Sick band. Latino metal with serious force behind it.

1. Metallica
2. Slayer
3. Lamb of God

Yes, Lamb of God is that good.

Keep in mind that this is looking at multiple factors. The list changes drastically when you take into account being a pioneer (Iron Maiden shows up), and falling from grace (Metallica drops off).

I put Metallica over Slayer because of albums like Master of Puppets. There they show massive range, moving from the technical to the heavy without effort. Slayer are kings of what they do, but that’s pretty much all they do.

Lamb of God I’d say is set to be the next great metal band, although there is plenty of competition for that slot.

Pioneers

You can’t put these guys on the list really because they weren’t even playing the same sport, let alone the same game. But they have to be mentioned because they invented the whole thing.

• Sabbath
• Iron Maiden
• Led Zeppelin
• Morbid Angel
• Mercyful Fate
• Anthrax

Other Metal Greats

These simply must be mentioned.

• Arsis
• Opeth
• Protest the Hero
• Trivium
• Pantera
• Testament
• Sepultura

Often Ignored

There are some bands that should get far more respect than they do, and Exodus is at the top of the list. They’ve been there since the beginning, and they’ve been solid all the way through, but they still get very little mention.

• Exodus

Links

[ An Excellent Discussion of All Things Metal | wikipedia.org ]

[ Updated: June 2009 ]

It’s not easy to admit this, and depending on the company it can become downright impossible. It’s hard to explain to a non-Diamond-fan what you see in the stuff. It kind of reminds me of Metalocalypse actually: it’s something you make fun of, but it’s more funny because you actually do love it.

The fact is, you can’t listen to “Come To The Sabbath” and not know that Mercyful Fate is a completely sick band. Also consider that people like Danny Carey (Tool’s Drummer) grew up on and were inspired by them. So don’t dismiss them based on Diamond’s voice alone; this is some of the best metal ever.