Standard Issue: Metal
Image by Nick M.W.
10 essential headbangers for the uninitiated.
Metal heads around the world will always be willing to argue over what bands and which songs constitute proper metal. The debate is forever raging, and there is no shortage of right and wrong answers.
Allow this list to guide you through one of the most contentious genres to ever exist, and you will be head-banging and waving devil horns in no time.
10.
Artist: Trivium
Song: “A Gunshot to the Head of Trepidation”
Album: Ascendancy (2005)
Florida doesn’t produce much worth celebrating, but Trivium remains one of them. The band has been jamming out since they formed in 1999 and have not looked back. Signed to Roadrunner Records, Trivium’s discography is a blend of all things metal. Their second and third albums, Ascendancy and The Crusade, are excellent representations of the early 2000’s metal that was heavily influenced by the screamo phase of the genre. Trivium differs from these spats of bands with their incredible musicianship. Trivium’s songs are carefully crafted and executed with the precision and power of a surgeon operating with a shotgun.
“A Gunshot to the Head of Trepidation” is an intense example of what the world of metal has to offer; easily preparing the hesitant listener for head bangers ranging from Lamb of God to Opeth.
9.
Artist: Avenged Sevenfold
Song: “Scream”
Album: Avenged Sevenfold (2007)
The world of heavy metal has many kings and Avenged Sevenfold wears their crown well. Hailing from Hunting Beach California, the group has produced many hit singles over the years; and have thrilled gamers of the Call of Duty franchise with songs, “Not Ready to Die, “Nightmare, Carry on,” and “Shepherd of Fire.” They are in tune with what their fans love and they deliver incredible guitar riffs, memorable lyrics, and all with an incredible rhythm section.
Avenged Sevenfold is famous for their song “Bat Country,” but “Scream” showcases their songwriting range with a track that not many people are going to find as easily as their hallmark anthems. The dual guitar work of Synyster Gates and Zacky Vengeance shines brighter than a neutron star, making “Scream” necessary listening for any metal-head.
8.
Artist: Dragonforce
Song: “Through the Fire and the Flames”
Album: Inhuman Rampage (2005)
Power metal is a wonderful, over-the-top, genre of metal. Dragonforce is the poster child for it, and there are few who can match their energy and speed. Guitarists Herman Lie and Sam Totman have revolutionized the sound and energy of Power Metal by infusing blistering palm muted riffs with complicated, and mesmerizing guitar solos. Older generations will recognize this hit as one of the hardest songs to play on Guitar Hero 3. The arrangement is nothing short of masterful and the entire song commands the might and magic of Rainbow and Iron Maiden fused with an atom smasher.
Dragonforce wields the pentatonic chops that made iconic 8-bit video game scores so exhilarating; no metal playlist is complete without them.
7.
Artist: Black Sabbath
Song: “War Pigs/Luke’s Wall”
Album: Paranoid (1970)
Regarded as the Godfather’s of heavy metal, Black Sabbath is where the genre was conceived. With the death of the sixties hot on its heels, and the approach of disco, the seventies were poised for a combination of sounds that were bound for greatness.
Ozzy Osbourne, bassist Geezer Butler, drummer Bill Ward, and legendary guitarist Tony Iommi, formed the band in 1968 in Birmingham, England. The lead guitar work still wears the shroud of the frenetic structure made famous by the rock bands of the late 1960’s, but a dash of modernity was added with tempo changes and hallowed lyrics of the occult and macabre. Look no further for iconic metal, Black Sabbath remains its king and founder; avert your eyes and kiss the ring.
6.
Artist: Megadeth
Song: “She-Wolf”
Album: Cryptic Writings (1997)
Dave Mustaine left Metallica in a blast of contention, and what came out of that destruction was a true rival of heavy metal’s darling children. Mustaine’s Megadeth has gone through numerous line-up changes, but the core of its sound has never dissipated with the alterations. The sound is razor sharp, and the guitar work possesses a stellar tone and technique that loves to play with scales and modes the way Godzilla treats a pristine cityscape.
“She-Wolf” is super-charged with incredible leads, pounding away from the start with a palm muted gallop made famous by Iron Maiden, but perfected by Mustaine. The entirety of Megadeth’s discography is worth visiting, with many songs going toe-to-toe with Metallica in ferocity and musicality. Megadeth is a pure metal experience that represents the very best of a genre that can transform a Vickers tea party into a mosh pitting slaughter.
5.
