Sick Riffs: Chris Kang teaches you the genre-fluid riff of Huntsmen's Ride Out

Sick Riffs #49: We're fast approaching the 50th Sick Riff and the submissions continue to roll in - so expect plenty more lessons to come! Today, we give you Chris Kang - guitarist of Chicago-based metal/folk/country outfit Huntsmen - as he shows you the main riff of Ride Out from their latest album, Mandala of Fear.

To deliver the riff, Kang uses a Fender American Standard Telecaster electric guitar fitted with a Seymour Duncan Hot Rails bridge pickup running through a Blackstar HT-1 amp. He also kindly provided us with details of the gear he used on the recording: a Gibson SG through a Hi-Tone Custom 100/Emperor 4x12 amp/cab combination and a Black Arts Toneworks Quantum Mystic distortion/overdrive pedal.

"We were about a week away from our record release show for Mandala of Fear, where we'd be opening a sold out show for OM and Wovenhand, when the USA finally started taking COVID-19 seriously," the guitarist reflects. 

"That show was canceled, and then one by one, all the regional shows we'd set up to tour the new record started falling like dominoes, all the way up to Desertfest London (we had just gotten word that we were moved to the main stage). This was a pretty epic disappointment, but it's inconsequential compared to the humanitarian crises that have arisen from the pandemic, and the new (if tragically predictable) light it's shone on our corrupt government and brittle healthcare system. 

"Now, holed up at home, we and other musicians are trying to find a way to add some music back into the world by focusing our efforts on digital performances and really interacting with our listeners. This has proven to be beautiful and healing in its own way, for us, and I hope for those who we're reaching out to. Everyone - please take this seriously, and stay at home.”

Support Huntsmen

https://huntsmendoom.com/
https://huntsmen.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/HuntsmenBand/
https://www.instagram.com/huntsmen.doom/?hl=en
https://twitter.com/huntsmen_doom?lang=en
https://open.spotify.com/artist/1SCShrlrPEQfoQernUskjL
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/huntsmen/909716432

Sick Riffs is a Guitar World video series designed to help guitarists affected by the coronavirus. Self-isolating players around the world have each filmed a lesson where they teach you one of their own guitar riffs, up close and personal. If you dig the lesson, we encourage you to buy music and merch from the artist or stream their music.