The Best Heavy Metal Music Artists of All Time

If you’re looking for the best heavy metal music artists of all time, look no further. This list includes some of the greatest heavy metal bands ever.

Metallica

Over the course of their nearly four-decade career, Metallica have established themselves as one of the most influential and successful heavy metal bands of all time. With a sound that blends elements of thrash, speed, and classic metal, the band has released a string of essential albums that have helped to shape the sound and style of metal in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Albums like 1984’s Ride the Lightning and 1991’s self-titled release (commonly known as The Black Album) are not only hugely popular within the metal community, but also boast a level of crossover appeal that has helped to introduce Metallica’s music to a wider audience. In addition to their musical achievements, the band is also known for their commitment to social and political causes, as well as their involvement in a number of high-profile charitable endeavors.

Slayer

Slayer is an American heavy metal band from Huntington Park, California. The band was formed in 1981 by guitarist Kerry King 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 last two studio albums, World Painted Blood (2009) and Repentless (2015), received widespread critical acclaim. Throughout the band’s career, Slayer has released 12 studio albums, two live albums, a boxed set, six video albums, 33 singles, 16 extended plays (EPs), 20 compilations practices including the “Big 4” thrash metal bands: Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax; Newsted joined Metallica as the bassist in 1986 after Cliff Burton’s death.

Newsted left Metallica in January 2001 due to creative tensions with Hetfield and Ulrich.[1][2] He was subsequently involved in many other projects until he formed Voivod in 2002 – ultimately rejoining Metallica for a final time in 2006.[3][4] Since his second stint with Metallica he has continued to work with Voivod as well as other artists such as Ozzy Osbourne,[5] Jason Newsted & The Chophouse Band,[6] Big artist including Ozzy Osbourne on drums for the 1996 album Ozzmosis;[7] he also played on Primus’ 1997 album Brown Album.[8][9] In 2000 he released an EP titled Jason Newsted as a solo artist.

On February 4th 2001 Jason Newsted left Metallica after being in the band for close to fifteen years. This was due to creative tension between him and James Hetfield which had been brewing for some time. Hetfield had been having problems with drugs and alcohol and this led to friction between the two musicians. Ulrich also supported Hetfield in his decisions which further alienated Newsted. He was replaced by Robert Trujillo who remains the bassist of Metallica to this day.

Megadeth

Formed in 1983 by Dave Mustaine and David Ellefson, Megadeth is an American heavy metal band that has sold more than 38 million albums worldwide. The band has released fifteen studio albums, five live albums, six compilation albums, one EP, forty-six singles, ten video albums, and forty-four music videos. Megadeth is considered one of the pioneers of the thrash metal genre and is credited as one of the genre’s “big four” with Metallica, Anthrax, and Slayer. Megadeth is known for their unique and often complex songwriting, as well as their distinctive sound. They have been nominated for twelve Grammy Awards and have won four times.

Anthrax

Anthrax is an American heavy metal band from New York City, formed in 1981. The band has released 10 studio albums, with a total of 20 million albums sold worldwide. They are considered one of the pioneers of the thrash metal genre, and their song “I’m the Man” is considered one of the most influential heavy metal songs of all time.

Pantera

Formed in 1981, Pantera was a heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas. The group was originally composed of the Abbott brothers – vocalist Terry Glaze, guitarist Dimebag Darrell, and drummer Vinnie Paul – along with bassist Tommy Bradford. Over the next few years, the band went through a number of lineup changes, with Darrell and Paul being the only constant members.

The band’s final lineup consisted of vocalist Phil Anselmo, guitarist Dimebag Darrell, bassist Rex Brown, and drummer Vinnie Paul. This lineup released four albums: Cowboys from Hell (1990), Vulgar Display of Power (1992), Far Beyond Driven (1994), and The Great Southern Trendkill (1996).

Pantera is considered to be one of the most influential heavy metal bands of all time. They have been credited for helping to reinvent thrash metal in the early 1990s, as well as bringing groove metal to mainstream attention. The band has sold over 20 million records worldwide, including more than 10 million in the United States alone.

Sepultura

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 thrash metal and groove metal genres during the late 1980s and early 1990s, with their later experiments drawing influence from alternative metal, hardcore punk and industrial metal. The band has had several lineup changes throughout its history, with Max Cavalera leaving in 1996.

Since Igor Cavalera’s departure in 2006, Paulo Jr. has been the only remaining founding member of Sepultura. seven studio albums, three live albums, two EPs and 24 singles. Sepultura has sold over three million albums worldwide.

Testament

Testament is an American thrash metal band from Berkeley, California. Formed in 1983, the group originally comprised frontman Chuck Billy, guitarists Eric Peterson and Alex Skolnick, bassist Greg Christian and drummer Louie Clemente. Billy and Peterson are the only members of the band who have been with Testament for its entire career.

