TonesMatch
Descending — Lamb of God1 / 2
Original RigYour Adaptation
GuitarDistortedRiff80% confidence

Descending Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Lamb of God

Lamb of God · 2000s · metal

studio

Original Recording

Guitar
ESP Will Adler Signature Series Warbird
Pickups
EMG 81 (bridge), EMG 85 (neck) active humbuckers
Amp
Mesa/Boogie Mark IV
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup

Studio recording for 'Descending' (2006, Sacrament album). Both Mark Morton and Willie Adler tracked rhythm guitars; Adler is generally credited with the main riff. Mesa/Boogie Mark IV was the primary amp for rhythm tracks, with built-in 5-band EQ. No evidence of live rig or other amps for this specific recording.

Amp Settings

Mids
5
Bass
6
Gain
8
Reverb
0
Treble
7
Presence
6.5

Effects Chain

  • Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor · noise_gate
  • dbx 266XL Compressor/Gate · compression

ESP Will Adler Warbird (bridge EMG 81) → Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor → dbx 266XL Compressor/Gate → Mesa/Boogie Mark IV (no amp effects, 5-band EQ in amp)

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Tone Character

  • tight and percussive
  • scooped mids
  • aggressive palm muting
  • high-gain saturation
  • articulate attack
  • dense, layered rhythm guitars
  • minimal ambience
  • precise and relentless
  • modern metal clarity
  • crushing low end

Notes & Caveats

  • ⚠️No direct numeric amp settings for 'Descending' found; settings estimated based on typical Mark IV metal usage, era, and genre.
  • ⚠️Pedal/effects chain is inferred from multiple rig rundowns and interviews for the Sacrament era; no direct studio session notes for this song.
  • ⚠️No evidence of time-based or modulation effects (delay, chorus, phaser, etc.) on the riff section; only noise gate and compression are confirmed.
  • ⚠️All effects listed are confirmed for rhythm tone; lead/solo section may differ.
  • ⚠️Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Lamb of God’s 'Descending' features a tight, saturated modern metal tone with clear attack and punchy mids, typical of Mark Morton and Willie Adler’s Mesa/Peavey high-gain amps. The bass is controlled for tightness, mids are present but not scooped, treble and presence are boosted for clarity, and the tone is very dry with no audible reverb.

Sources