Monday, February 05, 2007

20 Greatest Metal Bands Of All Time

Before I start, I must clarify that this list is solely based on my personal opinion. No surveys, no research, no crap like that. This list will consist of metal bands in all their forms; heavy metal, death, doom, black, power, gothic, thrash, progressive, nu-metal etc. Some genres may have a bigger share and it’s even possible that some don’t even make it to the list. Some bands may be included because of their popularity or sheer influence over a particular sub-genre of Metal, but most of them would be here at my own discretion. You are welcome to not agree with the list, but don’t comment unnecessarily, and ask me to kick out or include any band in the list. Just read and enjoy:

20) DIO: Why are they here? For Ronnie James Dio. Ronnie, along with Robert Plant and Bruce Dickinson is one of the most powerful and unique voices in metal history. Holy Diver and Rainbow In The Dark are what classic metal is all about.
ESSENTIAL ALBUMS: Holy Diver, Last In Line


19) MOTLEY CRUE: Why are they here? For being the ultimate glam-metal band ever. ESSENTIAL ALBUMS: Shout At The Devil







18) OPETH: Why are they here? I seriously don’t knowL. I have tried and tried and tried to like Opeth, but I haven’t succeeded. They are here because every damn critic the world over says “they are the best death/doom metal band in the world”. I don’t know, maybe I missed something, maybe I’m plain stupid or maybe something’s wrong with my ears. I don’t like ‘em or their music. Just coz they change their tempo every 30 seconds, and throw in flutes and acoustic guitars amidst the thrashy riffs and death-ish growls doesn’t mean they make good music. Anyway, as I said, some bands would be included for their sheer influence, so here they are, Opeth—the best doom/progressive death metal band in the world.
ESSENTIAL ALBUMS(Apparently?): Blackwater Park, Ghost Reveries

17) CHILDREN OF BODOM: Why are they here? Hey, it’s my list you knowJ
The guitar work which you hear in COB is out of this world! They are just so damn good! Genre wise, they can’t be classified really, some could say it’s melodic black metal with death influences. Anyway, the point is, COB rock, and they rock hard!! The guitar solo and twin attack on ‘Kissing The Shadows’ is the most phenomenal piece of music you’d ever hear in any metal song. The vocals could have been a little less ‘shrieky’ but hey, it’s great still.
ESSENTIAL ALBUMS: Hatebreeder, Follow The Reaper, Hatecrew Deathroll

16) DEEP PURPLE: Why are they here? Dhang dhang dhann…dhang dhang dad an….Dhang dhang dhann….da daaaan.For giving us the ULTIMATE metal riff. They have given us two of the greatest metal songs ever written..Highway Star and Smoke On The Water. Nothing more to say here.
ESSENTIAL ALBUMS: Machine Head, In Rock

15) AC/DC: Why are they here? For doing the impossible; making POP out of METAL.
It’s true, AC/DC have written countless metal songs which you can actually hop and dance to. They made metal ‘hip n’ happy’, the simplicity with which they played their riffs and the sheer catchiness of their songs is what makes them great! Black Is Black, Highway To hell,You Shook Me All Night Long, That’s The Way I Wanna Rock n’ Roll are eternal classics which everyone from a 2nd grade kid to a 60 year old grandma will always listen to.
ESSENTIAL ALBUMS: Back In Black, Blow Up Your Video, Who Made Who

14) KORN: Why are they here? Like ‘em or hate ‘em, you just can’t ignore ‘em.
At a time, during the mid nineties, they said metal was dead, they said rock was dying. Then came along a band called Korn, and started smashing the Billboard charts and sales records. If nu-metal had a definitive origin, it would be Korn! ‘Freak on a leash’ remains the most requested non pop/rock song on US radio channels to date. Blind, Got The Life, Children Of The Korn and Freak on a Leash are, as you all know, nu-metal anthems.
ESSENTIAL ALBUMS: Korn, Follow The Leader

