Metal

Individuals or bands who perform Heavy Metal

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A-D

• 3 Inches Of Blood^note Also see Revocation - A Canadian Thrash Metal and Power Metal band. They are known for their unique vocal alteration between falsetto cleans and metalcore-esque screaming, as well as their over-the-top nature, manliness, and lyrics involving epic battles and Heavy Mithril.
• Abnormality^note Also see Neuraxis and Sexcrement - One of the most famous female-fronted death metal acts. Also known as "that band that made that really hard song in Rock Band".
• Abominable Putridity - The Face of Russian Slam/Brutal Death Metal.
• Aborted^note Also see Carcass, Soilwork, System Divide, God Dethroned, Trigger The Bloodshed, Spawn of Possession, and Hideous Divinity - A Brutal Death Metal / Deathgrind band from Belgium. Known for their use of samples and violent lyrics, as well as for being what may just be the nerdiest band in death metal.
• The Absence^note Also see Havok, Scar Symmetry, and Soulfly
• Absurd - German Black Metal band with significant Punk Rock influences. Known mainly for their... views.
• Abysmal Dawn^note Also see Exmortus, Havok, and Morbid Angel - One of the notable bands in the classic Death Metal revival scene.
• Accept - A relatively well-known traditional metal band from Germany. They are considered to be one of the precursors to Power Metal. Best known for their hit "Balls to the Wall".
• Acid Bath^note Also see Crowbar and Devourment - One of the first Sludge Metal bands, in addition to being well-known for their Neoclassical Punk Zydeco Rockabilly tendencies.
• A Day to Remember - Mixes Metalcore with Pop Punk.
• Adema
• Æon^note Also see Blood Red Throne
• After Forever ^note  Also see Epica and ReVamp
• Agalloch - An eclectic group from the northwestern US mixing Post-Rock, Black Metal, and neofolk. The most popular and acclaimed band in the "Cascadian black metal" scene.
• Agent Steel ^note  Also see Evil Dead - A Los Angeles based thrash/power metal group, notable for their hot-blooded solos and science fiction themed lyrics of UFO's and Illuminati-based conspiracies (with some social commentary).
• Aghora- a Progressive Metal / Jazz Fusion group that incorporates Indian music and themes.
• The Agonist ^note Also see Kamelot - Canadian Melodic Death Metal fronted by a female vocalist with a surprisingly good vocal range. Their lyrical themes mostly deal with social issues.
• Alcatrazz
• Alcest - Trope Codifier for shoegaze/Black Metal fusions
• Alestorm - Scottish Power Metal band who loves singing about pirates.
• The Algorithm - French one man project that combines Progressive Metal with various Electronic Dance Music genres.
• Alice in Chains^note  See also Jerry Cantrell - One of the most popular bands from the 1990s, who continue to go strong today. One of the few bands that fall under both Grunge and Heavy Metal simultaneously. Known for their dark vocal harmonies and the death of their drug-addicted singer, who got replaced with a black dude who isn't well-liked but gains more and more rep as time passes.
• Alice Cooper - Hugely popular in the 70s, and known for his facepaint (an influence on Black Metal corpse paint) and theatrical live shows.
  • 1971 - Love It to Death
• Allegaeon
• All Shall Perish^note Also see Emmure and Suicide Silence - Key band in the formation of deathcore, and also one of the most well-respected bands in the genre.
• All That Remains^note Also see The Acacia Strain, The Black Dahlia Murder, and Shadows Fall - Started as Melodic Death Metal, then became one of the faces of Melodic Metalcore. Shifted to a more alternative/Post-Grunge-based sound starting with their fourth album to very mixed reception.
• Alterbeast^note Also see Fallujah
• Alter Bridge - Creed minus Scott Stapp = Alternative Progressive Grungy Speed Metal.
• Amaranthe ^note Also see Dragonland - Swedish/Danish Power Metal / Melodic Death Metal band known for their triple-vocal approach, having a male singer, a female singer, and a growler who go back in forth in every song.
• Amniote
• Amon Amarth - Melodic Death Metal band from Sweden. They are fond of Vikings and giant beards.
• Amorphis
• Anaal Nathrakh - The most extreme Black Metal band in the world. Got even more extreme as of late thanks to incorporating elements of Industrial Metal, Death Metal and Grindcore in their sound.
• Anal Cunt - An over-the-top Grindcore band seemingly existing only to be metal's equivalent of Stylistic Suck. Their now-dead singer thinks Chris Barnes is a pussy.
• Anathema^note Also see My Dying Bride and Cradle of Filth
• Angelcorpse^note Also see Origin, Gorguts, Skinless, Immolation, and Nile
• Angel Witch: A part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal.
• Animals as Leaders^note Also see Animosity and Entheos - Djent instrumental trio from Washington D.C. known for the technical skill of guitarist Tosin Abasi. One of the most respected bands in the genre.
• Animosity^note Also see Animals as Leaders, Decrepit Birth, Entheos, The Faceless, and Suicide Silence
• Annihilator - Canadian Thrash Metal band. Well, you might as well call it The Jeff Waters Project, but still.
• Anthrax^note Also see Shadows Fall, Stormtroopers of Death, and Volbeat - One of the big 4 Thrash Metal bands, albeit the least popular commercially. They are named after a disease.
  • Among the Living (1987)
• Apocalyptica - Metal from Finland WITH CELLOS!
• Arch-Enemy ^note Also see The Agonist, Arsis, Carcass, Jeff Loomis, and Nevermore - One of Melodic Death Metal's most popular and acclaimed bands.
• Arkaik^note Also see Decrepit Birth, Deeds of Flesh, and Trivium
• Arsis^note Also see Arch-Enemy and The Black Dahlia Murder
• Artch
• Ash Borer
• As I Lay Dying - Trope Codifier for melodic Metalcore, and one of the heaviest of their kind. They're Christian.
• Asking Alexandria - One of the most popular metalcore bands in the United States, even though they're British.
• Atheist^note Also see Cynic - An early, highly-acclaimed Technical Death Metal band who reunited after a decade-long split and now continue to tour and record.
• At the Gates^note Also see Cradle of Filth, The Haunted and Paradise Lost - One of the original three Trope Codifiers of Melodic Death Metal and the Ur-Example of their subgenre's more brutal side.
• Autopsy^note Also see Death
• Avenged Sevenfold - Very successful Hard Rock and Alternative Metal band who made it big in the mid-2000s. Loved by their fans, hated by others. Known for their distinctly gritty singing and many a Genre Shift.
  • City of Evil (2005)
  • The Stage (2016)
• Axel Rudi Pell - Hard Rock and Power Metal band led by the guitarist of the same name. Notable for having Johnny Gioeli of Crush 40 (also known as "the Sonic the Hedgehog guy") as their vocalist and frontman.
• The Axis of Perdition^note Also see Bal-Sagoth and My Dying Bride
• BABYMETAL - A metal idol group from Japan. While they may be polarizing for some, they have become one of the biggest Internet phenomena for many metalheads as of late.
• Bal-Sagoth^note Also see My Dying Bride, The Axis of Perdition and DragonForce
• Band-Maid - An all-girl Japanese band who preform traditional metal and hard rock while wearing Maid Cafe outfits.
• Barbatos - Loud, lewd, and primitive "street metal" from Japan
• Bathory - Trope Makers for viking metal and (arguably) Trope Makers/Trope Codifier for Black Metal, if it's not Mayhem
• Battlelore
• Beartooth - Metalcore band formed by ex-Attack Attack! vocalist Caleb Shomo, known for its dense sound and dark lyrical themes.
• Behemoth - Possibly Poland's biggest Death Metal band. Started as Black Metal.
• Bell Witch - Funeral doom duo from Seattle. Known for being extremely depressing even by the standards of funeral doom.
• Beneath The Massacre^note Also see Gorguts
• Benighted^note Also see Necrophagist - French Brutal Death Metal band known for their Neoclassical Punk Zydeco Rockabilly tendencies and the exceptional vocal range of Julien Truchan.
• The Berzerker - Industrial deathgrind from down under.
• Between the Buried and Me - Highly eclectic Progressive Metal band. Was under the radar for a while, but made it big with their 2007 release Colors.
