The Best Heavy Metal Music Videos
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If you’re a fan of heavy metal music, then you know that the music videos are a big part of the experience. Here are some of the best heavy metal music videos that you need to check out.
Metallica- “One”
Metallica is one of the most popular and influential heavy metal bands of all time, and “One” is one of their most iconic songs. The music video for “One” was released in 1989 and was directed by Wayne Isham. It won a Grammy Award for Best Music Video, and was nominated for an MTV Video Music Award.
The video is set in a post-apocalyptic world, and follows the story of a group of survivors who are struggling to survive in a world where they are being hunted by mutants. The video features some graphic violence, but it also has a message of hope and humanity.
Slayer- “Raining Blood”
“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 lyrics describe a nightmare in which the protagonist wakes up to find the world covered in blood.
The song’s music video, directed by Bill Pope, was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video at the 29th Annual Grammy Awards. It features the band performing in a dingy warehouse with interspersed clips of horrific accidents and gory images.
Pantera- “Walk”
“Walk” is a song by American metal band Pantera from their seventh studio album Vulgar Display of Power (1992). The song was released as the album’s fourth and final single on September 7, 1992. It peaked at number 33 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart in early 1993. “Walk” is one of Pantera’s most popular and well-known songs, and has been included in numerous compilations and live albums.
The song’s music video was directed by Kevin Kerslake and filmed in various locations around Los Angeles in late 1992. It features the band performing the song intercut with shots of people walking through the city. The video was nominated for Best Metal/Hard Rock Video at the 1993 MTV Video Music Awards, but lost to Metallica’s “Enter Sandman”.
Megadeth- “Symphony of Destruction”
The “Symphony of Destruction” music video was directed by Wayne Isham. The video features the band playing in front of a live audience, with shots of the audience enjoying the performance.
The video was nominated for two MTV Video Music Awards, winning Best Metal/Hard Rock Video. It was also nominated for Best Group Video at the MuchMusic Video Awards.
Anthrax- “Indians”
Anthrax’s “Indians” is widely considered to be one of the best heavy metal music videos ever made. The video features the band performing in front of a live audience, with lead singer Joey Belladonna dressed as a Native American chief. The video also includes footage of historical events involving Native Americans, as well as clips from classic Western films.
Alice in Chains- “Would?”
Directed by Kevin Kerslake, the music video for Alice in Chains’ “Would?” is a somber affair that features the bandplaying amidst a hazy, smoky backdrop. The video was shot in black and white and has a dreamlike quality to it that perfectly suits the song’s reflective lyrics. In addition to being a great example of the band’s visual style, the “Would?” video is also notable for its inclusion of footage ofvocalist Layne Staley’s funeral, which was intercut with shots of the band playing.
Soundgarden- “Black Hole Sun”
“Black Hole Sun” is a song by American rock band Soundgarden. It was released as the third single from their fourth studio album, Superunknown (1994), on July 18, 1994, through A&M Records. The song was written by frontman Chris Cornell and producer Michael Beinhorn.
The music video for “Black Hole Sun” was directed by Paul Rachman and premiered in June 1994. The video was nominated for five MTV Video Music Awards, winning two for Best Editing and Best Art Direction. The video is notable for its surreal images, which were created with stop-motion animation.
Nirvana- “Heart-Shaped Box”
Nirvana’s “Heart-Shaped Box” was one of the most popular music videos of the 1990s. The video features a live performance of the song, intercut with footage of lead singer Kurt Cobain in a hospital bed, surrounded by eerie hospital equipment. The video was directed by Anton Corbijn and released in December 1993.
Pearl Jam- “Jeremy”
“Jeremy” is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam, with lyrics written by vocalist Eddie Vedder and music written by bassist Jeff Ament. The song was released in 1992 as the third single from Pearl Jam’s debut album, Ten (1991). The song was included on Pearl Jam’s 2004 greatest hits album, rearviewmirror (Greatest Hits 1991–2003). The song peaked at number five on both the Billboard Hot 100 and the Mainstream Rock Tracks charts.
The video features snippets of interviews with schoolchildren talking about Jeremy Delle, a real student who shot himself in front of his English class at Richardson High School in Richardson, Texas on January 8, 1991.
Stone Temple Pilots- “Sex Type Thing”
Stone Temple Pilots- “Sex Type Thing”
The best heavy metal music videos are the ones that leave you speechless. They’re the ones that make you want to headbang and mosh along with the band, and they’re the ones that make you feel like you’re part of something bigger. “Sex Type Thing” by Stone Temple Pilots is one of those videos.
Released in 1992, “Sex Type Thing” is a gritty, dark look at the seedy underside of sex and rock & roll. The video opens with a close-up of a woman’s eye, followed by shots of a topless woman writhing around on a bed. From there, things only get darker and more explicit, with shots of acts like oral sex and intercourse intercut with footage of the band playing in a dingy basement. It’s not an easy watch, but it’s an effective one, and it’s definitely one of the best heavy metal music videos ever made.
