Unholy Confessions
Chugged breakdowns and harmonized twin leads with modern high-gain saturation.
What is the Unholy Confessions guitar tone?
The Unholy Confessions guitar tone is chugged breakdowns and harmonized twin leads with modern high-gain saturation, heard on Avenged Sevenfold's 2000s metalcore recording. It is a distorted riff tone, and Avenged Sevenfold reportedly tracked it with Synyster Gates and Zacky Vengeance's two guitars, harmonized on the leads over chugged breakdowns, recorded with producer Mudrock at Third Stone and Mates Inc in Hollywood in 2003; which guitars and amps they used is not documented, and Gates' Schecter endorsement only began in 2005. Modern high-gain sits on a tighter low end than vintage crunch, so the gain control matters less than where the bass and the noise gate sit.
You do not need that exact gear to land in the same place. What carries this sound is the gain structure, the EQ curve, the pickup choice and the order of the effects, and all four can be rebuilt on equipment that costs a fraction of the original. The numbers change from amp to amp, because a high-gain head and a small practice amp reach the same voicing from different knob positions. That translation is what Tonelify works out for the rig you actually own.
Unholy Confessions amp settings: a starting point
On a generic five-knob amp, start at Gain 7, Bass 5, Middle 5, Treble 6, Presence 6, Reverb 1, with the bridge pickup.
- Gain 7
- Bass 5
- Middle 5
- Treble 6
- Presence 6
- Reverb 1
- Signal chain
- Noise gate → Tube Screamer style boost → Amp distortion
- The control that matters most
- Bass. Modern high gain needs a tighter low end than vintage crunch, and a boost pedal in front does more for tightness than more gain does.
These positions are free and they are a starting point. A Katana, a Spark and a valve head reach this voicing from different knob positions, so Tonelify rewrites every value above for the amp and guitar you own. Your first match is free with an account, and needs no card.
Adapt these to my amp- Pickup
- Bridge pickup
These are positions on a generic five-knob amp with gain, bass, middle, treble and presence, each running 0 to 10. They are a starting point, not the settings used on the record, and they will not transfer unchanged to an amp with a different gain structure or EQ voicing. If you tell Tonelify which amp you own, it rewrites every value above for the controls that amp actually has.
What gear did Avenged Sevenfold use on Unholy Confessions?
Synyster Gates and Zacky Vengeance's two guitars, harmonized on the leads over chugged breakdowns, recorded with producer Mudrock at Third Stone and Mates Inc in Hollywood in 2003; which guitars and amps they used is not documented, and Gates' Schecter endorsement only began in 2005.
Sources: Wikipedia: Unholy Confessions, Wikipedia: Waking the Fallen, Wikipedia: Synyster Gates
Tonelify reads that chain and translates it to the amp and guitar you already own, returning gain, bass, mids, treble and presence values along with a pickup position.
How do you get the Unholy Confessions tone on your own amp?
Tell us your guitar, amp, and pedals
AI researches the original tone of Unholy Confessions
Get exact knob settings adapted to your rig
Unholy Confessions tone questions
What amp settings do you need for Unholy Confessions?
On a generic five-knob amp, start at Gain 7, Bass 5, Middle 5, Treble 6, Presence 6, Reverb 1, with the bridge pickup. These are positions on a generic five-knob amp with gain, bass, middle, treble and presence, each running 0 to 10. They are a starting point, not the settings used on the record, and they will not transfer unchanged to an amp with a different gain structure or EQ voicing. Tonelify rewrites the same values for the specific amp and guitar you own, because a high-gain head and a small solid-state combo reach the same chugged breakdowns and harmonized twin leads with modern high-gain saturation from different positions.
What is the most important control for the Unholy Confessions tone?
Bass. Modern high gain needs a tighter low end than vintage crunch, and a boost pedal in front does more for tightness than more gain does.
Can you get the Unholy Confessions tone without the original gear?
Yes. The original was tracked with Synyster Gates and Zacky Vengeance's two guitars, harmonized on the leads over chugged breakdowns, recorded with producer Mudrock at Third Stone and Mates Inc in Hollywood in 2003; which guitars and amps they used is not documented, and Gates' Schecter endorsement only began in 2005, but the parts that define the sound are the gain structure, the EQ curve, the pickup position and the effects order. Those translate to other equipment, which is what the adaptation step does.
Is Unholy Confessions a rhythm or a lead tone?
It is a riff part with a distorted character, from Avenged Sevenfold's 2000s metalcore catalogue.
Does Tonelify cost anything to try?
Your first match for your own gear is free with an account, and needs no card. After that both plans start with a 7-day free trial: Stage is $6.99 a month for 20 matches, Headliner is $10.99 a month for unlimited matching within a fair use limit of 150 new matches a day, and yearly billing works out cheaper on both. Reading this page and the rest of the library costs nothing and needs no account.