• Beyond Creation
• Black Crown Initiate^note Also see The Faceless, Gorod, Jungle Rot, and Thy Art Is Murder - An upstart progressive death metal act with serious Genre-Busting tendencies. Also known for a preponderance of massive beards.
• Black Veil Brides - The face of the Hair Metal revival along with Steel Panther. Infamous for their rabid fanbase that loves them for reasons other than their music.
• The Black Dahlia Murder ^note Also see Arsis and Despised Icon - Highly popular Melodic Death Metal band who take the genre to absolute extremes. The public probably recognizes them as "those fat, hairy basement dwellers who love to play metal and goof around".
• Black Label Society - The most acclaimed old-school heavy metal band of the last years.
• Black Sabbath^note Also see Ronnie James Dio, Ozzy Osbourne and Deep Purple - Widely considered to be the first metal band.
  • Paranoid (1970)
• Black Tide
• Blind Guardian^note Also see Demons & Wizards - Popular and well-respected Power Metal outfit known for their multi-layered vocal harmonies and J. R. R. Tolkien -inspired lyrics.
• Bloodbath
• Blood Red Throne ^note Also see Æon, Green Carnation, Emperor and Spawn of Possession - The face of Norwegian Death Metal, along with Zyklon.
• Blood Stain Child - The most well-respected Japanese Melodic Death Metal outfit. Known for their signature sound that mixes melodeath with Electronic Music.
• Blue Öyster Cult- one of the first American Heavy Metal bands, and a widely-influential (and oft-covered) band. Also the first band to be referred to as the "thinking man's Heavy metal band".
  • Secret Treaties (1974)
  • Agents of Fortune (1976)
  • Spectres (1977)
• Blue Stahli - Electronic Metal one man band whose songs are popular picks for fanmade video game music mixes.
• Blut aus Nord - French Black Metal band that flip-flops between a more atmospheric sound and a Darker and Edgier one influenced by Industrial Metal and Progressive Metal
• The Body - Sludge Metal doom bringers from Rhode Island who mix a lot of experimental elements into their sound
• Body Count^note Also see Ice-T - One of the few all African-American metal bands. Brought about by Ice T's love of metal and realization that he knew a lot of good metal musicians.
  • Body Count (Album) (1992)
• Bolt Thrower - Heavy Mithril meets Death Metal. Easy as that.
• Boris - Japanese three piece that started out playing Doom Metal but now play whatever they feel like.
• Breed 77 - Underground Alternative Metal band from Gibraltar. They fuse their music with Spanish flamenco and sometimes use Yarling.
• Bring Me the Horizon - A popular British Metalcore band whose fanbase loves them for the wrong reasons. Eventually ditched metalcore in favor of a lighter electronic-tinged Nu Metal sound with Emo and Pop Punk leanings, which saw them their best success.
• Broken Hope^note Also see Chimaira, Disgorge, and Dying Fetus
• Bullet for My Valentine - A Welsh Metalcore/Hard Rock band known for their emotional lyrics and heavy melodeath influences.
• Burzum^note Also see Mayhem - Infamous one-man Black Metal outfit which served as the Trope Makers for the genre's more ambient side. Sole member Varg Vikernes was jailed from 1994-2009 for the arson of three churches and the murder of Mayhem guitarist Euronymous. He's also infamous for being an outspoken white supremacist.
• Candiria - Avant-Garde Metal outfit whose members famoulsy averted total Author Existence Failure via vehicular accident.
• Candlemass^note Also see Carcass and Therion - Trope Codifier for Doom Metal known for their bombastic sound and ex-singer Messiah Marcolin's even more bombastic singing.
• Cane Hill - Nu Metal/Metalcore band from New Orleans whose lyrical themes have nothing off limits. They are considered to be a "modern" nu metal band, having been formed in the 2010s.
• Cannibal Corpse^note Also see Hate Eternal, Nevermore, and Origin - The most popular Death Metal band on the planet. Known for their violent cover art and explicitly violent lyrics and song titles.
• Jerry Cantrell^note  Also see Alice in Chains - The Lead guitarist to Alice in Chains who also has a prolific solo career
• Carcass^note Also see Napalm Death, Trigger The Bloodshed, and Candlemass - Highly influential goregrind group that gradually changed their sound to melodic death and influenced even more bands.
• Carnifex
• Cathedral^note Also see Napalm Death
• Cattle Decapitation^note Also see Cryptopsy, Neuraxis, and Pathology - Highly eclectic death metal group that has changed their sound with every album and seamlessly fused a little bit of everything that they enjoy into their music without having anything sound out of place.
• Celldweller - The most well-respected Nu Metal band since Deftones. Easily recognizable with its metal/Electronic Music crossover sound. Frontman and sole member Klayton writes all the music by himself.
• Celtic Frost - Claimed to be the missing link between '80s Thrash Metal and Black Metal. Known for their dark, aggressive playing style and their Neoclassical Punk Zydeco Rockabilly tendencies.
• Cephalic Carnage^note Also see Havok, Job for a Cowboy, and Origin - Experimental deathgrind/death metal act (aka "Rocky Mountain Hydrogrind") known for their equally-strong fondness for both Genre Roulette and weed.
• Charlemagne^note Also see Rhapsody of Fire and Heavy Mithril
• The Chasm - Mexican-American Progressive Death Metal band with a fairly old-school sound overall, but a fairly large number of instrumentals. Their most recent album (as of 2019) is entirely instrumental.
• Children of Bodom - Melodic death/Power Metal band from Finland known for their unique sound and Word Salad Lyrics. Gravitated towards a modern Thrash Metal sound in recent years, much to the disdain of their fanbase.
• Chimaira ^note Also see Broken Hope, Fear Factory, Dying Fetus, Misery Index, and Six Feet Under - Metalcore band characterized by their extremely fast double-bass drumming and distinctly angry vocals.
• Chthonic - Taiwanese band rivaling Sigh on being the face of Asian Black Metal. Well-respected for their music. Also loved by fans for other reasons...
• Gilby Clarke:
  • Pawnshop Guitars (1994)
• Clawfinger - Swedish Rap Metal band known for their insightful lyricism and hard-hitting sound. Broke up in 2013 after 7 albums.
• Clutch - Very bluesy alternative metal and stoner rock band. You can easily recognize them from their old-school rock influences and Word Salad Lyrics.
• Coal Chamber - One of the earlier nu-metal groups. The name "nu-metal" itself was first used in an early review of the band. Split in 2003, reformed in 2011.
• Cobalt - Two man black metal act from the US who infuse elements of post-metal and sludge metal into their sound. Notable for their first vocalist Phil McSorley being an active serviceman in the US Army during his tenure with the band.
• Cognitive^note Also see Waking the Cadaver
• Conquer Divide - All female Metalcore band based in the US and UK, known for their eclectic take on the genre.
• Converge - Very heavy metalcore group, also Trope Codifiers and/or Trope Makers for the Mathcore subgenre.
• Cormorant
• Coroner
• Cradle of Filth^note Also see At the Gates, Anathema, My Dying Bride, Therion, The Kovenant and Paradise Lost - The most successful British metal band since Iron Maiden. Also, despite their name and lyrical themes, and vocal style, they are not a Black Metal band, claiming otherwise will earn you the wrath of "trve" black metal fans, or at least another Face Palm.
• Crowbar^note Also see Acid Bath and Pantera - Trope Codifier of Sludge Metal alongside Eyehategod
• Cryptopsy^note Also see Cattle Decapitation and Neuraxis - The definitive Canadian tech-death band.
• Cult of Luna - Swedish Post Metal band with Sludge Metal and Doom Metal tendencies.
• Cynic^note Also see Death, Atheist, Gordian Knot and The Faceless - Acclaimed Technical Death Metal band that shifted more towards Progressive Rock after its second album.
• Danger Danger
• Danzig^note Also see Type O Negative
• The Darkness - A Genre Throwback to Hair Metal, most popular in the mid-2000s.
• Darkthrone
• Dark Angel^note Also see Death, Testament, Forbidden, Devin Townsend and Megadeth
• Dark Tranquillity^note Also see In Flames and At the Gates - One of the pioneers of Melodic Death Metal. They have since gravitated towards a more progressive, baroque pop-influenced sound.