Artist: Iron Maiden
Song: “Run to the Hills”
Album: The Number of the Beast (1982)
Black Sabbath may be the founders of heavy metal, but Iron Maiden are undoubtedly its truest heirs. The English band is famous for its melodic lyrics and infectious choruses. The guitar work is nothing short of epic, three guitarists fill out a wall of sound that washes over you like a tsunami. Guitarists Dave Murray, Adrian Smith, and Janick Gers have crafted ensnaring hooks, phrases, and riffs that will reverberate throughout the halls of metal long after their final song has been played. Lead vocalist Bruce Dickinson has inspired Power Metal artists from Dragonforce to The Darkness.
Fans of heavy metal love Iron Maiden’s original sound and musicians revere their intricate songwriting; the heavy metal genre is not complete without recognizing Iron Maiden as one of the pillars of its foundation.
4.
Artist: Fear Factory
Song: “Replica”
Album: Demanufacture (1995)
Often referred to as a shining example of industrial metal, Fear Factory developed an incredible wall of sound that possesses a unique tone and depth. Guitarist Dino Cazares and bass player Christian Olde Wolbers are heralded with writing most of the album’s incredible riffs and hooks; and it is nothing short of masterful. Heavy metal needs outliers that break the molds set by Metallica and Megadeth. You don’t need two-minute-long solos that dance up and down the fretboard; all you need is to hang onto a beat that batters the brain stem with a double bass drum that locks into place with chunky palm muted guitar riffs and machine gun bass lines.
Fear Factory needs to be explored by any metal head aficionado who wants to stray from the beaten path laid down by so many mainstream artists within the genre; a perfect outing for the head banger who likes to get lost in the wilderness that is metal.
3.
Artist: Slayer
Song: “Seasons in the Abyss”
Album: Seasons in the Abyss (1990)
The undisputed kings of thrash metal, Slayer delivers pulse pounding riffs alongside terrorizing lyrics. This heavy metal experience is not for the faint of heart and is the gateway for listeners to dip their toes in the waters in the black and death metal genres. The tone and feel of the intro is reminiscent of the “War Pigs” intro from Black Sabbath, and the lyrics mirror the aggressive coolness of Rob Zombie.
“Seasons of the Abyss” is a far cry from their hit single, “Raining Blood”, but it showcases the breadth of the band’s musical prowess outside of that unrelenting thrash metal sound that they have become famous for. Slayer is not for everybody but “Seasons of the Abyss” stands out as a musical track that can push and pull apprehensive music lovers into the center of the mosh pit for a six-minute lesson of what constitutes the heavy metal sound and feel.
2.
Artist: Pantera
Song: “Domination”
Album: Cowboys From Hell (1990)
A proper list of necessary heavy metal tracks cannot be complete without Pantera. The group has become synonymous with the genre, and for good reason–they were the best in the business. Guitarist Dimebag Darrel Abbott developed a technique and tone that could only be rivaled by Randy Rhoads of Quiet Riot and Ozzy Osbourne. Dimebag’s riffs are legendary, and his soloing licks are epic. Pantera is known for creating “groove metal”, a genre that is driven by melodies that are fused to infectious rhythm.
“Domination” explodes out of the gate with a wall of sound driven by a machinated blast of double bass beats, wrapping its sonic embrace tightly around your supple brain, before whipping it against the wall in an explosion of cherry pie confetti. Pantera is a force of nature that needs to be experienced by anyone who calls themselves a metal head. When it comes to Pantera, there are no substitutes comparable; true legends of metal.
1.
Artist: Metallica
Song: “The Four Horsemen”
Album: Kill ’Em All (1983)
Black Sabbath gave birth to heavy metal, but Metallica raised it. The metal supergroup is easily the most recognizable heavy metal group in the world, and their following has only grown over the decades. The band has many hits and has received plenty of radio air time back when the airwaves were worth listening to. Their 1983 debut is where you can find the nerve center of what allowed such a meteoric rise. James Hetfield is a fantastic singer, and his rhythm guitar work is nothing short of pristine mechanics; only a few guitarists have mastered the speed of a palm-muted downstroke, and Hetfield is king among them. Lead guitarist Dave Mustaine, wrote many Metallica hits before he was kicked out of the band following the release of Kill ’Em All, and the world of metal is all the better for it. Nevertheless, their debut album represents a metal supergroup of staggering talent that could never be duplicated again.
Bassist Cliff Burton shines during “The Four Horsemen”, and the track marks the beginning of tempo changes that would become a hallmark of the band’s songwriting. Lars Ulrich plays the drums, and let’s just leave it at that. “The Four Horsemen” will be etched into the stone slab of iconic metal songs for as long as the genre carries on; heavy metal in the 1980’s belonged to Metallica, and this track will show you why.