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- 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.
Jul 20, 2016 · 10. Death. Death mastermind Chuck Schuldiner is regarded as death metal’s most crucial innovator. Authoring the first purely death metal record, ‘Scream Bloody Gore,’ Evil Chuck was careful ...
- Metallica. Metallica fans love to complain. They complained when the band made a video for "One" in 1989. They complained two years later when they scored a giant crossover hit with "Enter Sandman."
- Dream Theater. Dream Theater is the perfect marriage of prog rock and heavy metal. If you've never heard the group, a good starting place is "The Big Medley" from their 1995 EP A Change of Seasons.
- Black Sabbath. Black Sabbath did heavy metal first, and they may have done it best. Has any metal group managed to improve on songs like "Children of the Grave," "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" or "War Pigs?"
- Iron Maiden. There's almost no such thing as a casual Iron Maiden fan. People are either vaguely aware there's a metal band that sings that song "Run To The Hills," or they're wearing a vintage Fear Of The Dark Shirt at a Maiden show screaming at the top of their lungs for "Wrathchild."
- 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...
- Metallica. Having the word “metal” in its name definitely foreshadows the type of music Metallica creates. As such, they were sometimes called one of the Big Four thrash metal bands.
- Slayer. Our next band, Slayer, was formed in 1981 with original members Dave Lombardo, Tom Araya, Kerry King, and Jeff Hanneman. Because of their aggressive music style, they were considered one of the Big Four thrash metal bands.
- Megadeth. After being released from Metallica just before the band’s debut, Dave Mustaine vowed to create a group of his own that would release heavier and faster music.
- Iron Maiden. Formed in 1975, Iron Maiden is a heavy metal band from London, England. They are known for their intense live shows, which often feature pyrotechnics, fire-breathing, and blood-spattered Eddie, their mascot.
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Judas Priest is an English heavy metal band formed in West Bromwich in 1969. The band have sold over 50 million copies of their albums to date. They are frequently ranked as one of the greatest metal bands of all time. Despite an innovative and pioneering body of work in the latter half of the ...
Dec 28, 2023 · 6. Megadeth. Megadeth are one of the early pioneers of the genre and a top heavy metal band. They formed in 1983 and transformed what metal meant. Scathing, unapologetic, dirty, and carnal, their music possessed an arrogant sensuality that is damn near inimitable.
