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Trust

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Antisocial - Guitar Tab

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Band Overview

Trust is a French Hard Rock and Heavy Metal band formed in Paris in 1977, often hailed as France's answer to AC/DC and Iron Maiden. Built around the core duo of vocalist Bernie Bonvoisin and guitarist Norbert "Nono" Krief, Trust carved out a reputation for aggressive, riff-driven rock with a punk attitude and politically charged lyrics. While they sang primarily in French, their musical language was universal: crunchy power chords, searing pentatonic leads, and a raw energy that caught the attention of the global metal community during the New Wave of British Heavy Metal era. Their crossover appeal was so strong that Anthrax famously covered their signature track "Antisocial," introducing Trust's guitar work to a whole new generation of thrash fans. For guitarists, Trust is essential study material in the art of tight, no-nonsense hard rock rhythm playing. Nono Krief is the engine of the band's sound, delivering riffs that sit in the sweet spot between AC/DC's groove and Judas Priest's precision. His rhythm work relies heavily on palm-muted power chords, aggressive downpicking, and a knack for writing hooks that are deceptively simple but feel explosive in context. His lead playing draws from blues-based pentatonic vocabulary with a classic European metal edge, incorporating fast vibrato, string bends with authority, and occasional bursts of alternate-picked runs. The difficulty level for learning Trust songs sits in the intermediate range. The riffs are accessible enough for players who have solid power chord technique and decent palm-muting control, but nailing the feel and the tightness of Nono's rhythm playing requires more discipline than you might expect. Songs like "Antisocial" demand locked-in downpicking stamina and a percussive right-hand attack. Lead sections are manageable for players comfortable with pentatonic boxes and basic legato phrasing, though Nono's vibrato and phrasing have a personality that takes time to absorb. If you're working on your hard rock fundamentals and want something beyond the usual Anglo-American canon, Trust is a rewarding and underrated choice.

What Makes Trust Essential for Guitar Players

Nono Krief's rhythm style is built on relentless downpicking and tight palm-muting, creating a percussive, driving feel that sits perfectly in the mix. Practicing Trust riffs is an excellent workout for right-hand endurance and consistency.
His lead guitar work is rooted in minor pentatonic and blues scales, but he adds a distinctly European metal flavor with wide, aggressive vibrato and precise string bends that hit their target notes cleanly every time.
Trust's arrangements often feature dual-guitar layering in the studio, with rhythm and lead parts doubling or harmonizing. Learning both parts teaches you how to construct fuller-sounding guitar arrangements in a power trio or four-piece context.
The band's punk influence shows up in the chord voicings and tempos. Many riffs use open-position power chords and first-position barre shapes played at high speed, making them great exercises for clean chord transitions under pressure.
Nono occasionally incorporates legato hammer-on and pull-off phrases into his solos, blending them with picked runs for a dynamic contrast. This makes Trust solos great for developing the ability to seamlessly switch between picked and legato techniques mid-phrase.

Did You Know?

Anthrax's 1988 cover of "Antisocial" on their album 'State of Euphoria' became one of their biggest hits, arguably making Trust's guitar riff more famous in America than the original French version.

Nono Krief was largely self-taught and developed his aggressive picking style by obsessively learning early AC/DC and Judas Priest records, which explains the hybrid feel of Trust's guitar tone.

Iron Maiden's Nicko McBrain actually played drums for Trust on their 1981 album 'Marche ou Crève,' giving the record a tighter, more powerful rhythmic foundation that pushed Nono's riffs even harder.

Trust recorded several albums at Studio Ferber in Paris, known for its dry, punchy room sound. This contributed to the tight, in-your-face guitar tone heard on their classic records, with minimal room ambience on the rhythm tracks.

Despite singing in French, Trust toured with Iron Maiden across Europe in the early 1980s, proving that a killer guitar riff transcends any language barrier.

Nono Krief has cited Angus Young's minimalist approach as a major influence, preferring to get maximum impact from a few well-chosen notes rather than shredding for the sake of it.

The main riff of "Antisocial" is built on a deceptively simple palm-muted figure in E minor that shifts dynamics dramatically between the verse and chorus, a masterclass in using volume and attack to create contrast without changing the actual notes much.