13) HELLOWEEN: Why are they here? For giving us Keeper of the Seven Keys 1 & 2.
Keeper of the Seven Keys I & II stand right up there with Operation Mindcrime ( Queensryche) as the best concept albums of all time. I want Out, Dr. Stein, Halloween and Future World are power metal anthems, and not to forget the 13 miute epic ‘Keeper Of The Seven Keys’—Power Metal’s finest moment.
ESSENTIAL ALBUMS: Keeper of the Seven Keys I & II

12) PANTERA: Why are they here? For taking extreme music to the masses. Pantera started where Slayer had left off. How they could make a whole song with that ‘2 and a half note’ riff(The Walk) and make that song so memorable and utterly HEAVY!! That was what Pantera was all about. The nasty, dirty guitar playing of Dimebag Darrel was what drove Pantera’s music. In the very short span of their musical career, Pantera gave us 4 great thrash albums. It’s sad they decided to part ways and some idiot shot! Dimebag, may he rest in peace.
ESSENTIAL ALBUMS: Cowboys From Hell, Far Beyond Driven, Vulgar Display Of Power

11) IN FLAMES: Why are they here? For re-inventing the Swedish metal scene and giving the world what you call ‘Melodic Death Metal’. If it weren’t for the pressure of including some "ESSENTIAL" bands in the top 10, these guys would have definitely been in the top 8 somewhere. In Flames are what you call the ‘inspiration’ for the metalcore/melodic death metal acts of today, a la Killswitch Engage, Atreyu etc. In Europe they are Metal GODS, and are definitely the tightest and most original metal act to have surfaced in the past decade and a half. Just listen to The Jester Race, Colony, Clayman and you’ll know what I’m saying. It’s sad that their most popular song, atleast in India, is ‘Cloud Connected’ from ‘Reroute To Remain’, listen to their earlier albums and be amazed by the sheer talent these guys possess. Their latest offering ‘Come Clarity’ shows that they still have it!
ESSENTIAL ALBUMS: The Jester Race, Whoracle, Colony, Clayman, Come Clarity

10) JUDAS PRIEST: Why are they here? Because the top 10 of any metal list can’t be complete without these guys. Yes it’s true, I’ll admit it again, I’m not a huge fan of Judas Priest, but their influence on metal music during the late seventies and early eighties along with Iron Maiden is undeniable, and Painkiller, Breaking The Law, Beyond The Realms Of Death, Hell Bent For Leather, The Ripper do find my iTunes playlist once in a blue moon.
ESSENTIAL ALBUMS: Screaming for Vengeance, British Steel & Painkiller

9) SYMPHONY X: Why are they here? Because on a good day, they can give D**** ******R a run for their money. The title track from The Divine Wings Of Tragedy is arguably the greatest metal epic(21 minutes) ever written, and they almost beat themselves with the 24 minute classic ‘The Odyssey’. Michael Romeo is the most underrated guitarist in the world today. They can belt out insane headbangers like Wicked, Of Sins And Shadows, Eyes Of Medusa and then wrench your heart with a Candlelight Fantasia. Their list of good songs is also very exhaustive…
ESSENTIAL ALBUMS: The Divine Wings Of Tragedy, The Odyssey, V-The New Mythology Suite

8) LED ZEPPELIN: Why are they here? For giving us ‘Stairway To Heaven’…..period!
There’s no other substantial reason I could find. It was one of those ‘make everyone happy’ choices. They’re not REALLY metal too, but what the hell.
ESSENTIAL ALBUMS: Led Zeppelin II,Led Zeppelin IV, Houses Of The Holy

7) SLAYER: Why are they here? They’re 3rd of the great trinity of the 80s thrash scene(the other two will come later). Slayer, in my opinion are not a mere thrash band in the real sense, their music sounds a little extreme for that. Bootomline: They have given us the most definitive thrash album of all time..Reign In Blood. Angel Of Death, Raining Blood, Jesus Saves and Necrophobic are cult anthems. Slayer fans are notorious for chanting ‘Slayer…Slayer…Slayer’ at other bands’ shows. There’s no denying the influence of Slayer on all the extreme metal acts since their time. Sepultura were actually a clone till they went berserk with their Brazillian tribal crap!! Christ Illusion shows that these monsters still have IT, will have to wait for a couple of years to put the album in ESSENTIALS just to check if it ages well.
ESSENTIAL ALBUMS: Reign In Blood,South Of Heaven,Hell Awaits & Seasons In The Abyss

