The Ultimate Heavy Metal Music List

The Ultimate Heavy Metal Music List is the perfect place to find new metal bands to listen to. With over 1,000 bands listed, there’s something for everyone.

Introduction to Heavy Metal

Defining Heavy Metal

Musically, heavy metal is characterized by aggressive, driving rhythms and highly amplified distorted guitars, typically played with extensive use of fast Guitar solos and power chord changes. The genre developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s with roots in blues-rock and psychedelic rock, and further into a distinguishable subgenre through composite styles of British/American hard rock and European/American progressive rock.

The term “heavy metal” was first used in a song by Steppenwolf in 1968. In his 2002 book Legal reins: The cultural regulation of music performance 1950-1955, Robert Adlington gives the following definition of heavy metal music: “It is characterized by loudness, adolescents screaming along with the music, aggressive attitudes, sometimes satanic imagery and an obsession with amplified sound.”

In their 2004 book Mean Deviation: Four Decades of Progressive Heavy Metal, Jeff Wagner and Brent Burton define the genre as follows: “Heavy metal is typified by twin lead guitars feeding back solos as thick as molasses out of enormous stacks of Marshalls; seething vocals lashing out atop an incessant low-end rumble provided by a rhythm section playing as tight as a three dollar bill; songs about things like war (especially nuclear war), fantasy, horror, philosophy, rebellion against parents or “the Man,” or (less frequently) love.”

The History of Heavy Metal

The history of heavy metal can be traced back to the late 1960s and early 1970s, with bands such as Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, and Led Zeppelin releasing a series of now-classic albums. These bands took the sounds of hard rock and blues and cranked up the volume and the aggression, creating a new style of music that would come to be known as heavy metal.

In the 1980s, metal went mainstream with bands such as Metallica, Megadeth, and Slayer achieving massive success. This era also saw the rise of glam metal, a subgenre that combined metal with elements of pop music.

In the 1990s and 2000s, metal continued to evolve, with new subgenres such as black metal, death metal, and power metal emerging. Today, heavy metal is one of the most popular genres of music in the world, with thousands of bands releasing new albums each year.

The Best Heavy Metal Bands

Heavy Metal music is a genre of rock that developed in the late 1960s. The genre is characterized by a thick, distorted guitar sound,heavy bass, and drums. Heavy Metal bands often have dark, aggressive lyrics. Some of the best Heavy Metal bands are Metallica, Slayer, and Iron Maiden.

Metallica

One of the most popular and influential heavy metal bands of all time, Metallica was formed in 1981 by bassist Cliff Burton and drummer Lars Ulrich. With a string of successful albums such as “Kill ‘Em All,” “Ride the Lightning,” “Master of Puppets,” and “Metallica,” the band has sold over 110 million albums worldwide and is widely considered to be one of the greatest metal bands of all time.

Slayer

Formed in 1981, Slayer’s first two albums – Show No Mercy and Hell Awaits – are prime examples of early thrash metal, but it was 1986’s Reign In Blood that cemented the band’s reputation as hardcore speed merchants. Combining the brutality of hardcore punk with the speed and precision of metal, Slayer created a sound that was both punishing and aggressive. The addition of guitarist Kerry King and drummer Dave Lombardo in time for their third album, South Of Heaven, saw the band experiment with a slower, more atmospheric sound, but it was 1990’s Seasons In The Abyss that saw them find the perfect balance between speed and power. With its breakneck pace and searing riffage, ‘Seasons In The Abyss’ remains one of Slayer’s defining moments.

Megadeth

Believe it or not, Megadeth is one of the few metal bands that’s truly original. Emerging in the mid-’80s, they influenced an entire generation of metalheads with their innovative combination of speed, thrash, and melody. But what really sets Megadeth apart is their willingness to experiment within the metal genre. You can hear it in the Latin-influenced “Symphony of Destruction,” the anthemic “Holy Wars,” and the thrashy yet melodic “A Tout le Monde.” And then there are the Dave Mustaine-penned ballads “Crystal Mountain” and ” Reckoning Day.” No other band has such a diverse catalogue of songs.

