pickups and ENGL Powerball amp are widely cited for this period.
Tone Character(10)
tight and percussivehigh-gain saturationarticulate chugsslightly scooped midsbright and clear attackcompressed and controlledminimal ambiencefocused low endmodern metal clarityaggressive palm muting
Difficulty
The riff requires tight, consistent palm muting and precise alternate picking at a moderate tempo, but does not involve advanced techniques or complex timing.
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Create Free AccountGuitarmetal2000s
Original Gear
GuitarESP Horizon NT-II (likely, as used by Emppu Vuorinen during 'Dark Passion Play' era studio sessions)
AmpENGL Powerball (likely, as used by Emppu Vuorinen for heavy rhythm tones on 'Dark Passion Play')
Amp Settings
gain8
bass6
Create an account to see all tone details
Create Free AccountEffects & Signal Chain
Notes
Studio recording, 2007. Gear inferred from Emppu Vuorinen's known studio rig for 'Dark Passion Play' era. No direct source confirms exact gear for 'Amaranth' riff, but ESP Horizon NT-II with EMG pickups and ENGL Powerball amp are widely cited for this period.
Tone Character(10)
tight and percussivehigh-gain saturationarticulate chugsslightly scooped midsbright and clear attackcompressed and controlledminimal ambiencefocused low endmodern metal clarityaggressive palm muting
Difficulty
The riff requires tight, consistent palm muting and precise alternate picking at a moderate tempo, but does not involve advanced techniques or complex timing.