The Best Heavy Metal Music Station

Looking for the best heavy metal music station? Look no further than Radio Metal. We’ve got the latest and greatest metal tunes, 24/7. Tune in now and rock out!

What is Heavy Metal?

Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the United Kingdom and the United States. With roots in blues rock and psychedelic rock, the bands that created heavy metal developed a thick, massive sound, characterized by highly amplified distortion, extended guitar solos, emphatic beats, and overall loudness. The heavy metal guitar sound comes from a combined use of high volumes and heavy distortion. Guitarists playing power chords with distortion rhythmically typify the heavy metal sound. It often features fast tempos, lightened melodies played with distorted guitars, emphatic rhythms with stressed or drawn out drumming patterns.

The Best Heavy Metal Bands

There are many great heavy metal bands that have been popular over the years. Some of the bands that are considered the best include Metallica, Megadeth, and Slayer. These bands have all been around for many years and have released some of the best metal albums of all time.

Metallica

Metallica is an American heavy metal band. The band was formed in 1981 in Los Angeles, California by drummer Lars Ulrich and guitarist James Hetfield, and has been based in San Francisco, California for most of its career. The group’s fast tempos, instrumentals, and aggressive musicianship made them one of the founding “big four” bands of thrash metal, alongside Megadeth, Anthrax, and Slayer. Metallica’s current lineup includes founding members Hetfield and Ulrich, longtime lead guitarist Kirk Hammett, and bassist Robert Trujillo. Guitarist Dave Mustaine (who went on to form Megadeth) was a member of the band from 1981 until 1983. Bassists Cliff Burton (who died in 1986) and Jason Newsted were members from 1986 until 2001 and 2003 respectively; the latter was fired due to creative differences.

On August 9, 2010, Newsted left Metallica after 14 years. He was replaced by Trujillo following auditions. Metallica has released ten studio albums, four live albums, five extended plays, 26 music videos, 45 singles (including three as a featured artist), ten video albums, 42 compilations (including one as a featured artist), 13 soundtracks (including one as a featured artist), and four box sets. The band has won nine Grammy Awards from 23 nominations; they also won two American Music Awards out of twelve nominations. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009. Rolling Stone placed Metallica at number 61 on its list of “The 100 Greatest Artists of All Time”. They ranked number 37 on VH1’s “100 Greatest Artists Of Hard Rock”. Guitar World magazine placed them at number nine on their list of “The 100 Greatest Guitarists Of All Time”. In December 2013, Metallica formed the independent record label Blackened Recordings to release their upcoming tenth studio album Hardwired… to Self-Destruct (2016).

Slayer

Slayer is an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California. The band was founded in 1981 by guitarists Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman, and drummer Dave Lombardo. Slayer’s fast and aggressive musical style made them one of the founding “big four” bands of thrash metal, alongside Metallica, Megadeth, and Anthrax. Slayer’s current lineup comprises King, lead vocalist/bassist Tom Araya, guitarist Gary Holt and drummer Paul Bostaph.

Slayer has attracted both critical acclaim and controversy over the course of their four-decade career.[1][2] Although their music has been highly influential to many metal genres, they have generally been less commercially successful than their Big Four peers.[3] However, Slayer achieved a measure of commercial success with their 1986 album Reign in Blood,[4] which peaked at number 94 on the Billboard 200,[5] and has been certified double platinum in the United States[6] and platinum in Canada.[7][8] Reign in Blood was ranked as the greatest thrash metal album ever by Kerrang! magazine,[9] while “Raining Blood” was ranked as the greatest heavy metal song ever by VH1.[10]

In 2015, Kerrang! magazine placed Slayer at number 31 on their list of “100 Greatest Metal Bands”.[11] In 2017, Rolling Stone ranked Slayer among their top 50 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time.[12][13], while frontman Tom Araya himself was ranked as number 50 on Loudwire’s list of the greatest metal vocalists of all time commonly known for his deep growls.

Megadeth

One of the most popular and enduring American heavy metal bands of all time, Megadeth rose to international fame in the 1980s and has sold more than 50 million records worldwide. Founded by guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine in 1983 after his dismissal from Metallica, the band has released 15 studio albums, five live albums, two compilations, and 37 singles. Megadeth is known for its distinctive instrumental style, often featuring complex arrangements and fast-paced riffing. The band has been nominated for 12 Grammy Awards, winning four times. Megadeth was ranked as the greatest metal band by Hit Parader in 2006.

Anthrax

Anthrax is an American heavy metal band from New York City, formed in 1981 by guitarist Scott Ian and bassist Dan Lilker. The group is considered one of the leaders of the thrash metal movement from the 1980s and is credited as one of the “big four” thrash metal bands with Metallica, Megadeth, and Slayer. As of April 2013, the band has released 10 studio albums, with a combined sales total of over 10 million copies worldwide. Anthrax’s first album Fistful of Metal was released in 1984 on Megaforce Records.

The Best Heavy Metal Songs

“Enter Sandman” – Metallica

This song is one of the most popular and well-known heavy metal songs of all time. It was released in 1991 as the lead single from Metallica’s self-titled album, and it quickly became a staple of their live performances. “Enter Sandman” features a simple, catchy riff that is easy to headbang to, and the lyrics are about a child’s nightmares. This song is a great example of how powerful and affecting heavy metal music can be.

“Raining Blood” – Slayer

From the opening seconds of “Raining Blood,” it’s clear that Slayer means business. The song, which is one of the band’s most popular and enduring, is a full-on assault of blistering guitars and thunderous drums, punctuated by singer/bassist Tom Araya’s howls of “In blood! We’ll kill again!” It’s a perfect example of why Slayer is one of the most important and influential metal bands of all time.