• Debauchery - Cult German Death Metal band known for their strong '80s hard rock influences as well as for being what may be the most tongue-in-cheek band in death metal.
• Deadlock^note Also See Defeated Sanity - Female-fronted German band who frequently mix and mash up genres.
• Dead By April - Melodic Metalcore band from Sweden, known for their '90s Boy Band-esque musical stylings and polished sound.
• Deafheaven - Divisive fusion of Post-Rock, Shoegazing, and Black Metal
  • 2013 - Sunbather
• Death^note Also see Cynic, Dark Angel, Autopsy, and Forbidden. The creators of Death Metal.
• Deathspell Omega - French Avant-Garde Black Metal act that defines the extreme end of the genre alongside Anaal Nathrakh
• Decapitated - One of Technical Death Metal's most lauded bands.
• Decrepit Birth^note Also see Animosity, Arkaik, Deeds of Flesh, and Suffocation
• Deeds of Flesh ^note Also see Suffocation, Disgorge, Exhumed, Arkaik, Spawn of Possession, and Blood Red Throne - Up there with Suffocation as the brutal death band, as well as being the epicenter of Unique Leader Records, which frontman Erik Lindmark runs.
• Defeated Sanity ^note Also see Disgorge, Christian Muenzner, Necrophagist, Deadlock and Spawn of Possession - Essentially Devourment if they were led by a jazz drummer and a modern classical composer-turned-bassist. The Ensemble Dark Horse of tech-death.
• Def Leppard - Their first two albums were NWOBHM in the vein of Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, but from Pyromania onwards, they switched to a poppier Hard Rock sound.
• Deftones - The Ensemble Dark Horse of Nu Metal. Identifiable by vocalist Chino Moreno's Perishing Alt-Rock Voice and angry pterodactyl screams. Gradually got more experimental as time went on.
• Deicide ^note Also see Cannibal Corpse and Obituary - Satanic Death Metal band that formed in the 80s as well as one of the Trope Codifiers for the genre.
• Delain - Dutch Symphonic Metal band.
• Demolition Hammer - One of the heaviest thrash acts of all time and a beloved Cult Classic.
• Demon Hunter - Christian Metalcore that doesn't really sound Christian.
• Demons & Wizards^note Also see Blind Guardian and Iced Earth
• Desecravity - Technical Death Metal from Japan
• Despised Icon^note Also see The Black Dahlia Murder, Job for a Cowboy, and Neuraxis
• Device - Disturbed meets Industrial Metal. Not much else to say.
• The Devil Wears Prada
• Devourment^note Also see Acid Bath - One of the first major slam bands and the most recognizable band in the genre by far. Also infamous for revolving-door lineups that consist of the same few people again and again.
• Diablo Swing Orchestra - Swedish Avant-Garde Big Band Swing Metal Band
• Diamond Head - English Heavy Metal band cited by Metallica as a major influence on their sound. An early major part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, but never truly achieved their full potential.
• Die Krupps - German Industrial Metal band with a distictive synth and guitar driven style. Known to have influenced Rammstein.
• Dimmu Borgir
• Ronnie James Dio^note Also see Rainbow and Black Sabbath - The undisputed king of the classic metal sound. Died in 2010 and left behind one of the genre's biggest legacies.
• Dir en grey - A highly respected Japanese metal band with a devoted worldwide cult following. Also one of the most diverse and unusual-sounding metal bands in the active scene. They must be heard to be believed.
  • Kyo: Vocals
  • Kaoru: Guitar
  • Die (pronounced "Dye" as opposed to "dee-eh"): Guitar
  • Toshiya: Bass Guitar
  • Shinya: Drums
• Dirty Rotten Imbeciles
• Disciple - One of the most blatant examples of Christian Metal. Easy to point out due to Kevin Young's distinct wail and highly religious lyrics.
• Discordance Axis - A technical grindcore band from New Jersey. Mostly unappreciated during their lifetime, they have since gathered a strong cult following. They really like Neon Genesis Evangelion.
• Disgorge ^note Also see Broken Hope, Defeated Sanity, Abominable Putridity, Suffocation, Deeds of Flesh and Pathology - An American Brutal Death Metal band known for their gory, anti-Christian lyrics and highly influential nature. The majority of their past vocalists are now involved in various other bands.
• Dissection^note  Also see Watain - Infamous black metal band from Sweden known for their Melodic Death Metal influences and occultist beliefs of frontman Jon Nodtveidt. Disbanded in 2007 followed by Nodtveid's suicide inside a circle of lit candles.
• Disturbed^note Also see Art of Dying - One of the most popular metal bands in history. They started off as pretty straightfoward Nu Metal, but gradually evolved into a one-of-a-kind style of metal leaning towards Hard Rock. You might (actually, probably) know them as the band that did "Down with the Sickness".
• Dismember
• Dog Fashion Disco - Avant-Garde Metal band from Maryland that is equal parts metal, jazz, psychedelia, and circus music.
• Dokken^note Also see Europe and Dio
• Dorso
• Down
• DragonForce^note Also see Bal-Sagoth - Power Metal band famous for, among many other things, super-fast guitars and their liberal use of fantastic themes.
• Dragonland ^note Also see Amaranthe
• Dream Theater - The most popular Progressive Metal band. Famous for their long songs and their precise, technical musicianship.
  • Images and Words (1992)
  • Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory (1999)
• Drowning Pool - Nu Metal (later Alternative Metal) band from Texas known for their controversial hit single "Bodies", the death of their original vocalist in 2002, and for appearing in Dragon Ball Z films and WWF events. In that order.
• Drudkh
• Dwelling Of Duels
• Dying Fetus^note Also see Broken Hope, Chimaira and Misery Index - Technical Death Metal band from Maryland known for their exceptionally low vocals and rap-like rhythms. Yes, their name was meant to be offensive.

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E-H

• Edge of Sanity - Acclaimed Swedish Melodic Death Metal band who were one of the first bands in the genre to incorporate Progressive Metal influences, culminating in Crimson, a single forty-minute song
• Edguy
  • Avantasia
• Electric Wizard - Basically Black Sabbath taken Up to Eleven.
• Eluveitie - The poster child for Folk Metal
• Emmure ^note Also see All Shall Perish - Polarizing Deathcore band, who became more popular after integrating Nu Metal into their music. Known for vocalist Frankie Palmeri, who is the only original member.
• Emperor^note Also see Green Carnation, Zyklon, Blood Red Throne and Mortiis - One of the most highly influential Norwegian "second generation" black metal bands.
  • Ihsahn
• Ensiferum ^note Also see Wintersun
• Enslaved - Long-running, highly acclaimed Norwegian Black Metal band known for their progressive songwriting and big, epic compositions.
• Entheos ^note Also see Animals as Leaders, Animosity, The Faceless, and Inferi
• Entombed
• Enter Shikari - British Post-Hardcore/Avant-Garde Metal band, which take Neoclassical Punk Zydeco Rockabilly to truly ungodly levels for their genre. Easily the most respected band in their genre as of late.
• Epica^note Also see AfterForever, God Dethroned, Mayan, and Kamelot - A Dutch Symphonic Metal band that combines various elements of other metal subgenres.
• Eric Calderone - a YouTube guitarist that plays music in Metal form.
• E.S. Posthumus - The Ensemble Dark Horse of Symphonic Metal. Highly notable for their film score-inspired sound and heavy orchestrations.
• Evile - The leaders of the old-school Thrash Metal revival. Put together Slayer and '80s Metallica and you'd basically get their sound.
• Exhumed^note Also see Deeds of Flesh and Ghoul - One of the most famous and long-lived Carcass worship groups. Known for their near-constant touring and raucous live shows.
• Exmortus^note Also see Abysmal Dawn
• Exodus ^note Also see Slayer, Metallica, and Testament - One of the Trope Codifiers for Thrash Metal as well as one of the most loved bands in the genre. Best-known for their groundbreaking debut album Bonded by Blood.
