GuitarDistortedRiff80% confidence
At the Heart of Winter Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Immortal
Immortal · 1990s · metal
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Gibson Les Paul Custom (likely 1970s/1980s, black finish, as used by Abbath in studio)
Pickups
Stock Gibson humbuckers (likely 490R/498T or similar, passive, ceramic/alnico mix)
Amp
Marshall JCM 900 4102 (studio recording, 1998/1999)
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording for 'At the Heart of Winter' (1999). Abbath used a Gibson Les Paul Custom into a Marshall JCM 900. No evidence of live rig or alternate guitars for the riff section. No confirmed pedal use in studio for this song's rhythm/riff tone.
Amp Settings
Mids4.5
Bass6
Gain8
Reverb0
Treble7
Presence6.5
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Tone Character
- tight and percussive
- scooped mids
- razor-sharp high end
- crushing low end
- high-gain saturation
- articulate tremolo picking
- aggressive palm muting
- dry, unmodulated tone
- minimal ambience
- focused, cutting attack
Notes & Caveats
- No direct source lists exact amp knob settings for the studio recording; values estimated based on typical JCM 900 settings for 1990s black metal and genre conventions.
- No confirmed pedal use for the riff section in the studio; distortion is from amp gain.
- No evidence of time-based or modulation effects in the riff section; tone is dry and direct.
- Guitar model inferred from era photos and interviews; some sources mention other guitars in later eras, but Les Paul Custom is most likely for this album.
- Pickup type inferred from standard Les Paul Custom specs of the era.
- If alternate gear or effects are discovered in future interviews or session notes, update accordingly.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Immortal's 'At the Heart of Winter' features a very high-gain, tight, and aggressive black metal tone typical of late-90s Norwegian metal, with scooped mids, tight bass, and pronounced treble/presence for clarity and bite. The production is dry with little to no reverb, matching the genre's conventions and Abbath's known amp settings (often Marshall or Peavey with mids cut and high gain).