Back to CommunityCreate Free Account
Riff Tone
Key to the Gate
Burzum
Guitarmetal1990s
Original Gear
GuitarUnknown 1980s Japanese Strat-style guitar (likely Aria Pro II or similar, single humbucker bridge modded)
AmpPeavey Bandit 112 (early 1990s model, solid state, likely used for studio recording)
Amp Settings
gain9
bass5.5
Create an account to see all tone details
Create Free AccountEffects & Signal Chain
Notes
Studio recording, 1992. Varg Vikernes recorded all instruments himself. No evidence of live performance for this song. Guitar and amp model inferred from interviews and black metal community consensus for early Burzum recordings. No evidence of additional outboard preamps or rack gear.
Tone Character(10)
extremely saturated and rawbuzzy, lo-fi distortionscooped midsfizzy, brittle high endthin and abrasiveminimal low endno reverb or ambienceconstant wall of noiseharsh attackvery little note separation
Difficulty
The riff requires fast, consistent tremolo picking and tight rhythm, but uses simple power chord shapes and straightforward structure, making it accessible to intermediate players.
Create an account to adapt this tone to your gear
Create Free AccountGuitarmetal1990s
Original Gear
GuitarUnknown 1980s Japanese Strat-style guitar (likely Aria Pro II or similar, single humbucker bridge modded)
AmpPeavey Bandit 112 (early 1990s model, solid state, likely used for studio recording)
Amp Settings
gain9
bass5.5
Create an account to see all tone details
Create Free AccountEffects & Signal Chain
Notes
Studio recording, 1992. Varg Vikernes recorded all instruments himself. No evidence of live performance for this song. Guitar and amp model inferred from interviews and black metal community consensus for early Burzum recordings. No evidence of additional outboard preamps or rack gear.
Tone Character(10)
extremely saturated and rawbuzzy, lo-fi distortionscooped midsfizzy, brittle high endthin and abrasiveminimal low endno reverb or ambienceconstant wall of noiseharsh attackvery little note separation
Difficulty
The riff requires fast, consistent tremolo picking and tight rhythm, but uses simple power chord shapes and straightforward structure, making it accessible to intermediate players.