• Exotype - Genre-Busting band from Florida that combines various kinds of metal with various kinds of Electronic Music to take Neoclassical Punk Zydeco Rockabilly to insane levels. They just call their music "electronic rock".
• Eyehategod - One of the creators of the sludge genre as well as the undisputed kings of it.
• EZO: The first Japanese metal band to perform outside of Japan and be signed by a Western label. Was somewhat Hair Metal but with Darker and Edgier lyrical content.
• The Faceless^note Also see Animosity, Black Crown Initiate, Cynic, Entheos, Job for a Cowboy, Oceano, Origin, Six Feet Under, and Unearth
• Fair to Midland
• Faith No More^note Also see Mr. Bungle - Heavy Metal meets...well pretty much everything else. Enough said. Pioneered Rap Metal with "Epic", despite not being overall representative of the genre.
  • Mike Patton - Arguably the biggest example of Man of a Thousand Voices in the entire metal world, who sings for the above band.
• Fall of Efrafa
• Fallujah^note Also see Alterbeast
• Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas - Japanese band that fuses metal with Electronicore, Hardcore Techno, and too many other genres to list. They describe their style as "chaos".
• Fear Factory^note Also see Malignancy and System Divide - Industrial Metal/Groove Metal/Death Metal band known for popularizing the one-man Soprano and Gravel technique. Recognizable for their abrasive, mechanical sound and science fiction-themed lyrics. Easily one of the most popular bands of the genre.
• Fell Voices
• Finntroll^note Also see Moonsorrow
• Fireaxe
  • Food for the Gods (2003)
• Fit For An Autopsy^note Also see The Acacia Strain and Sexcrement
• Five Finger Death Punch - Highly aggressive Groove Metal band known for their unique sound, which manages to remain dense and mean while still radio-friendly. Narm Charm is everywhere in their discography. About half the metal community consider them a disgrace to music, while the other half like them.
• Fleshgod Apocalypse ^note Also see Hour of Penance - A brutal Technical Death Metal band from Italy with neo-classical and symphonic elements.
• Forbidden^note Also see Dark Angel, Death, Testament, Slayer, Machine Head, Vio-lence, and Nevermore
• Fozzy - Modern metal band fronted by wrestler Chris Jericho. Started as a joke band, but became a true face in the metal world with the album All That Remains.
• From Ashes to New - One of the faces of the 2010s Nu Metal revival movement.
• Galneryus - The face of Japanese neoclassical metal along with X Japan and Versailles. Notable for their work on the opening and ending theme of Mnemosyne and for the departure of then-vocalist Yama-B, whose replacement is widely disliked for his questionable singing ability.
• Gama Bomb
• Gamma Ray^note Also see Helloween
• GaMetal - One-man internet project who does Progressive Metal covers of Video Game themes on Youtube.
• The Gathering
• The Gazette - Currently one of the most successful and iconic bands in Japanese heavy metal, despite being signed to a non-metal label.
• Genghis Tron
• Ghost - Behemoth's lyrics plus Black Sabbath's sound equals them.
• Ghoul^note Also see Exhumed - Four masked mutants from the haunted land of Creepsylvania who terrorize listeners with their unique brand of "splatterthrash".
• Gigan^note Also see Hate Eternal
• Girlschool - All-female band in the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. Often considered to be the Distaff Counterpart to Motörhead.
• God Dethroned ^note Also see Epica, Aborted and Mayan
• Godflesh^note See also Jesu and Napalm Death - Important Industrial Metal act and possible Ur-Example of post-metal
• Godsmack - The Spiritual Successor to Alice in Chains. Some call them rip-offs, and others love their heavy take on the Alternative Metal / Post-Grunge sound. Their name may or may not come from the song of the same name.
• Gojira - French Technical Death Metal/Groove Metal band known for their musical precision and environmentalist lyrics.
• Gorgoroth ^note Also See Immortal and Obituary - One of the most infamous Black Metal bands hailing from Norway due to the history of a major past member.
• Gorguts ^note Also see Cryptopsy, Angelcorpse, Origin, Skinless Krallice, and Beneath The Massacre - Trope Codifier for the noisy, dissonant style of Technical Death Metal that has become popular in recent years.
• Gorod ^note Also see Black Crown Initiate
• Grave
• Grave Digger
• Green Carnation^note Also see Emperor and Blood Red Throne
• Green Jelly^note Sort of a middle ground between metal and punk
• Guano Apes - Female fronted Nu Metal band from Germany that combined the genre with rap, pop rock, pop punk, grunge, hard rock and comedy. Later shifted to a more alternative rock sound.
• GWAR- Long-running "Scumdogs of the Universe" who take theatricality to a whole other level.
• Hacktivist - British Rap Metal band that takes influence from Djent, Grime, and Nu Metal to create an extremely unusual sound. Considered by some to be the successor to Rage Against the Machine.
• Hammerfall
• Hammers of Misfortune - Progressive Metal band formed by the ex-guitarist of Slough Feg.
• Hardline
• Hatebreed - One of the top dogs of modern metalcore and the Trope Codifier for its heavier end along with Converge.
• Hate Eternal^note Also see Cannibal Corpse, Gigan, Morbid Angel, Necrophagist, Nile, Obscura, Oceano, and Suffocation - The main band of the (in)famous metal producer Erik Rutan, as well as the breakthrough band for the drum virtuoso Derek Roddy.
• The Haunted - Melodic Groove Metal formed from the ashes of At The Gates.
• Havok^note Also see The Absence, Abysmal Dawn, Cephalic Carnage, Job for a Cowboy, Morbid Angel, and Soulfly - One of the biggest names in modern thrash.
• Heaven's Gate
• Heaven Shall Burn ^note Also see Trigger The Bloodshed - A Melodic Death Metal / Metalcore band from Germany notable for their socio-political lyrics, aggressive music, distinct vocals, and for being vegans.
• Helloween^note Also see Gamma Ray and Masterplan
• Helmet - Extremely influential Alternative Metal band, also considered by some to be the Ur-Example of Nu Metal (which they deny).
• Helstar - One of the faces of US power metal.
• Hevisaurus - A band from Finland, famous for dressing up as dinosaurs on stage and playing kid-friendly Heavy Metal songs.
• Hideous Divinity^note Also see Aborted and Hour of Penance
• Holy Grail
• Hour of Penance ^note Also see Fleshgod Apocalypse and Hideous Divinity - One of the pioneers of the current Italian Death Metal Scene
• House Of Wolves
• Hypocrisy ^note Also See Immortal - The musical project of Death Metal producer Peter Tagtgren. Notable for their dense, very loud, brutal death-influenced Melodic Death Metal sound

I-M

• I built the sky - Progressive one man solo project of Australian guitarist Rohan "Ro Han" Stevenson. Known for his "happy" take on the genre.
• Iced Earth^note Also see Demons & Wizards - Highly regarded American Power Metal/Thrash Metal band known for their frequent lineup changes and love for the Concept Album.
• Ill Nino - Latin-infused metal from New Jersey. No two albums by them sound the same. Considered in their heyday to be one of Nu Metal's best bands. They have since shifted to a more Death Metal-influenced sound.
• Immolation^note Also see Angelcorpse - Noteworthy OS NY death metal band for their slow, yet heavy atmospheric sound.
• Immortal - ^note Also see Hypocrisy and Gorgoroth One of the poster children for the image of Black Metal. Subject to Narm and Memetic Mutation.
• Inanimate Existence
• In Extremo
• Inferi^note Also see Entheos and Vale Of Pnath
• In Flames^note Also see At the Gates and Dark Tranquillity - One of three Trope Codifiers for Melodic Death Metal early on, but gradually gravitated towards a more Alternative Metal style with elements of Metalcore and Nu Metal.
• Ingested
• Insomnium^note  Also see Omnium Gatherum - Very eminent Finnish Melodic Death Metal band known for their disposition to create rich, beautiful musical landscapes. They gravitate towards emotion and viscera moreso than ferocity and heaviness.
• Internal Suffering ^note also see Hate Eternal - The most extreme, most hard-hitting, most everything tech-death band to ever come out from South America.
• In This Moment - Probably the biggest female-fronted metal band of the '10s (in America, at least). Their sound manages to be harsh and abrasive while still being radio friendly. One of the biggest examples of Face of the Band and divisiveness in metal.
