Practice Studio

Dissection - Crimson Towers - Guitar Tab

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Amp Settings

Classic Rock

Gain6
Bass6
Mid7
Treble6
Presence5
Master7
AI tone preset

AI-selected preset based on genre and era — adjust the knobs to taste.

Roll back the gain slightly and pick near the neck for a warmer, more open crunch.

The Somberlain album cover
The Somberlain
1993 0:50

About Crimson Towers


From Dissection's 1993 debut "The Somberlain," "Crimson Towers" is a study in melodic black-metal guitar writing that rewards patient, focused practice. The song leans heavily on tremolo-picked melodic lines woven together with more measured riff passages, so your picking hand endurance and consistency are tested throughout. Getting those tremolo lines clean at full tempo is genuinely difficult. Set a section in the Practice Toolbar, slow it right down, and build speed only after each phrase is even and articulate. The interplay between rhythm and lead guitar is tight, so if you are learning both parts, take them one at a time before combining them. Cold, minor-key melodic sensibility runs through every riff, so pay close attention to phrasing and note choice. Rushing through this one will rob it of the atmosphere that makes it worth learning in the first place.

  • Tremolo picking is the core technique demanded here, requiring a relaxed but controlled picking hand to keep lines even across long passages.
  • The guitar work sits in the melodic black metal style, blending fast picked lines with slower, darker riff sections that need clear tone separation.
  • Looping individual riffs slowed down in the Practice Toolbar is the most effective way to build the speed and accuracy this song requires.

How to Play Crimson Towers

Tuning: D Standard · Tempo: 180 BPM

Tuned a whole step down to D standard, the lower string tension makes bends feel looser, so keep an eye on your intonation. At 180 bpm it moves fast, so the real test is building picking stamina and keeping every note clean at speed.

Loop the hardest passage and creep the speed up from around 70 percent until it holds at 180 BPM.

Fender Stratocaster
Guitar

Fender Stratocaster

Dissection's primary studio choice for tremolo-picked passages, with single-coil pickups delivering clarity that humbuckers muddy in dense black metal layers. The treble-forward response cuts through at 180+ BPM, making each 16th-note articulate and defined.

Gibson Les Paul Standard
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Standard

Used occasionally in Dissection's later live performances as an alternative to the Stratocaster, though its humbucker compression sacrifices the picking clarity essential to their tremolo technique. The thicker tone trades precision for warmth, making it less ideal for their intricate fretwork.

Gibson Les Paul Custom
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Custom

A secondary live option for Dissection, offering humbucker darkness but compromising the note definition required for their fast, articulate picking passages. Better suited to sustained tones than the rapid-fire clarity their signature sound demands.

ISP Decimator Noise Gate
Pedal

ISP Decimator Noise Gate

Dissection employed this noise gate to manage feedback during high-gain sustained passages without relying on heavy-handed gating that would choke their tremolo picking dynamics. It maintains the raw, aggressive tone while keeping unwanted noise controlled.

Play with Backing Track

Play with Backing Track

Solo (Backing Track)

Solo (Backing Track)