I've been listening to nu metal for years, but recently I've become interested in exploring traditional heavy metal and getting into the more old-school side of the rock/metal community. The problem is that I'm having a hard time finding bands and songs that really click with me. I know maybe this just isn't for me, but I'd really like to discover it in a way that's enjoyable yk

Any recommendations for someone coming from a nu metal background?

Hey guys how are you doing?

Recently I've decided to (try to) do a list of the objectively 100 greatest metal songs of all time, because I've got nothing better to do.

When doing the list, I've thought of 5 main topics when choosing a song:

- Technique: If the melody, harmony, and rhythm work well together, if there is the right amount of tension or complexity for the song's concept, and how well the instruments interact;

- Production: If the mixing and mastering fit the specific subgenre (obviously I wouldn't expect pristine and crystal clear production for a war metal track) and if the work offers an immersive and dynamic experience;

- Creativity: If the music is creative and original, and how well the idea was executed, alongside with an analysis of the lyrics and composition;

- Context: If the song holds at least some relevance and popularity within its subgenre—which is why there are almost no super underground tracks included;

- Quality: Simply, whether the music sounds good or not.

The rules of this list are as follows:

- There are no ballads, only metal songs. The list have 3 power ballads tho (Cemetery Gates, Satellites, Fallen Angel) but I've considered that they have enough heaviness to enter the rank;

- There are a maximum of 3 songs per band, and 1 song per album (If not, the list would've had about 30 opeth songs). The only bands to hit 3 songs were Opeth and Black Sabbath, and the only ones to hit 2 songs were Rainbow, Judas Priest, Bathory, Sepultura, Death, Alice in Chains, Katatonia, Cryptopsy, Meshuggah, Windir and Agalloch;

- I've tried to be the less biased about my personal music taste as possible, to make the list the more objective. But, ofc, as the list was made by me, a little bit of my personal taste might be present;

- The list is in chronological order;

- Songs divided in parts, sections or tablets were counted as one song;

- Out of Curiosity, this is the subgenre distribution of the songs:

· 10 Traditional Heavy Metal

· 8 Progressive Death Metal

· 4 Brutal Death Metal

· 4 Dissonant Death Metal

· 4 Melodic Death Metal

· 4 Thrash Metal

· 4 Djent Metal

· 3 Old-School Death Metal

· 3 Melodic Black Metal

· 3 Folk Black Metal

· 3 New Wave of British Heavy Metal

· 3 Deathrash

· 2 Technical Death Metal

· 2 Atmospheric Black Metal

· 2 Progressive Groove Metal

· 2 Old-School Power Metal

· 2 Alternative Metal

· 2 Folk Post Metal

· 2 Post-Metal

· 1 Slamming Brutal Death Metal

· 1 Deathgaze

· 1 First Wave Black Metal

· 1 Blackened Death Metal

· 1 Symphonic Black Metal

· 1 Dissonant Black Metal

· 1 Progressive Black Metal

· 1 Depressive Suicidal Black Metal

· 1 Blackened Heavy Metal

· 1 Power Heavy Metal

· 1 Groove Metal

· 1 Stoner Doom Metal

· 1 Epic Doom Metal

· 1 Blackened Doom Metal

· 1 Folk Doom Metal

· 1 Funeral Doom Metal

· 1 Traditional Progressive Metal

· 1 Progressive Metal

· 1 Progressive Melodic Metalcore

· 1 Avant-Garde Metal

· 1 Goregrind

· 1 Grindcore

· 1 Power Metal

· 1 Progressive Power Metal

· 1 Industrial Metal

· 1 Crossover Rap Metal

· 1 Blackened Speed Metal

· 1 Speed Metal

· 1 Gothic Black Metal

· 1 Death-Doom Metal

· 1 Gothic Death-Doom Metal

· 1 Sludge Metal

· 1 Viking Metal

Finally, the top 100 metal songs of all time:

1. Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath (1969)

2. War Pigs - Black Sabbath (1970)

3. Supernaut - Black Sabbath (1972)

4. Fallen Angel - King Crimson (1974)

5. Stargazer - Rainbow (1976)

6. Gates of Babylon - Rainbow (1978)

7. Angel Witch - Angel Witch (1980)

8. Mr. Crowley - Ozzy Osbourne (1980)

9. Am I Evil? - Diamond Head (1980)

10. Hallowed be thy Name - Iron Maiden (1982)

11. Electric Eye - Judas Priest (1982)

12. Black Metal - Venom (1982)

13. Flaming Metal System - Manilla Road (1983)

14. Rainbow in the Dark - Dio (1983)

15. King of the Dead - Cirith Ungol (1984)

16. Gypsy - Mercyful Fate (1984)

17. Killed by Death - Mötorhead (1984)

18. Master of Puppets - Metallica (1986)

19. Angel of Death - Slayer (1986)

20. Bewitched - Candlemass (1987)

21. Hail of the Mountain King - Savatage (1987)

22. A Fine Day to Die - Bathory (1988)

23. Reek of Putrefaction - Carcass (1988)

24. World Eater - Bolt Thrower (1989)

25. Inner Self - Sepultura (1989)

26. Игра С Огнём - Aria (1989)

