Mayhem Part 1 - Freezing Moon - Guitar Tab

About Freezing Moon

Few songs in Black Metal are as immediately recognisable as "Freezing Moon." The track opens with a clean, brooding guitar passage that demands careful attention to dynamics and note separation before the distorted riff crashes in. Both sections reward slow, deliberate practice: the clean intro needs a controlled, even pick attack, while the main riff relies on tight palm muting and precise downpicking to hold together at 180 BPM. Staying in E Standard and centred on F# minor, the harmonic feel is bleak and intentional, so any tuning drift or sloppy fretting will undermine the atmosphere immediately. The riff patterns are not technically impossible, but keeping them clean and locked in at full tempo is a real challenge for most players. Use the Practice Toolbar to loop the transition from the clean intro into the heavy section slowed down until the pick-hand control is solid, then gradually push the tempo back up. Mayhem Part 1 built this track on economy and mood rather than speed alone, so patience pays off.

• The song features a contrasting clean guitar intro that requires controlled pick dynamics before shifting into heavy, palm-muted riffing.
• At 180 BPM in E Standard, consistent downpicking is essential to keep the main riff tight and rhythmically locked.
• The key of F# minor shapes every riff, so precise fretting and intonation are critical to preserving the track's dark, tense character.