Tritone Lurch · the interval they warned you about, as a riff
↳ reharmStomp, Andalusian · voice the fifths as chords and hand b6 to a REAL dominant — the neoclassical fall
Inside moves to graft onIN·33 Flamenco Stingthe 3⁷♭9 sting before the 6- riff — flamenco and metal share a knifeIN·34 Neapolitan Slidethe Neapolitan b2 as a full riff station, not a passing chordIN·08 Fourths Ladderthe fourths ladder in power chords — the arena staircaseWays outOUT·09 Minor-Third Jumpthe minor-third jump — heavy music's favorite distance, cut coldOUT·39 Ladder Landingland anywhere via its own fourths ladder; the approach IS the riff
Target notes, chord by chordRoots on the accents, with the b2 and b5 as melodic tension against them — metal's signature colors. Pedal-tone riffs target the open low string between every fretted note.How the scale is playedNatural minor, Phrygian, and harmonic minor in alternate-picked 16ths; palm-muted gallops between accented opens. Precision IS the aggression.Genre theoryThe tritone and b2 are structural here, not spice — riffs are built ON them. Drop tunings put the root-5-octave under one finger, which is why the riffs move like melodies.