Whether it sounds ugly or beautiful, metal is meant to make you feel good. However, for this list, we’ve put together some of the most joyful metal riffs that make fans want to get up and dance or throw their arms up in bliss.

Judas Priest know how to get rip-roaring, but when the metal gods go mid-tempo, it’s all about the church of rock ’n’ roll. The main riff to “Living After Midnight” is one of metal’s most infectious and can turn the most grizzled metalhead into a little kid. The mood changes whenever Priest perform “Living After Midnight,” unifying thousands of fans with just four chords.

Black Sabbath’s riffs are brutally heavy and foreboding, but Tony Iommi can lighten a mood as well. “After Forever” is a shot of dopamine meant for a long drive down an empty highway. The song gets into a classically heavy Iommi riff after its opening intro, but the first impression of “After Forever” is a cheerful one.

No metal artist can tap into endorphins better than Devin Townsend. The brilliantly contradictory musician can weld together countless genres, but tracks like “Life” make us wonder how he succeeds so seamlessly. The riff to “Life” is extremely simple, but the guitar tone and rhythm parts behind the main riff just work… and it’s gorgeous.

Check out our picks for the Top 10 Feel-Good Riffs in Metal in the Loud List above.

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