“Symphony of Destruction” – Megadeth

“Symphony of Destruction” is a song by American heavy metal band Megadeth, released as a single from their 1992 fourth studio album, Countdown to Extinction. The song was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance at the 1993 ceremony. Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine wrote the lyrics while visualizing himself as President of the United States during a time of domestic turmoil and international tension. The lyrics are interpreted as a call for revolution against an oppressive government.

The song’s music video, directed by Wayne Isham, features footage of riots and political protests set to the song’s adrenaline-fueled music. The video was nominated for four MTV Video Music Awards at the 1993 ceremony, winning two awards for Best Metal/Hard Rock Video and Best Editing. “Symphony of Destruction” has been included on several Megadeth greatest hits compilations, and has been covered by several artists, including Disturbed and NOFX.

“Indians” – Anthrax

This song is off of Anthrax’s 1987 album Among the Living. The song was written by Scott Ian and Joey Belladonna. The lyrics are about Native Americans and their struggles. The song has been covered by many artists, including Rage Against the Machine and System of a Down.

The Best Heavy Metal Albums

If you are a fan of heavy metal music, you know that there are a lot of great bands out there. But which ones are the best? Here is a list of the best heavy metal albums of all time.

“Master of Puppets” – Metallica

Released in 1986, Metallica’s third album, “Master of Puppets” is often cited as one of the greatest and most influential heavy metal albums of all time. The eight-song record featured powerful anthems like its title track, “Battery,” and “Welcome Home (Sanitarium),” as well as the band’s first ever acoustic ballad, “Orion.” “Master of Puppets” was Metallica’s last album to feature bassist Cliff Burton, who died in a tour bus accident just two weeks after its release.

“Reign in Blood” – Slayer

Reign in Blood is the third studio album by American thrash metal band Slayer, released on October 7, 1986 by Def Jam Recordings. The album was produced by Rick Rubin, who suggested the band speed up their tempo. Reign in Blood helped define the speed/thrash metal genre, and although many of its tracks were controversial at the time of release due to their extremely violent lyrics, Reign in Blood has been cited as one of the greatest and most influential heavy metal albums of all time. The album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance in 1987.

“Countdown to Extinction” – Megadeth

Megadeth’s fifth studio album, Countdown to Extinction, was released in 1992 and was the band’s most commercially successful album, reaching #2 on the Billboard 200 charts. The album was produced by Max Norman (Ozzy Osbourne, UFO) and features the hits “Symphony of Destruction” and “Foreclosure of a Dream”.

“Among the Living” – Anthrax

Among the Living is the third studio album by American thrash metal band Anthrax. It was released on March 22, 1987 by Megaforce Worldwide/Island Records. The album was certified gold by the RIAA on July 31, 1990.

The album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance at the 1988 Grammy Awards. “Indians” was nominated for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance Visual Music at the 1988 MTV Video Music Awards.

Heavy Metal Festivals

Headbangers, rejoice! There are plenty of festivals out there that cater to your metal needs. From the small and intimate to the massive and overwhelming, these festivals will definitely get you headbanging.

Download Festival

Download Festival is a British rock festival, held annually at Donington Park in Leicestershire, England, since 2003. It is the most popular British summer rock and metal festival and has hosted some of the genre’s biggest names, including Black Sabbath, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Slayer, Judas Priest and Megadeth. Although it was originally conceived as a one-day event, the festival now takes place over three days (Friday–Sunday).

In recent years the festival has branched out to include other genres of music such as alternative rock, hardcore punk and pop punk. With an incredible range of food and drink options, plus a huge selection of merchandise on offer, Download Festival really is the ultimate summer weekend experience!

Wacken Open Air

Wacken Open Air is a music festival for metalheads from all over the world. It is held annually in Wacken, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. The festival was first held in 1990, and has been held every year since then.

The lineup for Wacken Open Air is always full of heavy metal legends and up-and-coming metal bands. This year, some of the bands that will be performing include Judas Priest, Kreator, Accept, Amon Amarth, Arch Enemy, and many more.

If you are a fan of heavy metal music, then Wacken Open Air is definitely a festival that you do not want to miss.

Hellfest

Hellfest, or Hellfest Summer Open Air, is a French music festival specializing in heavy metal, held annually in June in Clisson. The festival was founded in 2006 by views from the music magazine Rock Hard, and is organized by French festival organization company AMP Events.

Graspop Metal Meeting

Graspop Metal Meeting is a Belgian heavy metal festival held in Dessel each year since 1996. It is usually held on the last weekend of June, and is considered one of the leading European metal festivals. It has followed the music trends closely over the years, starting out as a small, underground festival with mostly black metal bands, evolving into one of the most mainstream festivals in Europe with mostly mainstream headliners. The main stages are surrounded by a number of other stages with more extreme metal bands.

The event was first held on Saturday 29 June 1996 at Boeretang in Dessel, Belgium. There were seven bands performing on the main stage: Anathema, Cradle of Filth, Sinister, Impaled Nazarene, The Crown,God Dethroned and Afflicted. 1,500 people attended the event. In 1997, the festival was moved to recreational dome De Kroon and headlined by Swedish black metal band Dissection. 7,000 people attended that year’s event.

In 1998 it was moved again to Domein Hoffland meetjesland in Lichtervelde and headlined by American death metal band Obituary with 22 other bands appearing on two stages over the course of one day. 8500 people attended that year’s event which was marred by heavy rain during sets by Thorium and Dead Head.1999 was headlined Swedish melodic death metal band In Flames with over 30 bands appearing across two stages during the day while 10 bands performed on a smaller third stage at night including aggro-metal outfit Spineshank and power metal band Dragonforce who were then an unsigned act.

In 2000 it was moved to Festivalsite Stenehei in Drongen and headlined by English power metal band DragonForce playing their first ever festival headline show along with 34 other bands appearing across three stages during the day