Unlocking the Secrets of Modern Metal Songwriting

Dissecting four essential tricks used by top modern metal bands

In Spiritbox, Humanity’s Last Breath, and Loathe, modern metal is in rude health, and full of filthy riffs and inventive songwriting. But writing hard-hitting metal music that rolls with the punches of those bands and feels distinctly modern and cutting-edge can be an Olympic-sized challenge.

So, what can we do as guitar players and songwriters to get on their level?

We’ve broken down four key elements of modern metal songwriting and production to sharpen your songs. Whether you’re just starting or looking to refine your sound, these tips will guide you through creating your modern metal masterpiece.

Rhythmic signatures

Bands like Allt have proved masters in establishing clear rhythmic signatures in their songs. Riffs and melodies are important, but extra emphasis is put on the rhythms that drive the songs

This rhythmic hook serves as the backbone of your track. It can tie sections together and ensure a sense of cohesion flows through the song. It’s crucial to create a rhythm that can carry through different riffs, even if they vary significantly. You don’t want it to be overly or polyrhythmic and therefore hard to follow, but you also don’t want it to be predictable. It needs to stand out.

For example, you might start with a rhythmic pattern that underpins the entire song and try to build different sections with either the whole concept or fractions of it.

Allt’s Aquila is a fine example. The big main hook comes in the form of a riff full of nasty bend notes, but later on there’s a drop to strings which provides a nice lull before they punch you in the face again. Hard.

Those strings replicate the pulse of the main riff, which the chugging that follows also takes on in its own way. Thus, even if the riffs change, the underlying rhythm creates a sense of unity. It creates a very fluid but dynamic whole.

Another top tip is to accentuate unexpected rhythmic hits that can help that part stick out. If all your big hits are directly on the beat, your music can become too predictable and rigid. By throwing the odd beat off-kilter, and making a point in doing so, you can make your rhythms extra spicy.

Production that commands attention

With modern metal, a powerful production is paramount. Even if you have all the fundamental musical ingredients, if you’re production lacks the punch of your peers, you’ll end up looking like Homer Simpson trying to build a BBQ.

It’s a simple trick that predates modern metal, but make sure you are utilizing the space of your mix. Pan your rhythm guitars as wide as possible to fill the sonic spectrum. As you build the rest of your instrumentation, consider where they can sit so that they have their own space, which again creates a nice wide audio field, and saves parts from mushing together.   

When transitioning between sections, consider using different guitar tones. This can give each section its own tonal identity and really accentuate those section changes. It also means you can dial in a tone that excels specifically for that part, rather than having to be a jack of all trades.

Certain tricks like lo-fi guitar tones – typically achieved by adding a highpass filter onto a guitar track – before a big crunching section can also make that drop hit harder. For a classic example of this, check out Periphery’s Icarus Lives! 

Also, consider where you play a riff on the neck. If your verse is full of open note chugs and low frets and the following riff follows a similar principle, consider playing those fretted notes an octave higher. This could be beyond the 12th fret of the same string for a tight but chunky feel, or on the next string for a slightly thinner tonality, which some players believe cuts through the mix better.

Even if the notes remain the same, the tonal difference of playing an idea on a different spot on the neck or in a different octave sprinkles new interest into the song section by section.

The sound of silence

Another powerful production technique is the strategic use of silence. By incorporating brief pauses into your songs – especially with breakdowns and pre-choruses – you can heighten the drama and impact of a part.

It’s important to give the listener room to breathe. If everything is always turned up to 11, they can be immune to its heaviness. 

One useful tip when mixing these parts is to cut moments of silence from your guitar track completely. This way no extraneous noise – like the hum of your pickups – can be heard. Even the briefest moment of silence makes the following hellfire feel even louder and brilliantly disgusting.

Check out Spiritbox’s Soft Spine below for an example of that – see how the moment of space before the chorus makes it feel even more tumultuous when it hits.

Creating atmospheres

Atmospheric undercurrents are a must-have in modern metal. This can include adding simple pad layers of synths or strings to thicken the production and give the song more life beneath the onslaught of guitars.

Droning guitar lines buried beneath the main parts of a section is another well-favoured trick to create lush backdrops to songs rather than an empty silence. It can also help the song feel like it has more movement away from the focal point instruments.   

Take the undercurrent of Northlane’s Afteriamge for an example. Just imagine how different the song would sound if those underlayers weren’t there. It’s night and day.

As your song progresses, you can introduce variations to these parts – perhaps by changing the instrument or tone, or subtly changing the motif – to increase that sense of forward motion and give extra nuance. This can help a song last the test of time with a listener as there is more to engage with.

Crafting a massive chorus

Regardless of genre, be it the cheesiest pop or the most unhinged, skull-pummelling metal, a massive chorus is essential to any song. They should feel like a chorus, so your listener knows where they are the moment it kicks in: Like putting a flag atop a mountain.

With modern metal, the balance between clean and heavy vocals can play a pivotal role – keep the aggression on either side of the chorus with gritty vocals and violent riffs, but open up and embrace bigger melodies and clean vocals for the chorus.

From a guitar standpoint, you can either follow the same concept as the vocals, or tactfully create a counterpoint. If your verse is all low chugs and guttural growls, consider using a higher octave or big, open chord voicings for contrast. This helps the listener easily establish that this new section is the chorus.

This can be applied to the rhythm too. If your right hand is very busy in the verses, or full of jagged rhythms, try leaving more space, or smoothing your rhythms out for the chorus. Contrast is a wonderful thing; try to think in opposites to create a clear contrast between sections.

Embracing accessibility with your chorus doesn’t have to come at the expense of heaviness. If your vocals are creating a big contrast already, keeping the guitars heavy and aggressive can act as a complimentary counterpoint to the vocals and keep the sonic palette consistent.

Check out this skyscraping but bone-crushing chorus by Grayscale Season for an example.

Your journey

By implementing these four secrets – clear rhythmic signatures, attention-grabbing production, atmospheric ambience, and choruses that stand out from the rest of your song – you can help modernise the music you coax out of your guitar.  

Songwriting, of course, is a personal journey, so these secrets shouldn’t be seen as hard and fast rules. Like parley, they’re more guidelines than anything. Use these tips as inspiration points, but let your creativity lead the way.

Get more 

Head over to the MMA blog page for more riff hacks and guitar playing advice.

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