• Iron Maiden - Along with Motorhead and Judas Priest, one of the most popular and influential bands of the NWOBHM (New Wave of British Heavy Metal). Known for their operatic singing, galloping bass, and triple-guitar sound. Has spawned numerous imitators.
  • 1980 - Iron Maiden
  • 1981 - Killers
  • 1982 - The Number of the Beast
  • Bruce Dickinson - Iron Maiden's most famous singer.
• Iron Savior
• Isis - Trope Codifier for post-metal.
• Issues - Metalcore / Nu Metal band from Atlanta that combines metal with the vocals of Top 40 music.
• Jag Panzer
• Jane's Addiction - Important Alternative Metal and Funk Metal band, and Trope Codifier for the former.
• Jesu^note See also Napalm Death and Godflesh - Justin Broadrick's current project after Godflesh. Put together Sunn O))) and My Bloody Valentine and you pretty much get their sound.
• Job for a Cowboy^note Also see Cephalic Carnage, Despised Icon, The Faceless, and Havok - Deathcore turned Death Metal band from Arizona. Popular among non-death metal fans. Despite the name, they are not a country band.
• JORN- Former Masterplan and Ayreon vocalist's solo band.
• Judas Priest - The Trope Codifier for NWOBHM along with Motorhead and Iron Maiden.
  • British Steel (1980)
• Judicator
• Jungle Rot^note Also see Black Crown Initiate - Old-school Death Metal band whose entire catalog has recently been Vindicated by History. Known for their hardcore-influenced writing and war themes.
• Jupiter^note Also see Versailles and Hizaki - Japanese Symphonic Power Metal band formed by the instrumentalists of Versailles after that band went on hiatus in 2012.
• Kamelot - ^note Also see Epica and The Agonist Power Metal band from Florida. Known for their soaring melodies and heavier sound than some of their contemporaries. Their original singer was nothing short of a Dreadful Musician, but their next two singers are widely considered to have some of the best cleans in metal.
• Kataklysm^note Also see Neuraxis - Canadian Death Metal band known for their hyperspeed drumming sections. They have had two singers, one who sounds like a deranged man in a mental institution, and one who alternates between demonic growls and banshee shrieks.
• Katalepsy - The youngest son of Russian Death Metal.
• Katatonia - Swedish Gothic/Doom Metal band that pushes the bleakness and darkness of their genre to their limits.
• Kayo Dot - American avant-garde metal band and spiritual successor to maudlin of the Well. Engage in Genre Roulette to the point where only half their albums even qualify as metal.
• Khanate^note Also see Sunn O))) - Ensemble Dark Horse of drone metal. Recognisable for their long songs, their feedback-heavy, noisy guitars, strange drum patterns and their singer's bloodcurling screams.
• Kid Crusher
• Killswitch Engage - The quintessential mainstream metalcore band.
• King Diamond
  • Abigail (1987)
• Kings X – Although they incorporated elements of funk, hard rock, gospel, and alternative rock, King's X were firmly located in progressive metal territory since their debut album up to 1994's Dogman.
• KMFDM - Industrial metal/rock band from Germany known for their Neoclassical Punk Zydeco Rockabilly tendencies and frequently indulging into Black Comedy.
• Knorkator
• Kontrust
• Korn - Invented Nu Metal with their interpretation of Alternative Metal, though they deny it. Known for their angsty lyrics, frontman Jonathan Davis' unique vocal style, and the fact that they don't like being called any genre, including metal.
  • Korn (1994)
• Korpiklaani
• The Kovenant^note Also see Therion, Cradle of Filth, Mayhem and Emperor
  • In Times Before the Light (1997)
• Krallice ^note Also see Gorguts
• Kreator - The face of Teutonic Thrash Metal and an arguable Ur-Example of both Death Metal and Melodic Death Metal, never mind their semi-cyclic Genre Shifts to Gothic Metal.
• Krisiun - Brazilian Brutal Death Metal band that plays at a blisteringly fast speed.
• Kronos
• Kuroyume - Japanese heavy metal band.
• Kvelertak - Norwegian metal band combining Black Metal, Hardcore Punk and Hard Rock influences into what fans call "Black & Roll".
• Kyuss^note Also see Queens of the Stone Age - A key influence in stoner metal.
• Lacuna Coil - One of the faces of Gothic Metal. They're highly influential, but their rep has been scarred by their Unpleasable Fanbase.
• Lamb of God - Pretty much the leaders of modern metal. Known for their sound's raw production and heavy grooves.
• Lascaille's Shroud
• Legion Of The Damned - Arguably the most acclaimed Death/Thrash band of the modern day.
• Lich King - One of the biggest bands of the old-school Thrash Metal revival, and definitely one of its most humorous bands. They tend to be extremely polarizing among thrashers but really picked up steam with their third album.
• Limp Bizkit - One of poster boys for Nu Metal. Highly divisive to say the least.
  • Three Dollar Bill, Y'all$ (1997)
  • Significant Other (1999)
  • Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water (2000)
  • Results May Vary (2003)
  • The Unquestionable Truth, Part 1 (2005)
  • Gold Cobra (2011)
• Lita Ford
• Liturgy
• Living Colour - Funk Metal and Alternative Metal band. All their members are African-American.
• Jeff Loomis^note Also see Arch-Enemy and Nevermore- The face of modern shred guitar.
• Lorna Shore^note Also see Signs Of The Swarm
• Loudness: Second Japanese metal band to be signed and tour outside of Japan, most famously so with Mötley Crüe. Most famous for being a Long Runner (over 30 years without a breakup or prolonged hiatus) and doing so via repeated Genre Shift. Also known for its legendary bass players - which have included Taiji Sawada and Naoto Shibata.
  • Akira Takasaki
  • Masaki Yamada
  • Minoru Niihara
  • Munetaka Higuchi
  • Taiji Sawada ^note Also see X Japan
• Lordi - A Finnish metal band known for their gritty vocals and classic sound. Their smash hit "Hard Rock Hallelujah" brought them to instant recognition.
• Love And Death^note Also see Korn - Christian Nu Metal band formed and fronted by Korn guitarist Brian "Head" Welch.
• Lyriel
• Machinae Supremacy
• Machine Head ^note Also see Forbidden and MusicViolence
• Mägo de Oz
• Make Them Suffer - Deathcore band from down under. Features elements of Progressive Metal, Symphonic Metal, and regular Metalcore. Some even regard them as the line between deathcore and metalcore.
• Malignancy^note Also see Fear Factory and System Divide - The dauntless underdogs of NYDM, though they have attracted more attention as of late thanks to Mike Heller's involvement with Fear Factory. Known for their devoted cult following and completely one-of-a-kind sound.
• Yngwie Malmsteen - Trope Codifier of neoclassical metal.
• Manilla Road - Long-running American Power Metal band renowned for their 70's-influenced "epic metal" style.
• Manowar - American Power Metal and Speed Metal band which talks mainly about Heavy Mithril. They are so manly it's not even funny.
• Marduk
• Marilyn Manson - Popular Industrial Metal and Alternative Metal artist from the 90s / early 2000s, known for nihilistic/existentialist lyrics, shock tactics and offending concerned parent's groups and being blamed for school shootings and such.
• Massacration
• Masterplan^note Also see Helloween and Iron Savior
• Mastodon - Popular Georgian band which started out as a Groove/Sludge Metal band before moving on to a more progressive sound staring with their third album.
• maudlin of the Well - American avant-garde metal band who claim to be inspired by astral projection. They laugh at the idea of "genre".
• Maximum the Hormone - A Japanese band that experiments with a slew of other genres whenever they feel like it, often have lyrics about sex and black comedy.
• Mayan ^note Also see Epica and AfterForever
• Mayhem^note Also see Burzum, Emperor and Sunn O))) - One of the most infamous Black Metal bands, due to the suicide of one band member and murder of another at the height of the genre's second wave. Arguable Trope Codifier for all of Black Metal and the most famous band in the whole genre.
• Megadeth - The second most popular band in the big 4 of Thrash Metal, as well as the one with the largest catalog (15 albums) and arguably most line-up changes. Known for their shred-style guitar and for Dave Mustaine, who also is known for getting booted out of Metallica and for his ignorant behavior.
