hey, i have a lot of trouble picking things like the fast palm muting on the intro to rain that cory does.... can anyone give me any tips?

It's a skill you'll have to practise a lot to get right, just like any other guitar technique, so just keep on practising and make sure you're not tensing up!

Dont start galloping unless everything you play your using the correct stroke i.e. up and down. I never practised i just played along to songs that use triplets and then realised one day i could do it. Playing along to songs is better keeps you more interested and plus its less annoying to the other people who have to listen kthx

For galloping rhythms, try learning some Maiden as well - like The Trooper and Run To The Hills.

I learned to gallop playing along to Raining Blood. Learn that song and you'll have just about every speed and style of rhythm down.

Practice with a metronome until you get it right.

Yeah, slowing it DOWN will work wonders.

Yeah like Terry said, playing slows helps heaps. This is what I used to get me gallop picking
-----------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------
0-0--0-0-0--0--0-0-0--0--0-0-0------------
D D D U D D D U D D D U D
You pretty much just play the downs downs a bit slower (like 8th notes), then the down up down triplets a bit faster (like 16th notes). Just practise that over and over again till you get that chuggin kinda sound. Make sure your doing two down picks on the doubles and a down pick on the single, then alternernate the triplets, and you'll have it in no time!
Hope that helps!

Just whatever you do, make sure to put emphasis on your first note out of every 4 (or whatever it is depending on time signature). You'll know you're doing it right when you hear a train going chugga chugga chugga chugga.. etc. Make sure your STRICTLY alternate picking, and your alternate picking is solid before doing antyhing else.
And another thing you can do is Play like open on the E palm muted just once, then play a chord on the A and D strings, then play another open E then go down a fret, then play another e and go down another fret, and then just get faster and faster ( stick with a metronome) then you can do 2 notes then a chord, then build it up to 3 without any mistakes as fast as you can.