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Jul 20, 2016 · Top 50 Metal Bands of All Time. The time has finally come! At Loudwire, we've churned out quite a lot of lists from just about every angle in the rock and metal spectrum, but something we...
- Iron Maiden. 27,948 votes. One of the leaders of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, this quintessential band managed to create an enduring legacy through their aggressive, melodic sound, and keen storytelling abilities.
- Black Sabbath. 25,281 votes. Often hailed as the pioneers of heavy metal as a genre, this legendary band introduced darker themes and innovative techniques, such as downtuned guitars, that have become essential elements of the metal sound.
- Metallica. 30,082 votes. Initially labeled as the "biggest underground band in the world," these trailblazers rose to fame thanks to their unique blend of thrash, speed, and progressive metal.
- Judas Priest. 19,807 votes. Hailing from Birmingham, England, this iconic band brought a distinct style and attitude to the world of heavy metal. Their unmistakable sound, characterized by soaring vocals, dual lead guitars, and a penchant for catchy hooks and anthemic choruses, cemented them as one of the genre's most influential and revered acts.
This is a list of heavy metal artists from the formative years of the movement ( formed between 1963 and 1981 ). For bands formed after 1981, please consult the lists for each heavy metal subgenre. In the late 1960s, a number of bands began pushing the limits of blues rock into a new genre which would be called heavy metal.
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- Christopher R. Weingarten,Tom Beaujour,Hank Shteamer,Kim Kelly,Steve Smith,Brittany Spanos,Suzy Exposito,Richard Bienstock,Kory Grow,Dan Epstein,J.D. Considine,Andy Greene,Rob Sheffield,Adrien Begrand,Ian Christe
- Avenged Sevenfold, ‘City of Evil’ (2005) Avenged Sevenfold’s third full-length was an intentional move away from their OC metalcore roots, and yet nothing about it sounded forced or calculated.
- Evanescence, ‘Fallen’ (2003) From the moment the haunting, moody and cinematic “Bring Me to Life” broke into the mainstream via the Daredevil soundtrack, Evanescence became the new face of the gothic metal movement and also one of the biggest bands in the world.
- Sunn O))), ‘Monoliths & Dimensions’ (2009) “I would never claim that Sunn O))) is a jazz band, but I think there are elements of jazz, if it’s not the tone, it’s the theories and the openness,” Sunn O)))’s Greg Anderson told The Wire.
- Gojira, ‘From Mars to Sirius’ (2005) Gojira emerged in the early 2000s – a time dominated by black-metal purists and emo-metal crossover scenesters – with a guts-meets-brains combo of rock, thrash and death metal.
- Metallica
- Slayer
- Iron Maiden
- Black Sabbath
- Judas Priest
- Motörhead
- Pantera
- Anthrax
- Megadeth
- Tool
Formed in the early 1980s by Lars Ulrich and James Hetfield, Metallica rose to international fame with their 1986 masterpiece Master Of Puppets. They are considered one of the first and most influential thrash metal bands, and their subsequent 1988 album …And Justice For All would net them a Grammy. However, their 1991 self-titled album provided a ...
Formed in 1981, Slayer was one of the first major thrash metal bands. The band initially built an underground following, touring the West Coast and with the release of their debut, self-funded album, Show No Mercy. It was their 1986 record Reign In Bloodthat put Slayer on the global map, with shorter, faster songs that merged metal and hardcore pun...
Few metal bands have been more prolific or influential than British rockers Iron Maiden. Releasing nearly an album per year throughout the 1980s, they established themselves as a premier heavy metal act. After Paul Di’Anno sang lead on the first several albums, the band shot to the top of the charts when Bruce Dickinson took over as lead singer for...
Often considered one of the first heavy metal bands, Black Sabbath’s 1970 self-titled debut album was a commercial success, though few critics had anything positive to say. They followed this up later that year with Paranoid and then 1971’s Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. These three albums came to shape the sound of the metal genre for generations to come...
Formed in 1969, Judas Priest spent much of the 1970s unifying their sound and their members. While they had, to that point, found a fair amount of success as a headlining metal act, it was their 1980 album British Steel that represented their first mainstream success. With songs like “Breaking The Law” and “Living After Midnight,” Judas Priest beca...
Led by Lemmy, Motörhead is one of the greatest metal bands to ever grace the stage. Their 1979 albums Overkill and Bomber established them as one of the premier heavy metal bands. They followed this up with one of their most iconic hits, “Ace Of Spades,” and an album of the same name the next year. Motörhead remains influential in the metal and pun...
Formed in the early 1980s, Pantera initially struggled through the middle of the decade as a glam metal band. They transitioned to a heavier sound at the end of the decade. While it was their fifth album, they referred to their 1990 album Cowboys From Hell as their official debut. They built on the success of the album with 1992’s Vulgar Display Of...
One of the first East Coast thrash metal bands, Anthrax rose to prominence on the quality of their second album, 1985’s Spreading The Disease. This was the first album that Joey Belladonna had taken over as the lead singer of the group. On their subsequent tour of Europe, they famously gigged right outside of Chernobyl mere days after the nuclear d...
While Megadeth’s debut 1985 record Killing Is My Business… And Business Is Good! received a bit of success, it was their 1986 record Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying? that made waves amongst metal fans around the world. While the band would struggle with infighting and substance use issues, they reeled off a series of platinum albums including 1988’s ...
Los Angeles-based heavy metal band Tool came on the scene with their first album, 1993’s Undertow. They established themselves as one of the biggest alt-metal acts in the world with 1996’s Ænima. The band has frequently combined its music with visual arts and narratives of personal evolution to great success. Their 2001 album Lateralus and 2006’s 1...
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Apr 26, 2024 · Select your top ten metal albums of the year; they have to be metal, they have to be new, original material, they have to be on MA, and they have to have been released in 2023. Put your list in order, with #1 being the album you liked the most.
Mar 13, 2023 · The 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Songs of All Time, including Black Sabbath, Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, Ozzy Osbourne, Dio, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden.