• Melvins - Trope Maker and Trope Codifier for sludge metal. Also a key player in Grunge, as well.
• The Mentors - One of the most offensive bands to grace the face of the Earth. They originally started as a punk band, but made the switch to a more thrash influenced sound later in their career.
• Meshuggah - Swedish experimental metal quintet, haven't found any mainstream success but nigh-famous in many circles for their excessively technical, chug-heavy, seemingly unclassifiable sound, and for the virtuosity of the band's founding members.
• Metallica^note Also see Exodus and Voivod - The most popular metal band in the entire world, by far. You can't please their so-called "fans".
  • Ride the Lightning (1983)
  • Master of Puppets (1986)
• Metal Church - American Power Metal band with socially-conscious lyrics.
• Mgla - A nihilistic but melodic Polish black metal band.
• Ministry - The Trope Maker for Industrial Metal.
• Mirrorthrone
• Misery Index^note Also see Dying Fetus and Pig Destroyer
• Mnemic
• Monster Magnet
• Moonsorrow^note Also see Finntroll
• Morbid Angel ^note Also see Abysmal Dawn, Hate Eternal, and Havok - A pioneering Death Metal band in the late eighties and early nineties. Caused a massive Broken Base with their Industrial Metal-tinged Illud Divinum Insanus album.
• Mors Principium Est
• Mortiis^note Also see Emperor - Initially an Ambient solo project of the former bassist of Emperor, which later developed into a full band that plays Industrial Metal.
• Motionless In White - Gothic Metalcore band fronted by Chris "Motionless" Cerulli, who does his best impersonation of other metal singers.
• Mötley Crüe - Key Glam Metal band, and one of the heavier of the bunch.
• Motörhead - The supposed creators of the Speed Metal genre. Fronted by Lemmy, who is known for his manly presence, promiscuity, gravelly singing voice, and refusal to accept his own band's genre, calling them "rock and roll". Never tell him otherwise.
  • Ace of Spades (1980)
• Mr. Bungle^note Also see Faith No More - Mike Patton combines metal with every other genre imaginable. Released three albums before permanently disbanding in 2000.
• Mudvayne - A Progressive Metal band from Illinois known for using weird face paint, Esoteric Motifs, and complex technical playing based in Arc Numbers producing Uncommon Time signatures.
  • LD 50 (2000)
  • The End Of All Things To Come (2002)
  • Lost and Found (2005)
  • The New Game (2008)
  • Mudvayne (2009)
• Christian Muenzner^note Also see Defeated Sanity, Necrophagist, Obscura, and Spawn of Possession
• Municipal Waste - Along with Evile, the leaders of the old-school Thrash Metal revival. Hit massive acclaim with their 2007 effort The Art of Partying.
• Mushroomhead - Industrial Metal band who, much like Slipknot, has many members and wears masks. Whether Slipknot fans want to hear it or not, Mushroomhead did it before them.
• My Dying Bride^note Also see Bal-Sagoth, Cradle of Filth, The Axis of Perdition and Anathema

N-R

• Naglfar
• Nanowar Of Steel
• Napalm Death^note Also see Carcass, Godflesh, Jesu, and Cathedral - The first ever Grindcore band. Rose to fame thanks to their song "You Suffer", which has the Guinness World Record for "Shortest song ever recorded".
• Necrophagist^note Also see Benighted, Christian Muenzner, Hate Eternal, Obscura and Spawn of Possession - German Technical Death Metal band who are now taking forever to write music.
• Negura Bunget - Arguable Trope Codifier for Black Metal/Post-Rock fusions
• Ne Obliviscaris - One of the most acclaimed metal acts to come from Australia. Known for the violin virtuosity of Tim Charles, the technical skill of all six members, and their Neoclassical Punk Zydeco Rockabilly tendencies.
• Neonfly - Self-styled as 'melodic power metal'
• Neuraxis^note Also see Abnormality, Cattle Decapitation, Cryptopsy, Despised Icon, and Kataklysm
• Neurosis - Trope Maker for post-metal
• Nevermore^note Also see Arch-Enemy, Cannibal Corpse, Forbidden, Jeff Loomis, and Megadeth - Progressive Metal band known for being the Ur-Example of groove metal, their cynical singing and subject matter, and the signature guitar playing of Jeff Loomis. Split (at least temporarily) in 2011.
• Jason Newsted ^note Also see Metallica and Voivod
• Nightwish^note Also see Tarot - The Trope Codifier for Symphonic Metal. Easily the face of said music genre.
  • Tarja Turunen
• Nile^note Also see Angelcorpse - Put together brutal Technical Death Metal and Egyptian culture, and Nile is what you get. Also famous for having one of the fastest and most technically adept drummers in metal - George Kollias.
• Nine Inch Nails- one of the key Industrial Metal and Alternative Metal acts of the 90s and 2000s, and a Trope Codifier for the former.
  • The Downward Spiral (1994)
  • Year Zero (2007)
• Nonpoint - Powerful, hard-hitting Alternative Metal is what they play.
• Novembers Doom - One of the longest running and respected Death/Doom bands.
• Nuclear Assault - One of the more successful East Coast Thrash Metal bands.
• Oathean - South Korean metal band that blends traditional Korean music with extreme metal.
• Obituary ^note Also see Gorgoroth - A notable Trope Codifier for Death Metal. Characterized by their laid-back grooves and absolutely psychotic vocals.
• Obscura^note Also see Defeated Sanity, Christian Muenzner, Hate Eternal, Necrophagist, Pestilence, and Spawn of Possession
• Oceano^note Also see The Acacia Strain, The Faceless, and Hate Eternal
• Of Mice and Men - One of the most popular metal bands to emerge in the 2010s. They started out as Metalcore, but over time shifted to Nu Metal with much success, though not without polarizing their original audience.
• Omnium Gatherum^note  Also see Insomnium
• Oomph! - Trope Maker for Neue Deutsche Harte.
• Opeth - Endlessly acclaimed Swedish Progressive Metal band known for their excessively long songs and seamless shift between music genres in any song.
• Origin^note  Also see Angelcorpse, Cannibal Corpse, Cephalic Carnage, The Faceless, Gorguts, Pathology, and Skinless - One of the heaviest and most brutal bands in the technical death genre, in addition to having musicians who are renowned for their truly jaw-dropping ability even by genre standards.
• Ozzy Osbourne^note Also see Black Sabbath - Lead singer of Black Sabbath and the supposed "Godfather of Heavy Metal". Was kicked out in 1979 over his drug abuse, and began a highly prolific solo career as a result.
• Otep - Female fronted Nu Metal band named after frontwoman Otep Shamaya, who is the only consistent member
• Overkill^note Also see Shadows Fall - One of the first Thrash Metal bands (although they took a while to get an album out) and considered by many to be one of the most consistently great bands in the genre.
• Pain of Salvation - Frequently changing prog-metal act recognizable for their focus on precision and emotion rather than all-out technicality. Some of their albums are considered classics in the genre.
• A Pale Horse Named Death ^note See also Type O Negative
• Panopticon
• Pantera^note Also see Crowbar - Either the Trope Maker or Trope Codifier of Groove Metal.
• Paradise Lost^note Also see At the Gates and Cradle of Filth
• Pathology^note Also see Cattle Decapitation, Disgorge, and Origin
• Pentagram
• Pentakill - Power Metal made real based on League of Legends.
• Periphery - The zeitgeist band of the djent subgenre.
• Pestilence^note Also see Obscura and Psycroptic
• Pig Destroyer^note Also see Misery Index - American Grindcore band who push the limits of their genre, both musically and lyrically.
• P.O.D. - One of the most successful Christian Metal bands.
• Portal - Australian Technical Death Metal band known and well-loved for its legitimately horrifying sound even for the genre's standards. Not to be confused with the videogame.
• Possessed - An extremely twisted Thrash Metal band that helped give rise to Death Metal with their debut album Seven Churches.
• Powerman 5000
• Power Wolf
• Pretty Maids
• Primal Fear
• Protest the Hero - Canadian Progressive Metal band that started off as a punk band, but later on began playing their brand of intricate, brisk prog-metal that they would be later known for.