Essential Albums for Guitarists

Répression 1980

This is Trust's most essential album for guitarists, featuring "Antisocial" alongside other riff-heavy tracks that showcase Nono's full range of rhythm and lead skills. The riffs teach tight downpicking and palm-muting discipline, while the solos offer approachable pentatonic lead work with strong vibrato. It is the perfect entry point for learning the band's style.

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Marche ou Crève 1981

With Nicko McBrain on drums, the rhythmic precision on this album is exceptional, pushing Nono's guitar work to be even tighter and more dynamic. Tracks like "Serre les poings" and "Au nom de la race" feature some of his most aggressive riffing and melodic lead breaks. This album is ideal for guitarists looking to develop their ability to lock in with a powerful drummer.

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Trust 1979

The debut album is rawer and more punk-influenced, making it great for intermediate players building their power chord stamina and learning to play with attitude over precision. The production is less polished, which actually makes it easier to hear the nuances of Nono's picking dynamics and chord voicings. A solid foundation record before tackling the more refined later work.

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Tone & Gear

Guitar

Nono Krief is most associated with Gibson Les Paul models, particularly Les Paul Customs and Standards from the late 1970s era. He has also been seen with various other humbucker-loaded guitars over the years, but the Les Paul is his signature instrument. The thick mahogany body and set neck construction give him the sustain and midrange punch that define Trust's heavy rhythm tone.

Amp

Nono's classic tone comes from Marshall amplifiers, primarily JCM800 and earlier Plexi-style heads cranked to achieve natural tube saturation. The Marshall's aggressive midrange and tight low-end response are central to getting that punchy, cutting rhythm sound heard on albums like 'Répression.' Running the amp loud enough to push the power tubes into breakup is key to replicating his tone.

Pickups

The stock Gibson PAF-style humbuckers in his Les Pauls are the foundation of Nono's sound. These medium-output pickups (typically around 7.5 to 8.5k ohms) deliver a warm, thick tone with enough clarity to keep palm-muted riffs articulate. The bridge humbucker handles the heavy rhythm work with bite, while the neck pickup provides smoother, rounder lead tones for solos.

Effects & Chain

Trust's guitar sound is predominantly straight into the amp, with minimal effects. Nono relies on the natural overdrive of a cranked Marshall for his distortion, using guitar volume knob rollbacks for cleaner passages. Occasional use of a wah pedal and simple analog delay appears on some tracks, but the philosophy is firmly in the 'tone comes from the hands and the amp' school of thought. Keeping the signal chain short preserves the attack and dynamics that make his riffs hit so hard.

Recommended Gear

Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Standard

Nono Krief's signature instrument, the Les Paul Standard's thick mahogany body and PAF humbuckers deliver the warm, articulate midrange punch essential to Trust's heavy rhythm riffs. The natural sustain and set neck construction allow his palm-muted attacks to cut through with clarity and aggression.

Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Custom

Trust's Nono favors the Les Paul Custom for its enhanced tonal thickness and sustain, pushing the natural overdrive characteristics even further when paired with his cranked Marshall. The Custom's construction amplifies the midrange bite that defines Trust's punchy, cutting rhythm tone on albums like 'Répression.'

Amp

Marshall JCM800

The JCM800's aggressive midrange and tight low-end are the sonic backbone of Nono's tone, delivering natural tube saturation when cranked loud enough. This amp's responsive power amp breakup allows him to achieve heavy distortion purely through amp gain, keeping his signal chain minimal and his riff attack sharp.

Pedal

MXR Carbon Copy Analog Delay

Though used sparingly on select Trust tracks, the analog Carbon Copy delay preserves the natural attack and dynamics of Nono's riffs while adding subtle depth. This simple, transparent pedal fits his 'tone from hands and amp' philosophy without coloring the aggressive midrange character of his Marshall-driven sound.

How to Practice Trust on GuitarZone

Every Trust song page on GuitarZone includes a built-in Practice Toolbar. No app to download, no account needed. Open any song, then use the toolbar to slow the video to 0.5× speed, set an A/B loop around the exact riff you're working on, and jump between song sections instantly.

The toolbar appears automatically on every guitar tab, lesson, and cover page. Pick a song below, hit play, and start practicing at your own pace.

Practice Antisocial - Guitar Tab