If you have just started listening to heavy metal or been stuck in one sub genre of music, it can be confusing where to venture to. There are dozens of sub genres of metal music, all ranging with different styles. For those who are looking to break out for a new area here are the best heavy metal bands to listen to.
Not sure where to go? Pick a topic that fits your metal style.
Stay with the classics with the bands that brought heavy metal to main stream. This is the basic and most pure form structure of true heavy metal.
Iron Maiden
Black Sabbath
Judas Priest
Dio
3 Inches of Blood
When you are looking for a fast tempo metal with an aggressive stance pick thrash metal. Combined with overlaid shredding solos, sit back and enjoy.
Metallica
Megadeth
Slayer
Pantera
Anthrax
Death metal will give you low distortion with palm muting, tremolo picking, double bass, and deep growling vocals, also known as “Cookie Monster” vocals.
Death
Behemoth
Nile
Cannibal Corpse
Morbid Angel
Also known as melodeath metal, melodic death metal has all the elements of death metal, but with more melodic guitar riffs and vocal singing.
Amon Amarth
Dark Tranquillity
In Flames
Insomnium
Kalmah
Most common element in black metal is the shrieking vocals and high treble guitar distortion. The raw recording and emphasis on atmospheric sounds come standard on most albums.
Darkthrone
Immortal
Enslaved
Agalloch
Mayhem
Closely related to traditional metal, power metal will give you uplifting sounds with fantasy based subject matter and powerful choruses.
Blind Guardian
Manowar
Kamelot
Iced Earth
HammerFall
Heavy distortion and low tuned guitars, doom metal has a heavy sound and long notes. It has characteristics of despair, dread, and impending doom.
Katatonia
Swallow The Sun
Candlemass
My Dying Bride
Ahab
Folk metal comes in different forms, but is characterized by the instruments of choice. There will be musicians using folk instruments such as tin whistle, bag pipes, accordions, hurdy-gurdy, or fiddle.
Ensiferum
Eluveitie
Finntroll
Moonsorrow
Equilibrium
Progressive metal is heavy metal with a more experimental and complex compositions. Giving you a loud and aggressive but controlled style.
Opeth
Dream Theater
Amorphis
Nevermore
Ayreon
If you are looking for some metal that has deep drums, full symphony orchestras, keyboards and close relation to classical music, symphonic metal here for you.
Nightwish
Epica
Cradle of Filth
Within Temptation
Apocalyptica
Metalcore has a high energy and emphasis breakdowns, promoting intense moshing. Most characteristic found in metalcore is heavy guitar riffs, double bass, and screaming vocals.
Killswitch Engage
Between The Buried and Me
As I Lay Dying
All That Remains
Darkest Hour
Alternative metal is closely related to rock music but combines elements of heavy metal. This music is characterized with heavy guitar riffs, melodic vocals, with limited harsh vocals.
Trivium
Tool
Sepultura
Avenged Sevenfold
Slipknot
Bio
Writer and Developer for Metal CallOut. Favorite sub genre of heavy metal includes Melodic Death, Thrash and Traditional. Sparks can be found at @SparksFury or at Google+.