• Psychostick - A very silly, yet highly heralded metalcore band.
• Psycroptic^note Also see Pestilence and Spawn of Possession
• Puya - A Puerto Rican Progressive Metal and Jazz Fusion band.
• Pyrrhon - A tech death band from Boston whose sound can be described as "Gorguts but even Darker and Edgier".
• Queensrÿche - A classic rock-influenced Progressive Metal band, known for their massive Broken Base.
  • Operation: Mindcrime (1988)
• Quiet Riot
• Rage
• Rage Against the Machine - The world's most famous and respected Rap Metal band. Known for their highly political lyrics, the angry vocal delivery of Zack de la Rocha, and the technical skill of Tom Morello.
• Rainbow^note Also see Deep Purple and Ronnie James Dio
• Rammstein - German Industrial Metal band known for their unique sound, scary music and lyrics, larger-than-life singer Till Lindemann, and their obscene music videos. More popular abroad than in their home country, they also are the Trope Codifier for Neue Deutsche Harte and is one of the most popular industrial metal bands alongside Nine Inch Nails, Fear Factory, and Marilyn Manson.
• Ratt
• Red - Tennessee-based Alternative Christian Metal band known for their mix of styles and emotional music.
• The Red Chord^note Also see Trap Them and Unearth
• ReVamp - ^note Also see After Forever Floor Jansen's new band after After Forever disbanded due to Sander Gommans having a health breakdown and a lack of passion to continue.
• Revenge - Canadian black metal outfit known for their brutal sound and war-themed lyrics.
• Reverend Bizarre
• Revocation^note Also see 3 Inches Of Blood - One of the most talked about new bands in the metal scene. Their unusual mix of Technical Death Metal and Thrash Metal, as well as subtle influences from other music, gained them rising status.
• Rhapsody of Fire
• Ricardo Iorio
• Rivers of Nihil
• Rolo Tomassi
• Running Wild - Long-running German traditional heavy metal band known for incorporating Pirate themes in their music.

S-Z

• Sabaton - Swedish Power Metal quintet notable for their history and war inspired lyrics.
• Satan
• Savatage^note Also see Trans-Siberian Orchestra
  • Streets: A Rock Opera (1991)
  • Handful of Rain (1994)
  • Dead Winter Dead (1995)
  • The Wake of Magellan (1998)
  • Poets and Madmen (2001)
• Saxon
• Scars On Broadway
• Scar Symmetry^note Also see The Absence
• Scorpions - One of the first bands to play metal, who continue to perform today.
• Schlafes Bruder - German band, the Spiritual Successor to E Nomine
• Septicflesh - Greek Death Metal band who, after reuniting, evolved into a Symphonic Death Metal sound.
• Sepultura^note Also see Soulfly - The face of Latin American metal. began as a straight-up Death/Thrash metal band, but became known for their crushing approach to experimental metal for most of their career, and for the departure of their frontman and main creative force, Max Cavalera, who was replaced by a black Nu Metal singer whom the fanbase strongly despises.
  • Roots (1996)
• Sevendust - Atlanta-based metal band who got their start in the late 1990s. Best known for their crushing riffs, radio-friendly hooks, and the unique R&B-influenced vocal delivery of Lajon Witherspoon. The band members are True Companions.
• Seven Kingdoms
• Severe Torture
• Severed Savior
• Sexcrement^note Also see Abnormality and Fit For An Autopsy - New England's premier sleaze merchants.
• Shadows Fall^note Also see All That Remains, Anthrax and Overkill - One of the Trope Codifiers for Melodic Metalcore who leans much further towards the "metal" side.
• Shining - Swedish Progressive Black Metal band which is noted for frontman Niklas Kvarforth's severe degree of misanthropy. Not to be confused with the identically named Norwegian Progressive Metal band, as they often are.
• Sigh - Possibly the first Black Metal band to form in Japan, but gradually shifted towards a more experimental sound.
• Signs Of The Swarm^note Also see Lorna Shore
• SikTh - A highly respected Nu Metal band known for their chaotic musicianship and dual vocal setup, but better known as an early pioneer of the djent subgenre.
• Silencer - Swedish Black Metal band infamous for frontman Nattramn's psychotic vocals and alleged deranged behavior.
• Sirenia ^note Also see Tristania
• Six Feet Under^note Also see Cannibal Corpse, Dying Fetus, Chimaira, and The Faceless - The next Death Metal band fronted by Chris Barnes after he left Cannibal Corpse. They tend to be groovier and less serious than most other bands in death metal, making them a hugely polarizing kind of band, though they have gotten much more technical with their last two albums.
• Skagos
• Skeletonwitch
• Skelteria
• Skepticism - Trope Codifiers for Funeral Doom Metal.
• Skid Row - One of the last, and one of the heaviest, Hair Metal bands to achieve major mainstream success.
• Skillet - One of the most successful Christian Metal bands, though that success only came after they downplayed the religious aspect.
• Skindred - The only band to ever successfully fuse metal with reggae.
• Skinless^note Also see Origin and Angelcorpse - Stealth Parody of brutal death metal.
• Skyclad - Trope Makers for Folk Metal
• Slapshock - The face of Filipino metal. Frequently shifts styles.
• Slayer - ^note Also see Exodus and Forbidden A massively popular American Thrash Metal band formed in the 1980s and well-known for being Darker and Edgier than their contemporaries. Their Black Sheep Hit "Angel Of Death" made them particularly infamous in the public eye.
  • 1986 - Reign in Blood
• Slipknot^note Also see Stone Sour - One of the best-known metal bands in the world, as well as the genre's arguable public face. Known for their use of masks, Corey Taylor's distinct vocals, and for having 9 members (though one died).
  • 2014 - .5: The Gray Chapter
• Sleep - Trope Codifier for stoner metal and masters of the Epic Riff.
• Sleepytime Gorilla Museum - A mind-breakingly weird Avant-Garde Metal band.
• Slough Feg
• Sodom
• Soilwork - Swedish Melodic Death Metal band who emerged just after Gothenburg's big three. Their Alternative Metal elements and extensive use of Soprano and Gravel give them a unique sound.
• Sonic Syndicate - One of the more recent pioneers of Melodic Death Metal and the Ur-Example of melodic metalcore. Their sound frequently changes and so does their lineup.
• Sonata Arctica
• Soulfly^note Also see The Absence, Havok, and Sepultura - Max Cavalera's current musical project. Recognizable for mixing Death Metal and Thrash Metal with tribal and Reggae percussion.
• Soundgarden - One of the few bands to combine grunge with metal, and a huge influence on Alternative Metal.
• Sound Horizon - Japanese one-man avant-garde musical outfit known for their expansive catalogue that largely consists of Concept Albums
• Spawn of Possession^note Also see Deeds of Flesh, Defeated Sanity, Christian Muenzner, Obscura, and Psycroptic
• Steel Panther - The other face of the Hair Metal revival
• Steelpreacher - A German band characterized by singing about their love of booze.
• Stinking Lizaveta
• Stone Sour^note Also see Slipknot - Alternative Metal/Hard Rock band best known for being frontman Corey Taylor's other band (despite being around first). They haven't had nearly as much commercial success as Slipknot, but have been far more successful on the radio.
• Stormtroopers of Death
• Stratovarius - A Finnish Power Metal band known for their soaring musicianship and dense, cinematic sound.
• Stryper
• Suffocation^note Also see Decrepit Birth, Disgorge, Dying Fetus, Hate Eternal, Misery Index, and Six Feet Under - One of the most important bands in death metal, as they created the brutal death subgenre and revolutionized tech by proving that you could be both technical and incredibly heavy.
• Suicidal Tendencies ^note Also see Metallica and Megadeth - Originally (and currently) a Hardcore Punk band, achieved several years of mainstream success when they blended Thrash Metal and Funk.
• Suicide Silence^note Also see All Shall Perish and Animosity - The Trope Codifier of modern deathcore. Known for the tragic death of original vocalist Mitch Lucker via vehicular accient. Very bizarrely switched to a 1990s-influenced Nu Metal sound on their Self-Titled Album.
