Here's a breakdown for "Knight of the Apocalypse" with chords, tabs, tempo, tuning, and effects. This will give you a full guide for both the rhythm and melody parts, along with effects for each section. Song Overview Tuning: Drop D (D-A-D-G-B-e) Tempo: 170 BPM Effects: For the heavy melodic riff, use: Distortion (something like a Marshall or Mesa amp sim for a tight, punchy tone) Reverb (medium to large room, to give it some space) Delay (subtle, for added depth in the lead parts) Chorus (optional, adds a slight 80s flavor on clean parts) Intro Riff (Rhythm Guitar) Chords: The intro riff combines a heavy, chugged open string rhythm with some melodic slides and hammer-ons. Use heavy distortion here to get that chuggy, punchy feel. e|------------------------------------------------------| B|------------------------------------------------------| G|------------------------------------------------------| D|--------7-5-7---------------8-7-5---------------------| A|--------7-5-7---------------8-7-5---------------------| D|-0-0-0--7-5-7---0-0-0---0---8-7-5---0-0-0------------| PM PM PM PM Note: Play this riff with a triplet gallop rhythm to add momentum. Palm-mute (PM) the open chugs to give it a galloping effect similar to "The Trooper." Verse (Rhythm Guitar) Chords: The verse riff combines power chords to create a driving rhythm while the knight rides through deserted cities. e|--------------------------------| B|--------------------------------| G|--------------------------------| D|-2-------5-------4------3-------| A|-2-------5-------4------3-------| D|-2-------5-------4------3-------| Em G D C e|--------------------------------| B|--------------------------------| G|--------------------------------| D|-2-------5-------4------3-------| A|-2-------5-------4------3-------| D|-2-------5-------4------3-------| Em G D C Effect: Use distortion with medium gain and slight reverb for space. Rhythm: A consistent chugging rhythm, with a gallop feel for an extra sense of urgency. Alternate picking works best here. Chorus (Melody and Rhythm Guitar) In the chorus, we add some harmonized melodic lines to bring an epic feel. We’ll use harmonized guitars with heavy reverb and delay for that soaring Iron Maiden vibe. Chorus Melody (Lead Guitar): e|------------------------------------------| B|--12-12-10-12-12--10-8-7--10-8-7----------| G|-----------------------------9--7---------| D|------------------------------------------| A|------------------------------------------| D|------------------------------------------| Chorus Rhythm (Rhythm Guitar): Play these chords with a strong, open strumming style. e|--------------------------------| B|--------------------------------| G|--------------------------------| D|-2-------5-------4------3-------| A|-2-------5-------4------3-------| D|-2-------5-------4------3-------| Em G D C Effects: Lead Guitar: Delay with a short feedback (around 250ms delay time), plus reverb to fill out the sound. Rhythm Guitar: Distortion, keeping gain relatively high but clear for power chords. Bridge/Solo (Lead Guitar) Tab: For the solo, you can play around with the E minor pentatonic scale and the natural minor scale. Here’s a suggested pattern to start with: e|---------------------------------------------| B|---------------------7--8--7-----------------| G|--9~------7--9--10-----------10-9--7--------| D|--------------------------------------9------| A|---------------------------------------------| D|---------------------------------------------| Add in some tapping and bends to bring drama, like so: e|----------------------------------------| B|--10h12p10-12-13-15b~-------------------| G|----------------------------------------| D|----------------------------------------| A|----------------------------------------| D|----------------------------------------| Effect: Add more delay and reverb to make the solo sound larger than life. Experiment with slight chorus to thicken the tone. Faded Transition Effect (After Solo) For the transition, switch to a clean tone with reverb and delay for a haunting effect. Add subtle chorus if available. Clean Guitar Arpeggio: e|--------------------|--------------------| B|--------------------|--------------------| G|-------0-----------|-------0------------| D|-----2---2---------|-----4---4----------| A|---2-------2-------|---5-------5--------| D|-0-----------0-----|-5-----------5------| Em G Let this arpeggio repeat for two bars, with each note ringing out. Transition back to the heavy chorus by slowly fading in the distortion for an intense re-entry. Final Chorus (Both Guitars) Play the chorus melody and rhythm as above, but with additional intensity—palm-mute less and strum more forcefully to make it feel like a climactic, triumphant finish. Outro (Rhythm Guitar) Return to the Intro Riff but play it at half tempo to give a doomy, powerful ending. Summary of Effects Intro and Verse: Heavy distortion with slight reverb. Chorus: Distortion, slight reverb, and short delay for lead; rhythm uses distortion and reverb. Bridge/Solo: Distortion with more delay and reverb, optional chorus for thickness. Transition: Clean tone with reverb, delay, and optional chorus. Outro: Heavy distortion, reverb for doom effect. lyrics : Verse 1 (Heavy melodic riff plays beneath the vocals, with a gallop rhythm) "Summoned through shadows of dark prophecy, A knight of the sword and the shield, Transported in time, to a wasteland of death, Where cities lie broken and healed. He draws his blade, his iron might, A beacon of hope in eternal night, To purge the land of soulless fiends, A warrior’s task in machine's screams." Verse Riff: Galloping E power chord under the vocals. Chugged rhythm: E5 – G5 – D5 – C5 Chorus (Switch to a soaring melodic line in E minor. Harmonized guitars for the Iron Maiden feel.) "Knight of the apocalypse, Through cities of ash and bone, Riding to vanquish the undead, To purge the earth, alone." Chorus Riff: A melodic, harmonized riff on E minor with open notes, similar to “Hallowed Be Thy Name.” Power chords: Em - G - D - C with a rising and falling melody over each chord. Verse 2 (The knight rides across the wasteland, with haunting visuals of deserted cities and legions of zombies) "Through the ruins he rides alone, Silent cities carved in stone, Ghostly faces in shattered glass, Echoes of a world now past. His blade sings death to every fiend, Undead hordes fall unseen, A legend told in blood and fear, Of the ancient knight brought here." Verse Riff Variation: Add a higher octave riff layer over the original verse riff for contrast. Final Chorus Repeat the chorus with added harmonies, building the intensity as he rides on to his final battle. "Knight of the apocalypse, Through cities of ash and bone, Riding to vanquish the undead, To purge the earth, alone." Outro Riff Go back to the intro riff but slow it down, making it feel heavy and apocalyptic, as if the knight’s journey is never-ending.