27. One Rode to Asa Bay - Bathory (1990)

28. Cemetery Gates - Pantera (1990)

29. Holy Wars...the Punishment Due - Megadeth (1990)

30. Souls of Black - Testament (1990)

31. Painkiller - Judas Priest (1990)

32. Dead by Dawn - Deicide (1990)

33. Lack of Comprehension - Death (1991)

34. Midnight Queen - Sarcófago (1991)

35. Liege of Inveracity - Suffocation (1991)

36. Arise - Sepultura (1991)

37. Them Bones - Alice in Chains (1992)

38. Wish - Nine Inch Nails (1992)

39. There Goes the Neighbourhood - Body Count (1992)

40. Human Dissection - Demolition Hammer (1992)

41. Velvet Thorns of Drynwhyl - Katatonia (1993)

42. The Sixteenth Six-Tooth Son of Fourteen Four Regional Dimensions (Still Unnamed) - Demilich (1993)

43. Abigor - Cryptopsy (1994)

44. Det Som En Gang Var - Burzum (1994)

45. Malediction Murder - Dawn (1994)

46. Unearthly Loose Palace - Gehenna (1994)

47. Future Breed Machine - Meshuggah (1995)

48. Crystal Mountain - Death (1995)

49. Frogs - Alice in Chains (1995)

50. I Troldskog Faren Vild - Ulver (1995)

51. Brave - Katatonia (1996)

52. Phobophile - Cryptopsy (1996)

53. Crimson - Edge of Sanity (1996)

54. Where Dead Angels Lie - Dissection (1996)

55. Lover's Grief - Empyrium (1997)

56. Black Diamond - Stratovarius (1997)

57. Corporal Celebration - Intestine Baalism (1997)

58. Nostalgia - Gorguts (1998)

59. The Oak - Opera IX (1998)

60. The Moor - Opeth (1999)

61. The Blacksmith and the Troll of Lundamyr - Windir (1999)

62. Choking on Bile - Devourment (1999)

63. Angel Present - Discordance Axis (2000)

64. Funeralopolis - Electric Wizard (2000)

65. A Sun that Never Sets - Neurosis (2001)

66. Journey to the End - Windir (2001)

67. Deliverance - Opeth (2002)

68. In the Shadow of our Pale Communion - Agalloch (2002)

69. Unas, Slayer of the Gods - Nile (2002)

70. Dechristianize - Vital Remains (2003)

71. Waiting Silence - Angra (2004)

72. Seven - Necrophagist (2004)

73. So Did We - Isis (2004)

74. Ghost of Perdition - Opeth (2005)

75. Flying Whales - Gojira (2005)

76. The Coffin Ships - Primordial (2005)

77. A Dying God Coming into Human Flesh - Celtic Frost (2006)

78. Dueil Angoisseus - Peste Noire (2006)

79. Not Unlike the Waves - Agalloch (2006)

80. Rosetta Stoned - Tool (2006)

81. A History of Bad Man - Melvins (2006)

82. Deathmask Divine - The Black Dahlia Murder (2007)

83. In my Last Mourning... - Thy Light (2007)

84. Vinushka - Dir En Grey (2008)

85. Dancers to a Discordant System - Meshuggah (2008)

86. Ashen Eidolon - Gallowbraid (2010)

87. Abscission - Deathspell Omega (2010)

88. Apparition - Spawn of Possession (2012)

89. Kilter - Portal (2013)

90. Absorbing Black Ignition - Artificial Brain (2014)

91. Painters of the Tempest - Ne Obliviscaris (2014)

92. The Woven Web - Animals as Leaders (2014)

93. Winter's Gate - Insomnium (2016)

94. BFG Division - Mick Gordon (2016)

95. Beyond Sun and Moon - Kardashev (2017)

96. Mirror Reaper - Bell Witch (2017)

97. Love Exchange Failure - White Ward (2018)

98. Where Owls Know My Name - Rivers of Nihil (2018)

99. Satellites - Periphery (2019)

100. The Stargate - Blood Incantantion (2024)

Let me know your honest thoughts, what songs would add, take out or change of this list, anyway, whatever y'all want to say!!

(Forbid my poor english please)

Hello everyone! Could someone please recommend some metal bands for me? For context, I am a goth, and really love the music, and I also like punk and industrial/aggrotech type music. I was raised on some metal, mostly glam (which I dont really like), and then I got into things like Black Sabbath, Ozzy, and some more mainstream nu-metal. And I still think that they're good, but just not heavy enough for me anymore, so I want to find some bands that are more suitable. My friend used to put on Mortician when we were like 10 lol and I thought it was kinda weird, but I honestly dont mind it now anymore, but im not a huge fan of death metal-y type vocals (sorry everyone...). I have heard a few songs of the sludge/doom genre, and I like what I hear, as I am also a quite big fan of punk and hardcore. Bonus points if they are more obscure/underground, not trying to be an elitist lol but I like to discover hidden gems!

For me it’s banshee, if you don’t know who she is then you should check her out she even produces all her music herself :) she isn’t that popular in the metal community since she also kinda makes alt/pop music with some metal back vocals.
I started listening to her bc I loved her newer pop/alt music, but then I wanted to hear her old music and looked into her albums “fuck with a banshee” and “fairy metal”. Those are 2 amazing albums! Fuck with a banshee is this trap metal thing while fairy metal has some songs that sound like symphonic black metal, please listen to her song “enigma” it’s so good!!
She has released 2 new metal songs for a 4 year anniversary for fairy metal, “Judith” and “you are what you fear in me fairy metal version”
Since I listened to her I couldn’t stop getting into metal lol now I listen to so many subgenres like deathcore, black metal, dsbm, doom metal, metal core, industrial metal, nu metal and so on :))
What about yoy guys, what got you into metal? :D

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2H8yQBwvnntaAh1k2K0KSm?si=9xDDINqrQIyuUyBfNQIHHw

These are most likely my top 5 heaviest bands of all time. They are not in any particular order. Post yours and let's debate over why you have those bands!

Oceano

Suicide silence (mitch luker era)

Despised icon

The acacia strain

Recon/Xibalba tied for 5th

Honorable mentions:

crowbar

bury your dead

Slipknot

whitechapel

Ich habe heute ein typ auf Estland getroffen der mir die music seiner Band Deafrage Reload verkauft hat und ich weiß jetzt nicht ob es wirklich ein band Mitglied war oder nur ein Geldgeiler Typ.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2H8yQBwvnntaAh1k2K0KSm?si=9xDDINqrQIyuUyBfNQIHHw

I got a seven string a couple months ago and it's awesome but i dont know that many artists that use one. anyone have recommendations for songs/artists that use seven strings preferably in A standard?