• Suid Akr A
• Summoning
• Sumo Cyco
• Sunn O)))^note Also see Mayhem and Khanate - Trope Codifier of drone doom. DO NOT listen to them while on drugs. It might end very badly.
• Sylosis
• Symfonia
• Symphony X
• System Divide ^note Also see Aborted, Fear Factory, Malignancy
• System of a Down - One of the most commercially successful and acclaimed metal bands on the planet. Their music is political, funny, and unlike anything else.
• Tarot^note :Also see Nightwish
• Tankard
• Teräsbetoni
• Testament ^note Also see Exodus and Forbidden - The most successful American Thrash Metal band after the infamous Big Four. Perhaps best known for the virtuous solos of Alex Skolnick and very distinctive vocals of Chuck Billy.
• Theatre of Tragedy
• Theocracy
• Therion^note Also see Candlemass, The Kovenant and Cradle of Filth - A Trope Codifier of Symphonic Metal and the arguable Trope Maker of Avant-Garde Metal, with frequent line-up changes.
• Thor
• Thy Art Is Murder^note Also see Black Crown Initiate and Jungle Rot
• Tiamat
• TNT - Norwegian Hair Metal band.
• Tokyo Yankees^note Also see X Japan - The band that launched legendary power vocalist Soichiro "Ume" Umemura into recognition.
• Tool - The second most popular Progressive Metal band. They are from Los Angeles. They are.... Weird, to say the least. Their long-awaited next album has been in Development Hell for almost 8 years.
• Phil Tougas - That dude from Quebec who somehow always seems to be able to find the time for a new project or band to join.
• Devin Townsend - Canadian musician and producer, known for his vocal versatility, strong affinity for humor and extreme musical insanity.
• Toxic Holocaust
• Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Neoclassical/Symphonic/Progressive rock/metal band known for their absolutely numerous band members, awesomely long songs, and their epic Christmas-themed Rock Operas.
  • Beethoven's Last Night (2000)
• Trigger The Bloodshed ^note  Also see Heaven Shall Burn, Carcass, and Aborted
• Tristania ^note Also see Sirenia
• Trivium ^note Also see Arkaik- One of the poster children of recent metal. Considered the new Metallica by some, but strongly despised by others.
• Turisas
• Twenty Dead Flower Children
• Twisted Sister
• Type O Negative^note Also see Danzig
• UFO - early Hard Rock / Heavy Metal band and a key influence on the NWOBHM. Their guitarist Michael Schenker was also in Scorpions for a few albums.
• Ulcerate - New Zealand's most famous metal export.
• Underoath - Started off as a Christian Deathcore/Unblack Metal group before switching to their post-hardcore sound.
• Unearth ^note Also see The Faceless, Lamb of God, The Red Chord, and Trap Them - Considered by some to be the Spiritual Successor to In Flames.
• Unleashed
• Unlocking the Truth - African-American metal band from New York City consisting of three teenagers. Their music is a mix of various retro genres including Traditional Heavy Metal, Speed Metal, Thrash Metal, and Nu Metal.
• Ulver - Started out as Black Metal, (in)famous for never recording two albums in the same style. Haven't qualified as metal in over fifteen years.
• Uriah Heep - A very early British Metal / Progressive Rock band, and arguably an Ur-Example of Progressive Metal.
• Vader - (One of) The pioneers of Polish Death Metal.
• Vale Of Pnath^note Also see Inferi
• van Canto
• Vektor - a progressive Thrash Metal band notable for being a Spiritual Successor to Voivod and one of the mostly highly lauded acts of the thrash revival
• Venom - One of the first black metal bands, if not, the very first. Also frequently considered an Ur-Example or co-Trope Maker for Thrash Metal.
• Versailles^note Also see Jupiter - Japanese Symphonic Power Metal band well-known for their over-the-top musical style and image.
  • Hizaki - Lead guitarist of Versailles (and too many other bands to list, including his own solo project). Known for fast, melodic guitar solos. As famous for his fashion sense as he is for his music.
• Vio-lence ^note Also see Forbidden and Machine Head
• Voivod - Canadian act that started out as standard Thrash Metal before gradually moving into a more progressive direction, of which they have spent their whole career since as.
• Visigoth
• Vision Divine
• Volbeat - The leaders of modern metal, with Lamb of God.
• Waking the Cadaver^note Also see Cognitive - Slam deathcore band infamous for their violent music and lyrics.
• Warbringer
• WASP
• Watain
• Watchtower - One of the earliest Progressive Metal bands. Also has elements of Power Metal and Thrash Metal.
• Weakling - One of the first bands to fuse Black Metal with Post-Rock and Shoegaze elements. Only released one album, but have been massively influential, particularly on U.S. black metal.
• Alissa White-Gluz - singer of death metal band Arch-Enemy.
• Whitechapel - Deathcore with a lot more emphasis on the "death" part.
• White Wizzard
• Wintersun ^note Also See Ensiferum - Finnish Melodic Death Metal project whose sole founding member and creative force takes ages to record music.
• Within Temptation - One of the faces of European Symphonic Metal, and certainly one of the most successful.
• Wolfmother - A throwback to early '70s metal and stoner rock. Of all the bands influenced by Black Sabbath, they're one of the most obvious.
• Wolves in the Throne Room
• Woods Of Ypres - a melodic Black Metal-turned-Doom Metal band from Canada which suffered sudden Author Existence Failure just before the release of their final album.
• The Word Alive
• Wormed
• Wuthering Heights
• X Japan - Arguably the band that defined Visual Kei and, along with Loudness, practically created the non-underground Japanese metal scene. Tied with Loudness for the second most famous Japanese metal band and was the first most famous Asian heavy metal band until Dir en Grey.
  • Yoshiki^note Also see Violet UK - One of the most well-known drum and piano virtuosos in metal, made famous for his compositional skill, attention-grabbing persona and, prior to a string of neck and back injuries from 1995 onwards, his extreme speed and proficiency in both the drums and the piano and, consequently, for being the Ur-Example of extreme metal. Post-injuries work showcases his increased focus on extreme technicality.
  • Toshi - Known for his unique vocal tone and range, for making Rob Halford look heterosexual and possibly kickstarting the entire "yaoi fanservice" thing in Visual Kei whatever his actual orientation was, and for spending 10 years in an unhappy marriage and a religion that he denounced and left and sued.
  • hide - One of the most acclaimed metal guitarists ever, known for pioneering Alternative Metal, bridging the gap between the Eastern and Western metal scenes with his side project Zilch, and inspiring the creation of the various Visual Kei spin-offs, but unfortunately known for a shocking, unusual and tragic death via either suicide or autoerotic asphyxiation.
  • Sugizo - Guitarist of Luna Sea who replaced hide post the 2007 reunion, officially as of 2009.
  • Pata - Guitarist who developed a cult following outside of Japan for his works with James Christian, and who was arguably the better guitar player technically in the early years.
  • Taiji^note Also see Loudness - Virtuoso bassist and guitarist, unfortunately also one who had major problems with alcohol and drugs and severe health issues as a result. Died in 2011, likely as a result of homicide in custody, though the official story is that he hung himself with a bedsheet. With no wounds from doing so, and no autopsy conducted.
  • Heath - Replaced Taiji as bassist from 1993 to 1997, and again as of The New '10s. A capable musician, but mentioning his name in a discussion about Visual Kei bassists (or Heavy Metal bassists in general) will not end well.
• Yousei Teikoku - Japanese Gothic Metal band, fronted by seiyuu (voice actress) Yui Itsuki. Known for their contributions to several anime series and their bizarre approach to their genre. The fanbase loves them for the wrong reasons, however.
• Rob Zombie - Industrial Metal and Groove Metal musician. Fronted the band White Zombie in the 80s and 90s. You may know him for the movies he's directed.
• Zombiekrig
• Zao
• Zeal & Ardor - Black Metal mixed with Gospel Music, Blues, Soul, and several other musical styles. No, we're not kidding.
• Zyklon ^note Also see Emperor and Morbid Angel - Though to a lesser extent than Blood Red Throne, they were noted as a poster band for Norwegian Death Metal.

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