Testament has released twelve studio albums, two live albums, three compilation albums, three video albums and thirty-four singles. The band has sold over 10 million records worldwide. Their 1988 album The New Order was commercially successful; it sold over one million copies in the United States alone and entered the Billboard 200 chart at number 36. The album was nominated for a Grammy Award (in the newly created category of Best Metal Performance) for the song “Trial by Fire”.

In support of The New Order album Testament toured extensively throughout 1988 and 1989 headlining their own shows as well as opening for Metallica on their Damaged Justice Tour from September to December 1989. In 1990 Testament appeared as one of the openers on Megadeth’s Rust in Peace tour along with Sacred Reich and Suicidal Tendencies. This was followed by touring in Europe with Sepultura in 1991.

Exodus

Exodus is an American heavy metal band formed in 1979 in the San Francisco Bay Area. They have gone through numerous lineup changes, and their current lineup includes vocalist Steve Zetro Souza, guitarists Gary Holt and Lee Altus, bassist Jack Gibson, and drummer Tom Hunting. Holt is the only original member still with the band.

Exodus has released ten studio albums, two live albums, and two compilations. Their most recent studio album, Blood In Blood Out, was released in 2014. The band has sold over 5 million records worldwide.

Exodus was one of the key influences on the thrash metal genre. They are credited with helping to pioneer the fast tempo and aggressive riffing that is characteristic of thrash metal. Their debut album Bonded by Blood is considered a classic of the genre.

Death

Death was an American metal band from Orlando, Florida, founded in 1983 by guitarist and vocalist Chuck Schuldiner. death is considered to be one of the most influential bands in heavy metal and a pioneering force in the extreme metal subgenre of death metal. their debut album, Scream Bloody Gore, has been widely regarded as the first death metal record.

death’s debut album, Scream Bloody Gore, was released in 1987 to critical acclaim. The album featured fast tempos, guttural vocals, and macabre lyrics that established the band as a pioneer of the death metal genre. In 1988, death released their second album, Leprosy. Commonly considered one of the most important albums in heavy metal history, Leprosy was responsible for broadening the appeal of death metal by incorporating elements of classical music and thrash metal.

Following the release of Leprosy, Schuldiner relocated death to San Francisco in hopes of finding a more conducive environment to write new material. However, personal problems within the band led to its dissolution in 1991. After a three-year hiatus, Schuldiner reformed death with new members in 1994 and began work on what would become their fourth studio album, Symbolic. Released in 1995 to positive reviews from music critics, Symbolic cemented Death’s reputation as one of the most respected bands in heavy metal.

In 1998, Schuldiner was diagnosed with brain cancer; he died two years later at the age of 34. Since his death, death has continued to receive acclaim from music critics and fans alike; several of their albums have been ranked among the greatest heavy metal albums ever made by publications such as Kerrang! and Guitar World.

Obituary

Obituary is an American death metal band formed in Tampa, Florida, in 1984. The band comprises vocalist John Tardy, guitarists Trevor Peres and Allen West, bassist Terry Butler and drummer Donald Tardy. Obituary has released ten studio albums, and are considered one of the pioneers of the death metal genre. Their first album, Slowly We Rot (1989), and second album, Cause of Death (1990), are considered to be influential classic death metal records.

The band was founded in 1984 under the name Executioner by brothers John Tardy (vocals) and Donald Tardy (drums), with guitarist Trevor Peres and bassist Jerry Tidwell. The band’s first live performance was in October 1984, before they began recording their debut album. Slowly We Rot was released in 1989, followed by Cause of Death in 1990. The albums sold well worldwide, becoming two of Roadrunner Records’ best-selling death metal albums ever. In 1991, the band toured Europe with Slayer and separate tours with Nuclear Assault and Sepultura.

In 1992, Obituary appeared on the compilation album Death Is Certain… Life Is Not for Relapse Records. The following year the band parted ways with Roadrunner Records and released their next album, The End Complete, on Roadrunner’s subsidiary label Giant Records. The end complete was also very successful selling more than 90,000 copies worldwide without any touring or television exposure. After leaving Roadrunner Records the band went on to release two more albums on different labels; 1995’s Back from the Dead on Roadracer Records and 1997’s Back from the Dead on Music for Nations respectively before returning to Roadrunner for 1999’s World Demise album which debuted at number 28 in Billboard magazine’s Top Heatseekers chart.[1] In 2001 Obituary reissued Slowly We Rot and Cause of Death on a 2-CD set called ‘Slowly We Rot & Cause of Death:XPanded Edition’. This was followed by Frozen in Time in 2005