6) QUEENSRYCHE: Why are they here? For giving us Operation Mindcrime.
While D**** ******R are progressive with their neo classical style of guitar work/keyboards and the technical time signatures, Queensryche are progressive in creating immersive musical atmosphere. Every single second on Operation Mindcrime is musical bliss, the definitive musical atmosphere, and everything else than has been or ever could be. Eyes O A Stranger, the Mission, Anarchy-X, I don’t Believe In Love are songs which every rock band of the 80s dreamt of but could never make. The single Silent Lucidity from their album Empire is arguably the best rock ballad ever made.
ESSENTIAL ALBUMS: Operation Mindcrime, Empire, Promised Land

5) DREAM THEATER: Why are they here? Because they are the most talented band on the planet. Each member is worth much more than many good bands out there. They can go on jamming for bloody 30 minutes, and it still turns out to be vintage prog-metal. When it comes to metal drumming, there’s no answer to Mike Portnoy, when it comes to metal guitaring, there’s no REAL answer to John Petrucci. They are largely regarded as the best progressive metal band ever, and they deserve it. All of their albums are great except for the newest Octavarium. The beauty of Dream Theater is that they can make you mad with the bludgeoning Pull Me Under, Lie, Caught In A Web and at the same time make you wanna dance to Another Day or Silent Man. The list of good songs is so long that I won’t even try.
ESSENTIAL ALBUMS: Awake, Images and Words, Scenes From A Memory

4) MEGADETH:Why are they here? Because they’re 2nd of the great trinity of the 80s thrash scene (Slayer was one, the other one will come later). What can I say about them? They have written some of the most advanced and technical riffs in Metal history, the twin solo attack of Dave Mustaine and Marty Friedman is almost legendary. They are one of the very few ‘very popular’ bands who have never compromised with their music. Peace Sells but Who’s Buying, Rust In Peace and Countdown to Extinction are a MUST!! for every Metal collection..period!! This is not to say that Youthanasia or Cryptic Writings wee not good, they are excellent too, with the former being their heaviest effort to date. Honestly speaking, if you talk about ‘album’ listening, they score over ********A. You can put Rust In Peace or Countdown to Extinction in your player and forget it, all songs are killer. It’s the individual ‘classics’ where ********A takes the edge over Megadeth. I love this band, it has given me some of my most memorable riffing and solo moments.Holy Wars,Wake Up Dead, Hangar 18, Lucretia, In My Darkest Hour, Symphony Of Destruction, Sweating Bullets, Tornado Of Souls, Killing Road, She-Wolf and their mammoth!!! cover of Black Sabbath’s ‘Paranoid’ are some of thrash’s greatest moments.
ESSENTIAL ALBUMS: Peace Sells…., Rust In Peace, Countdown To Extinction

3) BLACK SABBATH: Why are they here? They are here, because they have to be! They are here for the fact that they gave the world ‘Heavy Metal’. The sheer influence of this band on rock music and the countless metal bands till date is what gets them this position. I’ll admit, I’m not a huge fan of Black Sabbath, but I’ll also admit that Paranoid, War Pigs and After Forever do keep coming up in my iTunes playlist every alternate month or so. The originators of heavy metal, they deserve this.
ESSENTIAL ALBUMS: Master Of Reality, Paranoid

2) IRON MAIDEN: Why are they here? They are actually bigger than the music they create. The lords of heavy metal, the all 50 somethings who can still make the public chant along and give the definitive adrenaline rush. Bruce Dickinson’s operatic voice is perhaps the best known in the metal world. During their long! career they have given us monster epics like Fear of the dark, Rime Of The Ancient Mariner, Sign Of The Cross, Hallowed Be They Name. Given us out and out headbangers like 2 min to midnight, be quick or be dead, aces high and also cult anthems like Number of the beast, powerslave, flight of the icarus, the list goes on. They, undoubtedly, have the longest list of ‘GOOD’ songs among all metal bands.
ESSENTIAL ALBUMS: Powerslave,Piece Of Mind, Number Of The Beast, Fear Of The Dark