Anthrax

Anthrax is an American heavy metal band from New York City, formed in 1981. The band is considered one of the leaders of the thrash metal scene from the 1980s and is one of the “Big Four” thrash metal bands with Metallica, Megadeth, and Slayer. Anthrax has released 11 studio albums, several EPs and compilations, and 26 singles. They have sold over 10 million albums worldwide.

Iron Maiden

Iron Maiden is an English heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. The band’s first album, 1980’s Iron Maiden, was written primarily by Harris and vocalist Paul Di’Anno. keyboardist Derek Riggs was responsible for the artwork of the band’s first four albums.

The band experienced success in the early 1980s with a series of US gold and platinum albums, including 1982’s The Number of the Beast, 1983’s Piece of Mind, 1984’s Powerslave, 1985’s live release Live After Death, and 1986’s Somewhere in Time. Since the return of singer Bruce Dickinson and guitarist Adrian Smith in 1999, the band has released a further seven studio albums: 2000’s Brave New World, 2003’s Dance of Death, 2006’s A Matter of Life and Death, 2010’s The Final Frontier, 2015’s The Book of Souls (their longest release to date), 2017’s Before the Dawn (a live album), and 2019 upcoming album Spit Like This (a greatest hits record).

Iron Maiden are considered one of the most successful heavy metal bands in history, with over 100 million records sold worldwide. They have won several prestigious awards throughout their career, including Grammy Awards and MTV Europe Music Awards. In 2005 they were inducted into the Hall of Fame at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. In 2010 they received the Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Music from Metal Hammer magazine. In 2014 they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

The Best Heavy Metal Albums

It can be difficult to determine what the best heavy metal albums are because there are so many great ones out there. However, this list includes some of the most popular and influential heavy metal albums of all time. If you’re a fan of metal music, then you’re sure to enjoy these albums.

Metallica – Ride the Lightning

Ride the Lightning is the second studio album by American heavy metal band Metallica, released on July 27, 1984, by the independent record label Megaforce Records. The album was recorded in three weeks with producer Flemming Rasmussen at the Musicland Studios in Munich, West Germany. Due to the success of their debut album Kill ‘Em All (1983), Metallica was able to secure a record deal with Elektra Records after being courted by several labels. They wanted to make a more progressive album than its predecessor Kill ‘Em All, and significantly shortened the songwriting process.

Ride the Lightning received positive reviews upon release. Retrieved on November 3, 2008], Kerrang! magazine placed it at number 11 among “The 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Albums of All Time”. In 1989 and 2003, Ride the Lightning was selected as part of The 100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time by Guitar World magazine. In 2009 it was ranked No. 93 in Rolling Stone’s “The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time”. The cover artwork, based on a concept by Svetlana Fedorova, depicts Zeus bringing forth a lightning bolt downwards to Earth.

Slayer – Reign in Blood

Slayer’s Reign in Blood is not only one of the best heavy metal albums, it’s also one of the best metal albums period. It’s an unrelenting assault of fast, ferocious thrash metal that never lets up for a second, packed with some of the band’s most iconic and unforgettable songs. If you’re looking for a pure adrenaline rush of an album, this is it.

Megadeth – Rust in Peace

Rust in Peace is the fourth studio album by American thrash metal band Megadeth, released on September 24, 1990 by Capitol Records. Rust in Peace was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance in 1991. The album has been hailed as one of the best thrash metal albums of all time.

In early 1989, following the release of So Far, So Good… So What!, guitarist Jeff Young was fired from Megadeth for his drug addiction. Jeff was replaced by Marty Friedman, who had previously played with Cacophony alongside Jason Becker. With the new lineup in place, Megadeth began work on their next album.

