Type O Negative guitarist and Silvertomb frontman Kenny Hickey is our latest Gear Factor guest. Watch him work through his favorite riffs, both from bands who inspired him and from his own career.

As is typical of any rocker born in the '60s, Black Sabbath and KISS played a major introductory role as Hickey first learned to harness the power of megaton riffage. He recalls being struck by the KISS anthem "Rock and Roll All Nite" and Ace Frehley's smoking guitar stunt before tearing into "Detroit Rock City."

He wasn't a KISS fan at first though. "They look like idiots, they're wearing makeup, they vomit onstage," was his early criticism.

Before playing some pieces from new Silvertomb jams "Insomnia" and "Love You Without No Lies," we get part of the first song the guitarist ever wrote — "Cold Beer." It's primitive riffing and he jokes, "Not much has changed, huh?"

Okay... on to Type O Negative! Hickey reveals the secrets to Peter Steele's writing, which often involved taking his favorite pieces of music and warping them to fit his own style. One Black Sabbath riff became a huge part of "Black No. 1" and Steele even nicked the theme song from The Munsters for another Type O track.

Watch the full video at the top of the page.

Silvertomb's debut album, Edge of Existence, is out now on Long Branch Records and can be purchased here. Keep up with the band on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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