Metal's First BREAKDOWN (And How to Play It)

Join me in this comprehensive guitar lesson as we discuss the first Breakdown in Metal Music, and how to play it on guitar.
Spoiler Alert
It's Slayer's Raining Blood
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[@ButthurtNinja]

Depends on how you define what a breakdown is. If it's just a slower, simpler riff that uses the root note, then Slayer was not the first to do it.

[@ramon2008]

Good pick. I’d say sabbath bloody sabbath has a breakdown that might be a contender.

[@TheBeetBoi]

Awesome video! Raining blood came to my mind when you asked what the first breakdown is. My favorite breakdown is the break down in Domination by Pantera.

[@mitchavedon]

That breakdown in Domination is insane

[@fernandomaiasilvadias8199]

Black Sabbath's "Black Sabbath" has the first breakdown at the end, but the tempo and feel goes faster than the verse; Black Sabbath has a lot of breakdowns, but "Children of the Grave" and later "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" middle sections probably are the first more "typical" breakdown in metal.

[@Aquotin]

Best breakdown of all time is Domination, no discussion.

[@mitchavedon]

Gotta agree with you there, that breakdown is brutal

[@darkstar19]

yeah it's really not, not even close...especially the album version as they ruined the feel with the snare sound.

[@lloydrittenhouse8666]

I know there’s probably more before this but wouldn’t the breakdown from creeping death which was released in 1984

[@chris.mcewin]

Not really because a breakdown technically needs to have some kind of callback to a faster part earlier in the song, where Creeping Death is a riff on its own entirely.

[@lloydrittenhouse8666]

@@chris.mcewin Ahhhh okay, thanks though didn’t really know that, i thought it was just a like slower part that was more of a derived heavier riff i guess

[@Chrisfallen]

@@lloydrittenhouse8666 it's kinda become that over the years, but writing a slow riff isn't musical, a breakdown has context... or should have anyway.

[@swingonthespiral]

First breakdown is black sabbath's "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" 100 %. First thrash riff and first breakdown.

[@hms2407]

Pink floyd- Echoes riff from 7:08 probably the very first.

[@metalreworks9412]

Escape by Metallica also has some kind of a breakdown after the 2nd verse

[@martindelater745]

But what is a breakdown exactly? Great video!

[@TeenageMetalCritic]

What about creeping death

[@bassnoob8214]

Escape and Creeping Death

[@esotilin530]

Creeping Death

[@jhellert1]

If I never heard the term "breakdown" again I wouldn't miss it. It's just an instrumental section. HUNDREDS of metal songs before Reign in Blood had them. Hundreds have had them since.

[@xxswamplordxx2079]

I mean, the fact that so many people felt compelled to make a term for it just shows that there is a need for it to be described.