I started listening to metal around august 2025. My ears have genuinely never heard anything better. The very first song that got me into metal was Delorean - Galleons. I'm open to any recommendations.

Random info

Favorite genres: Metalcore, Deathcore

Favorite bands: STP, Galleons, Bodysnatcher, Darko US

Heres my playlist with every song ive listened to and liked.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1Fmuzht20NRrOYua4TmDmi?si=bSM9dMnsRlWmKDzQjZg_Ag

Hello,

I want to get into the Metal Core Genre. I love the energy. What Bands to you recommend?

Thank you.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2H8yQBwvnntaAh1k2K0KSm?si=9xDDINqrQIyuUyBfNQIHHw

How big was the influence of crust punk bands like anti-cimex,mob47, asocial on swedish death metal bands like entombed, dismember, grave etc.? Also what's your fave band mine is entombed

I listened to Giant Squid for the first time and they sound like a massive mix of different artists. Some tool, black sabbath and gojira elements stand out to me. (I have only heard their first album)

This is my categorized list of metal discoveries. I’m looking for more industrial metal suggestions, or just if people have comments!

🌲 **The Northern S**ky
Atmospheric black metal, winter landscapes, melancholy, forests, and distant horizons.
Agalloch (*The Mantle*)
Drudkh (*Autumn Aurora*)
Summoning
Paysage d’Hiver
Striborg
Falls of Rauros
Borknagar
In the Woods…
Xasthur

⚒️** The Iron Constellat**ion
Industrial metal, mechanical rhythms, electronics, and concrete.
Godflesh
Jesu
Front Line Assembly
Sister Machine Gun
Noise Unit
Pitchshifter

⚰️** The Cr**ypt
Death metal, death-doom, cavernous production, and subterranean heaviness.
Krypts
Crawl
Tomb Mold
Dead Congregation
Malignant Altar
Death

🕯️** The Cath**edral
Sacred themes, liturgical atmosphere, epic grandeur, and spiritual weight.
Crypt Sermon
Crimson Thorn
Impending Doom

🪨 **The Monoli**th
Sludge, doom, and riffs that feel tectonic.
Crowbar
Eyehategod
YOB
Grief
Brainoil
Fistula
Down
Burning Witch
Khemmis

🌑 **The Eclip**se
Music that bends genres or occupies its own strange corner of the sky.
A Canorous Quintet
Agriculture
Dissection
Gojira
Depressive Silence
Ruins of Beverast

🔥ALBUM REVIEW🔥 My deep dive into the gothic romanticism of Far From God, the upcoming album from Moonspell.

https://www.hotelhobbies.com/post/album-review-moonspell-far-from-god-napalm-records-2026

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2H8yQBwvnntaAh1k2K0KSm?si=9xDDINqrQIyuUyBfNQIHHw

So, I want oldschool death metal bands that doesn't have blasphemy in their lyrics. I also don't like things like necrophilia. I's rather listen to lyrics which have violence and death and are still "thoughtful" like what Death did in Leprosy. I don't like melodic death metal and prog death metal (the only prog death band I like is Death). I also don't like metalcore, deathcore and anything related to metalcore. I don't want grindcore and goregrind recommendations, I'm looking for straight up death metal (It can be deathrash, tech death metal or brutal death metal too.) Some non-christian bands I like are: Death, Obituary, Bolt Thrower, Gorguts, Pestilence, Jungle Rot and Frozen Soul. I'm thinking about starting to listen to Entombed, but I'm still checking if their lyrics are "safe". What do you guys think?

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2H8yQBwvnntaAh1k2K0KSm?si=9xDDINqrQIyuUyBfNQIHHw