1) METALLICA: Why are they here? Because they’re Metallica…, if you don’t agree, you don’t know metal. The last piece of the great 80s thrash trinity. I agree, that they’ve perhaps lost their magic touch since the release of the Black Album 13 years ago, but Ride the Lightning and Master Of Puppets are sufficient enough to cement their position as the greatest Metal act of all time....period. Not to forget the equally wonderful ..And Justice for All and Black album. ...and who can ignore the ferocious Kill Em All which really kick started the Thrash scene. The fact that they have sold over 200 million albums worldwide and are the most successful metal act of all time, and the fact that they are USA’s 7th most successful music act of all time is testimony to the fact that Metallica, in fact, are the best Metal band ever.
The Four Horsemen, Creeping Death, The Call Of Ktulu, Fade To Black, One, Battery, Master Of Puppets(8 mins of perfect metal bliss), Damage Inc., Enter Sandman, Sad But True, Wherever I May Roam, The Unforgiven and the wonderful Nothing Else Matters will always remain etched in our memory as metal’s finest moments.
ESSENTIAL ALBUMS: Ride The Lightning, Master Of Puppets, Metallica & ..And Justice

Well that was it; as I said in the beginning, a few of the bands are here because of universal acceptance or critical appeal and most of them are my personal choice. Your suggestions are welcome…maybe I did miss something which should have been in here. Cheerio!!
WORTHY MENTIONS
Arch Enemy--One of the greatest melodic death metal bands ever...with a female vocalist now!!!Check out Wages of Sin..if nothing else.
Blind Guardian--Second only to Helloween. Have given many epic power metal albums.
Dark Tranquillity--Another of the great Gotherburg trio. Much heavier than In Flames and At The Gates. the Gallery, Damage Done and Character are classic melo-death metal albums.
Death--Started the term 'Death Metal'. Scream Bloody Gore and Perseverance Of Time are calssic death metal albums.
Skid Row-- Skid Row and Slave To The Grind are the ultimate glam-metal albums.
Scorpions--The biggest Rock/Metal band Germany has ever produced.
Def Leppard--Greatest of the NWOBHM brigade after Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath & Judas Priest.
KISS--Almost! made it to the list. No band has merchandised itself like KISS. Dimebag Darrel was buried in a KISS casket!!
** Guns N Roses were never really a metal band; angry hard rock at best, or else they would have been there, right at the top!**
BANDS THAT MIGHT MAKE THIS LIST 10 YEARS FROM NOW
Lamb Of God
Killswitch Engage
DragonForce
Trivium

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

where's NIRVANA

Unknown said...

Umm..coz they're grunge..not metal.

Anonymous said...

all i can do is laugh ,on ur listings..dude u have no idea about metal..how can you place metallica over iron maiden and holy lord black sabbath at no.3(lol)..its really shocking..go listen to some maiden first and then decide!!!!

salehin said...

not to counter your listings though,but i can't ever figure out why people do rank metallica higher than Iron maiden.....It's ironic for Iron maiden to fall behind metallica in any list as i reckon.If quality of music is the first concern of your ranking,then in no way does metallica supersede maiden....

Unknown said...

@salehin...."greatest" as a term is more objective than subjective. While you may think Iron Maiden makes better music, as will a lot of others...it's entirely a different matter to rank them in terms of "greatness".

It's one thing to say so-n-so is my favourite band or so-n-so is the best band in my opinion, but quite another to say so-n-so is the greatest. Greatness is hardly ever directly proportional to technical talent. The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Michael Jackson etc. were hardly technical marvels compared to many technically outstanding performers of their time, but to say they weren't the greatest is a complete logical fallacy.