top 10 d.t. riffs of all time

[lumpy33]

hello all.  new to the forum, and loving how many others are out there that are obsessed with the brilliance of this band. 
i thought i'd offer up a list of what i think are the 10 best dream theater riffs of all time.  this was incredibly difficult.  there's just too much sickness all over the place to choose from.

10. sacrificed sons - 7:50.  the constant off beat play is awesome.

9. honor thy father - :33.  mosh-like heaviness.  love it! 

8.  home - 2:26.  the drums don't get in the way of this nice crispy crunchy riff.

7.  a rite of passage - 4:52.  perfect placement within the song makes for an excellent feel change and crushing riff.

6.  a change of seasons - 18:35.  gotta love that mac truck horn blasting through the start of this riff.

5.  pull me under.  the riff that put them on the map.  without it, there might not have been any more dream theater, and what a horrible existence we'd all have now.

4.  strange deja vu - 2:38.  i love the drive in this guitar lick.

3.  learning to live - 3:09.  simply one of the best.  it's in 13 first of all, and the addition of an extra crunch through each subsequent repeat is delicious.

2.  IV.  the test that stumped them all - :25, and the 2nd riff at :36.  ok, so technically i'm cheating by listing two riffs here, but they just kind of go together anyway, soooo...  if this riff doesn't get your blood pumping and make you turn up the radio, you must be in the car driving grandma somewhere.  dream theater at their metally finest.

1.  endless sacrifice - 8:06.  the build to this riff makes it's release exquisite.  the visceral power is so amazing it makes me want to slap my momma.  plus the drums changing feels under it - dream theater bliss.

so there it is.  my apologies to many fabulous moments in songs like root of all evil, the end of dark eternal night, the metallica-like shredding at the beginning of constant motion, scarred, this dying soul, lost not forgotten, and the glass prison.  all have sick moments, but couldn't break into my top 10.  rock on!!!

[namgalsipsclar]

What about the one in the middle section of Take the Time? That may just be the coolest riff ever

[Acideus]

What about the one in the middle section of Take the Time? That may just be the coolest riff ever

+1, probably my favourite DT riff of all time. (It's also my ringtone)

Also, the one at 7:20 in Finally Free gives me chills every time.

[jsem]

Wow. There are too many, I'm gonna listen through and categorize... maybe do a top 30/50 or something lol.

Plus, what counts? I mean, the guitar chords in Solitary Shell are in a repetitive figure and stuff - does that count?

[FlyingBIZKIT]

I'll come up with one later, but the one near the end of Peruvian Skies will be on there, for sure.

[FretMuppet]

A Change of Seasons intro, acoustic + electric

[lumpy33]

What about the one in the middle section of Take the Time? That may just be the coolest riff ever

if we're thinking of the same part, i love that too, but i think of that more as a melodic line than a riff, even though it crunches.

[Snow_Dog]

Take your pick from The Glass Prison. By far my favourite heavy song by them, so much awesome riffage left and right in that song.

[reza_122]

1. This Dying Soul (Final Unison JP-JR)
2. The Dark Eternal Night (Instrumental Section)
3. Constant Motion (Intro & Outro)
4. The Ministry of Lost Souls (Instrumental Section)
5. The Test That Stumped Them All (Intro)
6. The Spirit Carries On (JP Section)
7. Fatal Tragedy (Instrumental Section)
8. Breaking All Illusions (Instrumental Section)
9. Outcry (Instrumental Section)
10. Sacrificed Sons (Cheesy Hollywood)

[LieLowTheWantedMan]

10. Sacrificed Sons (Cheesy Hollywood)

What does this mean? I've never heard this.

[skydivingninja]

1. WOMP WOMP
2. WOMP WOMP
3. WOMP WOMP
4. WOMP WOMP
5. WOMP WOMP
6. WOMP WOMP
7. WOMP WOMP
8. WOMP WOMP
9. WOMP WOMP
10. WOMP WOMP

[CrimsonE]

Here are some of my faves:

As I Am:  Opening, then the main verse riff
Sacrificed Sons:  Headbanging riff following instrumental and closing out song
Learning to Live:  Outro
Mirror: Opening and closing
Great Debate:  Main riff--a great homage to Tool
A Nightmare to Remember--Beautiful Agony
Constant Motion--Main verse riff
On the Backs of Angels--verse riff
This Dying Soul--verse
Stream of Consciousness--too many awesome riffs to name

[ddtonfire]

There are so many!!! Here are a few of my favorites:
10. Home - Whomp Whomp (1:44)
9. Pull Me Under - main intro riff (1:15)
8. Metropolis Pt. I/Overture 1928 - Triplet rhythm in verse (1:41)
7. Octavarium - JMX groove (8:45) (can't believe this hasn't been mentioned yet)
6. A Nightmare to Remember - Chorus (6:56)
5. Honor Thy Father - Angry squeal riff (2:35)
4. The Mirror - Skull-crushing riff right after guitar squeals near outro (6:16)
3. The Count of Tuscany - funky riff (9:37)
2. Dark Eternal Night - Main riff (0:00)
1. Stream of Consciousness - Main 5/4 Riff (0:39)

Honorable Mentions:
Bridges in the Sky - Second Riff (2:01)
Bridges in the Sky - Outro Riff (10:07)
The Glass Prison - First riff (0:32)
Strange Deja Vu - Funk riff (2:38)
Blind Faith - Second Chorus (3:32)
The Root of All Evil - Main riff (1:00) (you can sing this riff over any pop song)
Sacrificed Sons - 6/8 headbang following instrumental (7:50)
These Walls - Outro (6:26)
Forsaken - djent with harmonics (2:07)

I'm sure I'm forgetting some...