Best Heavy Metal Music Videos

Looking for the best heavy metal music videos? Look no further! We’ve compiled a list of the top 10 metal videos for you to check out.

Metallica-One

“One” is a song by American heavy metal band Metallica. It was released as the third and final single from their fourth studio album, …And Justice for All (1988). The song was written by band members James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich, and produced by Bob Rock. “One” is also notable for its music video, which won a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance in 1990. The video features close-ups of the band members’ faces superimposed over a montage of World War I footage.

Megadeth-Symphony of Destruction

Released in 1992, “Symphony of Destruction” is a song by American thrash metal band Megadeth, and the second single from their fifth studio album, Countdown to Extinction. The song peaked at number 40 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it the band’s highest-charting single in the United States until 2006’s “A Tout le Monde”. In 2009, it was named the 34th greatest hard rock song of all time by VH1.

The song’s title and lyrics are a metaphor for then-president George H. W. Bush’s foreign policy. The lyrics were written by Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine after he saw footage of the riots following the Rodney King trial verdicts.

Anthrax-Indians

Anthrax is an American heavy metal band from New York City, formed in 1981 by guitarist Scott Ian and bassist Danny Lilker. The group is considered one of the leaders of the thrash metal movement from the 1980s and is one of the “Big Four” thrash metal bands with Metallica, Megadeth, and Slayer; Anthrax is one of the world’s best-selling music artists, having sold more than 20 million records worldwide.

The band has released eleven studio albums, several other albums, and 26 singles. According to Nielsen SoundScan, Anthrax sold 2.5 million records in the United States from 1991 to 2004, with worldwide sales of 10 million. Notable members of Anthrax have included Joey Belladonna, Dan Spitz, Neil Turbin, Anthrax was named after a disease of the same name which Ian saw in a biology textbook. The word “anthrax” itself comes from the Greek word for coal: ἄνθραξ (ánthrax).

The band began recording their debut album Fistful of Metal in August 1982. The album was released on January 17, 1984 on Megaforce Records. Fistful of Metal has been certified gold by both the Recording Industry Association of America and Canada’s Music Canada. In support of Fistful of Metal, Anthrax toured across North America and Europe supporting such bands as Motörhead and Venom. The band’s second album Spreading the Disease was released on October 30, 1985; it peaked at number eighteen on Billboard’s Top Rock Albums chart in 1986. With Dan Lilker having left Anthrax after Fistful of Metal to form Nuclear Assault, he was replaced by roadie Frank Bello before recordings for Spreading the Disease began in earnest. Recording sessions took place between July and September 1985 at MEDIASOUND Studios in New York City; producers Mark Dodson and Eddie Kramer assisted Rubini in tracking the album.

Pantera-Walk

Hailing from Texas, Pantera was one of the most successful and influential heavy metal bands of the 1990s. disbanded in 2003, following the death of guitarist “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott. Their 1991 album Cowboys from Hell broke into the mainstream, and its follow-up, Vulgar Display of Power, cemented their status as legends in the metal world.

“Walk” is one of Pantera’s best-known songs, and its music video is an essential piece of metal history. The video was directed by Gregory Dark (who also helmed videos for Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears) and features the band performing in front of a live audience. The video is intercut with footage of people walking through a city streets, lending an eerie feeling to the proceedings.

Whether you’re a fan of Pantera or simply a fan of metal music, “Walk” is a must-watch.

Slayer-Raining Blood

Slayer is an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California, formed in 1981 by guitarists Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman. They were joined by drummer Dave Lombardo and bassist/vocalist Tom Araya. 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 (guitars), Hanneman (guitars), Araya (bass, vocals), and Lombardo (drums).

“Raining Blood” is a song by American thrash metal band Slayer. It was released as the lead single from their 1986 album Reign in Blood. The song is widely considered to be one of the greatest metal songs of all time. It has been included on multiple lists of the greatest metal songs, including VH1’s “40 Greatest Metal Songs” and Rolling Stone’s “The 100 Greatest Metal Songs of All Time”. In 2009, it was named the greatest heavy metal song of all time by Kerrang!.

Exodus-Toxic Waltz

Exodus is a Thrash Metal band formed in 1980 in Richmond, California. Toxic Waltz is a song off their 1989 release Fabulous Disaster. The music video features the band performing in a dystopian future world where they are being hunted by zombies. The video was directed by Wayne Isham and was nominated for Best Metal/Hard Rock Video at the 1990 MTV Video Music Awards.

Sepultura-Refuse/Resist

Sepultura is a Brazilian heavy metal band from Belo Horizonte. Formed in 1984 by brothers Max and Igor Cavalera, the band was a major force in the death metal, thrash metal and groove metal genres during the late 1980s and early 1990s, with their later experiments drawing influence from alternative metal, world music, nu metal, hardcore punk and industrial metal. The band has had several lineup changes throughout its career, with Max Cavalera being the only constant member.

“Refuse/Resist” is a song by Brazilian heavy metal band Sepultura. It was released in 1993 as the second single from their fifth studio album Chaos A.D.. The song peaked at number 11 on Billboard’s Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.

The music video for “Refuse/Resist” was directed by Michael Salomon and David Mayberry. It features live footage of the band performing in front of a large crowd, as well as clips of people protesting and rioting.

Machine Head-Davidian

“Davidian” is a song by American heavy metal band Machine Head. It was released in 1994 as the third single from their debut album Burn My Eyes. The song peaked at number 35 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart in early 1995. The song’s title and lyrics are derived from the Waco Siege of 1993, in which members of the Branch Davidians religious sect engaged in a gun battle with agents of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms that ended in a fire that killed 76 people, including 22 children.

The music video for “Davidian” was directed by Phil Music Videos Collins and Bruce Sinofsky, who also directed Metallica’s “One” music video. The video was filmed in December 1994 and was released in early 1995. It features footage of the band performing live, intercut with footage from news coverage of the Waco Siege.

Soundgarden-Black Hole Sun

Soundgarden’s “Black Hole Sun” was one of the most popular music videos of the 1990s. Directed by Samuel Bayer, the black-and-white video features footage of the band performing against a backdrop of abandoned buildings and eerie landscapes. The video won multiple MTV Video Music Awards, including Best Metal/Hard Rock Video, and was nominated for Best Editing and Best Cinematography.

Alice In Chains-Would?

Alice In Chains-Would? is a great heavy metal music video because of the band’s intense performance and the dark, foreboding atmosphere of the video. The video features the band performing in a dark room with red lights, and it cuts between footage of the band and footage of a woman walking through a dark forest. The woman is eventually revealed to be a ghost, and she hauntingly sings the chorus of the song. The video ends with the band members walking away from the camera, leaving the ghost behind.