Hi guys, me again! I haven't been on this site for a good long time and I've regained my interest in metal music once again. Today we're going to be counting down my top 10 favourite metal bands of all time! Stay with me, it's gonna be a blast!
First off, here are some bands that won't be on the list:
Sevendust
Avenged Sevenfold
Sabaton
Cannibal Corpse
3 of the bands I just mentioned are bands that I really don't like (Sabaton is alright, though)
Making this list was really hard, since I have a LOT of favourite metal bands.
Anyway, on with the countdown.
#10: System Of A Down[]
Alright, I'm going to get heavily criticised in the comments because I didn't put cannibal corpse on the list. That's fine, if you're a 9 year old brat who thinks screaming and growling makes a band "metal" System of a down proves that not all metal is just growling and screaming. They're arguably one of the most versatile bands out there and that is the main reason why I absolutely love them! They're one of the bands that got me into metal! Serj is probably my favourite singer of all time, Daron is a great guitarist and the Drummer is absolutely phenomenal. Favourite album by them is Toxicity. Obvious choice I know, but how could anyone not like the songs "Chop Suey" "Deer Dance" "Aerials" and "Science"
#9: Testament[]
Probably one of the greatest thrash bands that are not in the big four. You want to know why Testament is a great band? well, it's because they're very experimental and not all the albums sound the same, making each album a fantastic listen all the way through. You've got The Ritual which is just straight up thrash metal despite it's very quiet production and then you've got Practice What You Preach, The New Order, and Souls Of Black which all sound extremely crisp and fresh by today's standards. Favourite album by them has got to be Practice What You Preach. That album is overly bashed on despite the fact that almost all of its tracks are legendary.
#8: Anthrax[]
They're a bit more mainstream than testament but that doesn't mean that they're automatically a bad band. In fact, they're awesome and way better than Metallica (Who also won't be on the list, I like them but I rarely listen to them) Anthrax has fun and heavy hits such as Madhouse, A Skeleton In The Closet, and I'm Eighteen. All of which are probably some of my favourite anthrax tracks of all time. Joey belladonna has kind of a different voice compared to some of the other thrash metal bands but that's what makes him so damn brilliant and unique, Scott Ian is one of the greatest guitarists in thrash metal history and the band in general is just amazing. Favourite album by the has got to be Persistence Of Time, It's a very consistent album without any bad tracks.
#7: Death[]
The first time I heard the album Leprosy, I immediately fell in love with this band. So far, all of the albums I've heard by this band are great and musically amazing! the growls also sound really different compared to the death metal bands we get today. And the lead singer was apparently one of the nicest guys in metal! which is something that you really don't get from celebrities today, they're all spoiled rotten now. If Death and Cannibal Corpse had a fight, death would definitely win! as Death slaughters cannibal corpse out of the competition. Favourite album by them is Individual Thought Patterns. The Philosopher, Out Of Touch, and the Title track are all some of my favourite death metal songs.
#6: Judas Priest[]
Yeah, you all knew this band was gonna be on this list. Every single best heavy metal bands list has Judas Priest on it and I can totally see why. Their influence on the new wave of British heavy metal genre is undeniable. Not only that but they also influenced a crap-ton of other bands as well. Rob Halford is one of my favourite singers in metal. His voice can be beautiful and noisy at the same time and that what makes it pretty damn awesome. Painkiller is one of the greatest metal albums of all time. Favourite album by them is Defenders Of The Faith. It has my favourite Judas Priest song on it (Jawbreaker) and a ton of other great tracks as well (Heavy Duty. Freewheel Burning, Eat Me Alive etc.)
#5: Pantera[]
This band created an entire metal genre known as Groove Metal. They also invented some to the greatest breakdowns in metal history starting with the Domination breakdown on cowboys from hell. Most of the time, Phil Anselmo's voice was tough and fun to listen to while other times his voice was peaceful and beautiful which shows how much of a vocal range he had. Dimebag Darrell (R.I.P) Is also one of my favourite metal guitarists ever so there's that. Unfortunately, 2 of the band members died which means that there is a 0% chance of Pantera ever reforming. Which is very depressing when you think about it. Favourite album by them has got to be Cowboys From Hell. The reason why it's my favourite is pretty self-explanatory.
#4: At The Gates[]
Finally, a band that's not mainstream is on the list. At The Gates has made some pretty fantastic death metal throughout their career and some of their albums could even be considered the greatest of the genre. Slaughter of the soul is a very consistent album with no weak tracks whatsoever! (With Blinded By Fear being considered one of the greatest melodic death metal songs of all time) Tomas Lindberg is one of the most underrated metal vocalists ever. He really needs some more attention from the metal community. Favourite album by them is Slaughtered By The Soul.
#3: Black Sabbath[]
Ah, Black Sabbath. Without them, we wouldn't have the almighty music genre that is Metal. They influenced so many of my favourite metal bands! and there's not a single metalhead who hates them. They have the irresistible doomy sound to them that I really love and it's hard to decide the best vocalist from the band. For me it's either Ozzy or Ronnie James Dio. Favourite Album by them is Master Of Reality. Always has been, always will be.
#2: Iron Maiden[]
Probably my favourite out of the British heavy metal bands. They're also one of the bands that introduced the world of metal to me. I was speechless the first time I heard the number of the beast and now that's one of my favourite albums of all time. The vocalist before bruce was pretty damn incredible but Bruce is another level of incredible, he can do high notes and low notes. His voice is still really great today! it's also home to some of my favourite guitarists in metal. Favourite Album by them has to be Somewhere In Time. Mostly because my favourite song of all time (Alexander the Great) is on there but it's also because it's a very consistent album without any lackluster tracks. But so far I don't hate any iron maiden album (I've listened to half of their discography)
Honourable Mentions[]
Before I get to my number 1 pick, here are some awesome bands that sadly couldn't make it onto this list:
Megadeth
Iced Earth
Cradle of Filth
Bathory
Suffocation
Angel Witch
The Obsessed
Gwar
Venom
Killswitch Engage
Rammstein
Cryptopsy
White Zombie
Now onto number 1.
#1: Slayer[]
Well, what did you expect? did you even read my top 10 favourite slayer songs list I made a couple years ago? If you have, then you know that this is my absolute favourite metal band of all time. I don't even know why I love them so much, they're just so fantastic and incredible. They released some of the mightiest thrash metal albums to the general public. I would LOVE to meet Tom Araya someday! he's just such an awesome vocalist! Favourite album by them has got to be Seasons In The Abyss mainly because that's my favourite album of all time.
Well what did you think? did you agree with my list? if you didn't, then you can post your top 10 in the comments. Until next time.....grind on!