Melting joints is an extreme metal technique invented by Norwegian guitarist Samoth of the black metal band Emperor in 1994. It involves playing on a cheap and badly built electric guitar which, due to its poorly manufactured components and lack of a grounding wire can easily produce static electricity. When strummed, the string becomes charged and begins to melt the frets or the pickguard (depending on the playing technique). This is done without the use of effects or pedals while plugging the instruments into a tube amplifier.

Samoth first recorded this effect on Emperor's 1994 album In the Nightside Eclipse, and he continued to use it occasionally on later Emperor releases. The technique is difficult and requires a great deal of practice, and it can only be used on cheaply built guitars.

Because of the technique's use of cheap guitars and amplifiers, many guitar players have criticized the melting joints technique. Guitarist Scott Hull argues "That's not even a technique, It's just sloppy playing." However, Samoth considers it as an artistic choice stating that "I never aimed for it to be some guitar wizard technique. It was just a different part of the music and it is part of Emperor."