Rust in Peace was recorded at One On One Studios in North Hollywood, California and produced by Mike Clink, who had previously worked with Guns N’ Roses on Appetite for Destruction (1987). The album features some of the band’s fastest and most complex songs to date, such as “Holy Wars… The Punishment Due” and “Hangar 18”. The cover artwork was created by Ed Repka, who had also illustrated previous Megadeth covers such as So Far, So Good… So What! (1988) and Peace Sells… but Who’s Buying? (1986).

Rust in Peace was released to critical acclaim and commercial success. It debuted at number 23 on the Billboard 200 chart and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales in excess of one million copies. The album has been included in several publications’ best-of lists and continues to be regarded as one of the greatest thrash metal albums of all time.

Anthrax – Among the Living

Released in 1987, Among the Living is the third studio album by American thrash metal band Anthrax. The album was certified double platinum by the RIAA in 1992. Among the Living features one of Anthrax’s best-known songs and biggest hits, “I Am the Law”, which is a tribute to Judge Dredd. The cover artwork, designed by Marc Sasso, depicts evil clowns holding objects associated with the stories of Stephen King’s It and The Stand.

Iron Maiden – The Number of the Beast

Iron Maiden – The Number of the Beast is widely considered to be one of the best heavy metal albums of all time. It was released in 1982 and debuted at number one on the UK charts, quickly going platinum. The album features some of Maiden’s most iconic songs, including “The Number of the Beast” and “Run to the Hills”.

The Best Heavy Metal Songs

Metallica – “Enter Sandman”

With its instantly recognizable opening riff, “Enter Sandman” was an instant classic when it was released as the lead single from Metallica’s self-titled 1991 album. The song would go on to become one of the band’s most popular, spending nine weeks at number one on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.

Slayer – “Raining Blood”

Many consider Slayer’s Reign in Blood to be the ultimate thrash metal album, and “Raining Blood” is its most celebrated track. The mood is set by a eerie, foreboding keyboard intro that leads into one of the most ferocious guitar riffs of all time. The song is relentless from start to finish, with complex drumming and double bass patterns throughout. Jeff Hanneman’s solo is the icing on the cake – a truly shredding display of virtuosity. “Raining Blood” is the perfect example of why Slayer are considered one of the greatest metal bands of all time.

Megadeth – “Hangar 18”

This song is from the album Rust in Peace, which was released in 1990. The album is considered to be one of the best heavy metal albums of all time, and “Hangar 18” is one of its best songs. The song is about a conspiracy theory involving the U.S. government and aliens, and it features some of Megadeth’s most complex and technical guitar work.

Anthrax – “Indians”

Anthrax is an American thrash metal band from New York City, formed in 1981 by guitarist Scott Ian and bassist Danny Lilker. As one of the leaders of the thrash metal movement of the 1980s and early 1990s, Anthrax sold over 10 million albums worldwide and are classified as one of the “big four” thrash metal bands, along with Metallica, Megadeth, and Slayer.

“Indians” is a song by American thrash metal band Anthrax. It was released in 1987 as the lead single from their third studio album, Among the Living. The song was written by guitarist Scott Ian about Native Americans’ experiences with discrimination and violence from European colonists and their descendants. Despite its controversial subject matter, “Indians” has become one of Anthrax’s best-known songs and has been included on several of their live albums and compilations.

Iron Maiden – “Run to the Hills”

Few heavy metal songs are as classic as Iron Maiden’s “Run to the Hills.” The song, which is about the mistreatment of Native Americans by white settlers, is as relevant today as it was when it was released in 1982. Despite its dark subject matter, the song is an undeniable anthem, with its catchy chorus and shredding guitar solos.

Conclusion

In conclusion, there is a wide variety of metal genres out there, and many metalheads have their own favorite subgenre. This list was designed to help you find new heavy metal music to enjoy, and we hope you found it helpful. There are countless other great metal bands out there, so don’t limit yourself to this list. Go out and explore the world of heavy metal!